Anyone Cycled from La Rochelle Airport?

[tone5]

Hello
I'm planning a cycle touring and camping holiday with my family, starting from La Rochelle airport. We aim to potter along "La Velodyssee" route along the Atlantic coast.
My little one is 3 and so will be travelling in a trailer. Has anyone cycled out of La Rochelle airport? If so, what is it like? Are there designated cycle paths or busy roads which would be daft to attempt on a bike towing a toddler?
Also, we're taking our own bikes but need to hire a trailer. Any recommendations for where to hire a trailer?
Thanks

[MrsHJ]

I've cycled in La Rochelle but not from the airport. Pocket earth suggests a cycle route from the airport to the centre on Avenue Modere Lombard- suggest street view on Google Earth to check it out.

You are planning on hiring a trailer in La Rochelle?

[andymiller]

Open Street Map seems to show a cycleway from in front of the airport and over the Pont de Ré (if that's where you want to go!). Going the other way there's a short stretch of cycleway that dips under the N237 (which looks like it would be very much the sort of road which it would be daft to ride with a child trailer, or without one if you don't have to) and then it looks like there are roads with cycle lanes into the centre town. [EDIT: in fact you need to take the Avenue Modéré Lombard - which goes over the N237 and looks fairly quiet - it does have cycle lanes but they are very narrow. The cycleway looks pretty good, but has the seems to go round La Rochelle.]

Cycleway is in red. Click to enlarge.

The screenshot is of the openfietsmap.nl version of Open Street Map displayed in Garmin Basecamp. Both are free to download so you can verify all of this (in fact definitely do check for yourself).

There are a number of cycle hire places listed here (La Rochelle tourist office website):

http://www.holidays-la-rochelle.co.uk/l ... cle-rental

The last one (Cyclaix) specifically mentions child trailers - and the GreenBike listing has a picture of a bike with a child trailer - presumably one of their hire fleet!

[DaveP]

I thought cycling was forbidden on N roads? But if not, then definitely avoid. Its fast, can be very busy and the junctions would be hellish. If you wanted to visit the Ile de Re though its a different story - the cycle lane on the bridge is physically separated from the traffic.
Visited La Rochelle last year. didn't actually go near the airport (except on the day when we hired a car to visit the island ) but Streetview is your friend and as a first approximation I would be looking at Avenue Modere Lombard, left into Avenue Raymond Poincarre and then essentially straight ahead until you cross the park. The last few hundred metres doesn't look too appealing, but there is at least a cycle lane and it is France. I generally tour with a trailer (but no passenger) and I see nothing there that would put me off.
The problem now is that the central/old parts of the city are a maze of one way streets which is all about keeping local car drivers moving rather than showing visitors the nice bits. I would suggest turning right, into the Rue de la Noue and carrying on ahead straight down the Rue Reamur (where we stayed) until the junction with the Rue Leonce Vieljeux. At this point IMO the simplest solution is to dismount, turn left, and a 5 minute walk will put you on the waterfront with its many cafes and bistros. This is one way for cars, but a combination of cycling along the quayside (you will not be alone!) and bus lanes will enable you to get round the basin and over the bridge (push!) Then its pretty much a matter of following the waters edge until the velodyssee sign takes you off ....
I hope that will be a helpful starting point for you.
If you have time in the city, with a three year old, an afternoon at the aquarium would probably be a magical experience. It's rather good!

[andymiller]

I thought cycling was forbidden on N roads?

I think it depends on the particular road (I've come across D roads that were off-limits to bikes). That one looks more like a motorway so I wouldn't be at all surprised if bikes weren't allowed on it (in fact surprised if they were allowed). Dredging the dusty corners of my memory I think the law is that you can close non-motorway roads to bikes but only if there's an alternative route. But that might be the Italian of Spanish law.

[700c]

I visit LR most years...flying into LR aeroport. There is very little provision for cycling in and around the airport area...though that might have changed as the aeroport is being extended and upgraded...

Anyway, which way do you need to go? North, South or to Ré ?
In any case, I guess you need to get to a cycle hire place in LR.

South on Av Modere Lombard until you hit Ave Raymond Poincare, turn left onto Poincare. Hit a mini-roundabout, straight over onto Ave Carnot. Onwards to Ave Pierre Loti until the end of this street, you will hit a mini-roundabout, turn left on Ave Jean Guiton. At this point cycle until you hit Parc Charruyer, and turn right into the Parc. Cycle to the end of the park and you will find a cycle hire place (though I do not know if they hire trailers!)...that's about a 15-20 minute cycle, and the roads are not ultra busy.

The next best thing is to get to the Tourist Office which is on Quai du Gabut - very easy to find.
Just near that is the Yelo-Velo which hires out bikes (but I dont remember seeing anything other than bikes)...

And (if I remember rightly) a newish place called Greenbike is also on Quai du Gabut <--- this one is probably your best bet.

Anyway, have fun - it's a beautiful part of the world!

[DaveP]

Ah yes - Greenbike. I remember it catching my eye now.
You could be in luck there: http://www.location-greenbike.com/#!www ... ikecom/cyg

[700c]

Good find DaveP.

Looking at the Greenbike Tariff, you can hire a child trailer for 29,- for 6 days with an extra 3,- per day thereafter. 150,- deposit.
But note that the fee is doubled if you do not also hire an adults bike at the same time.

remorque enfants (childrens trailer)

[bigjim]

I've rode out of there but do not remember the route. It was pretty quiet though. We headed into town, then straight towards the front and rode down the prom into the port. I do remember it is a small customs hall and the customs guys get annoyed if you start putting the bikes together in the hall even thought it was now empty. We were rudely chucked out and had to put them together outside. It was raining at the time.

[tone5]

Thanks all for the great information. MrsHJ, yes we do plan to hire a trailer. Greenbike looks like it would be a good option, thanks andymiller, 700c and DaveP for the suggestion.
We're undecided but tending to favour heading southward and then perhaps onto Oleron island.
I've found this company www.bikehiredirect.com, which hire out trailers (as long as you hire an adult bike as well) and will deliver it to where ever you want in the department. So I'm thinking that our best option is to take only 1 of our own bikes, hire a taxi from the airport to somewhere in La Rochelle that's on La Velodyssey and have our trailer and second bike delivered to us there. Then after the holiday have the hired trailer and bike collected from us somewhere in La Rochelle, then taxi back to the airport. Sounds like this would work.
If this doesn't work out I'll use the directions you've kindly posted DaveP.

[DaveP]

Well in that case you are fortunate enough to have choices - Greenbike is virtually on the route!
If you care to pm me an email address I could send you the navigation files that we used for Oleron to La Rochelle - one for a satnav and/or one that will display on Google Earth and Streetview. I wouldn't dream of suggesting that you simply follow our tyre tracks but you might find some bits helpful. The road approach to the Oleron bridge , for example is an unpleasant fast dual carriage way. It can be avoided! (The bridge itself was ok) And we cut a big loop off the official route East of Rocheforte which seemed to be not particularly interesting converted rail track and an unattractive stretch of road which we later found to include a pretty stiff climb . We went through the middle so as to bag a ride on the transporter bridge

[whoof]

I did a quick search and this is a route from La Rochelle centre to the south. If you click on the chequered flag at the start and drag it a couple of kms North to the airport it will give a new route. This can be saved as a PDF or GPX.

http://cycle.travel/map/journey/14488