If you want to get to the La tour des prises campsite by foot, bike, car, scooter, motorcycle, cab, bus or camper van, you’ll need to cross the bridge over the Ile de Ré. Almost 3 km long, it is the largest bridge in Charente-Maritime and the second largest in France after Saint-Nazaire.
Île de Ré bridge, a link between the mainland and the Charente archipelago
A true feat of engineering, the Ile de Ré bridge features 6 viaducts designed to cope with the sharp increase in vehicle traffic.
With the Île de Ré attracting increasing numbers of holidaymakers, the ferries used to transport vehicles eventually proved insufficient and too tedious to cope with the exponential traffic, until the inauguration of the bridge in 1988. The construction project, controversial when it was first announced, was ultimately well received and now contributes to the island’s economy.
Access and rates
The Ile de Ré bridge begins west of the town of La Rochelle and ends in the southeast of the island, at Rivedoux-Plage. In order to regulate the influx of cars, especially in summer, a toll booth has been installed. All motor vehicles are concerned, and the fare applied depends on the class of the means of transport, as well as the season of the crossing.
For a saloon car during the summer season, the toll for the Ile de Ré bridge will be around €16 for the round trip. It is also possible to take out several subscription formulas:
- Season subscription (summer/winter)
- Annual subscription (€400 for cars)
- Employee subscription (1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 12 months)
- Secondary resident subscription (€2 per passage, annual subscription €100)
- Island resident pass (€1 to €15 per pass, depending on vehicle class)
