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France is among the most visited countries in the world, having hosted over 100 million guests in 2023 alone––I live in Paris myself, and let me tell you, it feels incredibly busy year-round, whether it’s the Olympics or not, summer or winter.
Despite being ultra-popular, France is not exactly cheap to travel to.
Consumer prices are notoriously higher than most of its European counterparts, and the cost of accommodation in Paris has soared through the roof this year.
As a travel writer myself, I still love getting around and discovering France, be it the castle-dotted hinterland or the endless miles of unspoiled coastline, and like the average tourist, I’m always looking for the next (affordable) hidden gem in the country I call home.
Thanks to a 2024 research published by local news outlet Le Parisien, I recently discovered a beautiful medieval coastal city that is not only often bypassed by foreign visitors but considerably cheaper than Paris, Lyon, Nice and the like:
Hidden Gem On The West Coast Of France!
La Rochelle straddles the West Coast of France, where it meets the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s a historic settlement originally developed in the Middle Ages as a trading port—no wonder it’s the administrative seat of the Charente-Maritime department.
Though it’s best known for its thriving fishing industry, which continues to play a key role in the economy as much as it did back in medieval times, it is probably one of the most charming cities I’ve been in France (and trust me, I’ve been up and down the country in search of these beauties).
I don’t know about you, but the reason why I love France––and Europe as a whole––is the unrivaled Old World charm: at times, it’s almost as if you’ve stepped into a movie scene of the kind with fairytale castles and cobbled streets, and La Rochelle is no exception.
The waterfront, or Vieux Port, unfolds along the azure Bay of Biscay, and it’s the striking trio of medieval towers—the Chain Tower, the Lantern Tower, and the Saint Nicolas Tower—that will first catch your gaze.
These towers have all guarded the entrance to the inner harbor for centuries on end.
The Old Town as a whole is incredibly well-preserved for a thousand-year-old city, and I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve stopped for pictures of half-timbered buildings and the odd, solitary street-corner cafe that just belongs on your Instagram grid.
Here’s What Impressed Me Most About La Rochelle
One of the most striking monuments in town is Grosse Horloge, or ‘Big Clock’, which similarly to Rouen’s or Bordeaux‘s, sits atop an imposing tower, formally-attached to La Rochelle’s fortifications, and you just can’t miss it while strolling the historic center.
If you love History, I strongly recommend you take a walk along the ramparts, which loop around the Old Town, offering views of the maze of pedestrianized lanes below and the rows upon rows of traditional boulangeries and merchant houses (it was one of my favorite things to do while visiting).
Now, if you love trying local food, the Old Market is the place to go: a covered market hall, it is where you’ll find everything French, from pastries to fresh fruit, to local vegetables and cheese, and on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the food stalls even spill onto the surrounding streets.
It’s not too far from La Rochelle’s most popular water attraction, either: this is one of France’s key Atlantic hubs, after all, and the sea is an integral part of this city’s very fabric––hem, it was built around it?
So needless the say the public Aquarium is a must-see.
Even if you’re not particularly a fan of Aquariums, the fact that this one costs under $20 to visit (or the equivalent in euro), covers a surface area of over 8,445 m², has a whopping 3 million liters of seawater, and exhibits over 12,000 animals should be enough to convince you to stop by.
La Rochelle Is Fairly Affordable
Onto my favorite part: according to Le Parisien, a well-reputed publication in France, La Rochelle is one of the most affordable city breaks in the country right now, and though I usually take these surveys with a huge grain of salt, I’m inclined to agree with them:
The fact that they’ve compared 785 municipalities of at least 5,000 inhabitants aside, assessing factors such as weather, accessibility and tourist offer, which La Rochelle passes with flying colors, should be credible enough, but I could see it and confirm it with my own eyes.
Whether you’re a museum rat or you’re only here to sample La Rochelle’s culinary delights––I’m still thinking back fondly to those melt-in-your-mouth grattons charentais––a three to four-day visit will not cost you nearly as dearly as it would in Paris or the French Riviera:
Here’s a price breakdown of all the main attractions in town:
- The Three Medieval Towers – $10.35
- The Aquarium – $19.61
- The Maritime Museum – $6.54
- The World War II Bunkers – $10.35*
*Prices are expressed in U.S. dollars based on the current euro exchange rate, which may change.
In total, it costs $46.85 to visit the most important museums in La Rochelle, or alternatively, if you’re booking the La Rochelle Ocean Pass, a 2, 3 or 7-day public transport and museum-fee waiver, it can cost you a slightly more-expensive $47.93––still worth it in my books!
Plus, with the Ocean Pass, you can visit the nearby Aix Island, the pearl of the Charente estuary, and an offshore haven with a long sandy beach boasting views of the iconic Fort Boyard, a 19th-century pure-stone fortification built on a prominent sandbank.
On top of those, walking the ramparts at sunset, walking the extent of the lively port, and admiring the beautiful French architecture are of course free!
How Much Are We Talking About, Exactly?
Back to La Rochelle, however, it is one the least expensive destinations in France:
That’s not to say it’s particularly cheap, as nowhere in France truly is compared to budget-friendly alternatives in Eastern Europe, but you’ll have to try a little harder to break the bank here if you’re the splurging type:
Visits to casual cafes or crêperies setting you back $15-17 on average, while a sit-down dinner with two courses, coupled with a glass of wine, is around $35, and room rates range from $90.41 for an Ibis stay to $136 for a more traditional 4-star listing like Le Masq.
I stayed myself at the budget-friendly, $65-a-night Hotel de la Paix, and to by absolute surprise, their room rates haven’t been inflated lately as a result of the Olympics––I guess I should be happy La Rochelle is a whole 300 miles west of jam-packed Paris.
The Single Room is simple but quite comfy, and the continental breakfast, plus the great location, within walking distance of all major points of interest, were two other highlights for me––I doubt I ever stayed anywhere in France with these specifications, and at such an attractive rate.
Overall, a 4-day stint in La Rochelle is likely to set you back $600-$635, based on my own personal expenses: I’m not necessarily a budget traveler, I dine out at mid-range restaurants, and I’m typically ticking off every cultural site off the list, so you can definitely do it for cheaper.
All in all, I had an all-round satisfying prolonged weekend in La Rochelle, and I definitely vouch for Le Parisien‘s findings: it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other spots in France, the cultural wealth is huge, and a welcome bonus, it’s far less crowded than my own home city.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.