Flat, beautiful and covered in 86miles/138km of cycle routes, Île de Ré is one of the best places for a cycling holiday in France. From oyster harbours and whitewashed villages to salt marshes, vineyards and Atlantic beaches, much of the island can be explored without ever needing to get in your car.
For families, the distances are manageable and most routes are separated from traffic. Without children, longer days open up the wild western end of the island, where cycle paths weave through marshes and pine forest towards the Phare des Baleines.
Head to my complete Île de Ré guide for all my favourite places, family-friendly things to do, beaches, restaurants and practical advice for making the most of the island.
ILE DE RE CYCLE NETWORK
Île de Ré has ten villages spread along an island a little over 30 kilometres long, so it is large enough to feel varied without ever becoming overwhelming. The island is rightly famous for its cycling infrastructure: there are around 86miles/138km of cycle paths, connecting villages, beaches, vineyards and salt marshes.
That network is one of the main reasons Île de Ré is such a good family destination. Rather than every outing involving strapping children into a car, parking and then doing it all again a few hours later, the journey becomes part of the day. You cycle to the market. Cycle to the beach. Cycle for an ice cream. Stop to look at horses, boats or salt marshes along the way. On our first trip, I absolutely fell in love with this as a model for family holidays. It gives a family holiday a lovely rhythm, and even inspired a cargo bike purchase when we returned home to try and capture some of the magic in our daily life!
A Few Practical Things To Know Before Cycling Île De Ré
Île de Ré is roughly 30km long and predominantly flat, which makes cycling practical rather than simply an activity for keen cyclists. Bike hire is available across the island, including e-bikes, tandems, cargo bikes and child trailers.
Pick up or download the official Île de Ré cycle map before setting out: it shows the cycle network, distances between villages and useful points of interest. It’s also worth checking it for temporary closures before a longer ride.
For children under 12, cycle helmets are compulsory in France. Paths can also become surprisingly busy in July and August, so early-morning rides are often the most enjoyable with younger cyclists.
Understanding The Île De Ré Cycle Map
The Île de Ré cycle map is easy to navigate once you understand the colour coding. Green routes are bike-only paths — these are the best ones, particularly when cycling with children. Green and yellow dotted lines indicate very quiet roads, while red routes are shared with cars. With little ones in tow, we generally prioritised the green routes wherever possible.
HIRING BIKES ON ILE DE RE
So, if you do one thing on Île de Ré, hire bikes. And do not be put off if you are not a regular cyclist. The cycle paths are fabulous. The island is largely flat, criss-crossed by dedicated cycle paths, and with villages close enough together that even relatively short rides can take you somewhere interesting.
Hiring bikes on Île de Ré is incredibly easy, with rental shops in most of the main villages and a huge choice of bikes available. Alongside standard adult and children’s bikes, you’ll find e-bikes, tandems, cargo bikes, child seats and trailers — we opted for a trailer for our two youngest, which worked brilliantly on the island’s flat cycle paths. In high summer, it’s worth booking ahead, particularly if you need children’s bikes or a specific type of trailer. Many hire companies offer multi-day rentals, so you can simply collect your bikes at the beginning of your stay and use them as your main form of transport. With villages, beaches and markets all connected by the cycle network, having bikes for the duration gives you the freedom to explore without constantly thinking about the car or parking.
We have hired repeatedly from Beach Bikes, who have rental points across Île de Ré. They were incredibly helpful and friendly, and I thought the hire was good value too. We paid (2026) around £90 for a week for two adult bikes, a children’s trailer and a child seat.
Is cycling on Île de Ré suitable for children?
Yes — and it is one of the best things about a family holiday here. There are more than 100km of dedicated cycle routes and the island’s flat terrain makes it unusually accessible for family cycling. With very small children, a trailer or bike seat is an easy option. Older children who are confident cyclists can tackle some lovely routes between villages.
Be aware that Île de Ré is fairly exposed – to the Atlantic winds, but also the summer French sunshine. Especially on the bike routes that run along the coastline. The kid’s bike trailer was excellent as it gave them a good amount of shade, but whilst using the bike seat on the back of my bike, we rigged up the very cheap, and fairly ugly (!) pram UVF 50 sun hood extender we brought with us. Not a pretty or elegant solution, but a fairly effective one for keeping our youngest a bit safer in the sun.
Do you need an e-bike on Île de Ré?
Probably not. Île de Ré is wonderfully flat, and the easy-going terrain is one of the reasons it’s such a good place to explore by bike. E-bikes are widely available, but unless you’re planning particularly long days in the saddle, a pedal bike should be more than enough for most people. Even pulling a trailer with two children in the back when my fitness was definitely not what it once was. The cycling here is simply very manageable. If anything is likely to make you wish for a little extra power, it’s the wind rather than the hills.
Cycling onto the Île de Ré
If you’re a keen cyclist and bringing your own bikes, you can even start the adventure before you reach the island and cycle across the Île de Ré bridge from La Rochelle. There’s a separate, two lane cycle lane and, unlike cars, bicycles cross for free. At around 3km long with a maximum gradient of roughly 3%, it’s very doable, and makes for a rather memorable arrival onto the island under your own steam.
Better still, the Île de Ré cycle network connects with La Rochelle’s greenways and the Vélodyssée, the long-distance Atlantic Coast cycling route linking La Rochelle with places including Châtelaillon, Rochefort and Royan. That makes Île de Ré an easy detour or few-day stop if you’re already touring this stretch of France by bike.
Alternatively, bikes can be taken on the ferry from the port of La Rochelle to Île de Ré, giving you another way to arrive without a car. Whether Île de Ré is a stop on a longer Vélodyssée adventure or your destination for a car-free family holiday in France, once you’re here there’s very little reason to get behind the wheel.
FAVOURITE CYCLE ROUTES ON ÎLE DE RÉ
La Flotte to Saint-Martin-de-Ré: This is a great introductory ride. Both villages are worth visiting in their own right, the distance is manageable and you can easily turn it into a half-day outing with lunch or ice cream in Saint-Martin. It’s a good option if you’re travelling with younger children in a trailer because the destination provides plenty of reward.
Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré to La Couarde-sur-Mer. A lovely option if you are staying centrally. You can combine the cycle with beach time, and the relatively short distances make it easy to turn around if small passengers decide they are finished with cycling for the day. The central part of the island is criss-crossed with cycle routes, so it’s easy to devise a short loop and break up the ride with a swim.
The forest route — around 10km. Another gentle option, particularly on a hot day. The Chemin de la Forêt is approximately 10km and passes through the island’s pine landscapes.
Saint-Martin-de-Ré to Ars-en-Ré — around 15km one way: One of the classic Île de Ré bike rides. Leave Saint-Martin behind and watch the landscape gradually change from vineyards and fields to the salt marshes around Ars. Have lunch beneath the distinctive black-and-white church spire in Ars before riding back — or keep going.
Ars-en-Ré to Les Portes-en-Ré and Lilleau des Niges: Continue north for roughly 8km and the island becomes noticeably wilder. The route passes through the marshland landscapes around the Lilleau des Niges nature reserve, one of Île de Ré’s best areas for birdlife.
Ars-en-Ré to the Phare des Baleines — around 7km one way: Cycle towards Saint-Clément-des-Baleines and the island’s famous lighthouse, adding forest tracks, Atlantic views and a lighthouse climb before turning home. Combine it with Les Portes for an excellent full-day ride around northern Île de Ré.
For everything else you need to know — from getting there and getting around to beaches, markets, restaurants and things to do — read my complete Île de Ré guide.
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