THE BRIDGE FOR ILE DE RÉ
PRESENTATION OF THE ILE DE RÉ BRIDGE
You are probably wondering how to get to the campsite on the Ile de Ré in the Charente Maritime department ? We’ll explain it all to you here!
Have you ever heard of the famous Ile de Ré bridge? Connected to the mainland by a 3km bridge, the Ile de Ré is an easily accessible destination.
The Ile de Ré bridge connects the town of La Rochelle and Rivedoux Plage. Thanks to it you can reach your holiday rental Le Bois Plage en Ré or Saint Martin de Ré in the Poitou Charente area.
Thanks to this, it is possible to come to the Ile de Ré in your car, your camper van, your motorbike or even by bike via the cycle track on the bridge.
If you are looking for a real change of scenery, you can swap motorised vehicles for bicycles and visit the salt marshes.
The île is also served by public transport, so you can easily take the bus to get here. The bridge has also been designed for heavy goods traffic.
Whichever means of transport you choose, the journey will only take a few minutes.
BRIDGE OF ILE DE RE : THE HISTORY
The Ile de Ré bridge was inaugurated on 19 May 1998, and although before this date the island was crossed by ferry, the ever-increasing popularity of Ile de Ré as a holiday destination prompted the local authorities to build a bridge.
Despite the reluctance of some locals, the project went ahead, with Bouygues taking on the construction work at an estimated total cost of just under €60 million.
Everything was of course designed and adapted according to seismic and impact resistance standards. In the high season, the number of cars passing over the bridge is over 16,000.
BRIDGE TOLLS FOR THE ÎLE OF RÉ IN CHARENTE-MARITIME
The Ré bridge is open every day and at all hours. In order to moderate traffic and protect the local environment, a toll is charged to vehicles using the bridge. The authorities have also introduced an ecotax since 2012.
- If you drive a car or a campsite, the toll is fixed at 8 € during the period from September 12 to June 19 inclusive and at 16euros during the one from June 20 to September 11.
- It can be up to €40 for class 4 vehicles.
- The fee for motorcyclists is €2.
- Temporary passes can be obtained from the building in front of the tollgate, which is open daily from 5.30 am to 9.30 pm, but is free for pedestrians and cyclists.
More infos on www.pont-ile-de-re.com
THE TOLL ON THE ILE DE RÉ BRIDGE
The île of Ré has been linked to the mainland since 1988 by a bridge of almost 3 km, open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. This infrastructure represents a significant financial windfall for the local community. Its toll collects 13.8 million euros per year.
This is in fact an ecotax, half of which is allocated to the maintenance of the bridge. The rest of the funds are allocated to the protection and management of the island’s endangered natural areas, and to the organisation of “clean” means of transport.
The toll concerns all motor vehicles: cars, campers, buses, motorbikes, scooters over 50 m3… It is located on the mainland, in La Rochelle – the return crossing is free.
The different tolls
- By car, with or without trailers (classes 1 and 2) 8 € from 12 September to 19 June inclusive 16 € from 20 June to 11 September inclusive
- Class 3 vehicles
18 € per year - Class 4 vehicles 40 € per pass
- Motorcycle or scooter over 50 cm3 3 € for motorized two-wheelers Free passage for machines under 50 cm3, pedestrians and bicycles.
