Title: What to do in La Rochelle in 2 days?
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Published on 9/13/25, modified on 9/10/26
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Want to discover all that Nouvelle-Aquitaine has to offer? The Atlantic coast lined with fine sandy beaches, the vineyards of Saint-Émilion, the châteaux of the Périgord, the Pyrenees mountains, the Charentes (the birthplace of cognac)… The region (the largest in France) and its 12 departments offer a thousand and one facets!
Good news: Nouvelle-Aquitaine is very accessible by train, particularly from Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and other major cities in France, thanks to a dense rail network and the TGV. The rail network connects Bordeaux, Biarritz, Pau, and the picturesque villages of the Landes region to the south, as well as Poitiers, Limoges, and the lush green landscapes of the Creuse region to the north and east of the region.
And once you're there, an ever-expanding network of bike paths lets you continue your cycling adventure: from picturesque routes through the forests of the Landes to trails winding through the heart of the Bordeaux vineyards!
Bordeaux, the region's major rail hub, is directly connected to many major French cities. From Paris-Montparnasse, the TGV Inoui takes a little over 2 hours. From Toulouse, takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes by direct TGV or Intercités train.
For travelers coming from the north, a direct TGV connects Lille to Bordeaux in about 5 hours, without changing trains.
From the west, Nantes It also offers a direct route to Bordeaux, taking just over 4 hours.
From the southeast, Marseille You can reach Bordeaux in about 6 hours and 30 minutes on a direct Intercités train via Toulouse. From Lyon, there is no no direct connection : Allow for a connection—usually via Paris or Poitiers—starting at 4:30 a.m., but expect it to take about 6 hours on average.
There are other entry points that provide direct access to the northern part of the region without going through Bordeaux:
From Paris, Poitiers can be reached in 1 hour and 30 minutes by direct TGV, and La Rochelle in about 3 hours. To Limoges and the Creuse, takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes by direct Intercités train from Paris-Austerlitz on the Paris–Orléans–Limoges–Toulouse line, a route that will be served by new, more comfortable trains by 2027. From Limoges, Guéret It's now only an hour away by train.
There is a direct connection from Germany ! Since 2023, a direct TGV has been running between Frankfurt am Main in Bordeaux-Saint-Jean during the summer (from early July to late August), the result of a partnership between SNCF and Deutsche Bahn. The trip takes about 7 hours and 45 minutes, with stops in Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, and Mannheim on the German side.
Side Spain, no direct route, but a very convenient border crossing as well: from Bordeaux, a TER train runs to Hendaye in 2 hours and 30 minutes, with a transfer to reach San Sebastián in just 35 minutes. That makes it easy to travel from Nouvelle-Aquitaine to the Spanish Basque Country without ever having to get back in the car.
Once there, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine TER network—one of the most extensive in France—makes it easy to travel between different regions: Bordeaux to Arcachon in 40 minutes, Bordeaux to Bayonne in about 2 hours, or connections to La Rochelle, Saintes, Angoulême, and Limoges.
Boucle
Seven different worlds in about ten days without ever leaving the tracks? This train loop through the New Aquitaine takes you from the Old Port of La Rochelle to the vineyards of Bordeaux and Cérons, before heading to the beaches of the Basque Country in Bayonne and Biarritz, then on to Pau and the peaks of the Pyrenees all the way to Bedous, in the heart of the Aspe Valley! On the itinerary: the Atlantic coast, the Graves and Sauternes wine route, Basque surfing, royal heritage, and hikes in the Pyrenees... For details on each stop:
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New Aquitaine by Train: A 7-Day Car-Free Itinerary
In the heart of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the atmosphere changes from one region to another:
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Title: What to do in La Rochelle in 2 days?
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What to do in Saintes in 48 hours?
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Things to do in the Landes without a car: explore the region between ocean, forest and villages
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What to Do in Creuse and the Vallée des Peintres?
In short, nestled between the ocean and vineyards, stone villages and wild dunes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine is the perfect setting for a multifaceted train tour!
If you want to broaden your horizons, take a look at our ready-made loops passing through Nouvelle-Aquitaine:
Heading to La Rochelle and the surrounding area? The La Rochelle Ocean Pass combines all public transportation options (Yélo buses, ferry boats, TER trains to Rochefort, Niort, and Saintes, and regional buses to Île de Ré, Île d'Oléron, Royan, Surgères, Courçon, and Marans) and access to more than 40 sites and museums. Prices are €47 for 48 hours, €59 for 72 hours, or €80 for 7 days (2025 rates, discounts for teens and children), with 20% off the price of the pass whether you're arriving by train, long-distance bus, or bike. With this pass, you can explore the following villages:
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The most beautiful villages around La Rochelle to discover without a car
In Bordeaux, the Bordeaux CityPass works on the same principle: unlimited access to trams, buses, and the river shuttle on the Garonne, admission to several museums and monuments (including the Cité du Vin), and a guided tour of your choice (mini-train, panoramic bus, boat cruise, or walking tour). Available for 24, 48, 72, or 96 hours, directly from the Bordeaux Métropole Tourist Office.
To explore the rest of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the region also offers a flat fare on its regional buses: €4.10 for a round-trip day pass, or a 10-ride pass for €18.40 (€9.20 for those under 28). In the summer, special routes, the Summer, serve more than 300 tourist sites and 235 Tèrra Aventura geocaching trails throughout the region, which is convenient for areas that aren't well-connected by train.
This guide is produced in partnership with the Regional Tourism Committee:
Train emits about 6x less CO₂ than car (2 passengers) over 399 km. Discover our methodology
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