{"schema_version":1,"title":"La Rochelle","type":"portabout","url":"/p/france/la-rochelle/","collected":"2026-10-18","alternates":{"markdown":"/p/france/la-rochelle/index.md","json":"/p/france/la-rochelle/index.json"},"data":{"portPath":"/p/france/la-rochelle","country":"France","guidance":[],"months":[{"value":"2026-10","path":"/p/france/la-rochelle/timetable/2026-10"},{"value":"2027-07","path":"/p/france/la-rochelle/timetable/2027-07"},{"value":"2027-09","path":"/p/france/la-rochelle/timetable/2027-09"}],"totalCalls":7,"aliases":[],"month":"2026-10","page":1,"rows":[{"date":"2026-10-01","ship":"Ventura","arrival":null,"departure":null,"departure_date":null,"berth":"","tender_status":"unknown","sources":["cruisemapper-itinerary"],"ship_url":"/s/p-o-cruises/ventura","voyages":[{"url":"/v/p-o-cruises/ventura/20260926-20261003/","label":"7 nights \u00b7 Round trip to Southampton \u00b7 2026-09-26"}],"anchor":"call-6616a9b944af0ce3"},{"date":"2026-10-02","ship":"Norwegian Star","arrival":"08:00","departure":"17:00","departure_date":null,"berth":"","tender_status":"unknown","sources":["cruisemapper-itinerary"],"ship_url":"/s/norwegian-cruise-line/star","voyages":[{"url":"/v/norwegian-cruise-line/star/20260927-20261007/","label":"10 nights \u00b7 Southampton to Lisbon \u00b7 2026-09-27"}],"anchor":"call-0adf31a6fa36fae0"},{"date":"2026-10-12","ship":"Hanseatic Spirit","arrival":"07:00","departure":"17:00","departure_date":null,"berth":"","tender_status":"unknown","sources":["cruisemapper-itinerary"],"ship_url":"/s/hapag-lloyd-cruises/hanseatic-spirit","voyages":[{"url":"/v/hapag-lloyd-cruises/hanseatic-spirit/20261007-20261017/","label":"10 nights \u00b7 Hamburg to Porto-Leixoes \u00b7 2026-10-07"}],"anchor":"call-7e1cd8d980575912"},{"date":"2026-10-22","ship":"Ventura","arrival":"09:00","departure":"17:00","departure_date":null,"berth":"","tender_status":"unknown","sources":["cruisemapper-itinerary"],"ship_url":"/s/p-o-cruises/ventura","voyages":[{"url":"/v/p-o-cruises/ventura/20261017-20261024/","label":"7 nights \u00b7 Round trip to Southampton \u00b7 2026-10-17"}],"anchor":"call-2c8354a988b70201"},{"date":"2026-10-26","ship":"MSC Virtuosa","arrival":"07:00","departure":"18:00","departure_date":null,"berth":"","tender_status":"unknown","sources":["cruisemapper-itinerary"],"ship_url":"/s/msc-cruises/virtuosa","voyages":[{"url":"/v/msc-cruises/virtuosa/20261024-20261031/","label":"7 nights \u00b7 Round trip to Southampton \u00b7 2026-10-24"}],"anchor":"call-98639d80719eadc2"}],"rowStart":1,"rowEnd":5,"monthTotal":5,"pagination":[{"number":1,"path":"/p/france/la-rochelle/timetable/2026-10"}],"timetablepath":"/p/france/la-rochelle/timetable/2026-10","about":{"currency":"EUR","currencyurl":"https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/?Amount=1&From=EUR","portmap":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=La+Rochelle+cruise+terminal+France","facts":[["Getting ashore","Cruise terminal about 10 km west of town, by the \u00cele de R\u00e9 bridge"],["Into town","Y\u00e9lo city bus or a taxi, roughly 25 minutes by car"],["Best starting point","The Old Harbour (Vieux Port)"],["Currency","Euro \u00b7 EUR"]],"sections":[["Getting ashore","La Rochelle is a port city on the Bay of Biscay in south-western France, and the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. Cruise liners berth at the far end of Viaduc Pr\u00e9sident Christian Morch, about 10 km west of the town and close to the bridge to \u00cele de R\u00e9. The CruiseMapper wiki says the terminal is about a 25-minute drive from downtown and that a shuttle bus runs for each call. Wikivoyage advises asking your cruise line whether a shuttle runs. The two sources conflict on this point, so confirm the transfer on your ship's notice before you go ashore. CruiseMapper says the terminal was built in 2012 and can take ships of any size. Its October 2026 calls include Norwegian Star on 2 October, Hanseatic Spirit on 12 October, Ventura on 1 and 22 October and MSC Virtuosa on 26 October. The calls from 1 to 12 October are before the review date of 19 October 2026, so check the later dates against your own booking."],["For walkers and architecture fans","The Old Harbour (Vieux Port) is the best-known attraction, and the Old Town walls form part of the waterfront promenade. The old town and harbour are best explored on foot. Three towers can be visited: the Tour de la Cha\u00eene, the Tour Saint-Nicolas and the Tour de la Lanterne. Wikivoyage gives their opening hours as 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:15 to 17:30, with 18:30 in daylight saving, and fees of 9.50 euros per tower or 13 euros for all three. Children go free. The H\u00f4tel de Ville courtyard can be viewed free of charge, and no fee is listed for Cathedral Saint-Louis. Le Bunker, a museum of the German occupation in the Second World War, is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 and costs 9 euros. The Mus\u00e9e Maritime costs 8 euros for adults and is open Tuesday to Sunday, with afternoon hours on Saturday. The Mus\u00e9e des Automates is open daily from 14:00 to 19:00, at 12 euros for adults."],["For nature and outdoor fans","The Aquarium de La Rochelle charges 17.50 euros for adults and 12.50 for children, and allows about two hours. Its opening hours change by season. The \u00cele de R\u00e9 bridge is a 3 km road link to the island, open since 1988. Wikivoyage says the toll in 2023 was 16 euros return per car in high season, with pedestrians and cyclists riding free. Boat tours leave the harbour for \u00cele d'Aix and Fort Boyard, and \u00cele de R\u00e9 is a short drive north. Wikivoyage notes that cruise passengers often take day trips to the Dordogne. Those prices and dates are from 2023 and 2024 and are unverified, so check them before you book. Wikivoyage's festival and marathon dates are from 2023 and 2024 as well."],["For eaters and drinkers","Local specialties include Charentais mussels, salted-butter caramel waffles, broye du Poitou, g\u00e2che, tourteau fromager and canel\u00e9s. The Old Harbour has many seafood restaurants. Wikivoyage names La Bonne P\u00e2te for pizza, Moule Shop for mussels and La Solette as a bistro, with Christopher Coutanceau as a high-end seafood choice that needs booking well ahead. The Vieux March\u00e9 market runs daily from 06:00 to 13:30, so it is best visited in the morning. Wikivoyage gives prices for only some places, so check menus before you sit down."],["Getting around and money","Y\u00e9lo city buses serve the town. The sources read do not say which line runs from the cruise terminal, but most lines pass Place de Verdun, next to the cathedral. A single ticket cost 1.50 euros in 2024, is bought by bank card on the bus and is valid for one transfer within one hour. A 24-hour pass costs 5 euros, a 7-day pass 22 euros and a 10-unit ticket 12 euros. The station, La Rochelle Ville, is about 500 m south of the old town centre. Taxi fares from the cruise dock are not given in the sources read. Prices are in euros. The sources read do not cover card acceptance beyond the Y\u00e9lo bus tickets, or mobile coverage, so carry some cash for small caf\u00e9s and market stalls. Y\u00e9lo bikes can be hired from the kiosk at Place de Verdun, which needs ID, a credit card and a 150 euro deposit. The first 30 minutes cost 1 euro, then 1.50 euros for each 30 minutes. Bikes are not allowed on \u00cele de R\u00e9."]],"access":"The sources read do not describe step-free access at the terminal or on the shuttle. The Old Harbour is walkable, and the bus operator and cruise line can confirm accessible transport.","links":[{"label":"La Rochelle port wiki on CruiseMapper","url":"https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/la-rochelle-port-821?tab=wiki","detail":"Port wiki and schedule"},{"label":"Convert to your currency","url":"https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/?Amount=1&From=EUR","detail":"Daily reference rates","currency":"EUR"}],"maps":[{"label":"La Rochelle cruise terminal on Google Maps","url":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=La+Rochelle+cruise+terminal+France","detail":"Port and terminal"},{"label":"La Rochelle on Wikivoyage","url":"https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/La_Rochelle","detail":"Map and outline guide"}]}}}