Things are also different in La Rochelle. Here the sights are open all day and quite a few of the eating places and shops are open all day. Must have something to do with the influx of tourists over summer and it makes a hell of a difference to the general ambiance of the place.
We spent quite a good day here, mixing in two nice meals with a visit or two and a little shopping and promenade around the waterfront. La Rochelle is very well served with public transport park and ride and with city provided bikes. This year quite a few other cities are also starting bike systems where the bikes are located at various places around town and you can use as available. In La Rochelle, we think that you get the first two hours for nix and then you pay a euro or two per hour after that. There is a nice acquarium here which is open until 11pm so they can do it in some places.
