ILE DE RÉ, FRANCE
CONVINCE ME
We’ve known for years that the French save the best for themselves (have you been inside a French pharmacy?!) and Ile De Ré is one such example. An unspoiled island paradise just a 10-minute drive from La Rochelle airport, there is no better place on earth to unwind tout seul. Think of The Hamptons in September, when all the ritzy bankers and their highlighted wives have cleared off, and the only people left are the blissed-out locals... well, that’s Ile de Ré all year round.
You won’t get pestered at dinner by a group of stag weekenders, neither will people stop and stare if you head to the bar by yourself. To be honest, it’s probably propped up by half-a-dozen people doing the same thing with a Pastis and a copy of Le Monde.
SINGLE-MINDED
You come to Ile de Ré for two things: the food and the cycling. Combining both is the idea. There are hundreds of kilometres of flat cycle lanes that traverse the island, each one dotted with wooden shacks (called cabanes) serving oysters and white wine.
The quality of food and clientele varies across the island. The rowdier shacks are towards Saint Martin de Ré, the quieter, more refined ones (ideal for solo travellers) towards Ars-en-Ré (try La Cabane du Fier, Le Martray, Lacabanedufier.com) on the cycle path into Ars.
A great bed for solo travellers can be found in Villa Clarisse (Villaclarisse.com, from £300 per night) – a small, discreet but utterly charming hotel just minutes from the marina in Saint Martin de Ré. Fans of Airbnb will love that Villa Clarisse feels like your own private home, albeit a very stylish one. The pool is never busy, breakfast is a simple, quiet affair where the only noise is the rustle of papers being read and eggs being fried on the hob,
while bedrooms are the stuff of an Elle Decoration
shoot. You also get a deal on bike hire at Yootoo – the best bike shop in town. Dinner, meanwhile, should be taken at Hôtel de Toiras, Clarisse’s sister hotel, a short walk away. Anything goes at this five-star abode – when Cosmopolitan visited, there were two unaccompanied St Bernards chilling quietly in the lounge, so a lone female diner is nothing for these guys.
SOLO TIPS
The key to travelling alone – and staying alone – is looking and dressing like a local. Ile de Ré is where off-duty Parisians come, so Breton tops are a must – theirs will be by Saint James (you can buy these at Blondeau-Marine in Ars-en-Ré, Blondeau-marine.com), preferably the Maree Il R sweater in persan navy. Team with navy shorts and espadrilles. Remember to take a good book with you for dinner, too. After all, France is the home of the lonely intellectual bent double over a coffee, petite patisserie and a copy of L’Etranger.