This train is both a practical way of reaching parts of the south of the island that are otherwise hard to reach and a pleasure in itself; passengers can sit back and enjoy the leisurely ride. Many people use the train to reach the two beaches, especially Plage de Maumusson which is difficult to access by car.

The P’tit Train de Saint-Trojan-les-Bains combines railway history, tourism and environmental awareness all in one little railway track on the Ile d’Oléron. Created in 1963, when it was known as the Tramway Touristique de Saint-Trojan, the ‘petit’ train and railway have gone on to become in recent years one of the most popular tourist attractions on the French Atlantic coast.

More recently still it has caught the mood of sustainability and the green movement by using recycled chip pan oil from local restaurateurs to fuel it. It’s a scheme run by local association Roule ma frite 17.

The 6km of 600mm narrow gauge railway track starts in the centre of Saint-Trojan-les-Bains on the south of Ile d’Oléron. The first half of the journey is through the scrub that’s a mix of towering pine trees and other maritime plants, sometimes running alongside the road. From the stop at the Plage (beach) de Gatseau, the landscape changes and you get superb views of the sea. The terminus is at the Pertuis de Maumusson on the Côte Sauvage, where the Plage de Maumusson, known for its shipwrecks, is eleven km long and feels almost empty even in high season.

The train then makes its way back to St-Trojan along the same stretch of track. A return trip takes one hour, plus a 15 minute wait at Maumusson.

There a little cafe sells simple food and drinks (sandwiches, hot dogs), so you can take the train to the beach, spend a few hours there, lunch at the cafe or on a picnic, and then take a return train back later in the day.

In the peak of summer the railway lays on special weekly evening trips known as the Trains du Soleil Couchant or Trains of the Setting Sun. As the name suggests, these trips make the most of the wonderful coastal landscape and the atmosphere as dusk gives way to night. There’s also a stop at the Maumusson end where you can watch the sun finally set to live music and refreshments from the wagon bar…

The forces and sights of nature are never far away from this railway. In fact the little ‘station’ at the Maumusson/Côte Sauvage end has had to be moved and/or rebuilt 22 times in 45 years because of natural coastal erosion caused by the Atlantic Ocean and wind. The site of the original station from 1965 is now 600 metres out to sea.

For a full timetable visit the P’tit Train de Saint-Trojan website.

The train station is at: rue Camille Samson in Saint-Trojan-les-Bains. Turn off at the roundabout by the Tourist office and drive along a narrow road, houses on either side, to reach the train. The small signposts for the train are in a dark blue.

Address and Contact information
Le P’tit Train de St-Trojan Avenue du débarquement
17370 St-Trojan-les-Bains

Tel: +33 5 46 76 01 26
Mobile: +33 6 79 79 45 23
E-mail: ecrire@le-ptit-train.com