Check-in time is 16.00 or later, to give us time to make sure everything is perfect for your arrival at your home from home. However, if you need to arrive earlier, just let us know in advance; we can adapt to your timetable, and find a way around any timing problems.

• • From the north: autoroute A7, take the exit for Bollene (22), “direction Pont Saint Esprit” (15km) then R 586 “direction Bagnols sur Cèze” so as to cross the river by the new bridge.

   

  • From the south: autoroute A7, take the exit for Orange Nord then “direction Pont Saint Esprit” (10km); at the next roundabout take the RN 586 “direction Bagnols sur Cèze” so as to cross the river by the new bridge. 

   

  • Once you have crossed the bridge, take the exit from the roundabout labelled “direction Saint Etienne des Sorts”.  Half-way down the hairpin bend you will see a sign saying “Le Mas des Îles” and another saying “Chemin des Îles”.  After another 30 metres, follow the sign pointing left and take the road which will lead you straight to the blue-green gate with a fish either side… You’re here!
  • From the south-west: Autoroute A9, take the exit for Rémoulins (exit X). Follow “direction Bagnols sur Cèze”, then “Pont Saint Esprit”. Before you enter Pont Saint Esprit, take “direction Bollène”, then at the next roundabout “direction Saint Etienne des Sorts”.
  • GPS coordinates: 44°14’49.4″N 4°39’14.6″E

Pont Saint Esprit is served by the regional coach company LIO.

 Timetables on their site: LIO and UGGO

  From Pont Saint Esprit it is 15 minutes on foot to the gîte. If you let us know ahead, we can come and fetch you from the bus station by car.

Yes. There are several options if you come by train:

SNCF station Bollène la Croisière is 4 km from Mas des Îles. The line runs north-south, along the route of the autoroute A7. We can come and fetch you from the station. Please let us know ahead of time which train to meet.

TGV: Avignon Station, then LIO coach to Pont Saint Esprit.

The ViaRhôna is a European-level cycle tourism route which links Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea. You can cycle its full length of 815 km (though not fully completed), which will lead you from alpine landscapes to the beaches of the Camargue, passing through the iconic wine-growing areas of Côtes du Rhône and southern Provence, with hill-top villages, fields of lavender and olive trees, and all the gastronomic discoveries that go with them. The ViaRhôna will reveal a panorama of succeeding civilisations through 2000 years of history and heritage, partly on dedicated cycle tracks and partly on shared roads.  At Km 393 (coming from the north), pass beneath the new (yellow and blue) bridge to reach the right bank of the Rhône, and take the “Chemin des Îles” on your right. Follow it until the first turn to the left, where you will see the sign saying “Le Mas des Îles”.

The two main international airports are Lyon Saint-Exupéry and Marseille Provence. From either, you can reach Le Mas des Îles by taking the train to Bollène. Another option is to hire a car at the airport, where there are several different car-hire companies. There are always better deals to be had by reserving in advance. The drive will take about an hour and a half.

Our house and gîte are in a hamlet where everybody is related. You will see when you arrive that the road is a cul-de-sac through the vineyards and the farms of the different members of the family. You can park on our property, with your vehicle under the shade of the vine trellis, or elsewhere within the locked gates of the property.

Yes, it’s very easy both by bus and by train. Just let us know, and we’ll come and pick you up from the station or the coach, and give you lots of suggestions of interesting things to do on foot.

There is bike-hire in Pont Saint Esprit, and also coach trips organised by LIO the coach company, or car hire in Orange or Avignon.

We are real animal lovers at Le Mas des Îles, so your four-legged friends will be made very welcome. We do however need to insist on good behaviour: they must be clean and sociable when it comes to other visitors and their companions, be they four- or two-footed! Feeding-bowl, drinking water, basket, blanket or cuddly toy, we shall be sure to supply everything they need to make their holiday as much of a success as your own.

The washing machine which is reserved for the use of our gîte guests is in the utility area, with washing lines (equipped with pegs) close by.

We would ask you to use liquid detergent, dispensed directly inside the drum of the machine, or detergent tablets, so as to keep the machines clean.

We have available upon request the instructions for all the equipment in the gîtes, and we can also mail them to you beforehand.

The barbeque is at your disposal upon request. Charcoal to be provided by the guests.

We can organise dinner upon request, for you to try what the farm produces, learn about local specialities and enjoy Sylvie’s cuisine. Just let us know ahead of time when you would like it!

You will find everything you need in Pont Saint Esprit:

For instance:

Supermarkets: Carrefour Market, Intermarché, Casino

Vegetables: Provenc’Halles 

Meat: Provence’Halles or “Chez José”

Wholesome, local and tasty foodstuffs: “La Grangette”

Specialist groceries: “la Taverne aux épices”

And last but not least, our weekly Provençal market every Saturday.

Many restaurants and bars in town offer plentiful, cheap food at midday: Le Concorde, Le Café des Fleurs, Le Rosalbin, La Taverne aux Épices

For the evening, we have a list of our favourite places giving you the opportunity not only to eat well, but also to visit other places in the region.

The Pont Saint Esprit market, one of the largest in the region, takes place every Saturday morning. Every day you can find a typical Provençal market to explore in a different town or village, so you can enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the produce while visiting different tourist destinations during your stay at Le Mas des Îles.

Pont Saint Esprit is proud to boast a magnificent museum, the Musée Laïque d’Art Sacré or Cultural Museum of Sacred Art, in a restored medieval mansion in the centre of the town.  You can visit the magnificent house, which was the home of one noble Pont Saint Esprit merchant family for 600 years, with its 14th and 15th century painted ceilings, more than 300 shields of different designs, and many other unusual and precious objects displayed in a clear and uncluttered setting. Well worth making a detour to visit!

As you will already have gathered, visitors to Le Mas des Îles in Occitane Provence will find plenty of cultural, sporting and gastronomic activities to enjoy. We will be delighted to advise you, depending upon your own individual tastes and upon the time of year.