Luxury holidays in L’Île d'Yeu

When to go

French holiday-makers swell the isle’s population from June to September. Swoop in at the tail-end of the season to avoid the crowds but still nail the weather, but don’t overshoot as some places may close for winter.

Getting there

• Planes

  Fly into Nantes, which is the closest hub; from there you can drive (or catch a bus to Port Fromentine, just under two hours away), then ride the 30-minute ferry to Yeu. Alternatively, land at La Rochelle, a three-and-a-half-hour drive away, which serves a handful of cities in the UK, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Ireland, Belgium and Portugal. If you fly into Paris, the journey from Orly is around seven hours, slightly longer from Charles de Gaulle.

• Trains

  You could travel over on the Eurostar and then ride the TGV to Nantes in two-and-a-half hours, but you’ll still need to reach the port and cross on the ferry, so it’s not the most straightforward route.

• Automobiles

  Here, two wheels are better than four. There are few roads on the island and not all have the capacity for cars, so locals and tourists alike largely get about by bike. If you do take the pricier crossing over with your car, there are some parking spots on the island, but you may prefer to hire an electric vehicle at Port Joinville (if you hire one at all).