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France adventure
  • The Pollards
Jul – Aug 2024

France adventure

We are the Pollards (Gareth, Laura & Elliott) and this summer, we are having a family adventure driving around France. Our journey begins from our home in Holsworthy, Devon. Keep reading to see where we go! Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 24, 2024
    The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler
    not too shabby?call this a lake?

    Stourhead

    July 24, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Hello, Elliott here (aged 9 years and 10 months). We left home at 9:00 am and drove to Cullompton Services for a wee and coffee stop. After a quick break we were back on the road and drove 62 miles to Stourhead National Trust, where we had a walk around the lovely house and gardens. We saw an old woman having a rant at frail old man with one arm! I was impressed by a big cabinet which had jewels inset in it. Mummy later looked it up on her phone and said it was worth 8-12 million pounds! Oh I forgot to tell you that it now has one less gem!

    Haha, thanks Elliott, I wondered why my bag was a bit heavier when we left! Stourhead really was amazing, the house was stunning, without being overly ornate and the library was something else! We has a little wander to the lake to take in some of the views, but it was soon time to hit the road again. We'd definitely like to come back and spend more time here though. Laura.    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Premier Inn Faversham

    Jul 24–25, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    The next part of the journey wasn't quite as straightforward. Pretty much as soon as we rejoined the A303 after Stourhead, the traffic started to build up, which wasn't surprising for that part of the route, being near to Stonehenge. We set our route for Cobham services for another wee and a quick top-up charge and although the traffic cleared a bit, it wasn't long before we were heading for the M25 and it started to get busy again. We decided to trust the sat-nav when it rerouted us and had a lovely tour of some of the villages and countryside of Surrey, before reaching the services.

    The traffic was still heavy when we left the services, so again we followed the sat-nav's new route away from the M25. We drove around for about an hour before re-joining the motorway right behind a van that we'd seen before we took the diversion!

    Eventually we made it to the Premier Inn in Faversham for our overnight stop, which was great. We had a good dinner and a couple of drinks before retiring for the night, ahead of our onward journey tomorrow.

    Elliott's burger count
    Beef: 0
    Chicken: 0    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Summary of the day’s journey

    July 24, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Hi, Gareth here. So my primary role here is to bore you all with stats. From time to time I may entertain you with my word smithery. Having an electric car always throws up questions from shall we say ‘non believers’ so hopefully this will help.

    Now I may be 45 but my right foot is still heavy and my arse still gets sweaty so I do not drive with efficiency in mind. I like to get a move on when I can and the air con is on keeping the temperature how we like it.
    When we left home we had a range of 324 miles at 100% charge. Mercedes claim you can get around 380 miles but the best I have had is 350 or so. This would have been just enough to make it to our hotel at Faversham which ended up at 290 miles due to diversions. We have decided to take whatever detour the sat nav recommends whenever the traffic gets heavy.
    However, as we needed a wee we thought we would add some charge so we stopped at Cobham services which has 18 super chargers. Half of these chargers were empty so we plugged the car in and left it to do its thing. At this point we had 22% charge and just over 65 miles left. After weeing and walking around M & S and WH Smiths to find something to eat for Elliott who then decided he wasn’t hungry, we went back to the car. 10 mins had passed and 110 miles had been added, more than enough to get us to Faversham Premier Inn.

    When we arrived at the hotel, we plugged in to one of the 10 chargers to get a full tank of electric for tomorrow.

    For efficiency fans we averaged 3.1 miles per kilowatt hour (m/kwh)    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler
    1Dad got bored so Alex took over.

    Channel Tunnel

    July 25, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We started today with good intentions of leaving earlier than planned to try and get an earlier crossing so we had more time in our first French stop. This was soon scuppered by traffic heading towards the tunnel (once again sat nav did a super job of taking us on a mystery tour and avoiding a lot of it). On arrival at the Channel Tunnel, it soon became clear that everyone was heading in the same direction and that getting an earlier train wasn’t going to be likely. After popping into the terminal for a quick wee and a surprise sighting of a new Ford Explorer, which was quite nice in the flesh, we headed off to board. Although we cleared passport control fairly quickly, it all slowed right down afterwards and we sat in the boarding queue for what felt like ages, before finally getting onto the 11.36 crossing (1/2 hour later than our original booking.) yesterday evening’s sunshine had given way to typical British greyness and drizzle so we were more than ready to escape the UK!Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler
    Bum bookVimy ridge war memorial from the road

    Louvre Lens

    July 25, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    After about an hour's drive from the channel whatsit'sface we got to the Louvre art museum (not the one in Paris the one in Lens) which had art, artefacts and sculptures some of which were from 5,000 years ago or 5,000 ans ago. There was lots of naked statues and one of them had balls but NO willy INSERT SNIGGERING HERE. I wanted to get a book (see pics) but mum wouldn't let me.

    We wanted to get some lunch in the cafe, but as it was quite late, there wasn't much left, only three flavours of sandwiches: tuna & peach, cabbage, carrot & honey and crab. We opted for the crab and were very glad we had - it was yummy!    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Summary of day 2

    July 25, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Upon leaving the hotel we immediately forgot our rule to trust the sat nav and chose to join the motorway instead of travelling across country. BIG mistake. The motorway was gridlocked. After 30 mins to travel 2 miles the sat nav rerouted us to assumably put us on the route it originally wanted us to go on. We cut through some quaint villages and tight backroads, I may have enjoyed this a little too much judging by the way the range depleted.

    Eventually we got to the tunnel, had a super long wait and got on the train. Nothing else to report really. Got to Arras, charged at the charger we had planned to while we did some French supermarket browsing and shopping (if you know, you know!) 4 of the 6 chargers were empty. By the time we had finished we had added 130 miles in around 40 minutes. The charger speed dropped off as we got the charge to nearly 100%. Optimum charger speeds are up to 80% full battery if you were wondering. We have a long drive tomorrow so the more charge the merrier and as the other chargers were empty we were not blocking it for other users. We start tomorrow with around 285 miles.

    Uneventful this charging business.

    Oh because I was the fastest man in France and the stop start nature of the drive in Kent the m/kwh was only 2.7. Also air con and ventilated seat on for most of the journey. Hotter in France than the UK!!    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler
    HADUUUUKEN!!!!!!!!!!!

    Mercure Arras

    Jul 25–26, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We arrived in Arras just as the British drizzle was beginning to catch up with us. We were hoping to have a wander around the town square after dinner, but the drizzle turned into a torrential downpour, and that, along with not getting our main courses until 9.10 put paid to that idea. Instead we enjoyed the complimentary glass of wine we'd been given by the waitress as an apology, while Elliott and Gareth played on the arcade machine in the bar.

    We've got a long drive ahead tomorrow.

    Elliott's burger count
    Beef: 1
    Chicken: 0    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler
    Nice hotel but a little deer1

    Ibis styles Dijon Sud

    Jul 26–27, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We finally found the sunshine and warm weather- although of course, it was now too hot! Luckily the hotel had a pool so we were able to cool off after our journey (except for Gareth who was replying to work emails) before enjoying a delicious meal in the hotel restaurant. Tomato and burrata salad for me and coquelles st jacques for Gareth (both of which Elliott more than happily sampled!), followed by chorizo and parmesan risotto for us both and a burger for Elliott.

    The hotel had lovely gardens so an after dinner stroll was in order and then Gareth tried to teach Elliott how to play chess.

    Elliott's burger count
    Beef: 2
    Chicken: 0    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Summary of day 3

    July 26, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    So today we drove from Arras to Dijon, roughly 300 miles in 4 hours 51 mins, average speed of 61mph. No dramas whatsoever apart from a maniac in a Renault tailgating or trying to undertake me for about 50 miles. I guess he wanted to be the quickest driver in France but I shall not be intimidated!! Besides, the speed limit on the toll road is 130kmph which is roughly 81mph. Let’s just say I was doing a bit more than that (In a safe and controlled manner mum I promise). The roads are as smooth as a smooth thing that is doing its best smooth moves. This means efficiency is still only 2.8 m/kwh which in old money is about 95mpg.

    Charging was once again uneventful, car being charged while we browsed a shopping centre and had lunch and wees. No waiting, no hassles. There is probably going to be an ongoing theme here. Chargers at the hotel too, so full tank of electrons to start tomorrow’s drive to Geneva.

    Sorry this is uneventful but this is the reality of electric car ownership. Oh we did get stuck in queue for 15 mins coming off a toll road as someone couldn’t work out how to pay.
    I’m going to make something up tomorrow.    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler
    Not sweet SketchersNow that's a lake

    Telepherique Du Saleve

    July 27, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    After a fab drive through the mountains, tunnels and ever changing scenery, our last stop before heading into Geneva was a cable car up Mount Saleve. It looked pretty steep but wasn't too scary and the views from the top were amazing, you can see Lake Geneva and the Jet d'eau (which we'll be seeing close up a bit later) as well as some distant snowy peaks, including Mont Blanc. Had some lunch from a food truck at the top (not quite sure how they got there!) and I learnt that I don't like 'arepas' the translation on the menu was 'corn pancake' and I stupidly thought it would be a wrap/tortilla. It most definitely wasn't, it was very thick and starchy and claggy and so bland it sucked the flavour out of everything else!

    Elliott's burger count
    Beef: 2
    Chicken: 1    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Summary of day 4

    July 27, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Again nothing to report. Drove for a couple of hours, stopped for a wee and a drink (not at the same time). Added some charge. The charging place even had a delightful fellow there lending a helpful hand to anyone that needed it and giving out vouchers for 20% off in the service station shop!

    Arrived at the hotel in Geneva with 163 miles left. Going to park the car for a couple of days at the hotel as public transport here is free to use for all. That includes buses, trams and boats. Pretty civilised if you ask me.

    So far we have travelled approx 865 miles since leaving a wet Holsworthy. It has cost about £100 to do those miles. There is no doubt that if I drove more sensibly this cost could be reduced by at least £20 but like I said in the introduction, that isn’t my driving style. My fuel is always going to cost more than average, it doesn’t matter if it is electric, petrol or diesel.

    Now I’m off to do some walking in my cooling, memory foam Sketchers. Yeah I wear Sketchers now that I am 45. Big woop, wanna fight about it?    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Geneva

    Jul 27–29, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We found the hotel fairly easily and after a bit of a chill out (and maybe a cheeky uber eats delivery for tea) We headed out to explore. Hotel Sagitta is brilliantly located about 10 minutes walk from the Jet d'eau and the lake side so we headed there first, and it was a beautiful warm evening (almost too hot!) so we were tempted to walk through the spray, but once we saw how wet the people coming out of it were, we decided against it. Instead, we decided to use one of the free modes of transport available and took a shuttle boat to the other side of the lake. We headed back along the side of the lake towards the big wheel, which is always a must for us if there's one around.

    The city is really lovely, so quiet in some areas where there are only trams and no cars on the roads, but also really buzzing in other places and there are plenty of supercars showing off as well!

    Elliott's burger count
    Beef: 2
    Chicken: 1    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler
    sweet sketchers on show

    CERN

    July 28, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We planned to go to the Natural History Museum, but when we got there it was closed for renovation (lucky it was only a few minutes walk from the hotel!) Elliott was so desperate to go on a tram, that we decided to go to CERN and see if they’d let us have a go with the Large Hadron Collider. It turned out that they wouldn’t, but they do have some free science exhibits that you can look at, but only once you’ve completed the overly techy guest registration process of:

    -Connecting to their WiFi
    -Scanning a QR code (that periodically changes to one that asks you to make a donation, rather than just being the one that you sign up with!)
    -Entering your details once you’ve reached the correct webpage
    -Going up to the desk and showing the confirmation email and then being told just to go through to the exhibits!

    First of all we saw an interesting video about how it was formed and what kind of stuff happens there. This was the best part of the whole experience, because there were massive queues for everything but once we got there none of it worked properly, or if it did the screens were really laggy! I did enjoy the VR headset though, more than Mummy as it made her feel funny!    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler
    Not my scooter!

    Cathedral St Pierre

    July 28, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    After the tram journey back from CERN, we headed for the cathedral, taking in more sights of the wonderful city of Geneva on the way. Being a Sunday, there were no shops open and even a lot of the restaurants etc were closed. Apart from not being able to just pop into the nearest supermarket when we needed a cold drink or a snack, it was actually lovely that you didn’t feel like popping in and out of shops, but could take the time to just wander around and appreciate the city.Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Last evening in Geneva

    July 28, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    For our last evening in Geneva, we headed out to find somewhere to eat (Gareth interrupting here, while Laura was taking Elliott for his usual restaurant toilet routine (the mothers will know what I am on about) 2 little birdy friends joined me to keep me company, which was nice), before walking down to the lakeside to take a sightseeing tour on a mini train. We travelled along the left bank of the lake, towards the beach area, which was still full of people, even at 9 p.m and saw a few more areas that we hadn’t been to yet. At the end of the tour we were back by the big wheel and some stalls selling candy floss, ice cream and crepes. We had a few Swiss francs to use up so thought it was a good idea to spend them here!

    Back to the hotel to finish packing and prepare for the next leg of our journey tomorrow.

    Gareth here again, I must say I am so glad we decided to add Geneva to our trip. Such a wonderful, beautiful, clean, quiet (as in not a lot of vehicle noise) multicultural city. All nationalities, enjoying what Geneva had to offer and all ending the day with candyfloss or ice cream. We are all pretty similar really.

    Elliott's burger count
    Beef: 2
    Chicken: 1    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Summary of day 6

    July 29, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Left Geneva (after discovering that what could only have been a pterodactyl had been nesting above the car overnight) with 163 miles of range. Some 120 miles short of making it to the villa in Montpellier, so a charge along the way would be needed.

    About an hour or so into the journey we all needed wees as usual, so Laura found chargers at a Carrefour supermarket that wasn’t far off the motorway. That way we could combine wees and supply shopping for the villa while the car was charging. 45 mins or so later, the car was back to 100% with a range of 288 miles. We also took this time to buy some new microfibre cloths (a man can never have too many) which we then used to try and remove the pterodactyl dung from the car- no mean feat after it had baked on in the sun!

    Unfortunately after this stop, the motorway got busy and the temperature touched 37 degrees.
    The car’s sat nav suddenly diverted us off the motorway and by the looks of the gridlock on the motorway it did us a favour. The back roads ran parallel with the motorway and through towns for many miles and the red congestion on the map was a permanent fixture.

    After a couple more hours of travel and having rejoined the motorway, the bladders were ready to be emptied and then refilled with ice cold drinks, even with the air conditioning on permanently you still get a bit sticky. The temperature for this leg had been sat at 40 degrees.

    It makes sense to charge the car while you are having a break so Laura checked the sat nav as it shows all the chargers on the route, together with their speed and availability, so we chose the service station we wanted to use and pulled off.

    Shock horror, the first charger I tried didn’t work, so I just used another charger instead. No dramas. The bays here are covered to create shade and guess what they use? Only blooming solar panels. How very modern and forward thinking.

    We hit the road after about 15 mins for the final hours drive ending up with range of 85 miles and an average 2.6 m/kwh. This is obviously a low average and therefore the car is more thirsty, but I’m driving how I want to and the air con is working overtime. At no time did we suffer ‘range anxiety’ as chargers are literally everywhere.

    I must admit I felt this drive today and was glad of the stops so I could stretch my legs and that. If I drove a petrol car, I would have still made these stops. None of these stops were due to having an electric car, it was down to the driver and his weak bladder which runs in the family.    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler
    and they got a pool table too

    Jacou

    Jul 29–Aug 3, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Arrived at the villa near Montpellier after a long and very hot drive. Elliott was very pleased to see a toy shop right at the end of our road and we remembered why we picked this one, there are a couple of supermarkets and a bakery within a few minutes walk - I can’t wait until a pre breakfast visit to one of them!

    We met with the owner of the property and with a bit of help from google translate, he gave us all the information we needed for our stay and pointed out one of his three cats who wander around the garden (Elliott soon made friends with them)

    Once he left we were straight into the pool to cool off after our drive!

    Tomorrow is a day of more pool time, supermarkets (and toy shop) and doing some washing as we’re quickly running out of clean clothes!

    Elliott's burger count
    Beef: 3
    Chicken: 1    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Montpellier

    July 31, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Armed with our new found expertise in tram travel, we headed in to Montpellier from the tram stop about 5 mins from our villa. Parking was free and a sign told us that travel was also free for residents. We paid €12 for a 24 hour travel card for the three of us which was quite reasonable.

    The journey took around 25 minutes and we got off at Place de La Comédie, the main square. Once again, the absence of cars really stood out.

    Although it was very hot, the streets were quite shady so we walked the short distance towards the Arc de Triomphe, stopping on the way in an even shadier side street for a quick cold drink (and wee of course!)

    After passing through the Arc, we reached Place Royale de Peyrou, a tranquil park with tree lined avenues, before walking to the Cathedral St Pierre, with its huge porch canopy- the pillars are over 4 metres in diameter. Unfortunately it was closed at the time we were there, but we were glad we saw it, the architecture was amazing. Adjoining the cathedral is the oldest medical school in the west that is still functioning and has been in existence since 1220.

    Another quick tram ride and we were back at Place de La Comedie. We headed to a nearby shopping centre for a bit of respite from the heat and to find some lunch, before hopping back on the tram to return to Jacou and our pool!

    Hello, Elliott here. My favourite part of the park was running through the crispy leaves. They are crispy because of the heat.

    Elliott's burger count
    Beef: 3
    Chicken: 1    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Palavas-les-Flots

    August 1, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    This evening we braved the even more extreme heat (the car showed 44 when we left, although it had been parked in full sun, it was probably around 38) and headed to the seaside resort of Palavas-les-Flots. We stopped off on the way at an IONITY charger (next to another toy shop!) to make sure we were topped up for when we leave here on Saturday morning.

    The drive into Palavas-les-Flots took us past some of the lagoons, or ‘etangs’ where there are flamingos and other wildlife, and we were hoping to stop for some photo opportunities, but as the driving style down here has become even more erratic, Gareth’s main focus was on getting us to our destination in one piece without being driven into and we decided not take our life into our hands by stopping by a roadside and then trying to get back onto the road again!

    Palavas is divided into two by the canal, which is the last section of the Rhone entering the Mediterranean. The banks on either side are full of restaurants, bars and shops, as are the narrow streets running parallel. We made our way to the seafront and found somewhere to eat, a 3 course set menu for €24 for us and €12 for Elliott. It soon became clear that the day shift was finishing and the evening shift was beginning, as the 3 ladies working there were much more interested in drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes (in the street, not the restaurant) and making sure they looked good, than clearing plates or serving food. The meal itself was ok for the price.

    We walked along the breakwater, where there were a band warming up for possibly their own version of St Peter’s Fair, and playing some Queens of the Stone Age. Elliott spotted a chair lift that takes you across the canal so we decided to have a go. He wasn’t so sure about it once we got higher up, even though we were in an enclosed basket rather than sitting on one of the chair lift seats.

    We headed back along the opposite side of the canal towards the car park, stopping off to buy some more magnets for Elliott’s collection on the way.

    Elliott's burger count
    Beef: 4
    Chicken: 1    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler
    Nice claws

    Last day in Jacou

    August 2, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌩️ 32 °C

    We have enjoyed a quiet last day in Jacou, spending time in the pool as well as a final visit to the toy shop, bakery, supermarket and the shopping centre just around the corner - which we combined with a final top-up charge before we head off tomorrow. I also made full use of of the washing machine and very quick drying in the sun, so that we have a case full of clean clothes for our onward journey. Unfortunately, just before I’d had chance to wash the pool towels and final bits this evening, we were hit by an almighty storm, which answered the questions we’ve been asking all week about how on earth anything grows here! We guess it’s because when it rains, it really rains! Looks like I’ll have to resort to good old indoor drying and hope they’re done by the morning, or hope the rain stops and get up early to put them outside. The poor cat didn’t look too pleased about the rain either, but politely declined my offer to dry it with a towel.

    Elliott's burger count
    Beef: 4
    Chicken: 1    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Summary of days 6 - 10

    August 2, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌩️ 31 °C

    Not much to report with the ol motoring side of things while we have stayed in Jacou for the last few days.

    It was a deliberate choice when choosing this villa. Couple of minutes walk to the supermarkets, bakeries and shops, coupled with the close tram link has let the car have a little rest ready for the return journeys where we head back up the country.

    I think the car will enjoy returning to more ‘normal’ temperatures as much as I will. With temperatures touching 40 degrees it has had to work overtime keeping us cool etc. The temperatures are 8 degrees above average. The ‘pre-entry’ temperature control has worked wonders, bringing the temperature inside the car down to a more comfortable level before getting in. No more burning your hands on the steering wheel!!

    As Laura has already touched on, driving in the south of France is somewhat more erratic than in other parts, I was glad to keep the old girl (the car, not Laura) off the road as much as possible. I do enjoy it though, I just need a beaten up Peugeot to join in the fun and games.

    Early start tomorrow, hopefully these heavy rains with the storm we are having while I write this, will clean the dust and bugs off a bit. Saying that, there are surprisingly few bugs stuck to the front. Something is a foot (or head, leg, guts….well you get the idea)

    It amazes me how the temperatures can alter so much and with the torrential rain storms, the roads remain nigh on perfect. If this was the UK, the roads would already have melted and now would be flooded.

    Laura wins the mosquito bite competition here, for every one that me and Elliott have, she has at least 5 and we have got a decent amount.    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Millau Viaduct

    August 3, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The first stop on today’s journey towards Limoges was the Millau Viaduct. It had been a pretty spectacular drive, up and down through some quite twisty roads with more stunning scenery which changed several times in a short distance.

    The viaduct is the highest motorway bridge in the world, although as we drove along it, Elliott decided it didn’t feel that high. He changed his mind once we pulled into the rest area just after the bridge, where there is an exhibition about it and several viewing areas where you can get a better look.    Read more

  • The PollardsFrance adventureTraveler

    Limoges

    August 3, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We made a quick stop in Limoges before heading to our hotel. We parked near the cathedral and had a walk through the park area nearby then went into the cathedral.

    It was definitely one of the most impressive we’ve seen, but really difficult to capture the scale of it in photos.Read more

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