'I took a 24h trip to France for wine tastings and tours – and was back home in time for dinner'
If you're looking for a quick Bank Holiday trip, I enjoyed a 24-hour trip to France from London, managing to fit in a wine tasting, walking tour and Michelin-star meal into my short holiday.
While a 24-hour trip to France might seem extreme, I was pleasantly surprised when I managed to make my way from London to Calais in just a few hours. And after spending an afternoon and a morning in the French sunshine, I was even back home in London in time for dinner.
From wine tasting and a walking tour of the city to a morning at the beach and some tax-free shopping, it's fair to say that you can fit plenty into a flying trip to France.
Departing from South London, I drove to the Kent coastal town of Folkestone to board LeShuttle, which takes your car across the channel to Calais in France in just 35 minutes. We had the Flexiplus option, meaning we stopped off at LeShuttle's Flexiplus lounge for some snacks before our journey.
After filling my car with a sandwich and a few too many baked goods, it was time to head over to France. It's fair to say that the half-hour journey flew by, and I was quickly coming out at the other side – and luckily remembering to switch to the other side of the road!
Less than an hour after leaving the Folkestone terminal, we had arrived at our home for the evening: boutique hotel La Matelote in Boulogne-Sur-Mer, a city on the northern coast of France.
With only 24 hours abroad, there was no time to waste, so we took a walking tour of the city. We were surprised to learn that the port town was filled with Roman influences as we toured the cobbled streets and historic buildings, including an impressive 13th century castle.
Not just known for its history, the town has a number of its own breweries and craft beer spots. I'm not a beer drinker, but I was assured that the local hops were gold standard.
More my style was a wine tasting at the nearby Le Chais wine shop, where we got to try rosé, red and white wines inside the cave-style store, plus some homemade gin. Perhaps it was a little too good, the the car was quickly stocked up with a few bottles of each.
From wine tasting to wine drinking, we headed back to our hotel for the evening, where a Michelin star dinner was served. With six courses on the menu, I slightly regretted stocking up on snacks in the LeShuttle Flexiplus lounge! The menu included a taste of the local port's seafood, meats and a selection of extras. And while I may not have understood exactly everything the menu said, it certainly tasted good. After a jam-packed day that had begun in Bromley and ended in Bolougne-Sur-Mer, it was time for some shut-eye.
The following morning we enjoyed a continental breakfast buffet at the hotel before taking in some views from the scenic beach just across the road.
Before heading home, we couldn't help but stop at Cité Europe, the famous shopping centre just minutes away the from border where you can stock up on tax-free goods before going back to the UK.
From Zara and Sephora to Carrefour, there were enough shops and restaurants in the plaza to keep me entertained for days. But, settling for a couple of hours, I happily left with some French snacks, cheeses and a few more bottles of €5 wine for good measure.
Heading back to Folkestone on LeShuttle, we were home by 2:30pm and, just hours later, I was enjoying an al fresco drink in the central London sunshine. While the crisp city air didn't quite mimic my morning views of the French coast, I had learnt that it really was only a stone's throw away.
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Here, you'll find several trails, including a waymarked mountain bike trail and a family cycle trail if you are biking with the little ones. The park is part of the National Cycle Network (Image: Portia Jones ) The family trail is an easy cycle along mostly flat tarmac paths. It passes close to the adventure playground, farm trail, and open parklands. Kids will love stopping off on the farm trail to meet the animals and use the animal feed stations. Here, you'll find a range of adorable animals, from pygmy goats and ponies to alpacas, rabbits, pedigree sheep, Glamorgan cattle and donkeys. The mountain bike trail is a relatively short 2.3 miles and includes a challenging ascent halfway up Margam Mountain. Along this scenic route, you might spot the resident deer. According to the Margam website, the famous Margam Deer Herd roams through approximately 500 acres of parkland, including Red and rare Pere David deer. If you visit during the rutting season (typically between September and November), the male deer, or stags, compete for dominance and the right to mate with females. During this rather dramatic period, you'll hear them roaring, parallel walking, and even fighting with antlers. Definitely have your camera ready, and don't get too close. These are wild animals, and we want to keep them that way. The famous Margam Deer Herd roams through approximately 500 acres of parkland, (Image: Getty Images - Lea Scaddan ) As you wind your way through the track, you'll start a bumpy ascent up Margam Mountain; this is where an e-bike comes in really handy for those burning thighs! If you don't have your own, you can rent bikes from Margam Park Adventure, which runs a range of activities. As you climb up, you'll have fabulous views of the park and the surrounding countryside. The trail then levels off and returns on a steep descent onto the Cwm Phillips access road with a return ride to the castle, reputedly one of the most haunted places in the UK. If you love history and ghosts, definitely take a tour of this spooky spot after your bike ride. Margam Castle is part of Margam Country Park (Image: Robert Melen ) Visitors to this 19th-century Gothic mansion in Neath Port Talbot have long shared eerie tales of spectral figures, unexplained laughter, and objects that seem to move of their own accord. From the Bronze Age through Roman times and later the founding of the Cistercian Abbey in the 12th century, this site has seen centuries of human life—and, perhaps, lingering spirits. The castle, built between 1830 and 1840 by architect Thomas Hopper for Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, is a striking example of Tudor-Gothic architecture and is hauntingly beautiful. The Talbot family owned the estate until 1942, when the castle fell into disrepair following a devastating fire in 1977. The council owns the property today, and ongoing restoration work ensures its grandeur is preserved. Despite the fire's destruction, many original features remain, from the intricate stone carvings to the elegant stained glass windows, which date back to when the house was built almost 200 years ago. While the castle impresses with its architecture and history, its eerie ghost stories draw in thrill-seekers and paranormal enthusiasts. Margam Castle's ghostly reputation has attracted paranormal investigators from across the globe (Image: Getty ) The most infamous spirit of Margam Castle is Robert Scott, a gamekeeper who was murdered on the estate—some say by a poacher, others by an escaped convict. His presence is said to rage through the castle and the estate to this day. Scott is frequently spotted making a determined ascent up the Gothic staircase that leads to the Castle. His presence is a recurring theme among psychic investigators, who all agree that his spirit seethes with fury, unable to rest after his untimely and unjust death. The castle isn't the only historic sight, as Margam Country Park has long been a place of religious and historical significance. Here, you'll find Margam Abbey, founded in 1147, which was an important Cistercian monastery until its dissolution in 1536. This remarkable abbey now serves as a parish church. The small Margam Stones Museum, located next door to the medieval abbey church, is also well worth a visit. Here, you'll find a remarkable collection of nearly 30 inscribed stones and crosses, some dating from the early days of Christianity in sixth-century Wales. They originally stood as milestones on Roman roads or, in one case, on top of a Bronze Age barrow. If you love history, this is a must-visit. Want to make a day of it? Margam has plenty of events throughout the year where you can enjoy special activities or stay after dark at one of their chilling Halloween events or ghost hunting events. Check out their website for more details. Need to know Article continues below
