On the road with the kids: a family driving holiday in Spain and France

The moment came on about day four: a cloud-like mist drenched our faces, hair and clothes despite the thick canopy of trees overhead. My six-year-old silently trudged uphill pushing her bike, the blue blob on Google Maps somehow insisting we were on the right path, and my dwindling stash of chocolate did little to improve morale.

When I offered a cheery, “See! I told you! We’re having an adventure,” she only replied, “This is not an adventure. This is just pushing your bike up a big hill.” That misadventure was part of the first stage of a three-week road trip from Bilbao in northwest Spain to Saint-Malo in Brittany, northwest France.

We began the journey on the two-night ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao on Brittany Ferries’ Galicia, passing pods of dolphins, reading and stealing naps in our cabin. The Commodore lounge, while not cheap (prices vary by ferry; it’s £79 a person on the Portsmouth to Bilbao crossing), offered an endlessly replenished buffet, all drinks included, and a peaceful place to rest.

Spain, France, Bilbao, Saint-Malo, Brittany, Portsmouth

family holiday, road trip, bilbao, saint-malo, spain, france, brittany ferries, portsmouth, ferry crossing, commodore lounge