A long extended weekend into the Chaîne des Puys — a UNESCO World Heritage volcanic range — topped off with a crater-lake hike at Lac Pavin, the deepest lake in Auvergne. One Supercharger stop needed each way at this range.
The Chaîne des Puys is one of the strangest landscapes in France — 80-odd volcanic cones lined up along a 45km rift, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018 alongside the Faille de Limagne. At its center, Puy de Dôme (1,465m) offers a genuinely huge panorama over the whole range on a clear day. An hour south, the Massif du Sancy hides Lac Pavin, a near-perfect volcanic crater lake — 92m deep, glassy, dark, and ringed by beech forest — plus the medieval stone town of Besse as a base. It's a proper "into the wild" feeling road trip that's still reachable from Paris without flying.
Meudon-la-Forêt → Clermont-Ferrand area is ~412.5 km, about 4h18 of driving via the A10/A71 (route l'Aquitaine → l'Arverne). That's just beyond a single charge on a 97%-SOH Model Y Premium realistically doing 330–370 km, so plan one mandatory Supercharger stop on the way down — after that, the remaining distance is comfortably within range.
Long driving day, split by a single mandatory Supercharger break near Orléans (grab lunch/coffee while it tops up) — the remaining leg into the Puy de Dôme area is within a single charge, so an optional stretch-the-legs stop at Riom is there if you want it but isn't required. Arrive at Col de Ceyssat, the trailhead for the free hiking path up Puy de Dôme, by late afternoon. If there's daylight left, do a short warm-up walk; otherwise settle in for the night near the volcano.
Two ways up: hike the free Chemin des Muletiers (steep, ~1h30–2h, no charge) or take the Panoramique des Dômes cog railway — round-trip adult ticket runs roughly €17–19 depending on season (up to ~€18.60 peak season; buying round-trip beats two separate one-ways). At the top: the Chaîne des Puys panorama, Gallo-Roman Temple of Mercury ruins, and on a clear day views stretching toward the Massif Central and even Mont Blanc. If volcanoes fascinate you, Vulcania theme park (Saint-Ours-les-Roches) is nearby — an interactive volcano-science park, adult day ticket from roughly €22–33 depending on date/promo; skip it if budget-conscious, it's an optional splurge, not essential.
Swimming is strictly forbidden at Lac Pavin — it's 92m deep (the deepest lake in Auvergne), glacially cold, and there are concerns about gas trapped at depth being disturbed by contact/agitation. Don't plan on a swim here. Instead, do the easy ~3km loop trail around the lake (about an hour, family-friendly, well-shaded through beech forest) — it's genuinely one of the prettiest short hikes in the Massif Central. Fishing is allowed but only by boat, and pedal boats can be rented. If you want to actually swim, Lac des Hermines at Super-Besse is ~4km away and permitted. Afternoon: wander the stone streets of medieval Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise, one of the best-preserved volcanic-stone towns in the Auvergne.
Before heading back, have the trip's splurge meal: a proper Auvergnat truffade or aligot. Mémé Joe in Super-Besse serves aligot maison or truffade maison with local charcuterie for around €19.90 each — solid, filling, and authentic. Then retrace the route north with the same single mandatory Supercharger stop at Orléans (Riom available as an optional buffer if you want it) on the way back to Meudon-la-Forêt.
Bike loaded inside per the Car Camping & Bike Guide — no range penalty from a roof/hitch rack, which matters over a 400+km trip like this one. The Besse-Super Besse area has good gravel/forest tracks around the lakes, and the roads around the Chaîne des Puys (closed to private cars on the summit road itself) make for scenic, quiet cycling at altitude if you've got the legs after the hikes.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tolls (A10/A71, round trip) | ≈ €35–45 |
| Charging (2 Supercharger stops total, round trip) | ≈ €35–45 |
| Lodging (free aires most nights, 1 paid campsite fallback ~€15–23) | €0–25 |
| Panoramique des Dômes round-trip (or free hike instead) | €0–19 |
| Vulcania (optional splurge, skip if tight) | €0–33 |
| Treat meal — truffade/aligot at Mémé Joe | ≈ €20 |
| Food (self-cooked, rest of trip) | ≈ €35–45 |
| Total | €140–190 |