An extended weekend into the Belgian Ardennes: the Battle of the Bulge's ground zero, the Mardasson Memorial, a genuinely wild forest, and a hearty plate of jambon d'Ardenne — with one Supercharger stop bracketing each leg.
Bastogne is the town the 101st Airborne held during the brutal winter siege of December 1944 — the "Nuts!" reply to a German surrender ultimatum happened here. The Bastogne War Museum and the star-shaped Mardasson Memorial sit right next to each other on the edge of town, and the old center around McAuliffe Square still has period tanks and plaques on nearly every corner. Beyond the history, this is genuine Ardennes forest — thick, hilly, dense woodland that feels a world away from anything within a day's drive of Paris, with real hiking and mountain-biking terrain right outside town. It's far enough (328 km) that this only works as an extended weekend, and it's the first trip in this series that needs a charging stop each way.
Source: driving distance/time via ViaMichelin and Trippy (Paris–Bastogne ≈328km/3h38; Meudon-la-Forêt adds negligible distance).
Outbound: Meudon-la-Forêt → Charleville-Mézières Supercharger (Villers-Semeuse, 8 stalls, 250kW) at roughly the 220 km mark — sits almost exactly on the A34/E44 route north, leaving a comfortable ~110 km run into Bastogne. Return: same stop in reverse. A backup option exists further along at the Arlon Supercharger (Van der Valk Hotel, Route de Longwy) if you detour south, and Reims/Tinqueux (16 stalls) covers the very start of the route if you want a top-up before Charleville.
Source: Tesla Superchargers France, Charleville-Mézières station page, Arlon station page.
Leave early to arrive with daylight left. Charge at Charleville-Mézières on the way through (grab lunch nearby while charging). Arrive Bastogne mid-afternoon: walk McAuliffe Square in the old town — the Sherman tank, the "Nuts!" plaque, and the compact historic center are all free and take an hour or two. Settle into camp before dark.
Sources: park4night — Rue de la Maison Forte, park4night — Place de la Gare, park4night — Avenue Albert 1er (day only), Camping de Renval rates.
Morning at the Bastogne War Museum — immersive, well-regarded exhibits covering the Battle of the Bulge from multiple perspectives, budget 2–3 hours. It sits right beside the Mardasson Memorial, the star-shaped monument to American soldiers, which is free to visit and gives a sweeping view over the battlefield terrain. Afternoon: drive or ride out to nearby Bulge sites (Foy woods, Bois Jacques foxholes) still visible in the forest, or just spend it deeper in the Ardennes woodland itself.
Source: Bastogne War Museum tickets page.
This is the payoff for hauling the bike. The forest around Bastogne is real Ardennes terrain — rolling, dense, hilly woodland with a network of marked hiking and VTT (mountain bike) trails threading between Bastogne, Foy, and the surrounding hamlets. Spend the day on a loop through the trees; it's a completely different character from the flatter forests closer to Paris. Evening: the treat meal in town.
Source: pricing noted on La Brasserie Ardennaise reviews.
Slow morning, maybe a last walk to the Mardasson viewpoint, then the drive home with the same Charleville-Mézières charging stop reversed. Home by evening.
Bike loaded inside per the Car Camping & Bike Guide — no range penalty, which matters on a trip already tight on realistic range. The Ardennes around Bastogne is proper hilly forest riding, a step up in terrain from anything closer to Paris; expect more climbing and rougher fire-road surfaces than the flatter Île-de-France forests. Worth checking tire pressure and brakes before day 3's ride.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tolls (France, mostly autoroute-free via N-roads once past Reims) | ≈ €5–10 |
| Charging (2× Supercharger top-ups, round trip) | ≈ €20–30 |
| Lodging (free street parking, 3 nights; or Camping de Renval fallback) | €0–60 |
| Bastogne War Museum entry | ≈ €22 |
| Mardasson Memorial | €0 |
| Treat meal (La Brasserie Ardennaise, jambon d'Ardenne) | ≈ €25–30 |
| Food, self-cooked (3 days) | ≈ €30–35 |
| Total | €110–150 |