The longest trip in the series so far: a genuine cross-country haul to England's granite far west, for turquoise coves that would not look out of place in the Mediterranean, an art colony that produced some of Britain's best modern sculpture, and the actual westernmost tip of mainland England.
Be honest with yourself about this one before you leave: Land's End is not "over in England," it's the far tip of England, and the drive from Calais alone is a genuine cross-country trek — roughly 480 km / 6–6.5 hours once you're off the shuttle, on top of the ~290 km down to Calais from Meudon-la-Forêt. Total one-way driving is around 770 km. This is not a weekend trip; budget most of a week including two full driving days each way.
The payoff: St Ives has some of the best sand-and-turquoise-water beaches in England, a real internationally known art colony (Tate St Ives sits directly on Porthmeor Beach), and Land's End delivers genuinely dramatic Atlantic cliffs at the actual westernmost point of mainland England — plus you're sitting right on the South West Coast Path, a real 630-mile National Trail that runs the entire Cornish coast.
With a realistic ~330–370 km range on a 97%-SOH Model Y Premium, the ~480 km English leg from Folkestone to St Ives now sits comfortably inside "one mandatory stop" territory rather than needing a string of them. A workable real-Supercharger routing from Folkestone:
Reverse this on the way home. Budget a realistic 20–35 minute stop at Exeter each way, so the English leg adds roughly 30–45 minutes of charging on top of driving time (more if you take the optional buffer stops).
Early start, drive to Calais, cross via Le Shuttle. First hours on English motorways — mind the left-hand driving. The Fleet Services Supercharger is available around the M25/M3 junction if you'd like an early optional break, but with the new range it isn't required. Overnight near the M3/A303 corridor (a Travelodge/Premier Inn car park stopover, or push on if energy allows).
Long driving day down the M3/A303/A30 spine of southern England, through Devon into Cornwall, with the one mandatory charge at the Exeter (Sowton) Supercharger. The Camborne/Redruth Supercharger near the end is now an optional buffer stop rather than a required one — useful if you'd like to arrive with more margin. Arrive St Ives in the afternoon/evening — set up camp and get an early dinner in town.
Morning swim/surf check at Porthmeor Beach — a real, free, Blue Flag sandy beach right below the gallery, genuinely turquoise on a sunny day. Then Tate St Ives, built directly overlooking Porthmeor: real entry is £15.50 with a voluntary donation / £14 without (concessions £14.50/£13), open daily 10:00–17:20. The gallery focuses on the modern artists — Barbara Hepworth, Naum Gabo, Patrick Heron — who made St Ives an internationally significant art colony from the 1920s onward. Add the separate Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden ticket if you want her actual studio and garden. Afternoon wandering the narrow granite lanes of the old fishing town (Downalong), and a swim at Porthminster Beach on the other side of the peninsula if you want calmer water.
Land's End is the real westernmost point of mainland England — genuinely dramatic granite cliffs dropping into the Atlantic, with the Longships Lighthouse visible offshore. It's also a real, somewhat commercialised visitor attraction (shops, an old naming-stone photo booth, a hotel) with a paid car park — expect to pay roughly £6–7 per car for parking, the only mandatory charge to actually stand at the point and walk the clifftops. Skip the paid indoor attractions if you just want the cliffs and coast path — the walking itself is free and is the real reason to come. Pick up the South West Coast Path right here for a there-and-back walk toward Sennen Cove (turquoise water, good swimming) or Nanjizal Bay.
Reverse the charging route. Two solid driving days with the one mandatory Exeter stop (plus optional buffer stops at Camborne/Redruth or Fleet Services if wanted), tunnel back at Calais–Folkestone, then the final ~290 km home to Meudon-la-Forêt. Split across two days rather than one long push — it's a genuinely long way back.
Bike travels inside the car per the Car Camping & Bike Guide — no range penalty. Cornwall's coastal lanes around St Ives, Zennor and the Land's End peninsula are quiet, scenic, and genuinely rewarding, though narrow and hilly in places — not a place for a first ride of the trip.
| Category | Cost (GBP) | Cost (EUR, ≈×1.16) |
|---|---|---|
| Eurotunnel return (car, standard flexible fare) | £150–260 | €175–300 |
| Charging (Superchargers, ~2 mandatory stops round trip, plus optional buffers) | – | €60–90 |
| Campsite (4 nights, Trevalgan/Ayr, off-peak) | £70–110 | €80–130 |
| Tate St Ives entry | £14–15.50 | €16–18 |
| Land's End car park (1 day) | £6–7 | €7–8 |
| Food (mostly self-cooked) | £45–65 | €50–75 |
| Treat meal (Cornish seafood/pasty) | £20–30 | €25–35 |
| Total | — | €290–400 |
Eurotunnel: leshuttle.com live fare page ("from £69" day-trip minimum; realistic standard return researched at £150–260). Tate St Ives: tate.org.uk official admission page (£15.50/£14, concessions £14.50/£13). Land's End: landsend-landmark.co.uk (parking is the site's only mandatory charge; typical price researched £6–7). Campsites: Ayr Holiday Park and Trevalgan Touring Park official sites, St Ives.