A genuine city break, but the biggest logistical trip in the series so far: the Channel by Le Shuttle, a full day crossing England, driving on the left with a left-hand-drive car, then a UNESCO Old & New Town, a free extinct volcano to climb, and a proper fish supper.
This is the "reachable" end of the UK sub-series — a proper city, not a multi-day Highlands slog. Edinburgh Castle sits on a volcanic crag above the Old Town's medieval closes; the Royal Mile runs down to the Georgian grid of the New Town (the whole ensemble is a single UNESCO World Heritage Site); and Arthur's Seat — yes, an actual extinct volcano — rises right inside Holyrood Park, a free 45–60 minute hike from the city centre with a 360° view over the Forth. It's ~1,130 km from Meudon-la-Forêt door to door, roughly 840 km of that from Calais (confirmed via route planners), so this needs a proper overnight stop crossing England — plan for two full driving days each way, not one.
Sources: leshuttle.com, chunnel.co.uk fare guides, directferries.com (2026 fare ranges).
Drive up via the A16 to Calais-Coquelles (tolls apply on French motorways, ≈ €20–25 for this leg). Load the car onto Le Shuttle — you stay in the car or step out during the 35-minute crossing. Emerge at Folkestone and immediately remember: you now drive on the left. Since the Model Y is left-hand-drive, roundabouts and overtaking need real concentration for the first hour — take it slow leaving the terminal. Push on up the A1(M)/M1 corridor, charging at a real Tesla Supercharger near Leeds (Birstall/White Rose area) or further north near Wetherby or Durham, and stop for the night around Leeds or Newcastle.
Continue north on the A1 — genuinely scenic once you cross into Scotland near Berwick-upon-Tweed, with the coast on your right. Arrive Edinburgh by early-mid afternoon. First stop: walk the Royal Mile from the Castle Esplanade down to Holyrood, free and endlessly interesting (street performers, closes, the Real Mary King's Close alleyways below street level).
Edinburgh Castle entry is timed-ticket and around £19.50–20 (≈ €23–23.50) for an adult standard ticket — book online for a small discount and to guarantee a slot in peak season. Spend the afternoon in the National Museum of Scotland (free entry, excellent, easily 2–3 hours) and wander New Town's Georgian streets for the UNESCO contrast with the Old Town's medieval tangle.
Holyrood Park, right next to the Scottish Parliament, contains Arthur's Seat — an extinct volcano and the highest point in Edinburgh (251m). The main path up from Dunsapie Loch or via Radical Road is a genuinely free 45–60 minute hike with a 360° panorama at the top: castle, Forth bridges, sea. This is your one comfort meal of the trip: a proper fish supper from a local chippy, roughly £8.50–10.50 (≈ €10–12) for fish, chips, and mushy peas — or a Scottish pub meal (haggis, neeps and tatties) for a similar price at a city-centre pub.
Retrace the route south, same overnight stop, Shuttle back to Calais, and the run down to Meudon-la-Forêt.
Tesla Superchargers exist along the whole England corridor used here — clusters around Leeds/Wakefield, Durham/Wetherby, and the Newcastle/Gateshead area, plus a stop on the Scottish Borders side before Edinburgh. In Edinburgh itself, Superchargers sit on the outskirts (Fort Kinnaird retail park to the east, and the Straiton/IKEA area to the south) rather than in the historic centre — plan to top up on arrival or departure rather than mid-stay, since city-centre parking is scarce and expensive regardless of charge state. UK Supercharger pricing runs roughly £0.30–0.50/kWh depending on time of day and membership tier — budget ≈ £45–70 (€53–82) total for the round trip's charging beyond what's covered by overnight AC top-ups.
Edinburgh is a dense, policed historic centre — wild camping or sleeping in the car street-side downtown isn't realistic or legal here the way it is in the Highlands. Real options:
Edinburgh has a decent (if hilly) city cycling network, and the bike loaded inside per the Car Camping & Bike Guide is genuinely useful here for getting between the Pentland Hills camp spot and the centre, or for exploring Holyrood Park and the coast at Portobello without hunting for city-centre parking. Remember: cycling infrastructure and traffic flow are also mirrored to the left.
| Category | Cost (GBP) | Cost (EUR, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| French motorway tolls (round trip to/from Calais) | — | €45–55 |
| Eurotunnel Le Shuttle (round trip, booked ahead) | £180–380 | €210–445 |
| Overnight stop in England ×2 (budget hotel, both directions) | £90–130 | €105–150 |
| UK Supercharging (round trip) | £45–70 | €53–82 |
| Edinburgh lodging ×3 nights (campsite, or 2 paid + 1 free Pentlands) | £50–105 | €58–123 |
| Edinburgh Castle entry | £19.50–20 | €23–23.50 |
| Fish supper / pub comfort meal | £9–11 | €10.50–13 |
| Food, self-cooked (rest of trip) | £30–40 | €35–47 |
| Total | ≈ £425–580 | ≈ €490–670 |
GBP/EUR conversions approximate at ≈ £1 = €1.17. Eurotunnel and hotel prices are dynamic — the wide range reflects booking-date and seasonal variation; book both several weeks ahead to land near the low end. Sources: leshuttle.com, chunnel.co.uk, directferries.com, historicenvironment.scot (Edinburgh Castle, run by Historic Environment Scotland), general UK fish-and-chips and Premier Inn/Travelodge pricing.