5 Nights in the Auvergne with Kids: Volcanoes, Velorail & a Birthday in France

After four nights in the Loire Valley, it was time for the second part of our France road trip. The bags were packed, the caravan had survived us, we had survived the mosquitoes and we were ready to move on.

Next stop: the Auvergne.

This part of the trip was going to be completely different. No Eurocamp, no mobile home, no afternoon routine of automatically heading back to the pool. Instead, we were heading to Liam’s parents’ house near Clemont Ferrand, where we would be joining his parents and also his sister and her children.

Which meant, at its busiest point, we’d have eleven people staying in a two bedroom house. Quite a lot of thought had gone into the sleeping arrangements; Liam and I had peace and quiet away from the house in the summerhouse, the three boys would sleep in the living room and everyone else remained in the allocated bedrooms.

There was also only one shower. Apparently, we hadn’t learned enough from sharing one shower between five people at Eurocamp. Thankfully, we had come up with a system where some showered in the evening and some in the morning, basically taking turns rather than attempting to get eleven people through the bathroom at once.

We had plenty planned for the days ahead, including visiting the Puy de Dome, riding on a Velorail, spending a day at the lake and at the end of it, my birthday.

First though, we had to get there.

After our final night at Le Parc des Allais, we were up, cleaning and getting the last few things packed. Thankfully, most of it had been done the night before. And we had discovered what may genuinely have been one of our best purchases for this road trip: vacuum bags and under bed storage boxes…. Seriously.

Why had we not done this before? Instead of wrestling five people’s clothes and belongings back into random bags and trying to remember where everything had originally fitted, the vacuum bags made packing up considerably easier.

Everyone mucked in with cleaning and carrying things out and we were ready to leave at around 9am. Checkout itself was painless, we simply dropped the key off and left.

And if being truthful, we were quite happy to be moving on. The boys had enjoyed the pool, we’d done everything we had wanted to do in the area and four nights had been enough.

Three Hours Further South

The drive to the house was around three hours. Rather than stopping somewhere for lunch and spending more money, we’d made sandwiches before leaving and planned to stop somewhere along the way.

About three quarters of the way through the journey, we pulled over for our picnic and a toilet break. Nothing glamorous but it worked.

Before going to the house, we made the inevitable supermarket stop to top up the food supplies and grab what we needed for the next few days.

Then it was finally time to arrive.

And Suddenly There Were Eleven of Us…

As we pulled onto the driveway, Liam’s mum was there to greet us along with his niece and nephew. The rest of the family appeared to help unload the car, which was very welcome after several hours on the road.

The bags were dumped, car was emptied and the drinks were poured. Almost immediately this part of the holiday felt different.

The children disappeared off to explore and play while the adults sat outside in the garden. I’d stayed at the house before, so unlike arriving at Eurocamp there was no inspecting the accommodation or wondering what we would find when we opened the door. We knew exactly what we were getting.

And somehow, despite there being eleven of us squeezed into the house and garden, I immediately felt more relaxed. That evening, we had a BBQ, which also meant something wonderful…neither of us had to cook.

It was still lovely and warm so we stayed outside until the sun went down while the kids played and everyone caught up. Once they’d eventually gone to bed, the adults migrated to the kitchen. We had a few more drinks and played some card games. Our first proper family evening of the holiday began.

Eventually, Liam and I got ready for bed and made our way to the summerhouse and the sofa bed waiting for us. And actually…being slightly removed from the house turned out to be quite nice. After five of us sharing a relatively small space, we suddenly had somewhere quiet to retreat to at the end of the night.

Not bad at all.

Because the following morning, all eleven of us were heading up a volcano.

After our first night at the house, it was time for our first proper day out in the Auvergne, and all eleven of us were going. Our destination was Puy de Dome, one of the places we’d been looking forward to visiting.

The plan was to leave at around 9.30am and for once, we weren’t too far off. With eleven people we split ourselves between two cars. We had a spare seat in ours, so Liam’s nephew joined us for the journey.

As we drove towards Puy de Dome, we could see it in the distance. Or at least, we could where it was supposed to be, the top was completely covered in clouds. Excellent!

Thankfully, by the time we completed the drive, just under an hour and including a long winding climb towards the visitor area, the clouds had started to clear.

Maybe we’d actually get to see something after all.

Taking the Train to the Top

You can reach the summit of Puy de Dome using the Panoramique des Domes, a train that winds around the mountain as it climbs towards the top. You can also take the path and walk to the top, but for us, it was the train.

We didn’t have to wait particularly long before boarding and somehow managed to get all eleven of us sitting together. The journey up is part of the experience. As the train winds around the mountain, the views start opening up around you and you get a real sense of how high you are climbing.

The boys were chatting away and enjoying themselves. Someone French nearby was apparently enjoying the,slightly less and told them to be quiet. Which felt a little unnecessary, they were children on a train enjoying their holiday!

Anyway….upwards we went.

Made It to the Top

When we arrived at the summit, the cloud had cleared enough for us to actually appreciate where we were. The views were incredible.

We headed up towards the highest point first, stopping for plenty of videos along the way. This is one of those places where photographs don’t really show the scale of what you’re looking at. You’re surrounded by the volcanic landscape of the Auvergne with views stretching for miles in every direction. You also see the volcano used on the Volvic water bottle!

There were, however, some darker clouds beginning to gather in the distance. This was going to become something of a theme. Before the weather reached us, we explored the museum and continued walking around the summit.

Then came one of the more important debates of the holiday.

Stone or Sheep?

Looking down from the summit, we could see lots of tiny white things dotted around far below us. Some of us thought they were stones, others were adamant they were sheep. I was on the stone side.

This discussion went on considerably longer than it probably needed to. Zooming in through Liam’s phone camera provided the answer…it was sheep. Although Liam’s mum still wasn’t convinced, even when they started walking.

Another important family dispute settled. We continued walking around the top, but by now the rain clouds we’d been watching were getting considerably closer.

Time to find some shelter.

Sitting Inside a Cloud

We headed inside, Liam’s sister and kids went to have a look around the gift shop whilst we scouted for a table in the now very busy cafe. We found a bench big enough outside for us all, but we were concerned about the weather. Finally a table became free inside, so we quickly hi-jacked that one and ordered some drinks.

And then, the cloud arrived. Within minutes the views we’d been looking at had completely disappeared and the entire top of the Puy de Dome was swallowed by a cloud. We sat inside for around half an hour watching it move across the summit.

It was actually quite amazing, one minute you could see for miles and then the next, nothing! Just white outside the windows.

Eventually it started to clear again, and with our drinks finished we decided it was probably a good time to head back down. We had plenty of time as the train runs every 20 minutes and one had just left. So a leisurely stroll down to the station it was.

Picnic at the Bottom

We had brought a picnic with us, so rather than buying lunch at the top we took the train back down and found a spot on the grass near the cars. By this point the sun had made another appearance. The weather really couldn’t make up its mind today.

Out came the picnic blankets and sandwiches and we all sat on the grass having lunch. It was simple, cheap and meant we weren’t trying to find somewhere that could feed eleven people all at once.

Once we had finished eating we headed into the gift shop to pick up a few souvenirs. And when we came back out….it was absolutely bucketing it down. Not a drizzle, not a little shower…proper rain.

We could have stood under the cover and waited for it to pass, we did not! Instead, for reasons that made perfect sense at the time, we decided to make a run for the cars. By the time we got there, we were soaked.

In hindsight? We probably should have waited.

Back to Completely Different Weather

The strange thing was that by the time we got back towards the house, the weather had completely changed again. Blue skies and sunshine, you would never have known we’d just sprinted through torrential rain less than an hour earlier.

So everyone migrated straight back outside. The kids spent most of the afternoon doing their own thing, with a surprising amount of drawing involved while the adults sat around in the garden.

That evening it was Liam’s sister’s turn to cook, meaning another night where we weren’t responsible for feeding eleven people. I could get used to this!

Once dinner was finished and everything tidied away, darkness eventually sent us indoors. The children settled in the living room with a film while the adults returned to what was quickly becoming our evening routine: cards in the kitchen.

Then it was back down the garden to our summerhouse for bed. Our first full day in the Auvergne was done.

Tomorrow’s activity was going to be completely different. Three velorails, eleven people and eventually, one missing pedal!

After yesterday’s trip up Puy deDome, Day Seven was going to involve considerably less altitude. It was, however, still going to involve our legs.

We’d booked Velorail de la Sioule at Le Mayet-d’Ecole for 11am. For those who are not aware of what a velorail is (I had no idea until I found the website!), the idea is fairly simple: you travel along an old railway line on a little rail cart with two cycling seats at the front and a bench at the back.

One side has electric assistance, which is noticeable when that person stops pedalling! Both of the cyclists had to work together and communicate when braking, otherwise you would come to a sudden stop.

With eleven of us going, we had booked three velorails.

We left the house around 10am, picnics packed and ready for another full family day out. Once again we split ourselves between the two cars and arrived with plenty of time before our booking, so we found some shade and waited for everyone to get checked in.

The Safety Briefing

There were four groups heading out at the same time as us, so before anyone was allowed loose on the railway, we all had a safety briefing. Thankfully, this was given in both French and English.

There were rules about braking, getting across the road crossings safely and keeping roughly 50 metres between each velorail…that last rule last approximately five minutes.

We’d booked the 11am slot which allowed us to have a picnic at the half way/turn around point, a bonus hour is then added to your booked time in order for you to have your lunch. We were not aware of this when booking, so 11am is a good slot to book if you wish to stop on a viaduct and have lunch.

We were assigned the first three velorails, naturally we took number one. Liam and I started on the cycling seats at the front with the boys sitting on the bench behind us. Liam’s sister and her family were behind us followed by Liam’s mum and dad in number three.

And off we went.

Turns Out Velorail Is Actually Really Good Fun

Pretty quickly, we got into the rhythm of it.

The route follows an old railway line through the countryside, and the Sioule circuit runs for 16km there and back, crossing two viaducts with the carts taking up to five people.

At the road crossings, everyone had to get out of the cart and help walk the velorail across the road. We decided these were also perfect opportunities to swap cyclists.

So every time we reached a crossing, people changed places. Adults cycled, kids cycled and people moved between carts. At some point, Ryan jumped out of ours and Liam’s niece joined us instead.

It became less organised family excursion and more musical chairs on the railway tracks. Everyone was getting a go and we were having a brilliant time. Until we realised something…

The other two velorails had disappeared.

Erm…Where Has Everyone Gone?

We had carried on merrily towards the viaduct when we suddenly realised there was nobody behind us. No Liam’s sister, no parents….no one at all.

We rang Liam’s mum to find out what was happening. There was a problem, one of the pedals had fallen off Liam’s sister’s velorail. Not become slightly loose, come off! They were trying to get it back on but apparently it wasn’t particularly interested in remaining attached.

Eventually they managed to carry on, although the journey now involved cycling while periodically dealing with a pedal that kept trying to make another bid for freedom.

Meanwhile, we had already made it to the viaduct.

Lunch on the Viaduct

When we reached our picnic stop, we needed to turn the velorail around ready for the return journey. We all got off and pushed the cart onto the turntable, before spinning the cart around and pushing it to the back of the line.

We then claimed a picnic bench and unpacked lunch. And honestly, it was a pretty brilliant place to stop…on a viaduct overlooking a river which had been converted into a picnic area.

We had our picnic, took photos and just chilled. Being first off the line at the beginning had one slight disadvantage though, we couldn’t leave first. Because the velorails were all lined up on the same track, we had to wait for the other groups to finish their lunches before everyone could begging making their way back.

Not exactly a hardship though, more sitting down, more chatting, more food and allowed the children some time to play…and gather around 500 leaves (I think!?).

Eventually, everyone was ready and we began the journey back. This part was fairly leisurely, although one velorail was still operating with a somewhat temperamental pedal…at one point it flew off and they had to stop and chase back after it on the cycle track!

We rolled back into the station and parked up just before 2pm, which is when the next session started and suddenly the place was packed. Our quieter 11am slot with the picnic stop built into it had definitely worked well for us.

Would We Recommend the Velorail?

100%. This was one of those activities that worked across the whole group. The children enjoyed it and the adults enjoyed it…especially those who children wanted to pedal the whole way! It was something completely different from anything else we had done on the trip.

I would definitely choose the 11am picnic option, if we were to book it again. It broke the activity up nicely and meant lunch became part of the experience rather than something we needed to organise afterwards.

A functioning pedal for all three carts would have improved things, but you can’t have everything.

The Obligatory Supermarket Stop

After leaving the velorail, we made yet another supermarket trip. This time Lidl, at this point, visiting French supermarkets was becoming less of an errand and more of a recurring feature of the holiday.

Back at the house, everyone pretty much did their own thing for a while. I went for a nap, Liam’s sister started packing, Liam’s mum was chilling in the hammock and Liam’s dad was asleep on a lounger…clearly we had all found the afternoon equally exhausting.

Once everyone had recovered, we walked down to the local campsite for a drink before heading back to the house.

Tonight, it was our turn to cook.

Paella for Eleven

Nothing says relaxing holiday quite like cooking dinner for eleven…to be honest it wasn’t too bad. I took charge of the meat, Liam took charge of the veg and then we managed to make two huge paellas.

One was chicken and chorizo, while the other had prawns and mussels, giving everyone plenty to choose from.

Somehow everyone got fed, then came the shower operation. We were getting used to this now and having a good shower system going…there was less moaning now.

The Great Sleepover

That evening, we’d promised the kids they could all have a sleepover together in the living room. So we set them up with snacks, sorted the tv and left them to it.

While they settled themselves in, the adults did what we had done most evenings at the house: we played cards and had a few drinks.

As far as we were concerned, the sleepover appeared to be going remarkably well. The kids were quiet, nobody came looking for us and there was no arguing. Success…or so we thought!

We wouldn’t discover until the following morning that they’d spend part of the night taking shifts to protect themselves from a house centipede.

But that’s tomorrow’s story.

Tomorrow we were slowing things down again. No trains, no cycling, no mountains. Just a lake, a paddleboard, two beach tents, eleven people…and apparently one house centipede with impeccable timing.

After two fairly busy days exploring the Auvergne, we’d deliberately planned something much slower for Day Eight.

A lake day. No particular timetable, no tickets, no train to catch, just swimming, a picnic and hopefully some sunshine.

First though, we needed to find out how the previous night’s kids sleepover had gone. As far as Liam and I were concerned it had been a roaring success. We had been tucked away in the summer house and hadn’t heard a think.

When I went into the house at around 9am, all the kids were only just waking up. Excellent I thought, everyone had slept, nobody had killed each other, it was a successful sleepover.

Except, apparently there had been an incident.

The House Centipede

At some point during the night, the children discovered they weren’t alone in the living room. They had been joined by a house centipede.

And rather than simply getting rid of it or waking one of the adults, they’d developed their own security system. They took shifts. While some of them slept, somebody remained awake to keep watch and make sure the centipede didn’t get them.

Then they swapped, and actual overnight centipede surveillance rota…until it disappeared back into the stone wall.

We knew absolutely nothing about this, to our knowledge we had left five children happily watching TV with snacks and had gone to sleep. Still everyone survived….including the centipede…who made another appearance that night, but in a different room!!

Getting Ready for the Lake

Liam’s sister and her children were leaving later that afternoon, so this would be our last day with all eleven of us together. The plan was to spend most of it at the lake before they headed home around 4pm.

We were ready slightly earlier than everyone else, so at around 10.30-11am we decided to head off and get ourselves set up. We went to the lake at Saint-Eloy-les-Mines.

Once we arrived, parking was easy and we found ourselves a spot on the beach. Beach might be a generous description. It was more of a gritty beach than beautiful soft sand, but it did the job. And more importantly, the boys couldn’t have cared less. They were pretty much straight into the water.

Setting Up Camp

We had brought quite a lot of stuff with us, two beach tents, an umbrella, picnic blankets, enough food to feed a small army and the paddleboard. We got ourselves set up while all the kids disappeared into the lake.

There were toilets nearby, a cafe, a playground and pedalo hire, so there was enough around without it feeling particularly busy or overdeveloped. It was exactly the sort of place we needed after a couple of days of organised activities.

No agenda, everyone could just do what they wanted.

Getting Into the Water…Eventually

The lake was lovely…the water temperature, less lovely! I tried, I genuinely did. But there comes a point when you’re slowly walking into cold water and your body simply decides: That’s quite far enough, thanks.

I eventually made it to around waist depth and there I remained. Everyone else seemed considerably less pathetic and happily got properly into the water.

The paddleboard came out and everyone took turns using it, while the kids spent most of the day swimming, playing with the ball and inventing their own games. Which is one of the nice things about lake days with kids. You can bring all the entertainment in the world and they’ll still end up making up some completely random game that occupies them for hours.

Meanwhile, I did what I had been increasingly good at during this holiday. I sat down (led down) and read my book.

Picnic Galore

Lunch was another picnic, by this point we had become very efficient at these. Sandwiches, snacks, drinks and enough random food to keep everyone going.

There was no rushing, no “we need to be here by this time.” No one particularly cared what time it was. After the amount of planning that had gone into some of the other days, it was nice to have one where the only real decision was whether to go back in the water or eat something else.

Saying Goodbye

Liam’s sister and the kids needed to leave that afternoon, so eventually it was time for them to pack up and head home. And suddenly our group of eleven became considerably smaller.

We stayed at the lake, there was no reason for us to rush back to the house. The weather was good and the boys were still happily playing. So we carried on, and with fewer people, things felt noticeably quieter.

A Very Competitive Game of Kubb

We decided to get the Kubb set out. If you’ve never played it, it’s a Swedish lawn game involving wooden blocks, throwing sticks and people becoming considerably more competitive than the situation warrants.

We split into teams and played on the beach. Our team lost…it was close though, very close…and we only had 3 players.

Afterwards, we wandered over to get ice creams and cold drinks before everyone had one final stint in the lake. We dragged ourselves away at around 5.30pm and headed back to the house.

Our Quieter House

With Liam’s sister and her children gone, the sleeping arrangements could finally change. Our boys moved upstairs into the now empty bedroom which meant the living room could actually become a living room again rather than a combination of bedroom, cinema and overnight insect security headquarters.

The house immediately felt quiet. Dinner that night was another easy one, we had some chicken left over along with various other meats, so the BBQ came back out. Nobody needed anything elaborate after spending most of the day at the lake.

The boys settled down in front of the TV whilst we adults played some cards. And for the first time since arriving at the house, everything felt properly calm.

Switching Off…Sort Of

By this point in the holiday, I had definitely switched off from home. I wasn’t missing it, at all.

The boys still had their moments, particularly Ryan and Theo, because taking children to France doesn’t magically stop them arguing with each other unfortunately.

There was just one thing that kept creeping back into my head. Work.

I had handed in my eight week’s notice before coming away, only for it to be shortened to two weeks. Which meant that instead of having plenty of time to find something else when we got home, I now effectively had no job to go back to.

So despite being on holiday, I was still constantly checking job adverts and seeing what was out there. So not quite so switched off, but if there was anywhere to be unemployed and scrolling through job vacancies…sitting in the French countryside wasn’t the worst place to do it.

But none of that really mattered.

The boys spent hours in the water, the paddleboard got plenty of use, we had a picnic, played Kubb, ate ice cream and stayed until late afternoon. It was cheap, easy and exactly the kind of slower day our road trip needed.

If we went again, we would probably take proper beach chairs or something more comfortable to sit on…and I would still probably take half an hour to get into the water. Some things aren’t going to change.

Tomorrow, Liam had plans…there would be presents, candles, crepes, a spa, an accidental visit into a Volvic mud room and because the French weather had a personal vendetta against us…another thunderstorm.

My 38th birthday was next.

I woke up on my 38th birthday in a summerhouse at the bottom of a garden in rural France…which, to be fair, isn’t a bad way to start a birthday. Before we’d even properly got up, Liam sent me the plans he had made for the day.

And I cried…happy tears, obviously.

The plan was fairly simple and very much aimed at me. First, we were heading into Charroux for the morning, which importantly included a visit to an amazing candle shop; Les Bougies de Charroux, before spending the afternoon at Aiga Resort Thermal in Chatel-Guyon.

Meanwhile, the boys were going off for their own day with Liam’s parents.

After more than a week of travelling as a family of five and the last few days as part of a group of eleven, we were actually going to get some time on our own.

Birthday Morning

Liam got up first and went into the house to wake the boys while I got myself ready.

When I eventually made my way inside, my presents had all been laid out waiting for me and everyone was there for birthday wishes. We waited for Liam’s dad to get back from his morning run before I opened everything.

Presents done, and I had received a nice collection of gifts, ranging from Lego, earrings, perfume, hair and body products. We finished getting our things together for the spa and headed out…just me and Liam, this already felt relaxing.

A Morning in Charroux

We arrived in Charroux at around 10.15am, just as everything was beginning to open. We came to the village last summer and I loved it, small quirky shops and pretty streets.

We wandered around the village for a while without any real rush, popping into the different shops for a browse and picking up a few things as we went. The shop we spent the longest in was of course the candle shop, smelling the array of candles that they have to offer. If you are ever in Charroux or in another town/village that has a Les Bougies de Charroux candle shop in, I highly recommend a visit!!

After exploring for a while, we decided to find somewhere for brunch and settled on a creperie. There was just one small issue, they weren’t actually serving food until midday. We’d already sat down by this point, so we had a drink and decided to just wait.

With no children asking when food was coming, or the moaning about waiting around, it was nice to just sit and chat whilst we waited for midday to come around.

The Birthday Crepe

Once the kitchen opened, we both ordered a sausage and onion crepe (however it was called something very French!)

It was delicious, I had only ever had a sweet crepe before but this savoury crepe made from buckwheat was actually a winner. It was one of those relatively simple meals that somehow tastes considerably better because you’re sitting in a pretty French village on your birthday.

Fed and watered, we headed back to the car. Next stop; the spa.

Aiga Spa – With a Slight Language Barrier

We drove over to Aiga Resort Thermal, where the plan was to get a half day pass and spend the afternoon doing as little as humanly possible. There was a slight language barrier when we arrived. Our French wasn’t exactly fluent and their English wasn’t designed for two confused British tourists trying to work out which spa package they wanted.

But between us, we got there. Half day passes were secured and we were shown to the changing rooms and shown our lockers and how the bands work to lock the lockers.

We got changed and headed to the pool, and then we did precisely what we had come to do…nothing. We moved around the pool which had different sections in, jacuzzi chairs, outdoor jacuzzi and some weird sections where you could stand and the jets would massage different sections of your back.

After a while, we thought there must be more to the spa than just this as there were signs all over the place…except all in French, however we did manage to translate vaginal irrigation and anal pulverisation. So we got out the pool, put on our robes and went for a wander.

Having a walk around the corridors and looking in the different sections, we found a sauna, steam room, massive bath tubs, massage rooms and a Volvic mud spa bath.

We went to the front desk and asked in scrappy French whether we could use the steam room, which the answer was yes. We did notice that other people in the spa were getting tours of what they were able to use…that wasn’t an option for us!

The Room We Definitely Weren’t Supposed to Be In

While exploring the spa after using the steam room, we ventured further in the room that had a Volvic mud spa bath. Naturally, we went in, there were no signs saying you couldn’t go in.

It was only after entering it became increasingly apparent that this particular area wasn’t actually included in our pass to the spa. We probably should have left immediately, instead, I dipped my toe in and then realised this could get messy and we should return back to the pool we could use.

It was at this point when putting our robes back on that a member of a spa team came into the area and asked if we had booked this (I think), I smiled and just motioned that we were just looking…with my right foot dripping wet from the water I had just used to clean off the mud…whoops!

Meanwhile, the Boys…

While Liam and I were enjoying several hours without hearing the words “Mum”, “Dad” or “Ryan, stop doing that”, the boys were having their own day out with Liam’s parents.

They visited some chateaux, went out for lunch and apparently had a really good day. Which meant everyone won, they got their own adventure and we got several hours of peace.

Excellent parenting all round.

Here Comes the Weather…Again

We left the spa around 4.30pm, mainly because the weather was starting to turn and there was an orange weather warning out for the area.

The sky on the drive back was getting darker and darker, then the heavens opened. Proper rain…again.

At the house, Liam’s mum had entered full storm preparation mode. One of the concerns was hail, and French hail doesn’t mess around. I was shown a video of hail the size of golf balls as evidence!

So the car was covered up in an attempt to protect it in case the forecast hailstones arrived.

After spending the afternoon peacefully floating around a spa, we’d returned to everyone preparing for the apocalypse.

Welcome back to the family holiday.

A Quiet Birthday Evening

With the weather putting an end to the plans for a BBQ dinner and spending our last evening sitting outside, we spent the evening indoors.

Liam’s dad cooked dinner, another mix and match meal that kept everyone happy, well almost everyone. You can guess the main culprit but Ryan decided to join in this evening with the “it’s making me feel sick” excuse!

Afterwards, we settled down for a much quieter night. We put a film on in the front room, I sat and read some more of my book and then started getting things packed for the next stage of the trip.

Thankfully, the rain eased later in the evening and the worst of the weather seemed to pass us by.

It hadn’t been a big elaborate birthday with a fancy restaurant or a huge party. But actually that wasn’t what I had wanted. I really struggle with birthdays and the attention being all on me.

I’d had a morning wandering around Charroux with Liam, eaten a lush crepe, spent an afternoon in a spa and had several uninterrupted hours where neither of us was responsible for three children.

Perfect!

As birthdays go, turning 38 in France wasn’t too shabby, the only downside was the turn of the weather.

The next morning, though, it was time to pack everything up again. Our quieter few days in rural France were over. The roof box was going back on, the vacuum bags were coming back out. And we were heading towards the final part of our road trip.

Next stop: Crecy-la-Chapelle.

And more importantly…Disneyland Paris was now only one sleep away.

Five nights in the Auvergne felt completely different from our first four nights in the Loire Valley. We had swapped a Eurocamp mobile home for Liam’s parents’ house in the French countryside.

We had gone from five people to eleven, and we had somehow agreed that putting eleven people into a two bedroom house with one shower was a perfectly sensible holiday plan.

On paper, there was definitely potential for disaster, but in reality, it worked.

Eleven People, Two Bedrooms & One Shower

The sleeping arrangements were certainly creative. Liam and I escaped to the summerhouse at the bottom of the garden, the boys initially took over the living room, Liam’s sister and her children had one bedroom and Liam’s parents had the other.

Was it luxurious? Absolutely not. Was there always somebody waiting for the shower? Pretty much. Did you occasionally have to step over children, bags, shoes or some other unidentified family belonging to get anywhere? Obviously.

But that’s also part of what made this section of the holiday what it was. The kids had people around them constantly. They could play, draw, watch films or disappear into the garden while the adults sat outside, played cards, cooked or had a drink.

It was busy and occasionally chaotic but it never really felt difficult. And after Liam’s sister and the kids left, the house suddenly felt almost unnaturally quiet.

The Auvergne Gave Us Some of Our Best Days

We had deliberately not filled every second of these five nights with activities and I am glad that we didn’t.

Puy de Dome gave us one of the most impressive days of the trip, going from sunshine and huge views to standing inside a cloud at the summit then coming back down into sunshine again.

The Velorail was probably one of the most unusual things we did during the entire holiday. Eleven of us, three carts, a picnic, constant seat swapping and one pedal that repeatedly tried to abandon Liam’s sisters cart.

Then there was our day at the lake in Saint-Eloy-les-Mines. Nothing fancy, just beach tents, a paddleboard, another picnic, Kubb, ice creams and hours in the water. And it was one of those days that reminded us that kids don’t necessarily need an expensive attraction every day of a holiday.

Sometimes you just need water and somewhere to throw a ball.

And Then There Was My Birthday

Ending our time in the Auvergne with my 38th birthday, made this part of the trip feel even more special, it was also the first time my birthday had been spent with all children present.

After days of travelling around as a family, and several days travelling around as a family of eleven, Liam and I got an entire day almost to ourselves.

It was low-key, it was thoughtful and it was exactly what I wanted…and it wasn’t jumping out of a plan which was a running joke throughout the holiday!

Even the enormous thunderstorm couldn’t really spoil it. Although France was certainly giving the weather a good go.

What Would We Change?

Honestly, not a huge amount.

If we went back to Puy de Dome, we would probably leave earlier so that we could combine it with a visit into Clermont-Ferrant and have a look around the shops there.

For the lake, we would definitely arrive slightly better prepared. Picnic blankets are fine until you’ve spent several hours sitting on one and suddenly remember you’re approaching 40 and your back would quite like a chair. Proper beach chairs next time.

Other than that, the slower pace worked. We didn’t need another chateau every day and we didn’t need to cram in every attraction within driving distance. We had enough planned to give the week some structure, while still having time to sit around the house, let the kids play and actually spend time with everyone.

Would We Go Back to the Auvergne?

Absolutely, although for us, it’s not really a question of would we go back? Liam’s parents have a house there, so we’ll definitely be back.

Liam has visited plenty of times before and already knows much more of the area, but for me and the boys, this was really our first proper opportunity to start exploring it. And we’ve barely scratched the surface.

In five nights we managed Puy de Dome, the Velorail, a lake day and my birthday exploring Charroux and visiting Aiga Spa. It felt like we had done loads without spending the entire time rushing from one attraction to another.

And actually, that’s probably what I enjoyed most about this part of the holiday. We didn’t have to see everything. There will be other visits, other towns and other lakes. There are places Liam already knows that he can show me and the boys, and probably plenty of places that none of use have discovered yet.

So rather than leaving with a list of everything we had missed and feeling like we should have squeezed more in, we could leave knowing that we’ll be back.

For me and the boys, this was really just our introduction to this part of France. And it was a pretty good one.

I think the Auvergne probably gave us the best balance of the holiday so far. We had proper days out, we’d experienced things we’d never done before, we’d spent time with family and we’d also had days where we weren’t constantly looking at the clock wondering where we needed to be next.