Our Epic Driving Holiday to Mallorca: A Family Adventure
After the success of last year’s road trip to Portugal, Stuart and I decided it was time to hit the road again, this time with a driving holiday to Mallorca as our destination! We’re packing up the car, loading up on snacks, and bringing along our son Ben, who’s not only a fantastic photographer but also the ultimate snack-and-drink distributor. Starting from our home in Nottinghamshire, here’s how our adventure is shaping up.
Our driving holiday to Mallorca – day by day
Day 1: Nottinghamshire to Dover
The excitement starts as we leave Nottinghamshire and head south to Dover. It’s a long drive, but there’s something about the start of a road trip that makes the miles fly by. We’ll have the car packed to the brim with everything we need for this epic driving holiday to Mallorca, snacks, drinks, a playlist of road trip classics, and, of course, Ben’s camera. Once we arrive in Dover, we’ll check into our hotel, have tea, and get a good night’s sleep, ready for an early start the next day.
Day 2: Ferry to Calais and the Drive to Valence
It’s an early start as we catch the ferry from Dover to Calais, probably around 7 a.m. There’s something so exciting about boarding a ferry; it feels like the real start of the adventure. Once we’re in France, it’s time to hit the road again.
Today’s destination is Valence, a charming town about an hour south of Lyon. It’s a long drive, but the French countryside is stunning, with rolling hills, picturesque villages, and fields of sunflowers. We’ll make a few stops along the way to stretch our legs and grab some lunch, probably a baguette or salad at a service station. By the time we reach Valence, we’ll be ready to relax and enjoy a well-earned tea before settling in for the night.
Day 3: Valence to Barcelona and the Overnight Ferry
From Valence, we’ll continue south towards Barcelona. It’s another big driving day, but the thought of arriving in Spain keeps us motivated. The landscape changes as we drive into Spain, with the scenery becoming more Mediterranean, think olive groves, vineyards, and terracotta rooftops.
Once we reach Barcelona, we’ll have a little time to rest and have tea before boarding the overnight ferry to Palma, Mallorca. The ferry leaves around 9 p.m. We’ll settle into our cabin and let the gentle rocking of the ferry lull us to sleep. That said, I get very seasick, so there is a chance I will be up all night feeling ill, but hopefully Ben and Stuart get a good sleep!
Luckily, at this point, we don’t have much more driving to do, so if I don’t get much sleep, it won’t be too bad. The driving holiday to Mallorca is nearly complete, well on the way there that is!
Day 4: Palma to Santa Ponsa (with a Breakfast Stop!)
We’ll roll off the ferry in Palma at about 6 am, it will probably still be dark! First stop: breakfast in Magaluf. There’s a spot we love that serves up a fantastic breakfast with a view of the sea, Tom Brown’s if you have ever been, it’s the perfect way to start the day.
After breakfast, it’s a short drive to Santa Ponsa, where we’ll be staying for the next 10 nights. Once we arrive, we’ll unpack, settle in, and take time to enjoy the sunshine. The rest of the day will be all about relaxing, maybe a dip in the pool, a wander along the beach, or just sitting on the balcony with a glass of something cold. After all the driving, it’ll be nice to slow down and enjoy the start of our holiday.
Days 5–14: Relaxing in Santa Ponsa
For the next 10 days, it’s all about enjoying our hotel in Santa Ponsa and the surrounding area. We’re planning to spend plenty of time by the pool. Ben will be busy capturing it all with his camera, and I’m sure we’ll come home with hundreds of photos to sort through. We are an all-inclusive hotel, which allows us to have a nice, relaxing holiday. However, I won’t be eating or drinking too much to ensure I maintain my weight loss during our driving holiday to Mallorca, and don’t gain back all I have lost.
Day 15: Santa Ponsa to Alcudia and the Ferry to Barcelona
After 10 relaxing days, it’ll be time to say goodbye to Santa Ponsa. We’ll pack up the car and drive to Alcudia to catch the ferry back to Barcelona. The ferry departs around 12:45 p.m., so we’ll have time for a leisurely breakfast before we leave. The ferry ride this time is daytime, so the views are sure to be stunning, and we can’t wait.
Once we arrive in Barcelona in the evening, we’ll check into our hotel and head out for dinner. Barcelona is such a vibrant city, and we’re looking forward to spending a couple of nights here.
Days 15–17: Exploring Barcelona
Barcelona is one of those cities that never gets old. We’ll have two nights here, so essentially one full day to enjoy everything it has to offer. We’re planning to visit some of the city’s iconic sights, and of course, because Ben loves football, we will be going to Camp Nou. We’ll also make time to enjoy some of the city’s incredible food, tapas, paella, and maybe a glass or two of sangria. Ben will no doubt be snapping photos left, right, and centre, capturing the city’s unique charm. Whilst on the whole this is a driving holiday to Mallorca, it will be nice to have the day in Barcelona to see if we fancy booking a short break there, maybe next year!
Day 17: Barcelona to Clermont-Ferrand
Leaving Barcelona, we’ll head north to Clermont-Ferrand in France. It’s a scenic drive, and we’ll take our time, stopping along the way to stretch our legs, have lunch and enjoy the views. Clermont-Ferrand is a lovely city surrounded by volcanic hills, and it’s the perfect spot to break up the journey. We’ll spend the evening exploring the city and enjoying a meal before getting some rest.
Day 18: Clermont-Ferrand to Rouen
From Clermont-Ferrand, we’ll continue our journey north to Rouen. This historic city is full of charm, with its half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, and stunning cathedral. We’ll hopefully arrive in time to take a stroll through the old town, maybe visit the spot where Joan of Arc was martyred, and enjoy dinner before settling in for the night. I remember visiting Rouen when I went on a school trip to France in 1993, but my memory is hazy; it was so long ago!
Day 19: Rouen to Calais and the Ferry Home
The final leg of our journey takes us from Rouen to Calais, where we’ll catch the ferry back to Dover. The ferry is around 3 p.m., and thanks to the time difference, we’ll arrive in Dover at 3:45 p.m. From there, it’s the home stretch back to Nottinghamshire. We’ll stop for tea along the way. This driving holiday to Mallorca will have been physically and mentally draining, but we know we will have loved every minute.
Back to Reality
After nearly three weeks on the road, we’ll be back home and ready to dive back into work on Monday. But the memories of this driving holiday to Mallorca will stay with us for a lifetime.
We can’t wait to hit the road and see where this adventure takes us. If you’ve ever done a driving holiday to Mallorca, let me know in the comments below. We loved our drive last year to Portugal, so we are very excited for this year!
