Your Family Friendly Driving Guide Through France, Belgium, the Netherlands & Germany.

Any road trip with kids in tow - in my case a 12 and 14 year old – takes some serious planning. Finding family friendly and affordable accommodation, activities that keep everyone entertained, and routes that don’t cause whines of “are we nearly there yet” was quite the research challenge, especially when you are trying to keep costs down wherever possible. So, I’ve pulled together everything I learned, for any parent dreaming of a family road trip, but unsure of where to begin.

The stops and stays on our 14 day trip:

Folkstone to Calais via train> Dunkirk, France > Bruges, Belgium > In the Netherlands: Delft > Rotterdam > Gouda > Amsterdam > Roermond > Susteren (Europarc Limberg) > Aachen, Germany > Lille, France > back to Calais and home.

The aim was to have shorter driving times, generally the longest drive we did was about 2hrs 30mins (obviously traffic dependent).

Goodbye, England

The car was packed, the kids bundled into the back seats, and a brand-new dash cam still unopened in the door pocket. We were off - a road trip I had been planning for months. This year’s adventure a total change from last year’s lazy Spanish villa retreat. How would it compare?

A few England-side lessons worth sharing:

Check the route, twice. We left early to avoid delays on the M25, only to discover diversions on both the M4 and the M20. Winding through Berkshires single track lanes and tiny villages at 2am, wasn’t exactly the dream start!

Petrol top up. At the time of writing this, petrol was a lot cheaper in the UK, so fill up if you can before you jump on the train. We stopped in Ashford for the final petrol refill.

Sleeping in the car at Eurotunnel Le Shuttle. In theory, it saved us a few hours’ sleep at home. In reality?  Big loud exhausts, rev-happy motorbikes, and speed bump sprints, certainly made rest a challenge. So not something I’d recommend.

Eurotunnel Le Shuttle quick guide: (for those who haven’t done it before)

• It’s easy to find as there’s a dedicated M20 turn off.
• Automatic number plate recognition brings up your booking, so don’t worry about printing things up in advance.
• If you’re early you might be offered earlier trains, either for free or at a cost.
• The terminal is small, but has coffee, food and toilets.
• You can start going through before your allocated time – it’s worth it as passport control can cause delays.
• Driving on the train is straightforward, you will have to park close to the car in front. If you need anything from the boot, grab it beforehand.
• Before getting to France, put on your UK car sticker (if it’s not on your license plate), and your headlight deflectors.

Hello, Europe. First Stop, Dunkirk.

Just 35 easy minutes from Calais along the A16, Dunkirk makes the perfect first place to pause. Head towards the Musee Dunkerque 1940 - there’s plenty of free parking on both sides of the road just before you reach it.

For now, stroll past the museum (we’ll come back to that) and cross the bridge to the beach. The view opens up to a vast sweep of pale sand, with a wide boardwalk perfect for stretching the legs. Our first French indulgence awaited at Sucre Sale – fresh orange juice, flaky croissants and delicious pain au chocolat – the holiday had started!

The beaches of Dunkirk are steeped in history, forever linked to the dramatic events of Operation Dynamo, a mass evacuation of Allied troops during World War II. Time your visit for low tide and you might see the remains of the boats still resting in the sand.

For those interested in war history, the Musee Dunkerque 1940 is a must-see. Family tickets are excellent value, and while it’s not a huge museum, it’s well curated. Uniforms, machinery, photographs and accounts written in both French and English bring events vividly to life.

Leaving Dunkirk for Bruges, we chose a smaller road that runs parallel to the motorway, letting us amble alongside a very straight canal. Somewhere along the way, we couldn’t resist the lure of a Carrefore – because honestly, wandering around foreign supermarkets is an underrated travel pleasure.

For more information on Dunkirk >

Onward bound to Bruges

We took the ‘pretty route’, following the Belgium coastline towards Oostende before heading to Bruges. It was our first visit, which made arriving all the more exciting. Yes, it’s beautiful. No, I didn’t feel too overcrowded. And yes, I would happily return. But keeping it short and sweet - here’s what you need to know:

Accommodation: 

B&B 1669, a peaceful historic building with only 3 suites in the building. The Secret Suite was all old floorboards, a huge bed, views over eclectic rooftops and a small room with a bunk bed in for the kids.

The good bits:

• A nice breakfast was included in their hotel next door.
• They have a well-priced locked garage located nearby, you can book for the car.
• It’s perfectly close to town, without being right in the middle.

Not so good: 

• The bathroom is off the main bedroom and only has a curtain for a door. With older kids, losing an element of bathroom privacy was an issue, for us at least.

Sightseeing:

I found sightseeing with four people can get very expensive, so if you do nothing else, I must highly recommend Ambassadors of the City, a free group walking tour of Bruges.

Ok, so it’s not technically free, there was a small booking fee, then at the end you pay your guide whatever your conscience (and budget) allows. We lucked out with Pascal, a Dutch guide who somehow managed to mix history, with humour and just enough dramatic flair to keep even my 14-year-old engaged for almost 2 hours! (I’m sure any parent will appreciate the gravity of that statement).

Obviously, the experience depends on your guide, but for me, this was the perfect way to start our Bruges visit. I felt we’d ticked our ‘culture’ box by lunchtime and could now start ticking off the food and drink experiences Bruge is renowned for.

Other places to visit:

• The market square – check out the black, yellow and red buildings that represent the Belgium Flag – the yellow building has the tourist office in it.
• Belfort – pay to climb the tower.
• Rozenhoedkaai is the iconic canal photoshoot point
• Basilica of the Holy Blood – be aware the Holy blood only goes on display at certain times of the day.
• Michelangelo’s Madonna of Bruges is on display at the Church of Our Lady. Watch the George Clooney movie ‘The Monuments Men’, before you visit to get some World War II context.

·       Food & Drink:

For any meat lovers you must visit Ribs ‘n’ Beer. We booked in advance based on a friend’s recommendation, and my hubby delighted in the ‘All you can eat ribs’ – the slow cooked ones are a must try.

Frit-Bar Bruges is a popular stop, especially for the social media snappers. Loaded fries, burgers, a bit of a queue to get in, but if you love fries its worth checking out.

After Frit-Bar, wander south and turn onto Walstraat. Look for the small green awning of Laurence, for freshly prepared waffles  - crispy on the outside, chewy insides and covered in icing sugar, Nutella or whatever your preference.

When in Bruges, you must drink beer! Visit Brouwerij De Halve Mann, home to Bruges Zot. With a long local history, a staggering 3.3km beer pipeline running from the brewery to the bottling plant, plus a great selection of cold beers – sit down, try a brew, and pop to the shop for some very reasonably priced bottles to take home.

We were in Bruges for 2 nights and spent a day and half getting to know it. Because of the walking tour I felt satisfied I’d seen everything I wanted to for now. Next stop the Netherlands… click here for part 2.

What did the kids enjoy about the first couple of days... 

Miss 14, enjoyed the enthusiasm of the walking tour guide, and the food. The ice-cream places and chocolate shops seem to have left a lasting impression. (Watch out for the pick 'n' mix shop, she's probably too embarrassed to remember the €10 she wasted on just a couple of sweets!).

Master 12, really engaged with the war museum, taking lots of photos of the exhibits. He also liked the tour guide, he thought he was funny. The quantity of ice-cream places also seem to be memorable!

The Route Map