A road trip in Europe
A summer trip with the kids from Rotterdam through Belgium to Germany, Switzerland and France.
Part 1 Saint-Hubert, Belgium and Strasbourg, France
We got our current VW T6 in 2019. Steve had a red T5 when we first met, and we had many adventures until he sold it before Sam came along. We missed Trevor and the freedom it gave us to go away spontaneously. I wanted to be able to take Sam to the Lake District whenever we felt like it, and drive to Scotland as soon as the snow arrives. There are so many advantages of having the van.
This trip was our first ‘big’ trip in the van with both kids. We took Sam around France for three weeks when he was one and we managed fine (even without the pop-top). Esme had stayed in the van plenty of times but never for more than a week, and she always slept in the bottom bed with me. We spent a good few weekend trips settling the kids into the pop-top bed and tweaking the van and storage. By the time we left we had it nailed, and it made this trip so much easier.
We never enjoy driving from Newcastle to Dover. It always seems to take forever and the traffic can be horrendous. We explored different ferry options from up North. The ferries from Newcastle to Amsterdam were fully booked, so we booked a cabin on the Hull to Rotterdam ferry. We thought it would be a relaxing way to start the holiday.
We had a slow morning and drove to The Deep, near the ferry terminal in Hull. We planned to explore the aquarium, tire the kids out and have lunch in the cafe. The walk through the aquarium took us on a journey through the world's oceans from the beginning of time. The kids were fascinated by the marine life and were captured by the interactive displays. We were in the aquarium for longer than we expected and rushed the kids through the gift shop to the cafe. We grabbed a bite to eat and made our way onto the ferry.
Queueing for the ferry in Hull was a lot less stressful than Dover. After we were through passport control we were straight on the ferry. We had packed a bag for the cabin in advance and made our way upstairs. We had a club cabin with a double bed and two overhanging singles. It gave us a bit more space and allowed Esme to sleep in the double with me while Steve and Sam took the bunks.
Once settled we let the kids explore the ferry, played on the air hockey then found the buffet restaurant. We prebooked dinner and breakfast. There was a huge selection of food and service was decent. We planned on watching some of the entertainment but the kids were exhausted. We all slept well and woke up for breakfast before arriving in Rotterdam. I even had time for a quick spy around the duty free.
We were parked on the lower decks with the HGVs - something we were worried about when pulling onto the ferry. However, this made it much easier to make our way back to the van and disembark as there were far less people around!
Our first drive was from Rotterdam to Europacamp in Saint-Hubert, Belgium. We planned on having an early night and making plans for the next few days. It was a great stop for the kids. Steve and I enjoyed a drink on the deck and watched the kids playing in the park. We had a walk around the peaceful site which is in the heart of Saint-Hubert forest. The site has its own restaurant, Restaurant Le Chalet, and they managed to fit us in at the beginning of the dinner service. We ordered a few different plates so we could pick at each others and try some new things. We got a few safe dishes including some fancy fried chicken and croquettes. The service was slow and the kids were beginning to get irritable. We put this down to being first in as the whole place filled up quickly soon after. However, when the food did arrive it was delicious and worth the wait.
The next morning we made our way to Camping de Strasbourg, in the Alsace region of France. We had prebooked for a few nights. The temperature seemed to rocket as we drove further south, and a heatwave was expected. After setting up camp we made our way to the pool to cool down. The pool and facilities were all very new and modern. I grabbed a deck chair and enjoyed the sunshine while Steve played in the water with the kids. The pool had a shallow area then increased in depth with a severe step. The kids made this the ‘drop off’ game but it came to a shock to many people walking through the water!
Sam was first up the next morning. He had just mastered riding his bike and this campsite was perfect for loops. He did a few laps and went to collect breakfast with Steve. Most campsites in France will have a local bakery and allow you to order fresh baguettes, croissants and pastries the night before. This being our first morning in France, we ordered a selection. Esme and Sam preferred the baguettes so Steve and I indulged in more pastry than we should have.
We packed up a buggy and set off for the bus into Strasbourg. It was very hot and we squeezed both kids back to back on our cheap compact joie buggy. We headed toward the Notre Dame Cathedral. We walked around the perimeter and pointed out the hundreds of gothic sculptures to the kids. I wandered inside to see the monumental organ and it allowed me to appreciate the size of the building and roof.
We followed directions to ‘The Petite France’ Quarter. This is definitely the most picturesque part of Strasbourg with its quirky streets and half timbered houses. We wandered around the gift shops and found a cafe, Restaurant La Petite Alsace. We sat out back in a terraced area. Steve had some garnished sauerkraut and Sam and I ordered tarte flambée (a sort of thin pizza with cream, bacon and onions). Esme picked at each but took a liking to the sausage and pork on Steve’s plate.
We made our way back up to Place Kléber to explore the markets. We bought some local produce and the kids got an ice cream from one of the many cafes surrounding the square. We found a gorgeous bakery - L'Atelier 116 - and bought a selection of delicious cakes to take back to the campsite. We’ll stocked up, we jumped on the bus back to the campsite and spent the afternoon eating and lounging around the pool in the sunshine.
