A road trip in Europe

A summer trip with the kids from Rotterdam through Belgium to Germany, Switzerland and France.

Part 3 Bern, Switzerland and Annecy, France

The drive from Triberg to Bern was epic and up there with one of the most beautiful drives we have done. We passed picturesque chalet style houses and rolling hills. There was no traffic in sight, so we took our time and enjoyed the scenery.

We arrived at TCS Camping Bern Eymatt just after lunchtime. The temperature had hit the 40s and we needed to cool down quick. We had a bite to eat and went to play by the river. The campsite have access to paddle boards, tubes and boat rentals. We decided to just have a paddle as we didn’t feel confident with the kids. The water was a gorgeous turquoise blue and plenty of people were swimming and enjoying the water. Esme and I dipped our feet in and had a splash, and Steve took Sam for a little swim in the shallow water. We then explored the rest of the campsite and found a play area and petting animals. Sam and Esme spent an hour or so playing and we had a cocktail and ordered dinner from the garden pub and restaurant, Eymatt 62. Food in Switzerland is expensive. We ordered their famous burgers and bärner frites. It was all delicious but we headed back to the van for a few more drinks.

After a very hot night we all had showers to cool down. The facilities were modern and clean. We had a quick breakfast and headed to the bus stop located in front of the campsite. The bus driver was super helpful and suggested where we disembark. We were in the centre of Bern in just over 5 minutes. The bus driver then got off the bus, and to our surprise, helped elderly passengers down the step.

I made plans in advance of visiting Bern, so we headed towards the Natural History Museum. We found out we were visiting on a free entry day - bonus! The kids loved the stuffed animal exhibits with specimens from Switzerland, Africa, North America and Asia. Sam's favourite being the crocodile! We wandered upstairs to the most well-known exhibit, Barry, the world-renowned rescue dog. Sam wrote a little message in his special book and Esme used her money to buy a figure of the beloved dog.

We left the museum and headed towards the medieval city centre. We wandered along the main streets of the Old Town and looked in some of the boutiques and wine shops. Many of the shops were in cellar rooms. We found out that during the Middle Ages, the architects built a storeroom under each house and they are still in use. We then made our way to parliament and Minister Square to explore the markets.

The market had rows and rows of fresh produce. We bought plenty of salads and fruit, including some colourful tomatoes - which we dried the seeds from to grow more at home! Again, the people of Bern were super friendly, and a lovely lady gave Sam and Esme an apple from her stall. An act of kindness that made us truly love the city of Bern!

The next day we drove to Annecy. The drive was to take 2 and a half hours, so we planned to stop near Lausanne on Lake Geneva for an ice cream. We couldn’t find parking near the old city so went by the lake, had a walk and found a small ice cream stall. We sat and enjoyed the view.

Annecy is another place I will be visiting again. We booked The Camping Aloua for two nights. It had access to the Lake, a family friendly pool, a cycle path to Annecy and bus routes. After arriving we walked to the lake and put our feet into the water. The lake was clear and shallow, and surrounded by mountains. Sam could walk out for a good while before it was waist deep. Esme enjoyed the paddling but wasn't happy with the pebbly beach. I had only packed their jelly shoes, not swim shoes, and pebbles were becoming trapped under her feet. Something to remember in the future. With a grumpy Esme, we walked back into the campsite and found seats next to the pools. The kids jumped straight into the smaller pool and we caught some sun. After a good few hours of splashing around we ordered pizzas from the Café on site. It was a laid back cafe and offered pizzas and salads. After dinner we showered the kids. The facilities were not modern, but the showers were hot and clean.

The next day we caught the bus into Annecy. The Old Town is known for its cobbled streets, winding canals and pastel-colored houses. We walked up and down the streets of the Old Town, most filled with souvenir and ice cream shops. We found a little sitting area near the side of a canal and dipped in our feet to cool down. The Old Town is very popular with tourists and we struggled to find somewhere to eat. With the kids beginning to get hangry, we bought some sandwiches from a stall and made our way to the lakeside for a picnic.

We spent the afternoon by the lake and pool. This fast became the kids favourite site and they didn't want to leave. We promised them the next campsite would have a pool, and with that they went to sleep.