Europe Road Trip 2026
Discussion
Planning
For the last few years we've mainly done the traditional fly and flop holidays. They've been great while the kids were younger and, to be fair, we thought that's what they enjoyed most. As they've got a bit older though, we've realised they're actually quite like us. They enjoy a pool, but after a few days they're ready to get out and explore. We were exactly the same, so this year we decided to try something completely different.
The aim was to have a holiday that combined a bit of everything. Mountains, lakes, countryside, villages, great food, a bit of relaxation and enough variety that every few days felt like a new holiday.
The other big factor was taking the dog. Rather than four weeks in kennels, she was coming with us.
There's loads of information online now about travelling with pets post Brexit, so I won't repeat all the official guidance. The main thing I'd say is shop around for your Animal Health Certificate (AHC). Prices vary massively. Living in the arse end of nowhere, I could have saved around £75, but it would have involved about a three hour round trip, so by the time I'd factored in fuel and time it was hardly worth it. In the end I paid £175 at our local vet.
The other thing to be aware of is the timings. Don't leave it until the last minute. The rabies vaccination has to meet the required timescales before you travel and the AHC itself can only be issued within a certain window before entering the EU. It's straightforward enough, but worth planning backwards from your departure date.
The California has its own thread on here, so I won't turn this into another review, but it definitely shaped the type of holiday we planned. Having a fridge full of drinks and snacks, loads of storage and somewhere to make a brew or throw together lunch meant it became much more than just transport. It gave us the flexibility to stop whenever we fancied and made the travelling part of the holiday rather than something to get through.
Living in West Cumbria, driving all the way to Dover before we'd even left the UK held absolutely no appeal. Instead we booked the overnight DFDS ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam. Looking back, I think it was one of the best decisions we made. It takes so much of the stress out of day one. You have a leisurely drive to Newcastle, get checked in, have something to eat and a wander around the ship, then wake up the following morning in the Netherlands ready to go.
We booked one of the pet friendly cabins. These are down on the vehicle deck, so you don't have to leave your dog in the van overnight, which was a huge plus. The only thing worth mentioning is that, because they're so low down in the ship, you can hear a constant hum from the engines. It didn't stop any of us sleeping, but if you're a particularly light sleeper it might be worth packing a pair of earplugs.
After spending far too many evenings moving pins around Google Maps, we eventually settled on the following route:
Netherlands
Luxembourg (2 nights)
Alsace (3 nights)
French Alps, based in Saint-Jean-de-Sixt (6 nights)
Provence (10 nights)
Troyes (2 nights)
Durbuy, Belgium (2 nights)
Amsterdam for the ferry home
We also made a conscious decision to keep most driving days to around four hours. Plenty of people are happy to bash out eight or ten hour stints, but with two kids and a dog we wanted the journey to be part of the holiday rather than something to endure. Four hours with a decent stop in the middle seemed like a good balance.
With the route finalised, the Airbnbs booked and the van packed with what was probably an excessive amount of food and snacks, we headed for Newcastle hoping the plan would work in practice as well as it had on paper. We were about to find out.
For the last few years we've mainly done the traditional fly and flop holidays. They've been great while the kids were younger and, to be fair, we thought that's what they enjoyed most. As they've got a bit older though, we've realised they're actually quite like us. They enjoy a pool, but after a few days they're ready to get out and explore. We were exactly the same, so this year we decided to try something completely different.
The aim was to have a holiday that combined a bit of everything. Mountains, lakes, countryside, villages, great food, a bit of relaxation and enough variety that every few days felt like a new holiday.
The other big factor was taking the dog. Rather than four weeks in kennels, she was coming with us.
There's loads of information online now about travelling with pets post Brexit, so I won't repeat all the official guidance. The main thing I'd say is shop around for your Animal Health Certificate (AHC). Prices vary massively. Living in the arse end of nowhere, I could have saved around £75, but it would have involved about a three hour round trip, so by the time I'd factored in fuel and time it was hardly worth it. In the end I paid £175 at our local vet.
The other thing to be aware of is the timings. Don't leave it until the last minute. The rabies vaccination has to meet the required timescales before you travel and the AHC itself can only be issued within a certain window before entering the EU. It's straightforward enough, but worth planning backwards from your departure date.
The California has its own thread on here, so I won't turn this into another review, but it definitely shaped the type of holiday we planned. Having a fridge full of drinks and snacks, loads of storage and somewhere to make a brew or throw together lunch meant it became much more than just transport. It gave us the flexibility to stop whenever we fancied and made the travelling part of the holiday rather than something to get through.
Living in West Cumbria, driving all the way to Dover before we'd even left the UK held absolutely no appeal. Instead we booked the overnight DFDS ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam. Looking back, I think it was one of the best decisions we made. It takes so much of the stress out of day one. You have a leisurely drive to Newcastle, get checked in, have something to eat and a wander around the ship, then wake up the following morning in the Netherlands ready to go.
We booked one of the pet friendly cabins. These are down on the vehicle deck, so you don't have to leave your dog in the van overnight, which was a huge plus. The only thing worth mentioning is that, because they're so low down in the ship, you can hear a constant hum from the engines. It didn't stop any of us sleeping, but if you're a particularly light sleeper it might be worth packing a pair of earplugs.
After spending far too many evenings moving pins around Google Maps, we eventually settled on the following route:
Netherlands
Luxembourg (2 nights)
Alsace (3 nights)
French Alps, based in Saint-Jean-de-Sixt (6 nights)
Provence (10 nights)
Troyes (2 nights)
Durbuy, Belgium (2 nights)
Amsterdam for the ferry home
We also made a conscious decision to keep most driving days to around four hours. Plenty of people are happy to bash out eight or ten hour stints, but with two kids and a dog we wanted the journey to be part of the holiday rather than something to endure. Four hours with a decent stop in the middle seemed like a good balance.
With the route finalised, the Airbnbs booked and the van packed with what was probably an excessive amount of food and snacks, we headed for Newcastle hoping the plan would work in practice as well as it had on paper. We were about to find out.
Leg 1: Newcastle to Luxembourg
With the van packed and probably enough snacks to survive a minor apocalypse, we headed to Newcastle for the overnight DFDS ferry to Amsterdam.
The crossing itself was excellent and, looking back, I'd absolutely do it the same way again. Living in West Cumbria, driving all the way to Dover before you've even started your European holiday just doesn't appeal. The ferry meant we could have a relaxed evening, a decent meal, a night's sleep and wake up in the Netherlands ready to go.
I'd hired plenty of cars abroad over the years, so driving on the right wasn't new to me. What was new was doing it in my own right hand drive vehicle. I'd probably overthought it beforehand because, in reality, it wasn't nearly as much of an adjustment as I'd expected.
The biggest thing is overtaking on the motorway. Being sat on the right hand side of the car means your visibility isn't as good when pulling out, so you just need to be a bit more patient and give yourself plenty of time. Other than that, it soon became surprisingly natural.
The Dutch motorways were superb. Smooth, well maintained and very easy to drive on. Traffic generally flowed well and everyone seemed fairly disciplined. Crossing into Belgium there was a noticeable drop in quality. They certainly weren't bad roads, but the surfaces were rougher and there seemed to be a lot more repairs. It was one of those things you noticed almost as soon as you crossed the border.
Our first stop was Luxembourg, staying just outside Vianden. We'd chosen it mainly as a sensible first stop to break up the journey, but it turned out to be a lovely place to spend a couple of nights. Vianden itself is a beautiful little town dominated by its hilltop castle, surrounded by forests and rolling countryside.
One thing I did notice while booking the trip was that Airbnbs seemed much less common in Luxembourg than anywhere else we visited. I've not looked into the reasons, but I wondered whether it might be linked to the country's housing market, with such a large proportion of the workforce commuting in from neighbouring countries every day. Whatever the reason, there certainly seemed to be far fewer options than we found elsewhere.
We also arrived during a particularly hot spell, with daytime temperatures reaching around 37°C. On paper that sounds horrendous, but the continental climate made a big difference. It was a much drier heat than we're used to in the UK, so although it was undeniably hot, it actually felt more comfortable than the headline figure suggests. As soon as you stepped into the shade it was surprisingly pleasant, and mornings and evenings were lovely.
We did, however, make the classic tourist mistake. After wandering around Vianden we ended up in what was very obviously a tourist trap for lunch. The pizza was eye wateringly expensive and, if I'm being generous, tasted like cardboard. It was probably the worst meal of the entire trip, but it gave us a laugh and reminded us that restaurants right next to the main attractions aren't always the best choice.
Keeping the driving to around four hours proved to be exactly the right decision. By the time we'd stopped for lunch and a break, everyone was ready to get going again and we still arrived with plenty of the afternoon left to settle in and explore.
Luxembourg was never meant to be the main event. It was simply our gateway into mainland Europe. As it turned out, it was the perfect way to ease ourselves into the holiday and set the tone for what was to come. From here, we were heading for our first major destination... Alsace.
With the van packed and probably enough snacks to survive a minor apocalypse, we headed to Newcastle for the overnight DFDS ferry to Amsterdam.
The crossing itself was excellent and, looking back, I'd absolutely do it the same way again. Living in West Cumbria, driving all the way to Dover before you've even started your European holiday just doesn't appeal. The ferry meant we could have a relaxed evening, a decent meal, a night's sleep and wake up in the Netherlands ready to go.
I'd hired plenty of cars abroad over the years, so driving on the right wasn't new to me. What was new was doing it in my own right hand drive vehicle. I'd probably overthought it beforehand because, in reality, it wasn't nearly as much of an adjustment as I'd expected.
The biggest thing is overtaking on the motorway. Being sat on the right hand side of the car means your visibility isn't as good when pulling out, so you just need to be a bit more patient and give yourself plenty of time. Other than that, it soon became surprisingly natural.
The Dutch motorways were superb. Smooth, well maintained and very easy to drive on. Traffic generally flowed well and everyone seemed fairly disciplined. Crossing into Belgium there was a noticeable drop in quality. They certainly weren't bad roads, but the surfaces were rougher and there seemed to be a lot more repairs. It was one of those things you noticed almost as soon as you crossed the border.
Our first stop was Luxembourg, staying just outside Vianden. We'd chosen it mainly as a sensible first stop to break up the journey, but it turned out to be a lovely place to spend a couple of nights. Vianden itself is a beautiful little town dominated by its hilltop castle, surrounded by forests and rolling countryside.
One thing I did notice while booking the trip was that Airbnbs seemed much less common in Luxembourg than anywhere else we visited. I've not looked into the reasons, but I wondered whether it might be linked to the country's housing market, with such a large proportion of the workforce commuting in from neighbouring countries every day. Whatever the reason, there certainly seemed to be far fewer options than we found elsewhere.
We also arrived during a particularly hot spell, with daytime temperatures reaching around 37°C. On paper that sounds horrendous, but the continental climate made a big difference. It was a much drier heat than we're used to in the UK, so although it was undeniably hot, it actually felt more comfortable than the headline figure suggests. As soon as you stepped into the shade it was surprisingly pleasant, and mornings and evenings were lovely.
We did, however, make the classic tourist mistake. After wandering around Vianden we ended up in what was very obviously a tourist trap for lunch. The pizza was eye wateringly expensive and, if I'm being generous, tasted like cardboard. It was probably the worst meal of the entire trip, but it gave us a laugh and reminded us that restaurants right next to the main attractions aren't always the best choice.
Keeping the driving to around four hours proved to be exactly the right decision. By the time we'd stopped for lunch and a break, everyone was ready to get going again and we still arrived with plenty of the afternoon left to settle in and explore.
Luxembourg was never meant to be the main event. It was simply our gateway into mainland Europe. As it turned out, it was the perfect way to ease ourselves into the holiday and set the tone for what was to come. From here, we were heading for our first major destination... Alsace.
Leg 2: Luxembourg to Alsace
After a couple of nights in Luxembourg it was time to cross into France and head for Alsace, where we'd booked a private Airbnb around 20 minutes from Colmar.
This leg also introduced us to the French toll motorway system. Before leaving the UK I'd decided to order one of the electronic toll tags and, looking back, I'm really glad I did. You simply use the dedicated lanes, slow to around 30 km/h and the barrier opens automatically. No winding the window down, no scrabbling around for a bank card or coins and no wondering whether you've picked the right lane.
To be honest, we never encountered huge queues anywhere apart from a couple of occasions where the manual payment booths had backed up. While everyone else was waiting, we just rolled straight through. It's certainly not essential, but if you're covering plenty of miles in France I'd definitely recommend one.
Our Airbnb was excellent. A detached house with a huge garden, a covered veranda, several fruit trees and multiple barbecues. It was the perfect place to relax after a day out. We'd fire up the BBQ, open a few local beers and let the kids run around the garden while we planned the following day.
Unfortunately, the mosquitoes seemed to think exactly the same.
I've always been one of those people who gets absolutely eaten alive and Alsace was no exception. By the second evening I'd collected more bites than I'd care to admit. Thankfully we'd packed 50% DEET repellent, bought a couple of citronella candles and even had a couple of fans blowing around where we sat outside in the evenings. Whether it was the fans, the repellent or just luck, things improved after that, but it's definitely the only place on the trip where mosquitoes became a genuine nuisance.
The region itself was brilliant and completely different to Luxembourg. The countryside is covered in vineyards, the villages look like they've come straight from a fairy tale and there's a very obvious German influence in both the architecture and the food.
The kids had spotted Parc du Petit Prince before we left home and were keen to visit, so one day was spent there. It made for a great family day out and broke up the sightseeing nicely.
We also spent a day exploring Colmar itself. It really is every bit as pretty as the photos suggest, although in August it was absolutely packed with tourists. Busy or not, it was still one of those places you're glad you've visited.
Food was another real highlight. We quickly developed a bit of an obsession with tarte flambée (flammekueche), trying several different versions during our stay, washed down with some excellent local beers and Alsace wines. It's one of those regions where the local food is every bit as much a reason to visit as the scenery.
Looking back, I could quite happily have spent another couple of nights there. That's probably one of the biggest lessons we learned from the whole trip. You're never going to see everything, but I do think three nights is about the minimum if you actually want to experience a place rather than simply tick it off the map. Even with fairly modest driving distances, you lose a good chunk of the first day travelling, unpacking and getting settled. Before you know it, you're packing everything back into the van again.
By the time we left there were still villages we hadn't visited, vineyards we'd driven past and restaurants we'd never got around to trying. To me, that's the sign of somewhere worth returning to.
With Alsace behind us, it was time to head for the mountains. We'd enjoyed Luxembourg and loved Alsace, but the French Alps were the part of the trip we were looking forward to.
After a couple of nights in Luxembourg it was time to cross into France and head for Alsace, where we'd booked a private Airbnb around 20 minutes from Colmar.
This leg also introduced us to the French toll motorway system. Before leaving the UK I'd decided to order one of the electronic toll tags and, looking back, I'm really glad I did. You simply use the dedicated lanes, slow to around 30 km/h and the barrier opens automatically. No winding the window down, no scrabbling around for a bank card or coins and no wondering whether you've picked the right lane.
To be honest, we never encountered huge queues anywhere apart from a couple of occasions where the manual payment booths had backed up. While everyone else was waiting, we just rolled straight through. It's certainly not essential, but if you're covering plenty of miles in France I'd definitely recommend one.
Our Airbnb was excellent. A detached house with a huge garden, a covered veranda, several fruit trees and multiple barbecues. It was the perfect place to relax after a day out. We'd fire up the BBQ, open a few local beers and let the kids run around the garden while we planned the following day.
Unfortunately, the mosquitoes seemed to think exactly the same.
I've always been one of those people who gets absolutely eaten alive and Alsace was no exception. By the second evening I'd collected more bites than I'd care to admit. Thankfully we'd packed 50% DEET repellent, bought a couple of citronella candles and even had a couple of fans blowing around where we sat outside in the evenings. Whether it was the fans, the repellent or just luck, things improved after that, but it's definitely the only place on the trip where mosquitoes became a genuine nuisance.
The region itself was brilliant and completely different to Luxembourg. The countryside is covered in vineyards, the villages look like they've come straight from a fairy tale and there's a very obvious German influence in both the architecture and the food.
The kids had spotted Parc du Petit Prince before we left home and were keen to visit, so one day was spent there. It made for a great family day out and broke up the sightseeing nicely.
We also spent a day exploring Colmar itself. It really is every bit as pretty as the photos suggest, although in August it was absolutely packed with tourists. Busy or not, it was still one of those places you're glad you've visited.
Food was another real highlight. We quickly developed a bit of an obsession with tarte flambée (flammekueche), trying several different versions during our stay, washed down with some excellent local beers and Alsace wines. It's one of those regions where the local food is every bit as much a reason to visit as the scenery.
Looking back, I could quite happily have spent another couple of nights there. That's probably one of the biggest lessons we learned from the whole trip. You're never going to see everything, but I do think three nights is about the minimum if you actually want to experience a place rather than simply tick it off the map. Even with fairly modest driving distances, you lose a good chunk of the first day travelling, unpacking and getting settled. Before you know it, you're packing everything back into the van again.
By the time we left there were still villages we hadn't visited, vineyards we'd driven past and restaurants we'd never got around to trying. To me, that's the sign of somewhere worth returning to.
With Alsace behind us, it was time to head for the mountains. We'd enjoyed Luxembourg and loved Alsace, but the French Alps were the part of the trip we were looking forward to.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff