We’re thinking about doing the first overseas family holiday with the kids and dog – kids are currently 3.5 and 2.5.

All our family holidays so far have been in the Southern half of the UK so far – Staffordshire, Mid Wales, Sussex, Devon

I’m happy finding our own place to stay (pet and kid friendly self catering type affair), but I’m looking to the STW masses for a suitable location

Here’s how we’ll be rolling

Requirements are the following
– Less than 3-4 hours drive from Calais, the fewer the better
– Smooth/gravel/paved, off road trails – usual entourage is my bike with double trailer, wife’s bike and dog. Smooth/gravel/paved needed for comfort and ease of pedalling, off road for safety and having the dog off the lead
– Picturesque, yet flat(ish) – so cycling is nicer
– Things to do for families
– Ideally not in the middle of nowhere, I like civilisation but willing to sacrifice this for the right sort of place
– Water is good. Sea, lakes, rivers

Dog friendly and having the dog off the lead is fairly key, he’s part of the family and I don’t want to go somewhere without him

I was thinking Northern France or Belgium might have something, maybe the Netherlands if it’s quick enough to get there. We won’t be driving massively quickly as the car will be heavy and hugely loaded

We have just booked a sunpark in dehann in belgium.

Very cheap even during may half term.

Massive swimming pool, sea close by, chalet are nice.

Ferry dover to dunkerque. Hoping for good weather so wife can drop me in dunkerque and I will ride there.

Denmark. Can’t rate it highly enough. Esp if camping. Only problem (i hear you telling me) is the distance. But not that far. We do it in 2 days from S France.

Shame you can’t get the ferry from Harwich anymore. Ferries form Dunkirk and Netherlands though…

I would say Denmark as well, but it is outside of your wants.

No camping for this trip for 2 reasons

1 – Not done it with the family before, I love camping but want to ease them in slowly (though I’m at the lightweight wildcamping and bikepacking end of the spectrum)
2 – Requires too much stuff. My dog is big and takes up most of the boot. There’s a double trailer in the roof box too, which takes up a fair bit of room. We can fit everything in fine, but campsite would be a step too far

Denmark is too far, massive amount of faff emptying out kids and dog for an extra night, and securing car. Would like to do the whole trip in one run, kids are fine in the car for a bit but get understandably bored if it gets over about 4 hours. If all goes well then maybe next year

Not heard of Sunpark, thanks, will have a look

Stayed at a really nice little house in DeHann last year, right next to sunpark. (which looked a bit grim IMHO) The Belgian coast is lovely, properly sandy all the way from France to Holland. Bike riding is very well catered for, near Bruges. Can’t rate it highly enough.

There’s a double trailer in the roof box too, which takes up a fair bit of room. We can fit everything in fine, but campsite would be a step too far

We put our double trailer on the bike rack, freeing up the roof box. We manage all the camping gear (just!) with two small kids.

@tthew – did you book that completely independently on sunpark, or via them?

We put our double trailer on the bike rack, freeing up the roof box. We manage all the camping gear (just!) with two small kids.

I’ve only got a 2 bike rack so it’s tight to be able to bodge on the trailer. If I didn’t have a dog I could probably manage it, but with a big dog there’s a third of a boot’s worth of space

I’ve only got a 2 bike rack so it’s tight to be able to bodge on the trailer. If I didn’t have a dog I could probably manage it, but with a big dog there’s a third of a boot’s worth of space

I had a towbar fitted and bought a three bike rack. It’s only a c-max and small roof box, though.

@tthew – did you book that completely independently on sunpark, or via them?

No, would have been through a holiday cottages booking website, though it was a couple of years ago so can’t remember the details. At work now, but I’ll see if I can find the property/a link later and update here.

@ransos – Towbar rack, nice, good thinking. No towbar on this car but quite fancy one on my next car

@tthew – thanks, inspiration would be good

Have a look at this company.

http://www.landal.com

We have used them in Germany, Austria and Holland and would recommend them.
Loads of options for different types of sites from Mountain Biking areas in Austria & Germany to very flat coastal sites in Holland.

Sorry I didn’t get round to this last night, had a meeting to go to.

Can’t find the exact property, but this was in the same road. A little outside the town centre, (10 mins on the bike) short walk to the beach and close to a costal tram stop. We had an ace holiday.

DeHaan holiday rental.

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

Ben,

We’ve had some great cycling Holidays in Holland & Germany

In Holland is dead easy as everywhere has a cycle path

We’ve also cycled down the Mosel & the Rhine

Stayed in apartments / gite type things

Stayed here before
https://www.makkumbeach.nl

Easier to do Harwich to Hook though

Off again in a few weeks

We go touring with our 2 and have done since they were born. Cuts down on the amount of stuff to take! Drive to destination of choice. Abandon car at a friendly camp site. 3 weeks of giggles. return to car.