The Netherlands: Europe for Beginners | Campervan Road Trip Guide
Updated: 2 days ago
Thinking about taking a campervan across the Channel for the first time?
Anna from @highroads_and_lowroads is back on The Journal, this time sharing why she thinks the Netherlands is the perfect place to start.
Easy roads, friendly locals, brilliant campsites, beautiful cities, cycle paths everywhere and a simple overnight ferry from Harwich… this one might have us planning a trip ourselves.
Over to Anna…
Last September we set off for a European road trip that was so easy, relaxed, hassle free and SO much fun. Here's why we think the Netherlands is the perfect destination for your first European campervan adventure.
Living in Suffolk the obvious choice to cross the channel is with Stenaline Ferries, from Harwich to the Hook of Holland. Less than an hour from home we arrived for the overnight ferry. The most leisurely way to start any road trip! We were able to board 90 mins before departure and had time for the first beer of the trip before we set sail. Cabins are mandatory for the overnight crossing, and we slept like a dream on the calmest of seas!
When packing the van, we played it safe as you're not supposed to take any meat or dairy into Europe (although no one checked!) But who wants to take the usual foods from home, when the Netherlands is full of amazing dairy products (the reason why the Dutch are the tallest nation in Europe!).
Within an hour of the ferry docking, we were parked up on the outskirts of Delft enjoying a delicious Dutch breakfast in the cutest cafe by a canal. Delft is the perfect place to stock up your fridge with fabulous markets. It's a brilliant introduction to the Netherlands, with its beautiful squares, locals playing boules, shops selling the pretty blue and white porcelain and picture perfect canalside streets. We climbed the 376 steps to reach the top of the Nieuwe Kirk tower for amazing views over this tiny city!
The Netherlands is a small country, about half the size of Scotland, so getting to your next stop never takes long (and the Dutch roads are super easy to navigate). We chose a route that would take in some iconic cities (Amsterdam, Leiden and Harlaam), the famous cheese towns of Edam and Gouda, and three nights soaking in the natural beauty of Texel.
Texel is the largest of the Wadden Islands, a 3 mile ferry hop from the north coast, and is covered with sand dunes, windswept beaches, pretty villages and criss-crossed with 140 km of bike trails.
There is a huge choice of ‘mini camping’, which are small campsites on farms, often selling their delicious dairy products, and wool from the famous Texel sheep!
I could talk about all the amazing places we visited, but would need to write an entire book! Here's a few reasons why we think the Netherlands needs to be on your bucket list, and the perfect place to start a European adventure.
The Dutch people: are THE friendliest, and the majority speak excellent English, so make sure to stop and chat to the locals and pick up some insider tips!
The roads: Excellent. There are no Tolls or complicated vignettes to purchase. And being such a compact country we didn't even fill up with fuel once on our 12 day tour!
The Food: plentiful farm shops, supermarkets, and the cheese….is something else! And did I mention the ice-cream? Definitely a destination for dairy lovers. And don't forget to try the pancakes and stroopwafels!
The Cycle Paths: it's almost criminal not to take a bike to the Netherlands. The network of cycle paths is something else! Well mapped, signed and using a numerical system it makes navigation a doddle. There is no better way to explore the countryside, canals and cities.
There is so much history and culture, and a surprising amount of natural beauty for a flat, once waterlogged little country. We can't wait to return and explore the Netherlands some more… and being so close to home is just another bonus.
A couple of our favourite campsite finds
Boerderijcamping De Texelaar. Camping with the beautiful Texel sheep on a farm in the centre of Texel Island.
Camping Schoonenberg, Driehuis. A peaceful parkland location, a short stroll to the train station to reach Amsterdam and Harlaam; and on the edge of the magnificent Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland.
Camping Zeevang Hoeve, Edam. An easy walk into Edam and Volendam, and for the boat to explore Marken Island.
Until next time...
Anna x
Fancy your own European adventure?
The Netherlands sounds like a pretty good place to start.
If Anna’s trip has inspired you to take your own campervan across the Channel, our Up Sticks campervans come with European breakdown cover and are perfect for a few days or a bigger road trip further afield.
And if you’re still building up the confidence for your first European trip, have a read through our guides or just get in touch. We’re always happy to help.
Next stop...?
Anna is already planning her next escape, so keep an eye on The Journal for her next journal. Or join the club to keep up to date with the latest offers, last minute availability and up to date journals.
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