Netherlands > Belgium > France (1 Viewer)

[Next Stop]

Hi All,
Thinking of planning a small tour next year to visit Netherlands and Belgium, but I don't see much action on the forums for these locations. The initial plan was to go on the ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, travel around the Netherlands through to Belgium, then onto France and pick up the chunnel home.
Can anyone recommend anywhere to visit?

 

[suavecarve]

Hi All,
Thinking of planning a small tour next year to visit Netherlands and Belgium, but I don't see much action on the forums for these locations. The initial plan was to go on the ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, travel around the Netherlands through to Belgium, then onto France and pick up the chunnel home.
Can anyone recommend anywhere to visit?

take a quick gander on this thread. Found a couple of interesting places. https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/xmas-markets.250117/
Sas Van Gent is a good stopover (in the summer) and watch floodlands on channel 4od walter presents.

 

[Itsmcb]

Bruges, Ghent, Amsterdam, Maastricht, all great to visit

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[Jo662]

Ypres is a must see!

 

[Itsmcb]

Strépy-Thieu Boat Lift if your passing and it's open, it's a very impressive lump of engineering. The town of Spa looks interesting (but I've not yet been there) and the Thermapolis pool and spa at Amnéville is great for an afternoon if you like lazy rivers and multiple sauna/ steam rooms, there is a camping carpark Aire just across the road.

 

[steve69]

Be prepared for some grumpy service. I travelled through France, Spain & Portugal - everyone was so nice. Crossed into Belgium for a weekend and a few of the people I relied on for service (bar staff, desk clerks etc) just seemed to quietly wish they were doing some other job. Actually quite rude in a couple of instances. I have heard others comment about this too. Don't say it is me! I never had attitudes towards me like this in other countries. Just Belgium and Holland. Maybe I was just unlucky, I don't know.

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[Dutch 68]

Hi All,
Thinking of planning a small tour next year to visit Netherlands and Belgium, but I don't see much action on the forums for these locations. The initial plan was to go on the ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, travel around the Netherlands through to Belgium, then onto France and pick up the chunnel home.
Can anyone recommend anywhere to visit?

Yes I can recommend giethoorn in the Netherlands , It’s like the venice of the north, Utrecht old town and of course Amsterdam , Maastricht in the south east and Valkenburg not far from that, Volendam en Veere also worth seeing, so is the Keukenhof flower display in spring, in Belgium , Antwerp, Gent and Bruges are a must see…..

 

[cyberyacht]

If military history interests you, there are the WW1 locations, Ypres, Thiepval. Peronne is just over the border back in France and has a good museum. Bastogne - museum about the Battle of the Bulge. Ghent is a picturesque and interesting city with the Van Eyck altarpiece.

 

[FIDGET]

Keukenhof Gardens, well worth a visit , as is Amrsterdam .

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[irnbru]

Be careful with the environmental zones. You need to register for Antwerp. Ghent also has a environmental zone, not sure what process is there, and you aren't allowed to take motorhome into Brussels.

 

[Sapper520]

My son lived in the Netherlands for a while, go North. We’ve not been there ourselves, but he’s put it on our list of places to visit.

 

[Rob Turner]

Arnhem is tidy, plenty to see and do.
€1.50 for the bus anywhere in the city, or it was a couple of years ago anyway. Lots of cycling from the campsite too.

Camping Warnsborn

Camping Warnsborn is a nice, quiet and clean campsite, located on one of the most beautiful estates of 'Het Geldersch Landschap' on the edge of the Veluwe. The campsite is completely grassy and surrounded by centuries-old trees that protect you from the wind. We do not have a canteen or swimming...

www.campingwarnsborn.nl

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[Itsmcb]

Be careful with the environmental zones. You need to register for Antwerp. Ghent also has a environmental zone, not sure what process is there, and you aren't allowed to take motorhome into Brussels.

The Green-Zones app is excellent. It has all the details and maps of the zones.

 

[The Coops]

Off at The Hook and overnight at Delft Camping delft house at the back of Ikea ASCI discount and bimbling distance into town about E18 a night but pool etc and leccy Next stop Gouda ( aire E8 a night inc leccy water and waste available) Have a bimble round the town and drop down to Arnhem (aire) and the into Belgium, Brugge etc Ypres and Menin Road area and home all doable in a week

 

[Rollercoaster]

Molecaten Park Noordduinen in The Netherlands

Camping and Holiday Park Noordduinen in Katwijk aan Zee, South Holland, Netherlands | Camp or rent | Indoor and outdoor swimming pool â WiFi â

www.molecaten.com

Great beach location, walk or cycle to Katwijk which has a superb fish restaurant and good shopping. If you have bikes the university town of Leiden is charming and close. Actually, you shouldn't go to Holland without bikes. This site has great facilities and the comfort pitches are a good size. 30 minutes drive from Hoek.

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[Rollercoaster]

Be prepared for some grumpy service. I travelled through France, Spain & Portugal - everyone was so nice. Crossed into Belgium for a weekend and a few of the people I relied on for service (bar staff, desk clerks etc) just seemed to quietly wish they were doing some other job. Actually quite rude in a couple of instances. I have heard others comment about this too. Don't say it is me! I never had attitudes towards me like this in other countries. Just Belgium and Holland. Maybe I was just unlucky, I don't know.

I now avoid Belgium as I have found only rudeness and shocking drivers. We aways end up having a row, usually in a restaurant.

 

[Next Stop]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, it's certainly given us a start as where to do research, not going until next August but I feel a lot of research and planning will be needed as we've never toured anywhere in Europe yet. I love dragging the family around historically beautiful places and they love the food so everyone's a winner!
It's good to hear of good places to visit as well as the bad places to avoid!

 

[Stealaway]

Don't underestimate Belgium. You can easily spend two weeks touring all the sites. So much to see.
Start in Bruges and visit the tourist information.
Call in at Luxembourg on your way around, always the cheapest fuel.

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[Lenny HB]

Keukenhof Gardens, well worth a visit

Only if you get your timing right, we paid a fortune to look at bare earth, it had been a very cold spring.

 

[L' Hobo]

IF your into history and building, Ghent is a MUST. Often overlooked.

 

[GAVLAD]

As previously mentioned, Bruges, Ghent, Ypres and ww1 sites are a wonderful interesting visit. Maastricht is nice and Bastogne for ww2 sites. Not been to NL in the van but there are some pretty places worth stopping including Delft and surrounding area. For France, there’s something for everyone.
My downside on Belgium was the roads seemed to be in a poor state compared to elsewhere and standard of driving was fast, overtake and slam on to turn off seemed to be the norm. But don’t let that put you off.

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[L' Hobo]

As previously mentioned, Bruges, Ghent, Ypres and ww1 sites are a wonderful interesting visit. Maastricht is nice and Bastogne for ww2 sites. Not been to NL in the van but there are some pretty places worth stopping including Delft and surrounding area. For France, there’s something for everyone.
My downside on Belgium was the roads seemed to be in a poor state compared to elsewhere and standard of driving was fast, overtake and slam on to turn off seemed to be the norm. But don’t let that put you off.

Just as a bit of useless information. When I started driving abroad, Belgium was the only country that had motorway lights.
These were paid for, or so I was told, by the revenue they received from their assets in the Belgium Congo.

When we truckers left the Townsend Thorenson 'Freighter' on a frosty morning, the 'tram-lines' on the motorway between Zeebrugge and Brussels were filled with ice and it was like driving on a skating rink.
32ton up and afraid to touch ones throttle OR brakes!

 

[orridge]

This is a great little roadtrip book we followed some of the routes a few years ago and can be combined with their Great War version for a bigger round trip.

Road Trip Europe: Go Dutch ISBN:9781910664070 by Vicarious Media

Unique driving tour around the Netherlands, which will take you to some quite unexpected places. It's not all windmills and clogs! ISBN:9781910664070

www.vicarious-shop.com

 

[Tribute615]

Have a look at this blog , Belgium , south Netherlands, over to the Rhine down to the Mosel and then into Luxembourg and back through Belgium.

Europe September 2017

Set off from Stockport at 5.30 pm on sat 2nd sept, had a good run down until they closed junction 10-11 on the M25 but after a detour off t...

rebbyvid.blogspot.com

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[Next Stop]

Just been checking ferry prices for the Stenaline from Harwich to Hook of Holland, return economy tickets for 4 and the van came to £297 (no cabins), then thought I'd get a price through the CAMC website and for the same crossings they have quoted £165 return, now not that I'm complaining because I like a bargain but this seems too cheap?
Their website booking is rather vague and seems to give many different prices for what looks like the same crossing, am I missing something or should I just go for it?

 

[Bucket]

My son lived in the Netherlands for a while, go North. We’ve not been there ourselves, but he’s put it on our list of places to visit.

Another vote for Northern Holland. It's lovely and interesting

 

[WoldsSunlight]

Just been checking ferry prices for the Stenaline from Harwich to Hook of Holland, return economy tickets for 4 and the van came to £297 (no cabins), then thought I'd get a price through the CAMC website and for the same crossings they have quoted £165 return, now not that I'm complaining because I like a bargain but this seems too cheap?
Their website booking is rather vague and seems to give many different prices for what looks like the same crossing, am I missing something or should I just go for it?

Earlier this year I looked at a crossing Hull - Rotterdam. CAMC were not that much cheaper than either P&O or AFerry website, but the clincher was that with the CAMC 'offer' I couldn't upgrade the booking to Flexible or Fully Flexible.

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[Bucket]

Arnhem is tidy, plenty to see and do.
€1.50 for the bus anywhere in the city, or it was a couple of years ago anyway. Lots of cycling from the campsite too.

Camping Warnsborn

Camping Warnsborn is a nice, quiet and clean campsite, located on one of the most beautiful estates of 'Het Geldersch Landschap' on the edge of the Veluwe. The campsite is completely grassy and surrounded by centuries-old trees that protect you from the wind. We do not have a canteen or swimming...

www.campingwarnsborn.nl

If you get to Arnhem, try and spend a day at the Openair museum (openlucht). It's made up of complete houses, shops, factories etc. from all periods, furnished and with lot's of good signage as well as guides dressed the part etc.
I've been back 3 times.
What you wont see in Arnhem is the famous bridge too far, it was destroyed in the battle and they used the one at Nijmegein for the movie.

 

[MichaelT]

Just been checking ferry prices for the Stenaline from Harwich to Hook of Holland, return economy tickets for 4 and the van came to £297 (no cabins), then thought I'd get a price through the CAMC website and for the same crossings they have quoted £165 return, now not that I'm complaining because I like a bargain but this seems too cheap?
Their website booking is rather vague and seems to give many different prices for what looks like the same crossing, am I missing something or should I just go for it?

If it comes out at that price for the crossing you want then go for it. Likely (except for covid) any changes would be chargeable but if you are sure of dates then no issues.

 

[L' Hobo]

Just been checking ferry prices for the Stenaline from Harwich to Hook of Holland, return economy tickets for 4 and the van came to £297 (no cabins), then thought I'd get a price through the CAMC website and for the same crossings they have quoted £165 return, now not that I'm complaining because I like a bargain but this seems too cheap?
Their website booking is rather vague and seems to give many different prices for what looks like the same crossing, am I missing something or should I just go for it?

Take a screenshot and then go for it! Just make certain that the quote is EXACTLY the same.

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