Complete beginner. Advice please. Travelling around Europe for 3 months May, June, July 2025 with 2 toddlers ( 3 and 4).

[Samantha1239]

Hello

My name is Samantha and I'm new on here. My little girl starts school next year so before that we wanted to hire or buy an RV and travel around some of Europe for 3 months ( May June July 2025) .

We have already looked at some rental/ buying options but we really are complete beginners. So really need any advice. Specifically:

1. Any route suggestions. We will be away for just under 3 months. The kids are 3 and 4 so we don't want to much daily driving. And the main aim is to have family time , an experience and relaxation.

We would like Europe.

Any route suggestions please ?

2. Any RV configurations / layouts you would advise would be best for a family of 4 - kids will sleep around 8ish?

3. Any campsite suggestions that have facilities and fun for the kids ...pool etc ?

4. Any other points to consider for a complete beginner ?

Thankyou so much all for taking the time.

 

[Nanniemate]

Leave the kids with the grandparents ...

Seriously it sounds wonderful. But budget and any locations you feel are a must would be helpful. What are your must see or visit.

What licences do you hold as this determines your choice of vans.

Please keep us updated sounds like a great adventure

 

[Figaro]

Sounds like a great idea.
Renting will be expensive, I'd suggest buying a motorhome and selling if necessary on you return, chosen carefully you will get majority of your investment back.
There are lots of family friendly campsites across EU with pools and children's entertainment but that may be limited to high season, you'll be traveling a bit early for that ?
France has fantastic beaches.
You'll need to think about securing travel seating for the kiddies and sleeping arrangements, presumably they could share a bed so a three berth should be adequate.
If you look in the resource section there is a very helpful motorhome buyers guide.
You only get 5 free posts on here so it's money well spent to become a full member.
Good luck

 

[funflair]

Hi Samantha

Welcome to the Fun forum, well exciting times venturing into the unknown.

Hire or buy? most likely cheaper to buy and then sell again if you don't plan on carrying on with smaller trips in the UK school holidays and weekends etc.

RV configuration? when you say RV most of us will be thinking American motorhome which are usually quite big and heavy so that begs the question, what can you drive as far as your licence is concerned? withy two young daughters I guess you are not old enough to qualify for C1 over 3500kg unless you have taken an extra test.

 

[MichaelT]

If hiring do it abroad, will be cheaper and a LHD so easier for you over there.

Layout maybe twin singles at rear with drop down double at front, kids can go to bed while you sit up then just pull bed down.

What licence do you have, if you don't have C1 you will be limited to 3.5t which will have limited payload though thete are talks of the limit being raised next year in EU.

Pay your subs to get the best from this site and being allowed more than 5 posts.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Bobby-gg]

We did 3 months around Europe this year, mid April, May, June & Mid July - we went from snow in April to scorching weather end June into July!

Get search for sites, park for night and ACSI discount card, they are all invaluable for planning

 

[Samantha1239]

Sounds like a great idea.
Renting will be expensive, I'd suggest buying a motorhome and selling if necessary on you return, chosen carefully you will get majority of your investment back.
There are lots of family friendly campsites across EU with pools and children's entertainment but that may be limited to high season, you'll be traveling a bit early for that ?
France has fantastic beaches.
You'll need to think about securing travel seating for the kiddies and sleeping arrangements, presumably they could share a bed so a three berth should be adequate.
If you look in the resource section there is a very helpful motorhome buyers guide.
You only get 5 free posts on here so it's money well spent to become a full member.
Good luck

Hello thankyou for getting back. I didn't know that the campsites can be limited to high season. I guess I nievely thought they were open all year long ? Do some of these campsites have indoor pools also ? Thinking it might be a little cold at that time of year.

When you say travel seating ..you mean car seats ?

Any route suggestions. I don't really want to be driving longer than 3 to 4 hours in one go with the kids. I guess I don't know how far that would get us. And it would be nice to spend 3 or 4 days somewhere. On stops.

Thankyou so much !

 

[Kups]

Hi. Depending on which passports you have, you may be aware that UK passport holders are limited to 90 days in the EU in one holiday. This is a simple free calculator for this rule. https://ninety180.com/

I'm sure that there will be lots of advice from others so my only other comment is to avoid southern Europe in July with youngsters. Unless you are accustomed to the summer heat.
Sorry - one more point! Buy an integrated motorhome not a Panel Van Conversion (PVC) with a sliding door. Much more room for youngsters and adults. Plus your own toilet onboard - essential

 

[Samantha1239]

Leave the kids with the grandparents ...

Seriously it sounds wonderful. But budget and any locations you feel are a must would be helpful. What are your must see or visit.

What licences do you hold as this determines your choice of vans.

Please keep us updated sounds like a great adventure

So hubby's licence is a B one so he can drive up to 3500kg fully loaded. Our budget for buying would be about 50k. Locations that are a must we do not really have. I would love to explore France. And see as much as we can but I don't really want to be driving longer than 3 to 4 hours in one go with the kids. I guess I don't know how far that would get us. And it would be nice to spend 3 or 4 days somewhere. On stops. Thankyou so much for your time. So appreciated

 

[Folkranger]

Sounds obvious but Europe can get really hot in summer months and very young children don't take too well to heat. The van will also get too hot unless you have air-conditioning in the habitation area, not just cab air-con which only works while you are on the move.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Samantha1239]

Sounds obvious but Europe can get really hot in summer months and very young children don't take too well to heat. The van will also get too hot unless you have air-conditioning in the habitation area, not just cab air-con which only works while you are on the move.

Hello

That is very helpful and not obvious at all. The kids are okay with heat. Any route sessions ? Any route suggestions. I don't really want to be driving longer than 3 to 4 hours in one go with the kids. I guess I don't know how far that would get us. And it would be nice to spend 3 or 4 days somewhere. On stops. I don't really have any must sees. Thankyou for your time

 

[Purrfecttune]

As a couple we did our first Europe visit this year, April, May, June, and considered it quite daunting before we left.

A week in and we discovered how easy it was to find sites, services, eating places etc. On a scale of 1-10 where Spain is 10, we would rate England as a 3, Scotland a 7 and France 8. Like a lot of other Motorhomers we will now spend most of our time in Europe with mostly only weekends in England and possibly a bit more in Scotland.

On our travels we stayed on a few official campsites, all geared for what we wanted as a couple, however, a standout site that we loved was also fantastic for families with children of all ages with absolutely looooaaads of facilities and right next to a massive beach. It was one of the smaller sites and very popular so would need pre-booking for specific dates. I reviewed it on here and one of the best things was that despite having so many families it was always quiet and peaceful at night

The site was near Girona and is Camping La Gaviota Sant Pere Pescadore:

Camping La Gaviota

El camping La Gaviota de Sant Pere Pescador está ubicado en primera línea de la playa más espectacular del golfo de Roses, en la Costa Brava.

lagaviota.com

A five minute cycle ride from an interesting, very small town to explore, along with great bars and restaurants of all types (the pizzeria was always busy with families)

Hope this is helpful

 

[MichaelT]

So hubby's licence is a B one so he can drive up to 3500kg fully loaded. Our budget for buying would be about 50k. Locations that are a must we do not really have. I would love to explore France. And see as much as we can but I don't really want to be driving longer than 3 to 4 hours in one go with the kids. I guess I don't know how far that would get us. And it would be nice to spend 3 or 4 days somewhere. On stops. Thankyou so much for your time. So appreciated

3 to 4 hours is 150 to 200 miles same as here but you got 3 months so why worry?

 

[Kups]

Get search for sites, park for night and ACSI discount card, they are all invaluable for planning

These are the websites/apps to have a look at

Search for sites
Park 4 night
ACSI

Plus these overnight stops (Aires) - not a proper campsite but low cost with electricity and services.

Camping Car Park (mainly France)
Aire Park Reservation
Campercontact

Lots to read and think about.

You could easily spend 3 months in France alone!
Also there's none of the deposit up front nonsense that plagues UK campsites. Pay when you leave is the usual rule (not high season of course).

 

[Samantha1239]

Hi Samantha

Welcome to the Fun forum, well exciting times venturing into the unknown.

Hire or buy? most likely cheaper to buy and then sell again if you don't plan on carrying on with smaller trips in the UK school holidays and weekends etc.

RV configuration? when you say RV most of us will be thinking American motorhome which are usually quite big and heavy so that begs the question, what can you drive as far as your licence is concerned? withy two young daughters I guess you are not old enough to qualify for C1 over 3500kg unless you have taken an extra test.

Hello

Thankyou for getting back. Yes my hubby has a B license so up to 3500kg.

I think mean motorhome. Oh dear ! Very new to this. There are so many options. It's very confusing. The kids go down around 7 ish and will probably need separate beds otherwise they will mess around. Hope that helps.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[meanders]

Our first trip abroad with just one seven year old we basically did Normandy and Disney in five weeks. It's very easy to underestimate distances and if you are not careful you will driving for hours on end.

We only stayed on one site that had a pool but it was 15 years or more ago. Most of the time we stayed on Aires du camping car (Not the motorway Aires. I don't remember the name but it was inland towards the western end of Normandy.

If you go to Disney, you can park and sleep but not 'camp' in the specified car park. It's not cheap though. We bought the better annual season the first time we went which gives the parking free. If you buy it there, they refund the parking paid. We then returned for half term (Halloween), Christmas, New Year and Easter to get the best value. Were are 2.5 hours to the tunnel, then it's about 4 to Disney if you pay the tills. Well worth it with children though. Just don't tell them til you get there.n

 

[Spriddler]

we wanted to hire or buy an RV

Welcome!
When my son and DIL were planning a 3 month Europe trip in 2019 (Denmark to Italy and back through France) they bought a m/home. They covered around 6,000 miles and sold it upon return for £1500 more than they paid for it. They subsequently bought another with the experience from the first one that it had things like layout that didn't suit them.

4. Any other points to consider for a complete beginner ?

You could find yourself overloaded with things you need to know or consider so whether renting or buying the guide below will be a good start.
I'll add just two thing to consider.
1. Calor gas cylinders are not exchangeable in Europe so you'll need refillable cylinders that can be filled yourself at garages with LPG pumps (loads of them in Europe). 'Gasit', 'Autogas' and 'Gaslow' are three suppliers of refillable systems.
2. You must ensure the the m/h has sufficient payload allowance for all the stuff you will need to take.

The Motorhome Buyer's Guide

Download our Free Motorhome Buyer's Guide packed with essential tips, checklists, and expert advice. Distilled wisdom from 60,000 members

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Purrfecttune]

On our way to Spain, one of our stops in France was at one of the many campsites close to Arés, Gironde, on the bay of Arcachon, West of Bordeaux. We had intended to stay for only 2 nights but the area is so nice, with so much to see and do, that we extended to four nights!

Definitely a great area for families.

 

[ChrisL]

Personally I think it would be better for you to hire, the reason is quite often when you buy you may find faults that need fixing, you really don't want to be spending time on your holiday finding garages and having to translate etc. Better to hire and if you do have any issues the hire company will have to deal with them, plus it's a large capital outlay for a few months use, if you enjoy your holiday you will return with some experience and an idea of what suits you best if you wish to continue motorhoming. France is an excellent place for motorhomes with plenty of places to stay but proper campsites may only be open in the summer but there are alternatives called aires which are best for overnight stops to break up a journey some are free, but don't stop on motorway ones as they may not be secure the village ones are usually better and you can thank the locals by buying food etc. From the local shops. Download an app called search for sites where you can see various sites read the reviews and navigate to whichever one you choose. In terms of places to visit there is a theme park called Puy Du Fou which is a must see and I promise the children will love, there are various shows, they have an app which can translate the commentary, the shows loosely reflect the history of the area you can check it out on YouTube. Finally I hope you have a great holiday and your children enjoy it. As a free member you only get five posts, the subscriptions are only £20 and you'll be able to ask us as many questions as you like.

 

[Brains]

If you are going to hire a van, then hire in Germany.
It's considerably cheaper than the UK and you get a better quality of van.

We hired a couple of times from https://www.drm.de/en/

We drove the car (Harwich/Hook of Holland) to Dusseldorf.
Moved all the kit, bedding, crockery, deckchairs, etc from car to van, and set off leaving the car at the van hire place.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Rapido925M]

A couple of years ago my oldest son-in-law was given a terminal diagnosis for a brain tumour. I devised a European tour for my daughter, him and their 10y old child. The idea was to give them bucket-list sights which could be fondly remembered and possibly re-visited at a later date. I offered to lend them the money to purchase a VW-type camper as that would be easy to drive, park etc and provide sufficient accommodation: most living would be outdoors (bbqs etc) and campsites would provide sufficient toilet/shower facilities. Sadly, the trip never occurred.

So the BASIC route was:
Calais
Paris
St Malo (Mont St Michel)
Santiago de Compostela (they might do the Camino after daddy died)
Cadiz
Rome
Venice
Vienna
Berlin
Hook of Holland.

There are plenty of great places to visit en route or with a diversion of a few miles: the basic tour is approximately 5200 miles. (Using my route planner I needed to enter Trieste after Venice or it sent me on a long ferry journey )

HTH - Gordon

 

[meanders]

n terms of places to visit there is a theme park called Puy Du Fou which is a must see and I promise the children will love, there are various shows, they have an app which can translate the commentary, the shows loosely reflect the history of the area you can check it out on YouTube.

I love Puy du Fou but with the ages of the children, I felt they would struggle and wouldn't get much of it. Our lad was 7 first time we went and he struggled with the translations while enjoying the visual effects. These children are only 3 & 4. It would be interesting to get other perspectives on this.

 

[Samantha1239]

A couple of years ago my oldest son-in-law was given a terminal diagnosis for a brain tumour. I devised a European tour for my daughter, him and their 10y old child. The idea was to give them bucket-list sights which could be fondly remembered and possibly re-visited at a later date. I offered to lend them the money to purchase a VW-type camper as that would be easy to drive, park etc and provide sufficient accommodation: most living would be outdoors (bbqs etc) and campsites would provide sufficient toilet/shower facilities. Sadly, the trip never occurred.

So the BASIC route was:
Calais
Paris
St Malo (Mont St Michel)
Santiago de Compostela (they might do the Camino after daddy died)
Cadiz
Rome
Venice
Vienna
Berlin
Hook of Holland.

There are plenty of great places to visit en route or with a diversion of a few miles: the basic tour is approximately 5200 miles. (Using my route planner I needed to enter Trieste after Venice or it sent me on a long ferry journey )

HTH - Gordon

I am so sorry to hear this. Thankyou so much

 

[frwjd]

Another option and probably cheaper would be driving your car between Eurocamp sites which are quite reasonably priced out of season.

 

[Samantha1239]

We did 3 months around Europe this year, mid April, May, June & Mid July - we went from snow in April to scorching weather end June into July!

Get search for sites, park for night and ACSI discount card, they are all invaluable for planning

Amazing. Where did you do ?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Folkranger]

Hello

That is very helpful and not obvious at all. The kids are okay with heat. Any route sessions ? Any route suggestions. I don't really want to be driving longer than 3 to 4 hours in one go with the kids. I guess I don't know how far that would get us. And it would be nice to spend 3 or 4 days somewhere. On stops. I don't really have any must sees. Thankyou for your time

This is what we do. We don't have a plan or itinerary, we may have an idea of a direction. EG, towards Spain, towards italy, over the top of Germany or down the Rhine. This give us loads of freedom so that we don't feel any pressure to get to someplace or other by a particular time. Don't book a return ferry - same reason.

We drive about 4 to 6 hours max (sometimes much less) which gets us up to 150 to 200 miles avoiding tolls. If we like an area we stop and use apps and satnav to find a camp site or overnight stop.

We've never had a problem finding a place to stop (unlike britain which is always full) We also tend to avoid coastal areas which do get busy.

When away with young grandchildren we prefer France and choose sites with swimming/paddling lakes which will also have play areas.

Our grandchildren have spent hours playing in dishes of water under parasols so we always take a few of each.

We like recreational cycling so we do a lot of Holland (Not Amsterdam) which is perfectly safe for young and older pedalists.

 

[Jenben]

Sounds like a great plan and there are loads of resources on this forum, it will be worth paying to subscribe, You do need to consider storage in whatever you hire/buy as childrens car seats are really bulky, when they aren’t travelling in them you need to think about where you would put them.

 

[Samantha1239]

These are the websites/apps to have a look at

Search for sites
Park 4 night
ACSI

Plus these overnight stops (Aires) - not a proper campsite but low cost with electricity and services.

Camping Car Park (mainly France)
Aire Park Reservation
Campercontact

Lots to read and think about.

You could easily spend 3 months in France alone!
Also there's none of the deposit up front nonsense that plagues UK campsites. Pay when you leave is the usual rule (not high season of course).

Thankyou so so much . Ill take a look at these. And sure I'll have a lot more questions

 

[Richard n Ann]

You don't have to plan too much, or even if you do, you can always change plans in a motorhome.
There are thousands of free Aires in France where you just arrive and park up for the night, you will see them as you drive through the villages

Edit "Aire De Camping Car' is the Sunday name

 

[ChrisL]

I love Puy du Fou but with the ages of the children, I felt they would struggle and wouldn't get much of it. Our lad was 7 first time we went and he struggled with the translations while enjoying the visual effects. These children are only 3 & 4. It would be interesting to get other perspectives on this.

I think every child is different, I'm the eldest of seven but we as a family travelled (all nine of us) all over the world on various holidays, my youngest siblings who were of similar ages to the OP loved every minute of it and were totally engrossed in everything we did, us older kids explained everything that was happening and a lot of it they still remember now in their 50's.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}