Magical Half-Term Adventures at Efteling and Beyond

I had been seeing posts on Efteling for a while and every time we visit Holland we mean to go but just never got round to it. But browsing Black Friday deals last November whilst nursing my Orlando blues (it’s a real thing) I found a deal that suited our budget so I decided to just book it.

It cost £600 for 2 days' accommodation and 3 days' park entrance for 4 people, and with only a low deposit allowing me to pay in stages before the trip, I didn’t think that was too bad!

I booked it for the start of half-term week and then decided to make the most of the full week by booking the nearest Eurocamp to the theme park, which was Marvilla Parks Kaatsheuvel.

We always travel by car because it provides us with much more freedom and no baggage restrictions!

I've noticed that Eurotunnel prices have increased significantly, but my partner refuses to take the boat, so it's our only option 🫣

We headed down to Folkestone early on the Saturday morning for our 9.05 train, it meant we had to wake the kids up at 5am but with all their snacks and tech they were fine!

Arriving at the terminal it was the busiest I’ve ever seen it, but expected in half term.

The train ticket cost us £340, which is quite expensive. However, if you compare it to flying, my son flew to Amsterdam to join us there, and the one-way fare for one person was £80. So, driving is definitely more economical.

Naturally, with all the planning, packing, and tasks I have to handle, my partner's primary responsibility is to ensure we have everything needed for the trip, including the driving abroad kit. Can you believe we couldn't find our GB stickers anywhere and had to purchase them at the port at the last minute? 😅

After passing through security, you quickly board the train. We always take this opportunity to get out and stretch our legs.

Brugge

We chose to stop in Brugge to split up the drive and have lunch. The journey from Calais takes an hour and a half. We always park at the Centrum-t Zand car park. Avoid our mistake this time of missing the turn; we ended up driving through the crowded market and along all the cobbled streets, which was quite embarrassing 🤣

Brugge is a stunning city where you can enjoy several hours wandering around and discovering the architecture. Don't forget to visit the chocolate shops... they're amazing!

Traveling from Brugge to Efteling takes an additional 2 hours, and it's best to steer clear of Antwerp due to consistently heavy traffic.

Efteling Theme Park

Before we departed, I downloaded the Efteling app, which provides a digital key for your lodging and allows you to register your license plate for the barriers. We stayed in Loonsche Land in a charming 2-bedroom lodge that accommodates up to 6 people. The parking area is a short walk from the accommodation, followed by another 10 to 15 minutes to reach the park. Staying on-site grants you access half an hour before day visitors. The app is excellent for checking ride times, among other things.

We dined at our accommodation both nights, but purchased snacks and sweets for the kids during the day, and I found the prices reasonable.

The meticulous design of this park was remarkable, similar to many Dutch theme parks, offering a quirky and fun experience. There are also numerous playgrounds for those who aren't fans of rides, like my youngest. The park is expansive, requiring a lot of walking, but you can rent a wooden stroller for small children at €5 per day.

We avoided the Caro show as had heard it was a bit dark, but the fountain show at the end of the evenings were amazing!

Eurocamp Marvilla Park

Following our last day at Efteling, we traveled 9 minutes down the road to the second part of our stay. We reserved the ultimate plus lodge for 6 people for just under £300! I made the booking a few months in advance, and the prices soon increased. Some family members ended up paying nearly £400 for more basic accommodations!

The check-in process was seamless, and the park was empty since it was the start of the season. When I searched for Eurocamps to book in February, this was the only one available, so I was surprised it wasn't more crowded.

There was an onsite restaurant with a soft play area, a large outdoor park, a pool with a children's splash pad, kids' clubs, bike rental, and an onsite shop.

It was a bit out of the way so I would suggest you would need a car. Would definitely go back to this park!

Duinrell

Duinrell was an hour's drive from the Eurocamp.

We make it a point to visit a water park on every holiday, and the Tikipool is our top choice!

It cost us €29pp and this ticket gave us 4 hours in the pool then free access to the theme park!

Ages 2 and under are free! Make sure they bring a life jacket of some sort otherwise they have to stay in the kids area.

The theme park is brilliant, small but with a variety of rides for all ages.

We stayed at Duinrell years ago with the suns £9.50 deal but now prices to stay have hiked up so a day visit is definitely a cheaper alternative!

Eating out

While traveling, we don't always dine out because we prefer to save money and have picky children, but one evening we were invited to the ABC restaurant in Velp. We had been to the one in Sevenum before and loved it, so we were eager to visit again.

With 10 restaurants housed in one location, there was a wide variety of options for everyone, with the kids particularly enjoying the candy floss station and ice cream parlour! Additionally, there is a small play area indoors.

It can be expensive, and with six of us, I probably wouldn't have gone without an invitation. However, as a special treat, the place is fantastic, and if you haven't visited, it's definitely worth a try!

Next door to Duinrell is a pancake café, and of course, we had to pop in here. The pancakes are big enough to share, so we only ordered two, costing under €20.

There’s plenty of McDonald’s and Burger kings around if you want a quick and easy dinner.

Along the road from Marvilla Park is a lovely restaurant called Het Wapen Van Kaatsheuvel. It’s actually on the Europarks site, which looks lovely. The food was really good with a variety of choices. And again, the restaurant has a play area (my kids love a play area).

Following an exciting week, we made our way back home. We had reservations for the 3pm train, so we paused in Ghent to split up the journey. Ghent is a wonderful city to explore; previously, we've enjoyed a river tour there, which I highly recommend. We wandered through the market and visited graffiti street before purchasing some Belgian chocolate to bring back with us.

Whenever I talk about a trip to Holland, the initial question is always, "Are you going to Amsterdam?"

Holland offers so much beyond Amsterdam, and you can only truly grasp it by experiencing it yourself.