Anyone been to Eurocamp in Holland (Duinrell site)???

[3725Hayley]

We off there soon, and wondered if anyone had any tips / hints of things to do etc...

[nikkid21]

We went at Easter It's fantastic - very clean and the rides are fab for the kids - Ds6 and dd4

Can reccomend the bike hire although they don't supply helmets so take your own.

The beach at den haag or Scheveningen is fantastic - sandy, very clean and with restaurants all along the sea front.

Don't know how old your kids are but if under 1.2m they have to wear armbands in the swimming pool whether they can swim or not. Also if under that height there are only a couple of water slides that they can go on.

Take some cheap fleecy blankets for the kids to slide down on the bumpyslide. If you use the sack they supply they get stuck halfway down. DO NOT let them sit on their coats as ours melted holes in theirs

The shop on site is pretty expensive - better off to go to the c1000 supermarket in Wassenar. It walking distance but you may want to take your own carrier bags / bags for life as they charge.

Didn't eat on site as it seemed overpriced and manky. The pancake house at the entrance is ok but nothing special. Also there is no separate smoking section inside so you come out stinking! Tbh we cooked in the caravan most nights.

Leiden (town nearby) is like a mini Amsterdam without the sleazy side. Lovely walk around the town with the canals and a huge market on Saturday. Well within cycling distance if you hire bikes.

Everyone over 4 needs to take a passport photo for the card that lets you into the pool and site. There is a machine on site but it was 4 euro per person

Can't think of anything else right now but I'll check back on the thread in case you have any specific questions

Nikki

[3725Hayley]

Thank you Nikki, that is soooo helpful

DS7 and DS4 can't wait to go, and love swimming, so will take armbands for the youngest.

Will definatley get the pictures before we leave.

Brilliant tips, Many Thanks

[Crunchie]

I am off on Sunday!! So any more tips welcome

[3725Hayley]

Might see you there Crunchie!!!

Are you staying in the tents???

[Blandmum]

agree with Nikki 100%. We have been 4 or 5 times, and this is the first easter we have not been for quite some time.

our kids love it.

You can take your own bikes, or hire them (or go karts!) on the site.

Great place to go nearby is Madurodamm (a minitaure netherlands which is fantastic and even had a miniature airport and Duinrell!)

[Crunchie]

a dungalow!!

[fatzak]

Oh let us know what the Dungalow was like! We went at Easter too and will def go back either at October half term or next Easter. You should be fine now, but at Easter it was freeeeezing. We had to ask for an electric plug in heater as you could see your breath inside the mobile home

Tip for the photo you need - you are all allowed to be on the same picture, so squash all of you into a booth

Oh, remember to tell your breakdown company you are going abroad so if you break down they don't charge you £850 to get you home Could have jetted off somewhere hot for that

[3725Hayley]

I will be slumming it in the tents - but have a great time.

Thanks for the photo tip - will remember that.

[Crunchie]

OK we are back!!!!

Had a good time, liked some stuff, hated other bits. IMHO for our family the site was just too big, with too many noisy familes and groups of kids. It is not relaxing having gangs of 6 - 12 year olds running about noisily until midnight, and the parents getting loud and noisy as weel until nearly 1am!!

Good bits :

Dugalows were lovely with all mid cons, less 'flimey' feeling than a mobile and comfortable, good shower. TV if you wanted it, could pay for UK channels inc CBEEBIES!

Campsite shop may have been expensive, but we never found anywhere else, still cheaper than eating out.

Had one meal from teh takeaway - chicken and chips was HUGE couldn't eat half of it and dh and kids siad teh chicken was OK

Park rides were fun, not too many queues, again full of VERY noise dutch schoolkids that screamed ALL the time!!

Pool was fab, changing rooms were tiny, no more than one adult and one kid in each. Good slides, again queues at busy times. First day we did the late afternoon eve nd it was brill, then did 10am, got very busy by 11.30. BEWARE any child under 120cm will be MADE to wear armbands no matter what, even if they cn swim. Therefore I would not take a child who can swim under this height they will hate it.

Madurodam the mini villiage was brilliant, dd2 (aged 7) thought it was the best place in the world EVER!! We cycled there (about 8 miles) along a fab cyclepath - no road. It was lovely, the best day IMHO.

Got a train the amstedam, but wish we had driven and done the park and ride, However Amstedam was great

All in all would go back to Holland but not there as it was just TOO big and we have decided we are quite posssibly snobs

[fatzak]

That's a shame about the noise Crunchie. When we went at Easter it was so quiet - I don't think we ever heard a voice in the evening, but then again it was literally freezing!

[Blandmum]

LOL at 'possib;y snobs'

Sorry that it was noisy.

We go at Easter, and have never had a problem....and I'm one for a quiet night me!

Mauduraodam is fun isn't it? Did you have a mini mars bar and tiny clogs from the 'factory'?

[JaneHH]

(JaneHH calling from Holland here - sorry, never been to Eurocamp before BUT the whole smoking in restaurants thing will be a thing of the past as of 1 July here - thank God! So -not that this was ever going to be the deciding factor- don't let that put you off! Cycling in Holland is indeed ideal, though helmets are not something they go in for... The Dutch are EXPERTS at camping so I can imagine that their campsites will be good Have a great holiday!)

[Crunchie]

MB give me a nice french campsite anytime!! The wine is better

Seriously we thought by having one of the dungalows we would be better off as they would have more space etc, BUT even though the weather wasn't great there were just loads of kids everywhere playing football and noisy games until after midnight. It would only have been quiet if it was really awful weather!!

I was tslking to a client today and we both agreed I was a snob, until he started going on about his Mark Warner holidays!! Then I took the piss out of him

[Tortington]

am off there in august.

am deffo not a snob - i hope i will love it

[Blandmum]

To tip to get round the 'The wine is better in France'.

You stock up in Cite Europe when you first cross the channel and get to France!

I love the smaller French campsites, but we have had at least 4 holidays in Duinrell, and they have been some of the best we have ever had.

Our kids stall talk about it, and ask when we will go back.

Its a shame you found it noisy, we have never had this problem on any of our visits, and I'm quite picky about noise late at night

My mate went in Aug last year custy, and they enjoyed it so much they went back this easter....hope you have fun!

[snorkle]

MB an enhancement to your idea on wine..., Buy enough in Calais to last for your holiday (one bottle per day?) and keep the receipt. Then as you drink it note on the reciept which ones you like. On the way home you can then buy wine to take home that you know you really like. Db writes on the label what each bottle costs (when he buys them) and then photographs the labels of the ones he likes with his phone as he drinks them to help buy the right ones on the way back.

[Leslaki]

the restarants in Duinrell town are fantastic - there was one alld @oranje' or something like that and one next door called broeders IIRC but the food was excellent and they really looked after the kids. Only a 5 min drive or 10 min walk into town and well worth it. We ate once in the campsite restauarant and NEVER again! We loved Duinrell and would go back anytime! We went with Eurocamp in Oct and it was a bit chilly in teh evening so it was nice and quiet!

[Crunchie]

I am not saying we didn't like it at all, it was just the northeners

Also we went harwich - hook as we live 30 mins from harwich. I have also told a colleague to go as there are bits that were great.

BUT I like campsite with less to do IYKWIM It was perfect for a 1/2 term break, no so good for a full holiday IMHO

It's like Eurodisney, we liked bits, but hated others, doubt we wold go again, but happy we went once

[unknownrebelbang]

We went last Easter too and thoroughly enjoyed the place - although we went specifically because of the theme park bit for the boys.

Weather was fantastic and we had no problem with noise either. Did say to DH it would be too chaotic (for us) later in the year.

We were in Holland this Easter (different site) and it snowed, lol.