Eurocamp Duinrell review: is this the best holiday park in Europe?

If you asked kids to design a dream holiday park it would probably look a lot like Duinrell. Set in a lush forest southwest of Amsterdam, it features a theme park, adventure playgrounds and a tropical water park with 21 slides to whoosh down. 

If all that seems a little overwhelming, you’ll be pleased to know that holiday homes are set away from the thrills and spills and the resort layout stays true to its woodland setting with trees, sand dunes and streams dotted between self-catering lodges and campsites. It’s as easy to seek out an adrenaline rush as it is to find a tranquil spot to kick back in. 

I visited with my kids (aged four and seven) for a long weekend and loved filling our days with fun without having to leave the park. We stayed in one of Eurocamp’s Premium holiday homes and enjoyed the freedom of being able to have breakfast in our PJs on the veranda and cook cheap pasta dishes in between dining at the on-site restaurants. 

The location is hard to fault. We rented bikes and explored the nearest beach (Wassenaarse Slag, tee hee) and the local town with its pretty houses, boutiques and windmill. It’s a 40-minute drive from Amsterdam and less than an hour from the Hook of Holland for ferry crossings so it’s really easy to get to from the UK. 

Duinrell is one of the most talked-about and recommended Eurocamp resorts on our holidays forum for good reason and it gets a big thumbs up from MNHQ.  

What's the theme park like? 

All guests get free unlimited entry to the theme park which is home to 40+ attractions. Rides range from the sedate to the scary and I was impressed with the amount of activities that my youngest (four) could join in with as sometimes theme park options can feel a little limited for small kids.

Our highlights included the scenic monorail, wavy racing slides and Kikkerachtbaan, a rollercoaster that cuts through the forest. My seven-year-old is a little braver (and taller) so was able to add the log flume and bumper boats to the list. There are plenty of whole-family options (tea cups, rowing boats, ferris wheel) alongside high-adrenaline rides and loop-the-loop roller coasters for teens to enjoy/endure. 

For all the fun of the fair, my kids could have spent the entire time at the adventure playground in the central courtyard with its huge slides and fun bouncing bubble.

There's plenty on offer but the site doesn't feel overwhelming and we didn't encounter lengthy queues when visiting over a weekend in June. Duinrell dates back to the '30s and the first attractions opened in 1965 so the site has grown dramatically since then but it doesn't feel overdeveloped or overcommercialised (save for a small shop selling merch emblazoned with Duinrell's mascot, Rick the Frog).

Rides shut down at 5 or 6pm depending on the day but the playgrounds remain open for guests to use at any time.

Does the Tikibad water park cost extra?

While the theme park's free, you'll need to pay extra to visit the Tikibad water park if you've booked via Eurocamp. You get access to discounted tickets for each day of your stay though with a two-hour indoor pass costing €11 per person instead of €22 (note that you can only enter at either 10am or 2pm).

We found two hours gave us more than enough sliding and splashing time. It's a really impressive setup with a tropical look, warm water throughout and no fewer than 21 waterslides making it the biggest water park in the Benelux region (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg).

We enjoyed the two-person tube rides, canon ball slide, lazy river and wave machine but weren't brave enough to try the freefall turbo slides (next time). My kids loved the Playa zone, specifically designed for younger kids with small slides, fun fountains and waterfalls.

There's a separate outdoor area with a heated pool and five slides that opens in the summer months. The discounted rate for Eurocamp guests is €5 per person.

-Mumsnet user, No1HolidayPlanner

What are the accommodation options?

Duinrell is an independently owned holiday park but Eurocamp manages many of the mobile homes on site and has its own separate check-in area and reception away from Duinrell's main entrance. The homes are split into different categories: Classic, Comfort, Premium, Ultimate (from basic to more luxurious), and sleep between four and eight guests in two or three bedrooms. They all come with a decked balcony but you'll pay more for covered decking and things like air conditioning, dishwashers and TVs.

Our three-bed Premium home felt spacious with bedrooms positioned either side of a living/dining area and a larger-than-average bathroom. It was much wider than mobile homes we've stayed in in the UK and felt more like a permanent structure than a static caravan. The charcoal/beige/black colour scheme gave it a modern look.

It's basic but functional, kitted out with handy home-from-home amenities including a microwave, dishwasher, kettle, toaster, pans, plates, cutlery, hair dryer, BBQ and cleaning products. We would have welcomed more than one loo roll between us on arrival though as well as a hand towel and a tea towel.

We loved the large decked balcony with its corner sofa and dining table and enjoyed eating outside a couple of times. The accommodation felt nicely spaced out with a decent amount of green space for the kids to run around in between the lodges.

Note that the higher-end 'Duingalows' and glamping lodges can only be booked directly via the Duinrell site rather than through Eurocamp.

What's the food like on site?

In a word, average. In two, average and expensive. It's not terrible, just not terribly exciting and fairly limited in the evenings. The main La Place Plaza is a good looking spot with a self-serve counter and a couple of cooking stations. We found the timing a little out of sync so all ate meals at different temperatures. We preferred the La Place restaurant in the theme park which offers a healthier selection of salads and sandwiches and has a traditional-style beamed dining hall with a large terrace overlooking the playground. There's a small takeaway snackbar for fried food and pizza in the evenings.

We liked the Duinrell pub with its comfy booths, screens and stage for entertainment and the adjacent mini bowling alley and games arcade. We also loved the novelty of eating pancakes at Pannenkoekenrestaurant, a glass-roofed cafe with a 19th-century carousel at its centre. The setting was definitely memorable even if the pancakes didn't make a lasting impression.

But the beauty of a self-catering stay at a holiday park is that you can cook up a storm in your kitchen to keep costs down and there's an on-site supermarket for essential (albeit pricey) supplies. There's also a Lidl and an Albert Heijn supermarket in the nearby town of Wassenaar, along with a few restaurants and an excellent ice cream shop.

What other amenities are available at Duinrell?

There's a sports area home to football pitches, a volleyball court and padel tennis courts, and you can follow the forest trail around the resort to make the most of its woodland setting. It's worth scrambling up to the top of the climbing dune for views of the park.

The large on-site bike hire hut offers loads of great options for cyclists of all sizes, from e-bikes to kids' bikes to go karts. We rented bikes for the day (including a bike trailer for our sleepy four-year-old) and followed the cycle trail to the nearest beach as well as for dinner in Wassenaar.

There wasn't a huge amount of entertainment on offer during our stay in June (bar a mini disco and a Rick the Frog meet-and-greet) but during the summer holidays, you'll find daily activities for kids including footy tournaments, crafting and silent discos.

What’s included in the price of a Eurocamp holiday at Duinrell?

The price includes accommodation in a holiday home, unlimited access to Duinrell theme park, use of on-site sports facilities, parking for one car per booking and access to discounted entry tickets to the Tikibad water park for each day of your stay. Duvets are provided but you'll need to pay extra for sheets, towels and beach towels which can be pre-ordered (or you can take your own if you're piling into a car). WiFi costs extra and must be booked at the main Duinrell reception for an additional €7.50 per day. It's also worth noting that you'll need passport photos so that the Eurocamp team can set you up with ID cards. You might be asked to provide them during your stay to prove that you're staying on site. We took some pics from home to save paying extra from them and to speed up the check in process.

What is there to do nearby?

It's well worth hiring bikes and exploring the coastline and nearby towns. Waasenaarse Slag beach can be reached in around 20 minutes on two wheels and the town of Waasenaar is just five minutes away by bike. Don't miss a trip to Luciano's for well-priced gourmet ice cream.

Duinrell is a 15-minute drive from the city of Leiden (birthplace of Rembrandt) and 25 minutes from The Hague with its regal buildings and less than 30 minutes from Delft, home to a stunning medieval centre.

How to get to Duinrell from the UK

Duinrell is one of the easiest Eurocamp sites to get to from the UK. It's less than an hour's drive from the Hook of Holland if you're getting a ferry from Harwich or Newcastle, or around a four-hour drive from Calais. It's almost equidistant between Amsterdam and Rotterdam airports, although flights to Amsterdam are often easier and cheaper to come by.

I'd advise against getting a licenced cab from Schiphol Airport like we did as the half-hour journey set us back €150. Pre-booked transfers are available for around €100 or you can get a train to Leiden and transfer to the 43 bus and get off at Waasenaar.

About the author 

Rachel Erdos is an Editor at Mumsnet where she commissions, edits and writes content with a focus on family travel.

She has written hotel reviews, features and destination guides for top publications including the Guardian, Four Seasons Magazine, Travelzoo, Visit Britain and Visit London. She loves nothing more than researching and writing about fun things for families to do in destinations near and far, as well as trawling the Mumsnet holiday forum for inspiration for her next trip away with her husband and two kids.