Efteling / Duinrell camping

[Luaa]

I'm thinking well in advance, bit I'd like to take my family camping at Efteling and/or Duinrell next summer. I've read posts on here saying it's good and suggesting end of August might be the best time to go?

My question is, if you've been, do you drive straight there or stop on the way? I'd be interested in going for 2 weeks and maybe doing a week there and a week somewhere else, maybe France, but I'm not sure and am open to suggestions.

We went at end of August 2017. The beginning of our stay was busy but the park had really cleared out with mainly Brits around by the last few days. It meant we could enjoy the Tiki pool which was insanely busy for the first few days of our stay.

We took our own tent and stayed for a week. Had a few days in an apartment just over the border in Belgium to go to De Lisle Bergen, a campsite and country park type place, for the day (we had camped for a week previously and the kids loved it) and a day out in Brussels by train.

Duinrell was great value and not too busy. We hired bikes and went to the beach close by. Quite an uphill cycle as Duinrell is below sea level. We went to Delft, Leiden and Kinderdijk (a complex of 18th century windmills and world heritage site). Also enjoyed an awesome day at Efteling which was quiet in a week day in the last week of August. Amazing place and must see if you are in the Netherlands with children.

We loved the holiday and are planning to return next year.

We drove to harwich and did the overnight ferry with stena left uk evening and arrived hook of Holland morning and then two hours max from ferry to Duinrell. We ve been twice now.

We left from North Tyneside and we were at dunriell within 45 minutes. We thought it some what like a Dutch haven holiday park / flamingo land type place.
We went to De Paal and it was amazing- no theme park but all in the woods and great swimming pools, small zoo on site and possibly the worlds largest sandpit www.depaal.nl/en apparently it’s the best campsite in Netherlands for under 12s. Didn’t get to Efteling but friends have said it was amazing.
We had an amazing day at giethorn village which I would recommend.

Hi @coffeetablejunk when you say you were there in 45 mins what do you mean? Did you get a ferry? I would love to camp in Europe but living in Scotland the thought of driving to Dover has always put me off. But if there was another route from a nearer port I could think about doing it.

We have been to Duinrell 3 times with Canvas Holidays and stay in a mobile home. It's a great theme park with little to no queues - we tend to go on the rides first thing or late afternoon and spend the main part of the day doing other stuff.
There is lots to do - Wassenaar is a really nice little town. Great ice cream shop, nice supermarket, pizza restaurant. The beach is only couple of km away & you can hire bikes. We tend to drive though.
Amsterdam & Leiden are nearby.
The water park is great. I think if you book a Duingalow you get free entry to the Tikibad.
There is stuff on site like a decent park they can use out of hours, a small bar/bowling alley & they can hire go karts on site too.

We tend to do Dover-Dunkerque and it is a short crossing but the drive the other end is 3 hrs. I think flying to Amsterdam would be super easy if you hired a car the other end.

I would love to camp in Europe but living in Scotland the thought of driving to Dover has always put me off

Ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam. Dead easy.

Following as we are going in May half term. We're flying and staying in a lodge. I'm going with a 17 and 14 yo. Both love water parks and the younger one loves rollercoasters.

Any tips on day trips to Amsterdam would be good. Or any other local sites for older teens? We don't plan to hire a car but could for a day or two if it's easier.