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driving to Portugal from UK with kids in tow... anyone ever done it?

260 replies

sammyjayneex · 29/11/2015 15:18

It's all in the title really. Just wondering if anyone has ever done it. DH has been invited to a family wedding In Portugal (Lisbon) and wants us all to go. He doesn't want to fly because of all the fiasco that comes with flying for example... Luggage allowance and all the extra costs, the flight tickets cost so much for 4 children and 2 adults and trying to keep children quiet and occupied on a plane ect and also because it's just after Christmas and the wedding was announced last minute it's going to be difficult to get flights at short notice. Also he said it's an experience because kids will get to see parts of France and we will spend the day in Spain on the way back and sleep over there. He also wants to do something special as it's our daughters 5th birthday on the 29th December.

Now I'm worried about it all. He's said he's thought it through and has every bit of the trip planned. I don't want to say no because I never went on any trips and never went abroad when I was a kid and I want my kids to experience things. He said we will be getting the ferry at Dover and we will sleep over in small hotels on the way and one of them will be in France. On the way back we will stay in a hotel in Spain too. Accommodation in Portugal is being sorted out by his family.

It's a long journey but I'm prepared to do it for my kids and we will make lots of preparations and make regular stops. He doesn't mind driving and has drove to London and back on the same day ( picking his family up at airport). Has anyone ever done it and how was it?

We have had a lot of problems recently and I'm actually surprised he's suggested us all to go.

Is it a stupid thing to do?

I told my mum and she said its sounds exciting and will be fun for the kids if planned properly and their dad has said she's welcome to come along ( if she can contribute to her hotel costs ect). if she can get time off work and it's extra help for us with kids. ( he has a 7 seater car)
She likes the idea of coming too.

It's actually cheaper adding it all up than going by flight and with us sharing the cost too.

So has anyone got any tips or ideas I would be grateful.

OP posts:
mummymeister · 23/12/2015 12:17

people aren't being negative Op, just realistic. do it if you want to but with your eyes open about the type of journey it will be and the time that it will take.

monkeywrench · 01/01/2016 19:42

I wanna know what happened now, did they go? Didn't they go? how did they travel? Have they survived? Come back OP and tell us how wrong we all were :)

Bunbaker · 03/01/2016 23:28

Oh, do let us know if you managed the trip.

Pretty please.

NotSoFancyNancy · 03/01/2016 23:50

How was the trip op?

Blu · 04/01/2016 04:22

Yes, how was it?

Costacoffeeplease · 04/01/2016 06:40

This had fallen off my TIO for some reason so didn't see the update - did you do the drive op?

Savagebeauty · 04/01/2016 06:55

I've just come across this thread Shock
Nice to see op finally took MN advice re passport situation .

Lweji · 05/01/2016 10:06

Another one who is wondering.
(and had to look for the thread as it wasn't on TIO any longer. Ahem MNHQ!)

Are you still en route, OP?

IPityThePontipines · 19/01/2016 21:20

Bumping again to find out what happened.

Lweji · 19/01/2016 21:45

Well, she's around and having a 5th baby. A boy it seems.

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