Why We Visit the Netherlands
I am Dutch, born in the Netherlands and lived there until I was 26, so needless to say that I like to go back to visit my parents, family and friends. Now I have two kids I find this even more important, hence they have both been there multiple times during their first year and beyond.
We’ve travelled via car, train and plane. Below is my experience making the trip across the sea to the Netherlands (or anywhere else in Europe) three different ways.
Travel Options with a Baby
Car trip – luggage allowance is best
We first took the trip by car when my first son was 2.5 months old. We drove to the Netherlands to spend three weeks there over the Christmas period and needless to say we needed to take a lot of stuff!! Flying would have not been doable for us, hence we chose to go by car. This time round we booked the ferry to get us from Dover (UK) to Calais (France). The drive from London to Dover took 2.5h. The boat will then take approx. 1.5h and after that it’s another 4h drive to my parents in the Netherlands. On this first trip he was still so little that he slept about 90% of the time. We stopped both during the drive to the boat and during the drive to my parents to let him our of his car seat for a bit, feed and change of scenery.
We’ve done this trip multiple times, but lately, especially since our second son was born, we prefer to take LeShuttle instead of the ferry. It sets of from Folkstone and then brings you to Calais in 30m. I always book the tickets via Direct Ferries, as it compares all the prices and provides various time options.
By train – easy when baby is little
When my first son was five months old, and not mobile yet, we went together to the Netherlands by train. What I like about travelling by train is there are no real restrictions on what luggage you can bring (the amount). You do not have to pay extra for a large suitcase and you can bring your normal buggy -without it being taken away. The buggy was important to me as my first son refused to be in a sling so whilst managing a large suitcase and two backpacks I really needed him to be in his buggy.
As he was below 3 years old, he travels free (another plus!) and sat on my lap. I got lucky on the way to the Netherlands as there was no one sitting next to me, so he had his own chair to nap on. The baby changing facilities are also very good on the train. Not sure if he was nervous for the trip but he did about 5 poos on the train, so I spend a lot of time in that toilet…
At this point he was still solely breast/ bottle fed. I had taken boiled water from home to make bottles, just in case. The trip went super quick (the train takes 3h52m) and he was a dream on it. Might’ve also been because he was not mobile at this stage in life and just content sitting on my lap whilst people watching.
When we arrived in Amsterdam we went to visit my friend for the day, and afterwards we had another 2.5h train ride on the ‘normal’ Dutch train down south to my parents. He was perfectly happy on the train again and it didn’t require any preparation. You do not book specific seats on Dutch trains, you just buy a ticket and get on, or you can use an ov-chipkaart (a bit like the Oyster card we have in the UK). The only thing that can be annoying is the fact that most trains in the Netherlands are double deckers and it’s difficult to take the buggy (impossible unless folded), luggage and baby up or downstairs. I therefore sat in the ‘in-between’ parts near the toilets. A bit louder and the chairs are not as comfortable, but enough space for buggy and luggage!
On the way back we weren’t as lucky. My original train (and many others) had been cancelled due to strikes in France, so the train back was really full. We sat next to someone and I must admit it was a little more challenging (also because we had a 1.5h delay in Brussels where we were just standing still). The rocking train made my baby tired and content, standing still made him restless. When we did get to London we got amazing help from people on the train when I was gathering all my stuff and setting up the buggy.
I would definitely recommend travelling by train, especially at the age he was at when we were going (5 months, not crawling or walking yet) but I also know that I wouldn’t do it alone again at the age he is now, as he is just too restless for me to entertain him on my own for 3h50m. So if you have a super chilled baby that likes to sit still (do they exist??), it is perfect! Or if your partner travels with you, to share the entertaining. Or when you have a toddler that is content watching Bluey on the train!
By Plane – the quickest way
Whenever I visit the Netherlands alone with the kids I always fly. Mainly because I would never to that drive (with or without kids) on my own. Also, my parents live another 2.5h train drive from where the Eurostar goes to and when I fly it’s only a 30m car drive to get home.
The flight is only 45m, so super quick. You don’t need any real magic to keep them entertained, snacks mostly do it!
I fly to Eindhoven in the Netherlands, so I have to get myself to Stansted to take a Ryanair flight. As only Ryanair flies there it is slightly annoying with luggage as they are really unhelpful with adding luggage. You think you found cheap flights but after adding even a small suitcase it’s all of a sudden not so cheap anymore.
I also find that flying is good when they get older as my son is now crazy about planes, so going on one is already exciting for him.
When flying with Ryanair you have to sit at the window when you have a baby on your lap. Another FYI, with Ryanair you also always pay £25 per flight for your baby to sit on your lap, so sometimes your babies ‘ticket’ might be more expensive than yours.
With a young child you are always allowed to take two baby items, so I always take our travel buggy (we have the Silver Cross Clic). The first time I made a mistake by handing it to the people to put in the plane. They told me that I would get it back as soon as I exited the plane, but upon exiting the plane in Eindhoven it turns out I did not get my buggy back until after passport control (Eindhoven Airport rules apparently). This meant I had to walk with a suitcase, two backpacks and a baby on my arm to passport control and wait in line before I could get the buggy. Needless to say that on my second trip I did not hand my buggy in, and just had it in the overhead locker.
Summary: Best Travel Option for our Family
I have noticed that a lot of people are very helpful when you travel solo with a baby. When flying I’ve always had people helping me on and off the plane and offer to carry any luggage I could not manage. When travelling by train I had people offering to hold my baby when I gathered all my luggage as well as set up the buggy. All these offers of help are so kind and really mean a lot, especially when you are travelling alone with small children.
I like all three travel options for difference reasons. When I travel solo, flying is definitely my favourite option. It’s quick and also easy to get to my destination afterwards. The train is also a really relaxed option, but in my option – if travelling solo – I would only do it if my child was still a baby (not on the move) or old enough to entertain themselves.
The car is my preferred option when my partner comes along. We can take all the luggage we want and the whole trip is always quite a nice experience with food stops on the way and singing in the car.
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