[CamperVantastic]

I was woken up early one morning by my youngest son demanding his milk. Nothing unusual there, as this is what normally happens at around 6am. However, this morning was a little different. I had to first rouse myself from my cosy warm sleeping bag. I then had to pull on my fleece top & venture out into the morning mist to turn on the gas at the back of the campervan, in order to make the hot drinks. Slowly I wriggled out of my snug cocoon (not looking much like a butterfly, I hasten to add) and quickly rushed out, hoping that no other campers were likely to see me in my semi-awake state. Then, with the kids milk and our coffee fix sorted, I opened up the awning, allowing sunlight to stream in & settled down in a comfy canvas chair to enjoy the moment. As I looked across the campsite, where other campers were slowly emerging from their tents, to the stunning Swiss mountains rising up against the blue sky, their glistening white tops still shrouded in cloud, a few meters away, I felt that nowhere else could I have such a blisful start to the day.

We’d found a lovely secluded spot on a campsite, near Trun, backing onto a forest of huge pine trees. The boys had ample space to play around outside while I prepared breakfast for us all. They were still a little young to be allowed to go to the beautifully crafted wooden childrens’ play area (which consisted of a tree ‘den’, an Indian tee-pee & a huge pirate ship, not to mention swings, a see -saw & sand pit for the toddlers) alone, but from where we were I could easily supervise their play & allow them freedom to roam a little.

The Swiss villages of Laax-Flims are well known as excellent ski resorts, but in summer there’s a gentler side to life there. Cows with tinkling bells around their necks graze in the summer pastures, farmers gather in the hay in readiness for the long winter ahead, some still using traditional methods. It really is as beautiful as it looks on the front of those chocolate boxes! Switzerland is definitely best seen by car/campervan, when travelling with kids. They love the mountain scenery, but be prepared for the hairpin bends. These test even the most skilled drivers and equally the nerve of the passengers (who get to see the sheer drops below).

Our decision to camp for our entire summer trip seemed a crazy prospect with two small boys in tow but, it turned out to be the perfect solution to our dilemma of having to visit two European destinations in one trip. It meant that we did not have to spend the entire time coaxing a toddler and a pre-schooler to behave themselves in a hotel / guesthouse. When we weighed up the cost of car hire/flights and accommodation, hiring a campervan for the whole trip compared pretty favourably and more importantly gave us all freedom we needed.

After a bit of online research, I found Campervantastic’s website & thought, “this is the company to go with”. I emailed my enquiry and very shortly afterwards had a phone call with Kate. From that conversation, I felt very happy that we had made the right choice and more importantly that we had made the right decision to do this trip in a modern, VW T4 California campervan! Both Steve and Kate were extremely helpful during the planning process and assisted us in deciding what we needed to bring over & what we could hire along with the van.

I was still a teeny bit nervous, as we landed at Heathrow though. I couldn’t help thinking, “oh my, what if it all goes pear-shaped?” Then as I spotted a tall, ‘out-doorsy type’ of guy, grinning as he was heading towards us, I knew we’d made a good decision. Steve immediately put us all at ease and gave us a thorough introduction to the campervan (kindly parked in the airport car-park for us) and showed us how everything worked. The boys were immediately impressed and fascinated. As they were strapped into their car seats (included in the hire fee, so we didn’t have to lug them on the plane with us) they, as well as I, knew we were in for a great adventure.

We spent the first couple of nights in London visiting friends, which was useful to allow us time to stock up on food and figure out where best to put our bits and pieces to make the van feel like ‘home’. We’d booked our ferry crossing from Dover to Dunkerque but, true to form, we were late and missed our slot. The good thing, is that you can easily get on the next ferry and usually at no extra cost. This we duly did! It meant arriving in France later than planned, so we opted not to drive far on our first day. After about an hour of driving, we headed for the first reasonable campsite in roughly the direction we needed to go, so that we could practise putting up the awning in daylight!

It’s fair to say, as Steve warned us, that it takes a good 3-4 days to get into the swing of things and figure out how everything works. There were a fair few ‘heated discussions’ during those first few days and a few comments of “whose stupid idea was this anyway?”, “we must be MAD” or “that’s it, we’re turning around and going home right now”. This was particularly true of the night we arrived in the Hautes-Voges, near Gerdamer (France) when it was pouring with rain and the van’s temperature gauge read 11 degrees! We wore almost every item of clothing we’d brought with and still felt cold. Meanwhile we spotted other campers out in their flip-flops, shorts & ‘T’ shirts seemingly oblivious to the weather.

Luckily the weather improved, however, and with it our mood. The boys were utterly happy being outdoors all the time. Swiss campsites vary considerably in size & style. They also have a reputation for ‘packing campers in’, particularly in summer. However we were very fortunate and the sites we chose never felt crowded. We never felt the need to ‘pre-book’, preferring to either ask at the nearest tourist information office or look at our guidebook to see which sounded nice. We would always choose one or two in an area and then drive around to see which we liked. If yes, we stayed (providing there was place) & if not, we drove on to the next one. Having a campervan makes this very easy to do. You are able to stop pretty much anywhere & make meals as & when they’re required. Being no bigger than some of the 4x4’s we have over here, a VW ‘van can easily be parked in a regular town/city car park. Stopping off at a supermarket, or for a quick sightseeing visit is easy. Going to a cafe or restaurant for supper was similarly not a problem. So, with kids fed & watered, we were easily able to time arriving at a campsite with two ‘sleeping beauties’ in their car seats. We then were free to familiarise ourselves with the site & put up the awning etc before they woke up.

We were never disappointed, with the campsites we chose, although each was very different. Some were very well organised /regulated, others had a more laid back with a ‘hippy’ feel to them. Some catered particularly well for small children. One, near Lugano, had step stools and potty’s in the wash rooms, a sand pit, wooden fort and tree swings as well as a wonderful small restaurant for mums and dads to sample home-cooked organic food whist the kids played nearby in a safe toddler friendly play area. Another had a whole wash/shower area dedicated to the smaller kids, with colourful decor and basins that they could reach themselves.
Our top tip is to travel light & buy what you need when you need it there, as much as possible. Bear in mind, though, Switzerland is expensive, so whenever you’re near a border, nip over & stock up with food supplies & fuel there. We did this throughout our trip, in France, Italy & Germany. Having said that, our VW ‘van was very economical to drive.



The van’s are surprisingly well kitted out inside. There’s even a wardrobe with hanging space, but it is a good idea to bring minimal items with you, because you (or the kids) will always accumulate stuff as you travel! We kept packing to a minimum & allowed the kids one soft toy each to accompany them on the trip (of course they chose the largest of their collection) and one other toy. I saved up all of the toys from kids meals & gathered few other long forgotten toys from the bottom of the toy box to take with plus a few thin, lightweight story books (including ‘Heidi’, of course), & that it! The real joy, for them, was then being able to buy new bits & pieces along the way. One other item we took, from here, was a small, baby-sized inflatable paddling pool to double as a ‘bath’ – just in-case the kids were not keen on the campsite showers. Actually it was rarely used, but good to have as back up. We visited local markets whenever we were near a town at the weekend & gave the boys each a few francs to spend. Often we’d find charity or second hand stalls, where they could buy toy cars or figures for almost nothing & best of all it didn’t matter if they later got broken or lost on the trip (as they loved sharing them with their new found friends on the campsites).

Switzerland offers a huge amount to do if your family love the outdoors. Hiking trails abound, amid stunning scenery. There are equally as many low-level walks along the side of babbling streams, suitable for younger children to enjoy. If hiking’s not your thing, however, there are trains & cable cars. The Glacier Express is well known of course, but there are many local train services, all with clean, neat trains, running on time! From Interlaken, the Jungfraujoch takes passengers to the ‘top of Europe’ on a stunning journey to view the north wall of the Eiger. A small cog railway makes a very special journey up to the Schynige Platte for visitors to see the Alpine Garden & have afternoon tea at the mountain hotel (don’t worry - they have lots of play things for children, including books & jigsaw puzzles to keep the kids entertained whilst you marvel at the view & enjoy your yummy tea & cakes). Of course if all of this is just too breathtaking, there are many attractions such as Heidi’s house at Maienfeld, the Lindt factory in Zurich, Basel Zoo (one of the best in Europe) or Swissminature near Lugano. Finally, down at ‘sea level’ you can take a steamer cruise on one of the many lakes (we opted for the Italian side of Lago Maggiore).

All in all, did Switzerland prove to be the perfect family holiday destination for us? Yes, most definitely and will we hire a ‘Campervantastic’ VW ‘van’ again? Yes, most definitely!

Kindly provided by Kath and family from Dubai, posted by CamperVantastic.

[kb21182]

This sounds like an amazing trip - we have 2 small kids and will do something very similar this summer.

Do you have any specific hints of "best campsites for kids" - did you follow a particular guidebook or just make it up as you went along ?

Cheers
Keith.

[tiresmokindad]

Originally Posted by kb21182

This sounds like an amazing trip - we have 2 small kids and will do something very similar this rv rental arizona summer.

Do you have any specific hints of "best campsites for kids" - did you follow a particular guidebook or just make it up as you went along ?

Cheers
Keith.

Yes I agree. I think it is awesome to camp in that place. I want also to go to that place same as in the photos. I want to enjoy together with my family for the coming vacation.