Planning Our Holland Campervan Holiday

There is something special about the planning stage of a trip. Long before the wheels start turning, the adventure has already begun. It starts with ideas, maps, ferry bookings, wish lists, and those little conversations about where to go, what to see, and how you want the journey to feel.

That is exactly where we are right now with our next Wild River Campers adventure — planning a trip to Holland.

Why We Chose Holland for Our Campervan Trip

Last year, we headed off on a big campervan holiday to Denmark, which was packed with memorable moments, from Viking history to Lego and plenty in between. It was one of those adventures that reminded us just how much we love travelling this way — slow enough to take it all in, flexible enough to follow what feels right, and simple enough to focus on what really matters.

On that trip, Holland caught our eye.

It seemed like such a lovely place, full of character and charm, but unfortunately, we did not have the time to explore it properly. We came away feeling like we had only scratched the surface, and it stayed in the back of our minds afterwards as somewhere we really wanted to return to.

So this time, we decided it was Holland’s turn.

Booking the Overnight Ferry to Hook of Holland

We only made the decision last week, but once we had, things moved fairly quickly, and the ferry was booked.

I always go for the overnight ferry if I can, mainly because I really do not like ferries. For us, it just feels like the easier option. You can settle in, try to get some sleep, and wake up knowing that a big part of the journey is already done. It takes away the feeling of a full travel day and makes arriving feel much more manageable.

We could have gone via Calais, but that would have meant another four-hour drive up to Holland, and that did not appeal. The overnight ferry feels far easier. Once you arrive, you are ready to go rather than facing hours more on the road before the trip really begins.

One of the things we have learned with campervan travel is that how you begin a trip can shape the whole feel of it. If the start feels calmer and easier, the whole adventure tends to follow suit.

Places We Want to Visit in Holland

Once the ferry was sorted, I started making a rough list of where we would like to go.

At the top of that list was the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. It was one of the main reasons we wanted to include Amsterdam in the trip, but unfortunately, it is fully booked while we are there. That was a real disappointment, especially since it was somewhere you had built into your plans. Still, that is part of travel too. Sometimes the place you most want to see is not possible this time round, and you have to reshape the trip around what is.

The good thing is that Holland has so much else to offer, and once we started looking at other options, the excitement quickly returned.

Our rough route is now beginning to take shape, with a few bigger plans pinned in and plenty of flexibility left around them.

Our Holland Campervan Route

We are keeping the route fairly simple, which suits us best.

The plan is to arrive in Hook of Holland and then head inland towards Arnhem or Utrecht for an easy first evening. We never like to push too hard on arrival day, so this will be more about settling in and easing into the trip than about doing too much too soon.

From there, one of our big planned stops is Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem, which we have set aside a full day for. That is one of the places we are really looking forward to, and it feels like a good early stop once we are properly into the trip.

After that, we will head towards Amsterdam for a day that includes Micropia, along with time to wander and soak up the city itself. Even without the Anne Frank House this time, Amsterdam still feels like somewhere worth including for the atmosphere, the canals, and the experience of simply exploring on foot.

From Amsterdam, we will head to Rotterdam for a walking day. That is set to include Markthal, the Cube Houses, Oude Haven, and the Erasmus Bridge. It feels like a city with a very different character, and we are looking forward to seeing that contrast.

Then we slow things down a little with a stop in Wassenaar for a Duinrell swimming and pool day. After that, we are planning a more relaxed final full day near the coast, hopefully including Museum Voorlinden and some time to enjoy the area at a gentler pace before heading back towards the ferry.

Staying at Camperplaatsen in Holland

For our overnight stops, we are planning to use camperplaatsen and book as we go, rather than locking everything in too far in advance. We have never really liked being tied to a strict plan, and one of the best things about travelling by campervan is the freedom it offers.

If we find somewhere we love, we can stay a little longer. If somewhere is just right for a one-night stop, that works too. If the weather changes, our mood changes, or we stumble across somewhere unexpected, we like knowing we can adapt.

For us, that flexibility is a huge part of the adventure.

Of course, we still like having a rough route and a few bigger plans in place. It is not about having no structure at all. It is more about finding the balance between preparation and freedom. Enough planning to feel confident, but not so much that there is no space left for spontaneity.

Why We Love Planning a Campervan Holiday

Something about this part of a campervan holiday is exciting, hard to explain unless you travel this way yourself.

It is the stage where everything still feels open. The route is only half-set. The stops are still ideas on a list. The details are starting to come together, but there is still plenty unknown. It is full of possibilities.

You imagine the easy breakfasts, the evening arrivals, the places you will discover, the views from the van doors, and the memories still waiting to be made. Even the practical bits — booking the ferry, sketching out the route, looking at overnight stops — become part of the experience.

The journey starts before you ever leave home.

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