You've spotted the main reason I prefer Gent - it's traditionally been cheaper than Bruges and for the amount of time you've got it will keep you occupied. My cousin stayed in Bruges in December and was horrified at the prices.

Well we are just home after our 'road trip' and had a fab time. It really was a whistle stop tour, Eindhoven, Berlin, Cologne, Gent and then a stop at Cite Europe before coming home, all in 7 days. Did wonder if the girls (12 and 10) would find it all too much but they loved it as well. Just need to decide where our next road trip should take us- we saw so much in a short time, really was good.

Pam

Glad to hear that you had a good time! Next time, why not head south - St Omer, Rheims and Verdun for starters, or The Somme Valley and the trenches, Hazebruck, Cassel, Ypres?

I'm sure that not only did the girls enjoy it, they probably learnt something as well - if only a bit of geography!

As the next destination how about Europapark between Strasbourg and the Black Forest ? Routes via northern France outward (Alsacienne's suggestions) and the Rhine valley homeward.

http://www.europapark.de/lang-en/c51/default.html for park details - there are plenty of other accommodation options in the area. Few days each way and a few days in and around the park. Time to start a new thread.........

Thanks Guys, food for thought!! May half term seemed a good time to go, so plenty of time to plan for next year

Pam

The only problem with May in France is that it's peppered with bank holidays ... which are observed on the actual day not passed forward onto the most convenient Monday as in the UK.

So, for future planning, avoid

MAY 1 Workers' day (Fête du Travail)
MAY 8 Victory in Europe Day

Ascension Day - a THURSDAY 40 days after Easter .......... and many French take the next day - the Friday - off to make a long weekend (often starting on the Wednesday as French children do not go to school on Wednesdays, up to the equivalent of Year 9),

and depending on when Ascension falls, BEWARE of Whit Sunday (Pentecôte/Pfingsten) and Whit Monday which are public holidays in both France and Germany.

For alternative routes on packed stretches of motorway, the Bison Fute (crafty bison) website is a bit help and also shows places en route where you can stop and the children enjoy entertainment (animation).

OK so this might be considered for Germany, but in my area, the holidays in both countries influence most things.

And Europapark is in Rust (Germany) about 40 mins from the French border near where I live. I second that it is a super theme park and has at two hotels in the perimeter - the Colisseum and the Spanish hotel (?Andaluz?) and there are also many guest houses very close by which are sensibly priced and very clean. GO FOR IT!!!

I'll third the feelings on Europa Park. First went about 8 or 9 years ago with 2 teenagers in tow and loved it. We stopped at Herbolzheim which was only about a 10 minute drive or so away. Great for getting there early.

Loved it so much that it is a must visit when we are there towards the end of next week - with no kids in tow this time.

I think that you can book tickets in advance on line ......... try http://www.europapark.de . Have a great time!!

How about autumn half term - try and coincide with a "Rhine in Flames" firework night on the way back?

We definately need a new thread here!!