WHAT? WHERE? 

Eurocamp Duinrell lies on Holland’s west coast, around a 45-minute drive from Hook of Holland and a 40-minute train ride from Amsterdam. 

Muddy and family travelled there via the Stena Line car ferry from Harwich in Essex, opting for a day journey on the way out (9am-5pm) and overnighter on the return (10pm-6am). Want to beat seasickness and boredom? Book the overnight both ways. Kids love the cute cabin with porthole window, cosy beds and TV, and get lulled to sleep by the movement of the waves (and if you’re lucky, they won’t wake until you’re in port eight hours later).

THE VIBE

More fun than you can shake a stroopwaffel (a Dutch caramel waffle biscuit FYI) at. Duinrell’s main attraction is its amusement park, to which eurocampers have free access. As the clouds dispersed and sun shone, we explored every inch of the site discovering rollercoasters, playgrounds and fairground rides built to blend in with the forested landscape. 

Best of all was the Tiki Pool, an enormous indoor waterpark with 21 slides, toddler pool, vertical drops, wave machine and lazy river. Noisy and very retro (think plastic palm trees and cafe serving chips and croquettes), the kids loved it and clamoured to visit every day, arranged via a faffy booking system involving complicated QR codes and two-hour time slots for €10 each. Seeing their grins as they shot out of gravity-defying tubes made it worth it though (plus Muddy got to hit the sauna and Jacuzzi). 

The biggest hit of the trip, however, wasn’t a temporary facelift on an extreme ride or epic water slide, it was actually a go-kart. For €15 a day you can hire pedal karts in various sizes, giving kids the independence they crave. Duinrell’s so safe it felt natural to let them go off on their wheels to explore and meet new mates, fulfilling all my 1980-style holiday dreams – kids roam, mum sips Aperol spritz in a bikini.

SCOFF & QUAFF 

We were self-catering and I’d filled the car with everyone’s favourite foods, like Nutella and, err, more Nutella, but an on-site supermarket also meant it was simple to stock up on things like milk and fresh salad.

Eating out was easy too – the boys gravitated towards a crêperie and snack bar in Duinrell Plaza where €7 chicken burgers can be ordered via a screen and picked up in minutes. I favoured La Place restaurant for roast chicken salad and handmade pizza. 

We ate fresh seafood salads at stylish Bait restaurant at Wassenaar Beach, where I enjoyed a glass of wine at sunset while the children kicked a football around on the beach and contemplated how lucky we’d been to dodge UK rain and airport chaos this summer. 

STAY 

Our cosy Azure Lounge mobile home came with three bedrooms (linen & towels included), bathroom, open-plan kitchen and lounge and decent-sized deck with dining table and chairs. It was spotless, but I later discovered that’s because you have to leave it cleaner than Mrs Hinch’s kitchen before you depart or you don’t get your deposit back.

A cute cabin on the overnight ferry back home was, amazingly, the icing on the cake for the boys who loved the porthole window, free soft drinks in the mini bar and comfy beds (I did too).

OUT & ABOUT 

A holiday highlight was jumping in the car and visiting Wassenaar, a glorious stretch of soft sand 15 minutes’ drive away (you can hire bikes at Duinrell and cycle there if you’re feeling sprightly). We paddled in the sea, watched surfers and kite-surfers skim across the waves, kicked a ball around ad explored the dunes.

THE MUDDY VERDICT 

Good for: A hassle-free, no-fly, budget family holiday that avoids airport chaos and is better for the environment too.

Not for: If your idea of a great holiday is a fly and flop all-inclusive with guaranteed sunshine and a luxurious suite, this isn’t going to float your boat.

GO THERE 

Four nights self-catering in an Azure Lounge (sleeps six) at eurocamp Duinrell in October half term from £439.95, (eurocamp.co.uk). Harwich to Hook of Holland return ferry with Stena Line from £297, including a car and passengers (stenaline.co.uk).