We decided to be spontaneous and booked a mini-break to France. Although it’s a country best known for romantic breaks, there are lots of things to do in France with kids that make this a great destination for family holidays.
Travelling from Dover to Calais
Travelling from Dover to Calais by ferry was amazing, as we got to bring our car with us, which all the kids are used to and are comfortable in. What’s more, we didn’t have to spend money to hire a car or use public transport, and on the drive down we did a family quiz and taught the kids some basic French phrases which helped to pass the time.
To really immerse ourselves into the culture, once the trip was booked, we challenged ourselves to eat nothing but French food for 24 hours, and travelling with P&O Ferries made the adventure all the more interesting.
Boarding a P&O ferry
The boarding process was super quick and easy, there were no long queues to check in our luggage and we didn’t have to go through the often lengthy security checks as you do at the airport. Being in our car meant that we could simply have a security check of the car and get our passports looked at before driving onto the ferry. We can say hand on heart that this is the only time we have ever travelled with the kids with zero stress.
What to do on board the ferry?
We parked the car, jumped out and headed into the main area of the ferry, and to our surprise there was a huge food court, with tons of food options so there was something for all of us – this went down a treat for our 24 hours French food-only challenge, along with some shops and to our amazement, a Starbucks!
There was so much to do on board. We hung out in the family lounge, which had a huge soft play area for younger kids, along with an even bigger arcade, with a dance mat, race car games, Pac-Man and more! P&O Ferries provide an incredible travelling experience that has something for everyone in the family.
A family-friendly experience
In our experience, P&O Ferries offer a family-friendly way to travel. It’s very affordable and there are no baggage restrictions. The kids don’t have to stay in their seats the whole time like on a plane and can run about to burn off some energy. We had no tantrums and no tears which is a first for us, making our first stress-free family holiday.
Our favourite part of being on the ferry was going out on the deck and looking out to the sea through the telescopes. Travelling by ferry is an affordable way for big families like us to travel and it’s much cheaper than getting the train or flying.
This was the best experience that we had as a family on a trip, especially for such a last-minute break. Driving our car made it feel like the holiday had already started as soon as we got on the ferry. Checking out was as easy as checking in, all we had to do was provide our reference number, in exchange for a boarding ticket, all without leaving the car.
Booking with P&O Ferries was extremely convenient and easy to do, the kids had an amazing time and so did we. We recommend that you do the same and book your next trip with P&O Ferries.
