Most of our trips since becoming parents have been road trips.

There is something so freeing and exciting about the open road, you can choose your own intinery and work to your own schedule which is so helpful with kids of all ages, but particularly younger ones. You can cart all of the stuff you need to bring for the kids about, too.

Seeing a country by car allows you to make unexpected stops and discover new places that aren’t on instagram yet- such an adventure!

We have taken many road trips in Europe, America, Australia, and New Zealand, and we have a 6 week road trip planned to Canada for 2025.

2 weeks in the South of France

Our neighbour across the channel, we LOVE a road trip in France, and plan on many trips with the kids in the future. We drive our own car, catch the ferry at Dover, and take it from there. We always make sure to have European insurance and breakdown cover. We find the roads and driving in France really straightforward, so it’s a great option for a road trip. For more information on the essentials of driving in France, read more here.

We had a two week trip to the south of France with various stops along the way.

The first was Paris, where we spent a perfect relaxed day walking the city with kids and taking in the sights – it’s a beautiful place and we all had the best time. The kids were thrilled by the Eiffel Tower!

We then moved south to Provence, visiting all the hilltop villages and towns, and we also made our way to the coast for a bit of beach time. The south of France is a special place, with a unique allure. The scenery, markets, and beautiful villages made it seem like we were in a fairytale!

The French Alps was the next stop, and we had a campsite on Lake Annecy. The stunning village of Annecy combined with the gorgeous mountain scenery made this a really great part of the road trip, we loved it and definitely have plans to return.

A week touring the villages of Alsace

We’ve also had many a stop over in France on the way to other destinations, including a week in the car exploring the stunning towns and villages of the Alsace in Eastern France.

We drove through rolling green hills and vineyards, visiting Strasbourg and Colmar, and the medival villages of Eguisheim, Kayersberg, and Riquewihr.

Swiss Alpine Adventures

We have driven to the Swiss Alps with the kids since before they were 1 year old, and we normally try to go annually. The mountains and lakes and waterfalls are incredible – the views still blow our minds every year when we visit.

We normally have one or two nights stop in France on the way and head to our favourite campsite, Manor Farm, near Interlaken. The car allows us to go to the supermarket and stock up on supplies, as we do a lot of cooking at the tent/ holiday cabin. We also drive around to different swimming spots, viewpoints, lakes, and valleys while we are there. Details of our favourite outdoor activities and must-see places to visit in Switzerland can be found here.

3 weeks in the Alps: Bavaria, Austria, and Switzerland

This was our first road trip with our son – he was only 3 months old! We visited Berchesgaden National Park in Germany and the historic Eagles Nest, a building overlooking a stunning viewpoint that was built by Hitler in  1938.

Some other landmarks we visited were the beautiful and famous Neuschwanstein Castle, also in Germany, Hallstatt, Wolfgangsee Lake, and the Glossglockner Alpine Highway in Austria, and then to our favourite region if Switzerland, the Bernese Oberland. The.whole.region of lakes, mountains ams valleys full of wildflowers was absolutely beautiful, and we loved driving through the mountain passes.

New England in Fall

A 4 week road trip starting in Boston, and driving through Massatuchets, New Hampshire, and Vermont with our 6 month old baby!

We wanted to experience New England in the fall, and visted the forests of Vermont, the pretty town of Stowe, the Ben and Jerry’s factory and the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire amount other brilliant activities. America is a country made to be seen by road, and we saw some stunning vistas of vast forests in reds, oranges, and yellows.

West Coast USA

4 weeks exploring California, Nevada and Arizona.

This was a trip we took before the kids, just the two of us. It was a whirlwind tour, seeing highlights of the American West, from the National Parks of Yosemite, Death Valley, Zion, and the Grand Canyon. We visited fanous cities of Las Vegas, and then San Fransico to L.A via the iconic route 101.

6 weeks in the Canadian Rockies

We are in full planning mode for our 6 week adventure in the Rockies, a loop that will start and finish in Alberta. We plan to go in the summer of 2025.

Flying in to Calgary, we will rent a car and plan to visit Banff, Jasper, and YoHo National Parks, then driving West to Vancouver Island, Whistler and Clearwater , B.C.

The mountian scenery, lakes, wilderness and wildlife are the main draw for this trip, and we hope to see much native wildlife as possible ( although we are nervous about being in bear country- especially as we will be camping!)

Melbourne to Sydney via the Coastal Route

This 4-week adventure took place when our boys were 3 and 5 years old. We flew in and out of Melbourne, visiting the Great Ocean Road, Otways National Park, rural Victoria, and along the south coast of New South Wales to Sydney.

It was absolutely beautiful and everything we thought it would be. The uniquely beautiful Australian landscape was mesmerising, we saw loads of native wildlife and all the vast open space, and the open road, felt like freedom.

North and South Island New Zealand Trip

This was another road trip before we had the boys, and we spent 8 weeks travelling the North and South Island in a rental car.

We adore New Zealand and found the landscape absolutely spectacular, from the rolling hills and pastures of the Hobbiton movie set, and coastal coromandel, to the tropical feel of Abel Tasman in the south and the stunning mountain range around Wanaka and Queenstown. New Zealnad is heaven for nature lovers, and we had the time of our lives here.

The Ultimate Tasmanian Road Trip

While living in Australia, we took the time to tour the island of Tasmania and to take in all its rugged beauty and charm.

It was really not what we expected and we totally fell in love with it, visiting mountains, rainforests and pristine coves with blue waters and white sands.

We hired a car and spent 3 weeks touring the island. This trip was pre- kids, just the two of us.

Australian Coast to Coast

Not quite the big lap – but a BIG drive, from Perth, Western Australia, to Sydney on the East Coast, up to tropical Cairns and back through Australia’s red centre.

It was an unbelievable experience in one of the most beautiful, diverse and vast countries on earth.  We spent nearly 7 weeks on this route and covered a massive distance. This was a road trip we did as a couple, before the kids were born.

A week in the West coast of Scotland

On a rainy week in November, we drove our car from the Cotswolds, England through the mountainous west of Scotland, past Ben Nevis, Glencoe, and all the way to the magical Isle of Skye. This was before the kids were born, but my eldest came with us in a way as I was 6 months pregnant at the time!

It was a great trip, the remarkable Scottish Highlands in Autumn put on an incredible show, and we had the best time driving the winding roads and mountain passes.

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Hi! I’m Lizzie, a mum of two living in the Cotswolds. Here on Travel Happy Family, I share all of our travels with you, where we’ve been, how we got there, and how much it cost!

If you are looking for ideas on where to travel with your kids, inspiration for new destinations, or just want to follow us on our journey, welcome, and I hope you find what we write helpful.

Happy travels! xxx