Netherlands to France Road Trip | Campervan Rental

Stop 1. Amsterdam

Where to Visit:

Rijksmuseum: Historically and culturally significant museum of art and history.
Anne Frank Huis: The former home now dedicated to the famous diarist.
A'DAM Lookout: Viewing platform with Europe's highest swing.

Where to Eat:

De Kas (€€€€): Farm-to-table dining in an early 20th-century greenhouse.
Moeders (€€€): Try the hearty local speciality called Stamppot.
Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs (€€): Tiny quirky café serving only pancakes.

Where to Stay:

Amsterdam: it’s just as brilliant as you imagined

Starting your Netherlands-to-France road trip in Amsterdam is a real risk. There’s so much fun to be had here, there’s every chance you might never leave.

With its canals and wonky timbered buildings, it’s a photographer’s dream. And for culture lovers, there are museums dedicated to everything from Van Gogh to fluorescent art. And for those just here to treat themselves, there are restaurants, bars and cafés for every taste and mood.

Hire a bike to explore the old town or hop aboard one of the free ferries to see the city from a different angle. Head to the Jordaan to explore quirky art galleries.

And when night falls, head to a bruin café and put away a few pints in the cosiest of drinking dens. Or, for a touch of sleaze that only Amsterdam could pull off with such charm, wander through the Red Light District. Because it’s not Amsterdam without a dash of debauchery.

Stop 2. Antwerp

Where to Visit:

Diamondland: Huge diamond showroom.
Museum Aan de Stroom: Striking contemporary museum all about Antwerp.
De Koninck Brewery: Enjoy a tour, a tasting or even a workshop.

Where to Eat:

The Jane ($$$$): Two-Michelin-star restaurant in a renovated church.
Konditori ($$): Trendy bakery with delicious croissants, bread and pastries.
Graanmarkt 13 ($$$$): Concept store with a restaurant serving vegetarian dishes.

Where to Stay:

Antwerp: art, diamonds and fashion, darling

If Brussels is like Belgium’s sensible, strait-laced daughter, then your next destination on this road trip from the Netherlands to France is its too-cool-for-school sister.

Stylish and sophisticated Antwerp is a mecca for fashionistas and party lovers, not to mention dealers in diamonds — 80% of the world’s diamonds are traded here every year. Enjoy innovative meals in sharp, modern restaurants, peruse elegant boutiques in Nationalestraat, soak up the sparkles in the Diamond District, and at night, catch a show at de Singel arts centre.

Begin at the Grote Markt, the old town’s main square, stroll the city’s medieval heart and find a charming café from which to people-watch. Visit the extravagant Gothic masterpiece that is the cathedral and spot the Rubens on display inside.

Fancy something more contemporary and cool? Head to MoMu, the city’s fashion museum. And when your feet are tired, relax with a drink and a view of the meandering River Scheldt. Life could be worse, right?

Stop 3. Ghent

Where to Visit:

Het Gravensteen: Imposing 10th-century castle with a moat.
S.M.A.K: Museum of contemporary art.
Kouter Flower Market: Enjoy the flower displays at this market on Sundays.

Where to Eat:

De Rave ($$$): Intriguing décor, serves Italian-influenced dishes.
De Superette ($$): Bakery and restaurant in a quiet backstreet.
Gruut ($$$): Brewery and restaurant in a former industrial building.

Where to Stay:

Get off the beaten track with a stopover in Ghent

We’re not sure why Ghent hasn’t got more tourists descending on its picturesque streets. But we’re glad they don’t. All the more for you to enjoy on your Netherlands to France road trip.

Ghent offers the perfect recipe for an up-and-coming holiday destination. Beautiful historic architecture, a buzzing student population, a trendy post-industrial edge and, for you beer lovers, the highest concentration of top-quality beer bars in all of Belgium.

Wander the mostly pedestrianised city centre. Discover Graffiti Street, canvas for the city’s artists to make their mark. Stroll the Gravensteen area, with its galleries, antique shops, and great restaurants.

Make sure to catch sight of one of the world’s most famous paintings, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by Jan and Hubert van Eyck, on display at St Baafskathedraal. And end the day in a café on the gorgeous Graslei quay, watching the city reflected back at you in the waters of the River Lys.

Stop 4. Bruges

Where to visit:

Kantcentrum: Lace Centre, where you can buy lace and watch it being made.
De Halve Maan: Brewery tours and tastings.
Groeninge Museum: Early Flemish art.

Where to eat:

Den Gouden Harynck ($$$$): Michelin-starred dining in a secluded location.
Pomperlut ($$$): Fairy-tale restaurant in a former farmhouse.
Bistro Den Amand ($$): Traditional Belgian food with a local feel.

Where to stay:

Embrace your inner princess in breathtaking Bruges

Do you believe in fairy tales? You will once you arrive in Bruges. This final stop in Belgium on your Netherlands–France road trip is swiped straight from a storybook, full of princesses, knights on horseback, and possibly a dragon too.

Think cobbled lanes, Gothic churches, gabled houses, and white swans gliding down winding canals. To really play the part, consider seeing the sights from a horse-drawn carriage.

Wander the UNESCO-listed centre, surrounded by a moat. For great views, climb the Belfry in the Markt. See Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child in the Church of Our Lady. Refuel on some crispy, salty frietjes — or chips — and wash it down with a witbier. Or go one step further and check out the Frietmuseum, the world’s only museum dedicated to chips. Explore the countless chocolate shops or relax at the Lake of Love (no joke, that’s really what it’s called). And later perhaps catch a show at the contemporary performing arts centre, Concertgebouw.

Stop 5. Paris

Where to Visit:

Centre Pompidou: 20th-century museum with an intriguing inside-out design.
La Seine Musicale: Beautiful centre for the performing arts on the Île Seguin.
Jardin des Plantes: Amazing botanical gardens.

Where to Eat:

Restaurant Gill ($$$$): Two-Michelin-starred dining with high-quality ingredients.
L’Odas ($$$$): French cooking in a 16th-century Gothic mansion.
La Couronne ($$$$): Traditional Normandy cuisine in France's oldest inn.

Where to Stay:

Paris, the perfect way to say goodbye

All the clichés hold true. Paris really is magical. Romantic. Unbelievably fashionable. Although there’s also a psychological condition known as Paris Syndrome, experienced mostly by Japanese tourists who arrive and freak out to find Paris doesn’t quite meet their expectations.

In our view, it’s so much better for being slightly gritty, edgy and hectic. So carry on to the final destination of your road trip from the Netherlands to France — you’ll certainly finish on a high.

Choose from thousands of sights. Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame, the Louvre — the list goes on. Or just wander the city’s gorgeous boulevards, sit by the river, or enjoy some retail therapy in the elegant boutiques or chaotic flea markets.

Find the neighbourhood you like best, from the village-like Montmartre to the grand townhouses of the Marais. Pick up campervan supplies at a boulangerie or fromagerie. And when evening comes, grab a seat outside a café and watch life go by. Paris was made for people-watching.