For the love of beauty and family adventure, let’s go!
Day 1. Took the ferry from Dover, England to Calais, France. The port is about a 3 hour drive from the Cotswolds. You might consider getting a hotel like Travelodge or Premier Inn nearby the night before if your trip is earlier. I’d recommend showing up to the port a couple hours early during school holidays. Your car comes with you and they often have places for children to play while you sit at a nearby table.
After arriving in France we went to the Carrefour supermarket in Calais for groceries. Drove about 4 hours south to the Burgundy region. We stayed in a tiny village at an affordable Airbnb farm stay and had a lovely experience. We’ve found French people (outside of Paris 😉) to be warm and helpful. You can find gorgeous, budget-friendly places to stay off the beaten path. The lovely farm stay
Day 2. Relaxed at the Airbnb. Our hosts took us to a nearby pond and playground and we were able to meet their animals. There’s just something delightful about being in a moody and charming French home that is hundreds of years old! It was very affordable and I’d consider having a holiday solely at this home.
Day 3. Drove 4ish hours to Kandersteg, Switzerland. Before crossing the border we stopped at an Intermarche supermarket and stocked up on food. This really helped with the budget as Switzerland is very expensive!
We stayed at a highly rated Airbnb in Kandersteg (about $340 or £253 night—pricey but it’s tricky to find something super cheap for 5 people). They had plenty of things for kids to enjoy like Lego, bikes, chalk, a swing etc. We took a short walk in a nearby forest. The Swiss Airbnb
Day 4. Drove about an hour to Schilthorn Cableway which had parking. From there took the super steep Stechelberg gondola to Mürren, a car-free village. Then walked the 25 minute walk clearly marked with signs to Flower Park. My kids loved this place and there was an outdoor restaurant for parents to relax while watching the children. They even got to play in a bit of snow from the mountains even though it was warm!
Day 5. Woke up early and took the Kandersteg cable cars up to the Lake Oeschinen area. It took about 25 minutes walking after the cable cars ride to get to the late. It’s extremely muddy so not ideal for swimming but my kids still enjoyed it and splashed around for a few hours. Go early, bring a towel, water, snacks and a few extra clothes.
Day 6. Stayed in Kandersteg and just chilled. The kids rode bikes and we enjoyed looking at the mountains around us. We went to the local shop and tried some pretzels and cheese.
Day 7. Took the Kandersteg cable cars again up to the Lake Oeschinen area and had fun on the mountain coaster, also called a toboggan ride. We then took walk D on the map and enjoyed a different view of the lake. The kids enjoyed taking their time and observing the nature around them.
Day 8. We reluctantly packed up and left Kandersteg for Nancy, France a 4+ hour drive. We stayed at a Novotel hotel. In hindsight we could’ve saved money by staying outside of the city but I just wanted easy access to walking the city. Next time I think we’d say outside of the city and just drive in and park for the day.
Day 9. Explored Nancy and particularly enjoyed The Museum of Fine Arts, Church of the Cordeliers, Place Stanislas and Brasserie L'Excelsior for an afternoon treat during the ‘Les Sucres’ hours. Les Sucre is a time of day they offer a lighter (and cheaper) menu. But there was so much more to see and I’d happily visit their other museums another time.
Day 10. Headed back to the ferry and then home. Yes, that was an 8 hour drive altogether. Probably should’ve broken this day up more but not everything can be perfectly streamlined! It was a wonderful trip!
Main budgeting ideas:
Get groceries outside of Switzerland.
Research cost of cable cars and plan how many trips up the mountain you’d like to take
Look into your guest pass for all the discounts and free bus/train rides (ask the Airbnb host or hotel)
During the journey through France book places outside of the cities for affordable and beautiful stays.
Eat lots of sandwiches made with items from the supermarket and at cafés enjoy the occasional coffee and ice cream.
Important Info:
You’ll need an international drivers license which isn’t hard to get but can take several weeks.
Get the Crit’Air sticker (online) before travel if driving in French cities. Toll roads are expensive but also have more frequent and very nice service stations. But the rural drives are beautiful.
Be sure to have the digital vignette when driving in Switzerland. You can do this online or at the border.
I would check gondola/cable car prices before you go as they were more expensive than we realized, but we only took three trips so that helped.
However, you should receive a guest pass from your Swiss host and it offers local discounts. Ours did have a 10% discount for the nearby cable cars.
Of course this was just our experience, so be sure to check and see if this info is up to date when you’re travelling. There are other rules about your car when you’re driving in various European countries. Emergency equipment, light stickers, etc. It can feel like a lot at first but with a little research it’s so worth it.
Enjoy the journey!
Love,
Audrey Ann
As a family who’s lived here 4 years 🎄 🐑
Blenheim Palace: If there’s one event worth saving up for near the Cotswolds at Christmastime, I’d say the event at Blenheim Palace. The magical decor and experience set to a whimsical literary theme (this year it’s Neverland from Peter Pan) has taken my breath away. We found the light show and kiddie rides to be overpriced, but we are going to try the ice skating they've set up this year.
PRO TIP: If you have visited within a year before, you can ask for a free annual membership and get the Christmas experience FREE (not including £10 parking). Certain dates are off limits for members, but lots are available!
Alternatively, you can take your tickets from the Christmas event and turn them into a free annual membership, getting free tickets for next year’s Christmas event if you go within a year.
Meeting Father Christmas:
Santa’s Grotto is a fun experience where children meet Santa in a cozy, festive environment. He chats with them for a moment and they receive a little present at the end.
Fairytale Farm — Our children love this place. I’ll be honest and say it’s quirky and quite muddy at times, but our children always enjoy visiting the various hands-on activities, fairytale scenes and feeding the animals along with meeting Santa Claus.
Batsford Arboretum —A beautiful place to walk the grounds or enjoy the small shop and cafe, the children left with a lovely teddy.
Village Market Evenings:
You can Google the dates for these events based on the village, as they will change from year to year.
Broadway Late Night Shopping — a gorgeous evening in a beautiful village. Shops will be open late and there will be reindeer, music, and mulled cider with minced pies a-plenty.
Daylesford Christmas Evening — these seem to change yearly, but in the past we’ve enjoyed reindeer, carols, crafts (get there early for those if they’re offered), Prosecco, and lovely Christmas decor. I’d check their Instagram page for their upcoming events, or get on the mailing list.
These gorgeous and stately homes will decorate for Christmas and hold various activities and events. Click the link above to see what’s going on this year! There’s lots to enjoy. We especially enjoyed Belton House last year (not in the Cotswolds, but in Lincolnshire). An easy day trip.
Shopping:
The Christmas Cotswold Fair: If you like shopping (as I do!) this is such a fun event to see unique items from vendors around the country. There’s always good coffee and yummy treats as well. Just a fun way to get into the spirit and meet lots of small business owners. Get your tickets early for the best rate!
Stow-on-the-Wold Market Square: Such a beautiful place to browse, several independent shops, and of course swing by the Tolkien door while you're there! I love The Curated Store and Rhubarb Rhubarb especially.
Burford Garden Co. An absolute EMPORIUM of beautiful and unique gifts—everything from clothing, toys, stationary, art, decor, and of course gardening items. Most things are on the pricey side, but even if you don’t plan on buying much, it’s a lovely place to wander and they have a delicious cafe as well. There’s also a fenced in playground behind the car park!
Cirencester Saturday Market: Heralded as “The Capital of the Cotswolds” Cirencester is a great place to wander on a Saturday morning in the town center. You can also look up their cozy evening market. Click here for this year’s dates and times
Crib Service at a local village church: The children dress us as various characters from the Nativity and it’s a sweet, short service that includes them
Wreath Making: Making a fresh wreath is quite a Cotswoldy thing to do, and what fun! My friend Naomi hosts these lovely events and I’m amazed at what I can make!
Visit the Christmas tree that’s IN the river in Bourton-on-the-Water. Then just drive around after sun sets and take in the village lights! I’d recommend parking and strolling if you have the time.
A very Happy Christmas to you!
Much love,
Audrey Ann 🤍
- Nov 5, 2024
Our Family’s 8 Day Trip
Day 1: We traveled about 4 hours (230 miles) from Gloucestershire (North Cotswolds) to Penrith which is in the Lake District. If you’re coming from London it would take about 5 hours to get to the Lake District, not including stops. We stayed at the Premier Inn in Penrith. We can often get a family room for around £80 or $100 a night. This hotel was next to a nice grocery store which was very convenient!
Day 2: We enjoyed the majority of the day at Lowther castle, which boasts beautiful gardens, ruins, a pretty cafe, shop, and honestly the most EPIC playground we’ve ever experienced. There’s also a lovely forest area to walk through and a lookout spot for breathtaking views of the Lake District.
That afternoon we headed up in Inveraray—about a 3.5 hour drive and stayed at a bed and breakfast.
Day 3: We left late morning and headed for Inveraray castle which is well with a visit. It was the fictional Duneagle castle in the television show Downton Abbey. We then headed to Fort William as advised by multiple people since there aren’t large grocery stores near Dornie.
After shopping at the Morrison’s in Fort William and being charmed by all the accents and friendly folks, we continued on to Dornie, technically 1.5 hour drive, but took us much longer as we kept pulling over to take photos and bask in the gorgeous views!
We arrived in the evening to our Airbnb in Dornie where we were melt by the kindest lady with a beautiful lilt.
Absolutely recommend this home!
Day 4: It was Sunday and we decided to completely chill. In the afternoon we went to a lookout point to see Eilean Donan castle, and then we drove for a bit and found a pullover spot that appeared to be an old camping spot. With young children (and forgetting the carrier) we knew a major hike to a waterfall wasn’t in the works for us, but we had the most precious time as a family just walking around this area a bit and sitting together.
Another beautiful, nearby spot to explore is a memorial site near a church ruins called Clachan Duich Old Burial Ground.
Location pin here
Day 5: We explored Eilean Donan castle! This is one of my favorite tourist spots we’ve visited. So well done and such kind employees.
Day 6: We visited a whimsical fairy-themed cafe spot called Manuela’s Wee Bakery. They had a pizza shop, distillery, little trail for children, and a bubble machine! They even gave the children balloons!
After the cafe we got in the car and Eric just wanted to drive, so we went to Isle of Skye, which was only about 30 minutes if memory serves me.
I also got away earlier that morning to write and reflect back at the castle. The Airbnb was close enough to walk!
Day 7: Sadly time to leave—we drove over 6 hours back to the Lake District, but made a fun and serendipitous spot by Loch Ness! The coordinates are here if you want to make a ten minute spot and “search” for Nessie. Please use caution!
Location pin here
Late evening we made it to our Premier Inn in Kendal, a town in the Lake District. This Premier Inn seemed a bit understaffed. Our room wasn’t fully made up and the cleanliness wasn’t at the level I’d prefer. However, the staff was kind and it was a fine, affordable option for one night.
Day 8: We left our hotel in the morning to visit The World of Beatrix Potter (for the second time)! This is an immersive, sweet experience for little ones and really all fans of Potter’s work. It’s fascinating to discover—beyond the drawing and writing—how she was a pioneer in merchandise, business, and conservation, as well as was a scientist and researcher of fungi!
From there we went to her home, Hill Top house—which is a National Trust site, about a 25 minute drive from The World of Beatrix Potter. My daughter and I spend a few hours enjoying her home and gardens, while also savoring a treat from the little cafe shed there.
There is a playground just down the hill from her home, and we found in a wonderful place to get out extra wiggles before the drive home!
Location pin here
We left early afternoon and arrived back at our home in the Cotswolds that evening.
Hope this helps and you have a marvelous, peaceful time in the beautiful Highlands.
