Best European Winter Family Holiday – With a caravan!

Updated on November 7, 2025

Winter Travel in Europe with a Caravan & Kids

Winter travel with a caravan in Europe was not part of our actual plan when we left Australia on Christmas Day. Winter travel was planned; Europe was the intended destination… the caravan was an afterthought. What a great afterthought it was.

Buying a caravan in the U.K

Buying a caravan in the UK is relatively easy. They tend to be cheaper than in Australia, generally lighter in weight, and there is an assortment to choose from. I adore the vintage caravans and would have loved to acquire one for this family holiday, but we settled on the 1990s Elddis caravan.

Buyer beware when purchasing a caravan, as ‘damp’ or ‘water damage’ can be a significant issue. Caravans do not have to be registered or inspected in the UK, and dodgy caravan sales are prevalent, just as they are in other countries.

Priscilla the Elddis Whisp

Fortunately, the car we bought already had a tow bar, and the caravan idea took hold a couple of weeks later. ‘Priscilla’, a 12-foot two-berth wee caravan – weighing in at just under 600 kgs, easy for the Zafira to tow and simple to take off to turn around by hand when stuck on a no-through road or a road blocked by snow with no room to manoeuvre otherwise, which happened!

Priscilla, our home for the next few months. The very first night Priscilla joined the family, we ‘camped’ outside our friend’s home in London, much to their dismay! It was below zero with a super frost, but we didn’t even need a heater on with the excellent winter duvets we had bought.

Crossing the English Channel

We had spent plenty of time exploring London with our daughters, who were 10 and 13 years old, and it was time to set sail…

The white cliffs of Dover bid us farewell on the crossing to Calais, beautiful blue skies that were not to be seen again for a few weeks or so… Not that it bothered us at all.

For the majority of our 3 months in Europe, we ‘free-camped’ in our caravan at truck stops, outside friends’ homes and in laybys with other happy campers. Having an ensuite on board, a gas cooker and a bucket-full of enthusiasm – we were self-contained. Eating was affordable, as supermarkets were easily accessible.

The most significant advantage was having the freedom to stop and start where we pleased. Around almost every bend, a spectacular vista would open up, demanding a cuppa stop.

Snow Chains, winter tires and driving in Europe

Driving in winter requires careful consideration, as tyres and snow chains are legally required in some countries during the winter months. The AA has a comprehensive advice page, well worth reading if you plan to do a European holiday in winter. Links on their page direct users to articles about snow chain fitting, etc.

Camping Parks closed in winter

Many caravan and camping parks close during the winter season. Check before arrival if a campsite is open or not. An excellent resource for camping sites is on the UK-Sites Website. Many camping sites remain open during winter, especially those located near major cities or ski fields. Many people take motorhomes to the ski fields; campgrounds are well set up with heated facilities.

On some days, we didn’t travel very far at all. A spectacular scene, snow-clad slopes to play on, frozen waterfalls…

Some fabulous camp areas were found along the way. We were fortunate to have a few friends to visit and pull up outside their homes.

Second-hand ice skates brought all the way from Australia meant we could take advantage of the many free ice-skating rinks set up during winter in Europe. Copenhagen was amazing as we parked the caravan about 100 feet away from the skating rink. School holidays were over, and the girls had the skating to themselves mostly, spending hours on the ice at a time. Brilliant value, considering they were always free.

On Amy’s 10th birthday, we camped in Chamonix and rode the 20-minute cable car lift to the Aiguille du Midi, at 3,777m, offering a 360° view of the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps.  From the summit terrace, we had superb views of Mont Blanc. It was freezing up there, Amy’s lips turned blue with cold – what a way to celebrate the first decade birthday of her life.

Oberalp Pass by car transport, drive on drive off. The pass is closed during the winter months, and the train is the best way to reach Andermatt. It passed through a series of tunnels, and then we drove off the carriage and into the brilliant, late afternoon sunshine.

Andermatt was a short drive away, where we stayed two nights in a large parking lot, right beside the closed ice skate rink. The girls played in the snow till well after dark, finally returning to the little caravan when they were cold and hungry.,

Late winter, playgrounds were found along the way. Fabulous alpine views, plenty of exercise and a good reason to stop for a cuppa, again.

Our winter travel through Europe encompassed some incredible places, including Denmark, Prague, the Cinque Terre, Ponies of the Camargue in France, Paris, the Heidi Alps, and Mont Saint-Michel. One place that the children particularly enjoyed, despite its somewhat macabre nature, was the Sedlec Ossuary, also known as the Church of Bones!

Towing a small caravan is easy, fun and economical, being able to choose low-cost campsites, and often free camping grounds was such a bonus and made our vacation dollar stretch further.