After the shock of finding out that we were expecting twins in 2015, one of the first things that we realised was that …we’re gonna need a bigger car!

We went from a family of four to six overnight and soon bought an old Chrysler Grand Voyager 7 seater, the only car we could find that had room for two adults, four car seats, a double buggy and a huge dog!

Following years of conventional family trips to France and the odd package holiday that lends itself well to the traditional family setup of 2.4 children, we decided to expand our horizons, and after surviving the first year of having premature twins and all the medical challenges that brought, we decided to visit Lake Garda, Italy, for our two-week summer break in 2016. To cut costs, WE DROVE!

We went with friends who had two kids themselves and initially the journey was an adventure with some challenges. The adults will try to forget the dodgy motel that we’d booked near Metz to break the journey up – sleeping with one eye open. On the flip side we’ll always remember driving through the stunning Swiss Alps for the first time the next day.

The holiday was amazing – from the campsite, climate, scenery, food, friendly locals and great company – it was the best holiday I’d ever had at the time.

This inspired us to want to travel further than we had previously thought possible and experience new places and cultures.  Since 2016 we have driven back to Italy twice and visited more southern regions of France for our summer holidays, at times travelling through Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria and Germany.

Click the link below to read about our latest trip to Lake Garda –

Lake Garda 2023

We have also visited Rome, the Amalfi Coast and Mykonos on budget DIY trips – booking flights and accommodation separately ourselves. In the UK we have enjoyed holidays to Northumberland, North Wales, Blackpool, Hastings, Devon, Shropshire, London and the Norfolk Broads, staying in a variety of accommodation from campsite caravans, barn conversions, cottages and a 18^th century Grade II* listed country house.

Not everything has always gone to plan and we’ve had some bad experiences, including being caught in a freak hail storm in Lake Garda in 2023 which wrecked our car and meant we had to find an alternative way to get home! We’ve had to learn to adapt and are still finding different ways to make the most of the holiday each trip.

2024 Summer Road Trip

In 2024 we are planning a summer holiday road trip to Croatia, to meet up with family friends for a week’s summer holiday on a campsite on the Dalmatian Coast. Our friends are flying but we are going in the car! This will be our furthest journey by road.

We have given ourselves ten days to drive there and eight days to get home. Travelling more slowly, we will be able to spend time in each country we travel through (at least one night) to soak up some of the local culture.

Family Road Trip 2024

Follow our blog and social media posts for inspiration, ideas, tips and hacks for non-package family holidays and join us as we prepare for this summer’s adventure.

We will also share reviews of previous holidays that we’ve enjoyed as a family of six both in the UK and Europe.

About us

I’m Richard, a dad of four, working full time as a professional in the property sector. My wife Susie works in a communication management role in the education sector (as well as running our hectic household). We live in Leicestershire with the four children, a large labradoodle called Robin (after Robin Hood …of course …named by a 4 year old boy obsessed with old Robin Hood films at the time) and a pet cat called Kasper (after Schmeichel – we’re big Leicester City fans). We love travelling on holiday, as well as days out in and around the UK – hopefully creating lasting memories for the kids …and ourselves.

We are all fairly active and most of our spare time seems to be taken up with grass roots football training and matches for the three youngest children, and netball training and matches for Susie and the eldest. Weekend mornings and most evenings after school are taken up with someone’s training, match or gym sessions.

I’ve done a few half marathons since we had the twins and usually run several times a week. I love nothing more than going for a run on holiday – exploring the local area on foot around where we are staying. I also play for a local 11 a side, over 35s football team but I’m currently recovering from a double leg break suffered during a match at the end of October 2023. Counting down the days (months) till the physio lets me start jogging again.

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