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Ideas for where to take the kids for a daytrip to the beach?

Question

Given the sweltering temperatures, I want to take the kids for a daytrip to the beach this week - hardly an original idea, I know!
Any recommendations for somewhere nice for swimming that has reasonable parking gratefully received!

anon

Avoid, the North East coast, Ostende, De Haan, Blankenberge, Knokke Heist. It's crowed and very expensive.

The "quieter" beaches are South West, either side of the French border. Koksijde, Saint-Idesbald, De Panne on the Belgian side, and Bray Dunes or Leffrinckoucke on the French side.

Frankly however, with this weather, it's all going to be busy everywhere, but the south western beaches are significantly less crowded.

Go early, i.e. leave 07.00 / 07.30 am to get there at or before 09.00 am. That way you'll find parking, and a decent place on the beach itself. You can also have lunch early before the crowds. You'll also be able to leave by 15.00 / 16.00 having had a full day on the beach, rather than arriving after lunch, stressing to find somewhere to park, getting upset and shouting at your kids to find somewhere on the beach amongst the crowds, and then leaving at 18.00 / 19.00 in the evening, and getting stuck in 20km tail backs on the mortorway.

If you go to the "broder" beaches, you also have an alternative route back home via Dunkirk / Lille / Brussels.

Jul 23, 2018 11:53
anon

typo - should have said "border" beaches

Jul 23, 2018 11:54
Anonymous

Try De Gavers in East Flanders, Belgium. They have a beach, canoes etc.
https://oost-vlaanderen.be/ontspannen/recreatiedomeinen/de-gavers.html

Jul 23, 2018 13:00
MRK

Hi both
Thanks - this is very useful!

Jul 23, 2018 21:54
Derrick

I usually go to Vrouwenpolder (a very long and wide strip of sand with a lake the other side of the dam, good parking and a cafe) or Kamperland in Zeeland. Much less crowded than the beaches in Belgium and about the same distance from Brussels, usually without the crazy traffic jams. Also check out the lovely town of Veere very near Vrouwenpolde.r

Jul 24, 2018 19:27
MRK

Just in case anyone else is thinking of doing this, we decided to go to Vrouwenpolder, because the driving time was only 1h20 from where we live.
We had a fabulous 'bucket and spade' day, and the location was great. it's a very family-friendly, sandy beach and calm water which slopes very gently. Not crowded at all (even in the middle of a heatwave during the summer holidays), and with excellent parking (just be sure to take coins or a credit card that doesn't have a PIN for the parking ticket machine). It's also possible to organise a horse ride on the beach.
My only advice is that the beach is VERY wide here, so it's quite a slog from the parking area to the water's edge, which might be a challenge for someone with limited mobility or very small children. So pack lightly.
Otherwise it was utterly fabulous, so thanks again for all the suggestions we received.

Jul 26, 2018 08:18