As we love road trips, we took the car from Belgium for a trip in England in the South of the United Kingdom. First we drove to Calais where we took the ferry across to Dover. We upgraded to the premium lounge (well worth it) and spent our time snacking away and looking through the large windows at the North Sea. Getting to the ferry was easy and immigration checkpoints went smooth. A quick check of the car contents was performed but with plenty of time to be spared, we never got worried.
As we got off the ferry, we quickly had to adjust to driving on the left hand side of the road and made our way to our first hotel in Horsam, Sussex. Since we have young kids, we like to break up the trips and not push our limits too far.
Apparently there are many garden centers in this area of the Southern UK so we visited a garden center which also had some animals and walking trails to stretch our legs and kill some time until our room was available.
After a nice night of sleep, we went our way and drove toward Arundel Castle, where we walked around and had some lunch before taking off to our hotel in New Forest.
Driving through the English countryside was quite spectacular. We love the old small towns, pubs, open space and since it was lambing season… Tons of little lambs.
Due to the car ride and stopping over, we got to our hotel right in time for a surprise for our kids: a sheep walking experience. I had so many questions before doing this but it ended up being a tremendously fun experience (and not only for the kids if I’m honest).
The next day we set off to do something which had been on my bucket list for ages: Stonehenge.
It did not disappoint. After getting tickets and hopping on the shuttle bus, we were very pleased with how easy it was to see this Neolithic monument. Since the walking path makes it easy to disperse all visitors, we got some great views and pictures:
Outside of this monument, there are many other locations you can walk to in the near vicinity within the immediate area. These range in age and some are even older than what we typically refer to as the Stonehenge structure.
Back at the visitor center, they have recreated Neolithic huts which are also worth a visit. Staff is readily available to explain things, show the hunting tools from that era as well as answer any questions. There is also a nice cafe present as well as gift shop.
After grabbing some lunch, we drove to the Longleat Safari Park not too far away. We definitely recommend doing this if you are traveling the area with kids.
The park is very well organized and the animals are easily viewed. All was very well until you come to the monkey section! You’re able to skip this area due to the monkeys being quite bold and doing their very best to find loose pieces on the car, food or even attempt to open your trunk. There was a large sign for a reason… We came off pretty easy with some monkey poop on our roof and a rubber partially taken out of our rooftop carrier (easy fix).
With all that excitement, it was time to head back to the hotel and get some rest. Due to one of the kids not feeling great, we took it pretty easy the next day. Thankfully, this passed and we were able to visit something close by: Highcliffe castle and beach.
The days which passed were filled with more casual fun, pub food and family time. We’re glad to also make it to Corfe (which is known for its castle) as well as Portchester Castle, which carries a significant history as a port castle on the water.
Ultimately, it was time to go home but we truly enjoyed our little road trip through England in the Southern United Kingdom. The accommodations were fantastic and with so much history and charm around, destinations are plentiful.
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