Maastricht

“This looks like a picture from a fairy tale!” shouts my eight-year-old daughter Molly as we cycle through the incredibly pretty Dutch town of Vlodrop.

With its wooden houses and gardens filled with pink and red blooms, it’s an easy 16-minute ride from De Meinweg National Park, where we’re staying.

Huttopia De Meinweg, four hours’ drive from Calais, is set in 27 hectares of woods, and our two-bed cabin is small but perfectly formed, with a terrace, loo and shower room.

There are two swimming pools, including an indoor heated one, and Molly and Elliot, 11, spend hours challenging each other to pétanque and table-tennis competitions.

Toasting marshmallows over the communal firepit by the lake also goes down a treat. Daily bike hire costs from £12.50 for adults, £8.20 for children

Guten tag, Germany!

A 15-minute walk through the woods reveals brasserie De Boshut, where we snaffle crispy chicken burgers, £16, followed by poffertjes (Dutch pancakes), £5.65, before the kids scamper around the eatery’s beautiful wooden playground (Deboshut.nl).

HOLY COW

I stayed at glam farm resort from Made in Chelsea with huge roasts & ‘pig’ pods

CLASS ACT

European train to launch business class style plane seats with £55 tickets

Meanwhile, a 10-minute cycle takes us over into Germany and the chic lakeside beach club Amici Beach (Amicibeach.com).

Another easy find on two wheels is Speeltuin Kitskensberg, full of top-rate play equipment, including a fully operational mini town featuring traffic lights and pedestrian crossings so little ones can practise navigating across town on their bikes.

It’s kiddie heaven and unbelievably costs less than £3 for both children and adults, because it’s run by volunteers (Speeltuinkitskensberg.nl).

Magical Maastricht

One day, we head to the city of Maastricht, 45 minutes’ drive away, where we grab crunchy croissant ice cream at Qrème By Darq, £3.60 a cone (Qreme.nl), before popping into stunning medieval church, the Basilica of Our Lady, which once attracted millions of pilgrims.

Locals and visitors continue the centuries-old tradition of lighting hundreds of devotional candles daily in the serene chapel dedicated to Sterre der Zee (Star of the Sea).

Afterwards, the kids spy the perfect spot to spend their pocket money – toy and lifestyle shop Jouw Marktkraam, which is full of both new and vintage finds (@Jouwmarktkraammaastricht), before we grab a late lunch at trendy Preps.

It takes a long time to arrive, but my Hangover Brekkie Mix of banana bread with peanut butter, lemon crumble and lavender, plus smashed avocado, a poached egg, beet houmous, tomatoes and bread, £16.20, is totally worth the wait (Prepsmaastricht.com).

As we make the drive to Calais for our trip home, the kids can’t believe it – they’ve travelled through three countries and boarded an under-the-sea train, AKA LeShuttle. Maybe fairy tales really can come true. . .