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During the Easter holidays, we had the opportunity to take an overnight ferry crossing on behalf of Little Clogs Holidays from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, gifted by Stena Line. We were excited to set off on our adventure, however, travelling as a family with additional needs isn’t exactly a ‘throw everything in a bag and hope for the best’ kind of situation. Add being a single parent to the mix and you’ll understand why it takes planning, flexibility, snacks (always snacks), and finding an environment that works for everyone to help things run smoothly. Here’s how we got on and the tips and tricks we’ve picked up along the way.
From the moment we arrived at the port, things felt calm and organised. We let Stena Line know at check-in that we travel with a Blue Badge and medical equipment (you can also do this in advance if, like me, you prefer to plan ahead rather than rush at the last minute). Straight away, the staff took this into account and directed us to the lane which would ensure we were parked very close to the lift once on the ferry. It might sound like a small thing, but when you’re juggling children, bags, and life in general, it makes a huge difference!
One of the standout moments came when we were getting off the ferry. A member of staff noticed my son’s sunflower lanyard and guided us straight to the lift so we could access the car deck earlier than most passengers. For sensory-sensitive children, that’s extremely helpful as anyone with sensory difficulties would appreciate I am sure.
We’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that food needs to be planned with military precision. The timing of the evening check-in when travelling with Stena Line works perfectly for a quick stop at McDonald’s near the port. Familiar “safe food” can take a lot of stress out of the journey, especially for children with restricted diets. We also filled up at Morrisons beforehand as fuel is cheaper in the UK than in the Netherlands, so it’s worth doing especially with the current cost of petrol.
That said, we also ate onboard because, apparently, we’re always “a bit hungry.” and were tempted by the food on offer. It’s not the cheapest option, but the quality meant that genuinely I was happy to spend the money I saved on petrol to keep the hunger at bay. Think motorway service prices, but food that actually tastes like fresh quality food.
We stayed in a four-berth outside cabin, which worked brilliantly. Having a window made a big difference, it felt light and airy and my son loves to gaze out at the water and boats in the distance. The cabin was clean, practical, and had everything we needed for a comfortable night.
No matter where we travel we always bring some sort of soft, mood lighting. For this trip a simple string of fairy lights was perfect for our cabin. It might sound excessive, but adding softer, colourful lights helps to create a calm and relaxing space. This is especially helpful if it’s time for the kids to sleep but the parents aren’t ready yet. For sensory needs it helps my children (and myself) to decompress as sleep comes our way. The beds are so comfy, we were all soon fast asleep and the shower is fab, with shower gel and shampoo provided as well as towels.
A couple of practical things worth mentioning: the toilet flush is quite loud, so if your child is sensitive to noise, it might be worth having them step out of the bathroom before flushing. Also, there are European sockets near the beds and both UK and EU sockets at the dressing table, so bring adapters if you’d also like to plug electronic devices in next to your bed.
The cabin TV had a decent range of channels, including kids’ options, which helped with winding down. My son’s favourite channel is the one where pet owners can look at cameras streaming their pets that are in the kennels. The cartoon channel for some classic wacky races or road runner is also great fun. If your children have more specific favourites you could always download a few things before getting on board. Alternatively, you can pay a small one-off fee to get faster internet which will see you stream freely throughout the journey. This can be paid for at the information desk on board and you only need to input a simple code. If you’re not planning to stream any entertainment then the free Wi-Fi is fine for messaging,
Even though the ferry was fully booked, it never felt overcrowded. There were plenty of seating areas, including a family space with activities on the tables, a soft play area, and interactive screens. There were also PlayStations and a big screen showing films, which created a really relaxed atmosphere.
One of our favourite moments was sitting by the large circular window, watching the view while eating. It was one of those rare travel moments where everyone just chilled. No rushing, no stress, nothing else to be doing and just enjoying a bit of calm.
I’ll admit, I was slightly nervous about the new EU entry requirements introduced in April (because travel anxiety likes to keep things interesting). However, our experience was so much smoother than expected. On arrival in the Netherlands, we saw that some travellers were asked to leave their cars for fingerprinting and photos, but not everyone was stopped, and things kept moving. On our return journey, my daughter and I did go through the process, but it only took about 15 minutes from arrival at the queue to driving through passport control. Now that we’re in the system, future trips should be even easier!
This was a positive experience for our family. Travelling with additional needs can sometimes feel overwhelming, but this Stena Line crossing made everything feel manageable and in our experience, very enjoyable. I guess we treat it like a night on a cruise at both ends of our visit to the Netherlands. The great thing about the overnight ferry, as Little Clogs told us, is that it’s also a great use of time as you get your whole first and last day to enjoy in the Netherlands too, rather than hanging about at airports or long car journeys. We had less than an hour to our destination once we had disembarked which was a definite bonus for us!
If you’re thinking about travelling to Europe as a family, especially if you have family members with additional needs I’d definitely recommend this route. With a bit of preparation (and maybe some fairy lights), an overnight ferry can be a calm and positive start to your holiday, rather than a stressful one.
This crossing was gifted by Stena Line and we travelled on behalf Little Clogs Holidays, but all opinions (and snack-related decisions) are entirely our own!
Stena Line operate daily overnight crossings, as well as day crossings, from Harwich to the Hook of Holland.
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