Trip ideas · Efteling, Phantasialand and Europa-Park in winter
Efteling, Phantasialand and Europa-Park in winter: a One-Week Road Trip From the UK
Best in December, also good in November
From Folkestone and back: seven nights, 1,724 km, the longest day about 4 h 45 at the wheel. Driving costs €480–€630.
Winter Efteling: 16 November 2026 – 31 January 2027. Watch for: Cologne is a low-emission zone (Umweltzone): a green sticker on the windscreen, foreign cars included; Brühl and Rust are not zones.
Use this route in my plan Your checklist for United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany: vignettes, zones, kit and dates.
Day by day
Kilometres and hours are motorway estimates between the cities named, without stops or traffic. Where you sleep in a smaller place nearby, the real place and its distance are given.
Day 1
Folkestone → Breda 252 km · about 2 h 55 driving · plus LeShuttle through the Channel Tunnel
Efteling, the Dutch fairy-tale park north-east of Breda, open every day through the winter. Source The place itself: Efteling (Kaatsheuvel).
Photo: Remy Gieling / Unsplash Day 2
A day for Efteling (Kaatsheuvel) No long drive
Day 3
Breda → Cologne 189 km · about 2 h 10 driving, plus the way back from Efteling (Kaatsheuvel)
The cathedral and the old town on the way south. Source
Day 4
Cologne → Freiburg 447 km · about 4 h 45 driving
Europa-Park in Rust, north of Freiburg; Freiburg's old town at the edge of the Black Forest. Source The place itself: Europa-Park (Rust).
Day 5
A day for Europa-Park (Rust) No long drive
Day 6
Freiburg → Cologne 447 km · about 4 h 45 driving, plus the way back from Europa-Park (Rust)
Back north for Phantasialand in Brühl, south of Cologne, then home through Belgium with no toll. Source The place itself: Phantasialand (Brühl).
Photo: Raphael Renter / Unsplash Day 7
A day for Phantasialand (Brühl) No long drive
Day 8
Cologne → Folkestone 389 km · about 4 h 25 driving · plus LeShuttle through the Channel Tunnel, plus the way back from Phantasialand (Brühl)
Why go in December
- Winter Efteling: 16 November 2026 – 31 January 2027. Source
- Efteling open every day in December, including 24 and 25 December: 1–31 December 2026. Source
- Phantasialand Wintertraum: 14 November 2026 – 24 January 2027, 11:00–20:00 (31 December to 18:00); closed 24–25 December and 1 January. Source
- Europa-Park HALLOWinter: 2–27 November 2026, from 11:00 until at least 19:00. Source
- Europa-Park winter season: 28 November 2026 – 9 January 2027; closed 24–25 December. Source
What to watch for
- Cologne is a low-emission zone (Umweltzone): a green sticker on the windscreen, foreign cars included; Brühl and Rust are not zones (all year). Source
- Driving in a German Umweltzone without a sticker is fined €100 (all year). Source
- Phantasialand is closed on 24–25 December and 1 January, and Europa-Park on 24–25 December: plan the park days round them (Christmas 2026 and January 2027). Source
What the week costs to drive
| Item | Cost | Worked out from |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel for 1,724 km | €195–€336 | Each country's average petrol and diesel price (week of 28 September 2026), 5 to 8 litres per 100 km. Fuel prices |
| Crossing, both ways | €294 | LeShuttle Folkestone–Calais: £124 each way is the published lowest fare; yours depends on the date and time. Source |
| Driving the week | €480–€630 | Rounded to €10 |
Not included: hotels, food and parking. For your own car and exact days, use the trip cost calculator.
The rules on this route
Driving in Britain and Ireland · Driving in France · Driving in Belgium · Driving in the Netherlands · Driving in Germany
Use this route in my plan to get every vignette, zone, kit rule and deadline for these countries in one checklist, with dates. The speed limits and sign words pages can then show only these countries.
Next on the road
Sources
- Winter Efteling
- Efteling open every day in December, including 24 and 25 December
- Phantasialand Wintertraum
- Europa-Park HALLOWinter
- Cologne is a low-emission zone (Umweltzone): a green sticker on the windscreen, foreign cars included; Brühl and Rust are not zones
- Driving in a German Umweltzone without a sticker is fined €100
- LeShuttle Folkestone–Calais
- Efteling, the Dutch fairy-tale park north-east of Breda, open every day through the winter.
- The cathedral and the old town on the way south.
- Europa-Park in Rust, north of Freiburg; Freiburg's old town at the edge of the Black Forest.
Dates and prices as published when checked. Events move: check the organiser's page before you book.