As we settle back with a coffee and a full cooked breakfast, the English Channel stretching before us, we briefly consider the more stressful trips we’ve taken that began with a plane or train.

But this time was different.

The ease with which we cleared customs at Dover, drove on to our ferry and headed for Dunkirk got the trip off to a very good start.

It’s a two-hour sail, and once we’ve all eaten, stocked up on duty-free and supervised a run-around in the children's soft play area, our destination port is in sight.

We hadn’t previously considered Belgium for a holiday, but the opportunity to indulge the children’s obsession with bike riding and their appreciation for waffles inspired us.

We fancied an easy trip abroad with the prospect of mussels and frites, and of course, it’d be rude to visit without sampling the Leffe.

We’re staying at Sunparks De Haan, a family holiday park that’s an easy 45-minute drive up the coast from Dunkirk. It offers cottages with gardens, a lake and safe roads, once everyone has unloaded their luggage and deposited their cars in the separate car park. It’s the perfect base to explore 42 miles of Belgian coastline on foot and by bike, with museums and theme parks thrown in for good measure.

One of the park’s attractions is the Aquafun subtropical pool complex with three water slides, waves every 15 minutes and pools to suit any age. We spend our first afternoon happily shambling around the waterways before hitting the adjacent restaurants and huge deck for pizza and beer.

We’re careful not to indulge too much though, because the other main draw here is the cycling. We strap our youngest into a seat on the back of one bike while our five-year-old quickly comes to terms with a tandem. The evening is still blissfully warm so we set off for a ride around the lake.

Being Belgium, there are dedicated cycle paths criss-crossing the countryside, so we also take to the bikes the next morning and set off for De Haan, the coastal town with its beautifully restored Belle Epoque neighbourhood, in search of sea and waffles.

It’s an easy 15-minute cycle before we find ourselves amid exquisite homes and gardens and the elegant La Potiniere recreation park surrounded by picture-perfect carousels and ice cream vendors.

We stroll to the promenade and select a beachside cafe where we order the best waffles we’ll ever eat.

De Haan is a 15-minute car journey from Bruges – too tempting a trip to pass up.

The city - for all its world-class history and architecture - is a blast for children. Ours spend the afternoon marvelling at the steady procession of horses trotting around.

But the trip home is no stress-filled journey back to reality either.

We set off back down the coast at a leisurely 10am the next morning and stop off at the Plopsaland theme park, named after the Belgian children’s television character.

It’s all Viking-themed swords and helmets, featuring the ‘Wickie the Battle’ ride where all but the very youngest children can board pirate ships and fire water guns in fights with passing boats, And so our weekend is over, and we’re amazed at how relaxed we are despite the bikes, boats and battles.

THE FACTS

  • Josie Clarke and her family were guests of DFDS Seaways (www.dfds.co.uk; 0871 574 7235) who sail 44 times a day between Dover and France, with routes to both Dunkirk and Calais. Prices start from £29 each way for a car and up to nine passengers.
  • A mid-week stay (Mon-Fri) at Sunparks De Haan starts from 259 Euros for up to four persons; weekends (Fri-Sun) from 299 Euros for up to four persons. Based on September bookings.
  • For more information go to www.visitflanders.co.uk