If you are thinking of making a motorhome trip to the Black Forest with children, in this article we tell you about our complete experience travelling with the family from Vitoria-Gasteiz.
We are a family with two girls aged 6 and 4 years old and we made this trip on the capuchina motorhome, through France all the way to southern Germany. Here you'll find a detailed itinerary, where to stay, what to see in the Black Forest with children and practical tips on how to organise your route.
Motorhome route map
Motorhome route mapIn this map you can see the complete route by motorhome from Vitoria to the Black Forest including all the stops of the trip.
It is an itinerary designed for family travel, with balanced stages and many interesting stops both en route and at the «destination». (Remember that when you travel by motorhome the important thing is the journey itself, not the destination).
Here you can see the complete route:
This route covers approximately 3500km visiting France, Germany and Switzerland, and is designed to make the journey as enjoyable as the destination.
Summary of the trip:
Departure from: Vitoria
Countries visited: France, Germany and Switzerland
Points of interest with children: Parc de L'auxois, Sommerberg, Rulantica, Legoland and the Rodelbahn.
Kilometres travelled: 3500km
Duration of the trip: 17 days
We have organised the trip to avoid long journeys and to be able to travel comfortably with children, combining nature, charming villages, theme parks and even zoos. Below you will find all the details of the route day by day:
🚐 STAGE 1 Motorhome route from Vitoria to the Black Forest via France
The first part of our motorhome route with children starts in Vitoria-Gasteiz, heading towards the north of France. It is a long but very important part of the trip, as it marks the beginning of the adventure towards the Black Forest.
Stops on this section
- Vitoria-Gasteiz (departure)
- Camping Sandaya Le Col Vert (Landes, France)
- Parc de l'Auxois (Burgundy, France)
- Arrival in Germany.
Crossing France by motorhome
Crossing France by motorhomeAt first glance, crossing France may seem like the most “boring” part of the trip, but in fact it's quite the opposite if you plan it well. Along this route there are many interesting options that are totally compatible with travelling in a motorhome with children. Most of them are parks, natural spaces or small villages where you can stop to stretch your legs and disconnect for a while.
We also like to take the opportunity to visit a zoo or theme park on the way and take a different break on our journey. The good thing is that they usually close relatively early, which fits in perfectly with the pace of the motorhome: you can enjoy the day, make a good stop and, in the late afternoon (around 17:00-18:00), you can resume the route at your leisure.
On this occasion, we also decided to stop for a couple of days at the Sandaya Le Co Vert campsite to rest and cool off. It was very hot, so it was great for us to relax and make the most of the sun.
Camping Sandaya Le Col Vert
Camping Sandaya Le Col VertOur stop at this campsite was just what we needed before we got into the long journey. We stayed a couple of days to get some rest and refresh ourselves because the last few days before the holiday were pretty crazy.
The campsite is great to disconnect: it has several swimming pools with slides (which are always appreciated), an indoor pool if you want something quieter and, in general, a very good atmosphere. It's also next to a lake where you can go paddle surfing or rent pedalos, so you have a plan without leaving the site.
At Landes There are a lot of campsites of this style, and the truth is that they are perfect to make a stop like this, either before or after a long trip. A comfortable place, with everything you need and where you can slow down a bit.
Parc de l'Auxois
Parc de l'AuxoisIt's one of those places that you find almost by chance, because you happen to be passing by... and in the end it ends up being a total success. We were quite surprised, because it has a bit of everything: some rides, playgrounds with old-fashioned swings (iron ones, the ones you remember from when you were a kid) and a lot of animals. Our daughters loved giving popcorn to the goats and running after them.
These types of stops fit in perfectly with the philosophy of travelling by motorhome: enjoy the journey as much as the destination. It's not just about getting there, but about making the most of each day, stopping where you feel like it and making the journey part of the experience. You spend the day at your own pace, unhurried, and when they close (around 18:00 or so), you pack up and move on a little further. And so, almost without realising it, the journey adds kilometres... but above all moments.
STAGE 2
The black forest
STAGE 2 On this second leg of the trip we enter the Black Forest, an ideal area for touring in a motorhome. The distances between stops are short, so you can improvise the route as you go, deciding on the weather, the plan for when the kids wake up, or simply what you feel like seeing at any given moment.
Moreover, it is very easy to find areas and places to spend the night, which gives you total freedom to move around without having to have everything locked up.
In our case, moreover, we joined up with some friends who were also coming by motorhome and we continued the trip together, which made the experience even more fun and flexible, adapting the route as we went along.
Stops on this section
- Baden-Baden (Germany)
- Bad Wildbad
- RodelBahn Mehliskopf
- Mummelsee
- LEPO Route
- Tree houses in Seelbach
- Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof
- Rulantica
- Freiburg im Breisgau
- Top motorhome area (Oberprechtal)
- The route of the senses.
- The world's largest cuckoo clock.
- Triberg Waterfalls.
- Tübingen
Baden baden
The motorhome area of Baden-Baden We loved it. It is very well located and you can go to the centre by bike very comfortably, which makes getting around the area super easy and pleasant.
As a curious fact, we were stopped by the police while they were checking that all the bikes were in order. We were stopped for not having lights, which is compulsory there, so it's something to bear in mind if you're going to cycle in the area.
Near the area there is also a cool playground and an Aldi, so you have all the basics for everyday life on the road at hand.
And of course, Baden-Baden is famous for its spas and hot springs, one of those things we had in mind but left pending for the next visit... because it's one of those plans that you know are worth doing at your leisure (i.e. without children).
Bad Wildbad: a walk in the treetops
Bad Wildbad: a walk in the treetopsOne of the most enjoyable stops on the trip was Bad Wildbad, in the heart of the German Black Forest. There we made the route of the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald, The wooden walkway takes you through the treetops, at quite a height, with beautiful views of the forest.
As you go along, you will see the forest from a different perspective and it is quite easy to find squirrels moving among the branches, which makes the walk even more special. The path is full of small areas with games and obstacles, so it is also a very entertaining plan if you go with children or just want to enjoy it calmly.
The tour ends at a panoramic tower with incredible views, and from there you can take a long slide which is the most fun part of the whole visit. At the bottom awaits the park of the Adventure Forest Sommerberg, a very complete play area to continue spending time in the middle of nature.
It is a very complete plan that combines walking, nature and fun in one place.
🎢 Rodelbahn Mehliskopf
The next stop was the Mehliskopf Rodelbahn, in the heart of the Black Forest, and we had a blast. It's an alpine toboggan run on rails: first you go up in the same cart, which is hooked to a lift system that takes you uphill through the forest, and once at the top you start the descent.
The descent is the fun part: you control the speed yourself with the trolley brake, so you can take it easy and enjoy the surroundings or add a little more excitement as you feel like it.
As a curious fact, it started to rain and we were surprised at how well prepared they are: they put up a kind of protective screen so that you could continue to go down without getting wet and still enjoy the experience. The whole place has a very familiar feel to it, but it is very well organised and well looked after.
🥾 LEPO route
The LEPO Route is an agricultural trail in the heart of the Black Forest, very close to Ottenhöfen, designed for walking and enjoying the rural environment without haste. It is a very pleasant route through woods, meadows and small themed areas where you discover the agricultural life of the area as you walk.
In the middle of the route we came across a shelter in the forest that surprised us quite a lot: it had a small wooden kitchenette for the children to play in and even a real working tap. The girls had a great time there, it was one of those places that you don't expect and that make the route even more special.
Then, in the surroundings of Ottenhöfen, which is one of the reference points in the area to start this type of route, we came across a typical German market organised by the town's fire service, almost by chance. There was everything: beer, knuckle of pork, sausages and many traditional sweets, including the famous Black Forest cake. A very local and authentic atmosphere that we hadn't planned for and that turned out to be one of those moments to remember from the trip.
🏡 Black Forest Open-Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof.
It's an open-air museum where you can see how people lived in the Black Forest centuries ago: royal houses (some dating back to the 16th century), farms, mills and workshops, all very well preserved and furnished as they used to be. There are even animals and demonstrations of traditional crafts, so it's quite interesting to visit with children.
In our case, we were deluged by a downpour practically the whole time, so the visit was spent with umbrellas, mud and running from one house to another. Even so, the place has a lot of charm and it is easy to understand what life was like there.
💦 Rulantica
Motor home site Oberprechtal
This was a very special stop because it was the meeting point with our «furgoamigos». It is a very pretty and charming little town. We loved the park next to the motorhome area.
The route of the senses
The route of the sensesAnother stop we loved was the Park mit allen Sinnen at Gutach. It is a barefoot tour through the forest, walking on mud, stones or wood, with stations to guess animals by touching their skins or by their sounds, and plants through their smells. We ended up full of mud and the girls really enjoyed it 👣.
🕰️ The «giant» cuckoo clock from Schonach
We went with the idea of seeing the largest cuckoo clock in the world and stopped at on Weltgrößte Kuckucksuhr Schonach. Although it's actually the first one to be built on a large scale, we really liked the visit inside: they explain how the mechanism works and it's interesting to see it live. Then we waited for the cuckoo to come out... and that was a bit of a disappointment, it looked like the batteries had run out 😅 Even so, it was worth it.
STAGE 3
Legoland + Rhine Falls + Return home
On this third and final leg of the journey we made a detour to Legoland Deutschland Resort. We had booked our tickets in advance, as it is advisable to book at the campsite, and we were also going with some friends in a motorhome, so we had to arrange dates so that we could all go together.
After the visit we returned to the Black Forest, because we still had a lot of things to see. And the truth is that it is such a big area with so many plans that it is impossible to do it all in one trip... in fact, we have already decided that we will return for sure, because we have left so many places to discover.
From there we continue on to the Rhine Falls and into Switzerland, the final leg of our journey home.
Stops on this section
- Legoland
- Hymer Museum
- People of Switzerland
- Rhine Falls
- Lake
- Zauberwald
- Hasenhorn Coaster Todtnau
- DinoZoo
- Farm
🧱 Legoland
Our visit to Legoland Deutschland Resort was one of the most fun plans of the trip. We spent two days in the park and one night in Legoland's own campsite, which made the experience much more comfortable.
We were surprised at how well organised everything is: despite being a very busy park, the queues were not particularly long compared to other theme parks and everything flowed quite smoothly.
It's a very easy plan to fit into a motorhome trip and perfect for adding a couple of different and fun days on the road.
Are you up for the next adventure?
This trip has been a perfect mix of nature, parks, charming villages and a lot of unhurried driving. From the Black Forest to Switzerland, passing through fun plans such as Legoland or routes in the middle of nature, each stop has reminded us why travelling by motorhome is the best way to experience the road.
If you feel like living an experience like this, with total freedom to move at your own pace and discover something different every day, you can see our available motorhomes here: 👉