Last summer, we left for the Côte d'Opale on a Friday at 2 PM. Two children in the back, the boot packed to the brim, 31 °C outside. On the E40 towards Ghent, the eldest was already asking "are we there yet?". We stopped at the Fastned station in Drongen: 18 minutes of charging, an ice cream each, a toilet break, and we were off again at 80%. Total trip Brussels–Le Touquet: 2 hours 40 minutes. The children didn't even have time to complain.
Going on holiday in an EV with children is not a logistical feat. It is simply a matter of preparation — and charging stops, with kids, are an advantage, not a constraint.
Why do charging stops fit perfectly with children's rhythm?
Paediatricians recommend stopping every 2 hours when driving with children under 6. At 120 km/h on the motorway, 2 hours cover roughly 200 km — exactly the interval between two fast-charging sessions in a modern EV.
In practice, a 20-minute stop at a 150+ kW charger recovers 150 to 200 km of range. By the time the children have been to the toilet, had a snack and run around, the car is ready. With a petrol car, you fill up in 5 minutes — then wait 15 minutes for the children to finish dawdling at the service station. The total stop time is almost identical.
The best stop on our road trip to Provence was at the Ionity station in Mâcon-Sud. A service area with a children's playground, a decent sandwich shop, clean toilets. Twenty-two minutes of charging, 10 to 80%. The kids didn't want to leave — for once, I was the one waiting for them, not the other way round.
Which EV should you choose for a family road trip from Belgium?
The key criterion is not maximum range. It is the combination of boot space + charging speed + real-world range at 130 km/h fully loaded.
| Model | Boot (L) | Real range loaded (km) | Charge 10-80% | Price Belgium (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y LR | 854 | 370 | 27 min (250 kW) | ~52,000 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 LR | 527 | 340 | 18 min (350 kW) | ~48,000 |
| Skoda Enyaq 85 | 585 | 320 | 28 min (175 kW) | ~44,000 |
| Kia EV6 LR | 490 | 350 | 18 min (350 kW) | ~49,000 |
| Renault Scenic E-Tech 87 | 545 | 330 | 30 min (150 kW) | ~43,000 |
The Ioniq 5 and EV6 charge fastest thanks to 800V architecture — an 18-minute stop recovers 250 km. The Model Y compensates with the Supercharger network, the most reliable in Europe in 2026 according to Chargemap. The Enyaq offers the best boot space after the Model Y, at a price 8,000 EUR lower.
800V architecture, 350 kW charger — Hyundai 2026
+ 117 L frunk — largest in the family segment
Average spacing on E411, E40, E19 in Belgium — Chargemap 2026
Which fast chargers are on Belgian motorways for holiday departures?
The Belgian network has caught up. Here are the main stations on holiday departure routes:
E411 (Brussels → Luxembourg / Ardennes): Bierges (TotalEnergies, 300 kW), Gembloux–Aische-en-Refail (Ionity, 350 kW in both directions), Wanlin (Ionity, 350 kW), Habay (Fastned, 300 kW). One stop is enough to reach Luxembourg or Bouillon.
E40 (Brussels → Ghent → Belgian coast / Calais): Drongen (Fastned, 300 kW), Walshoutem (Fastned, 300 kW), Jabbeke (Electra, 400 kW). No stop needed for the Belgian coast. For Calais or the Côte d'Opale, one stop at Drongen or Jabbeke covers the trip.
E19 (Brussels → Antwerp → Netherlands): Kontich-Waarloos (Ionity, 350 kW), Brecht (Fastned, 300 kW). Heading to Amsterdam, a single stop at Brecht is enough with a 60+ kWh EV.
Which family destinations are reachable from Brussels without stress?
| Destination | Distance | Charging stops | Estimated total time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgian coast (De Panne, Knokke) | 130 km | 0 | 1 h 30 |
| Ardennes (Bouillon, La Roche) | 160 km | 0 | 1 h 45 |
| Amsterdam (Vondelpark, NEMO) | 210 km | 0 to 1 | 2 h 30 |
| Paris (Disneyland, Cité des Sciences) | 310 km | 1 | 3 h 30 |
| Côte d'Opale (Le Touquet, Nausicaá) | 220 km | 1 | 2 h 40 |
| Luxembourg City (Parc Merveilleux) | 220 km | 0 to 1 | 2 h 30 |
| Cologne (Zoo, Phantasialand) | 230 km | 1 | 2 h 40 |
| Provence (Avignon, Luberon) | 900 km | 3-4 | 9 h |
The Belgian coast and the Ardennes require no charging at all, even in winter fully loaded. Paris is the most popular holiday destination from Brussels — a single stop at the Ionity charger in Laon-Sud (A26) covers the trip. For the South of France, plan a full day with children: 3 to 4 stops of 20 minutes each, totalling 8 to 9 hours of travel. In a petrol car, that would be 7 h 30 with shorter but equally frequent stops.
What is the departure checklist for an EV holiday with children?
The day before departure:
- Charge the battery to 100% (exception to the 80% rule for a long trip)
- Programme the route in the built-in sat-nav with charging stops
- Check tyre pressure (over-inflate by 0.2 bar for a loaded car, as per manufacturer recommendation)
- Download offline maps on Chargemap and the manufacturer's app
In the boot:
- Mode 2 cable (domestic socket charging at your destination — 2 to 3 kW, enough to recharge overnight at a holiday cottage)
- Belgian/French plug adapter if travelling to France (the French Type E socket is compatible with the Belgian Type E, but some holiday homes have recessed sockets that are hard to reach)
- 16A extension lead, 10 m (in case the outdoor socket at the cottage is far from the parking area)
For the children:
- "Charging stop" backpack: water bottle, snacks, activity book, card game
- Charged tablet with downloaded films (motorway mobile signal can be patchy)
- Light blanket (EV air conditioning is silent — children fall asleep quickly)
Le verdict de Christophe F.
Going on holiday in an EV with children in 2026 is no longer a compromise — it is a travel mode that naturally fits the family rhythm. Charging stops replace toilet breaks, the boot is often bigger than in an equivalent diesel estate, and the silent ride puts the little ones to sleep in 20 minutes. The only real advice: scout the chargers in advance, charge to 100% the night before, and let the children run at every stop. They will not remember the car brand. They will remember the ice cream at the Fastned in Drongen.