A Quick Trip to Amsterdam Without the Quick

Traveling with kids is always an adventure — throw in a winter storm in a foreign land and you have the makings of a great memory.

In 2010, my family and I were living in Germany and we had an opportunity to go to Amsterdam for the weekend. There are so many wonderful things to see in this vibrant city, but I was especially excited about touring the Anne Frank house.

The timing wasn’t ideal because it was February, but I was a highly motivated traveler who would not be deterred by cold temperatures. I began packing.

As the weekend approached, the weather forecast started to shift in the wrong direction. Not only was it going to be bitter cold, but a winter storm was moving south through Belgium and travel conditions were expected to be difficult.

We couldn't be flexible with our plans, so I hoped we would make it to Amsterdam before the heavy snow fell.

On departure day, as we started packing the car, the snow arrived. It came earlier and was heavier than predicted. I told the kids to grab their snow boots and winter parkas and quickly hustled everyone to the car.

With the five of us tightly packed in our little VW, we set off on the five-hour drive to Amsterdam, hoping to bypass the brunt of the storm.

Je ne parle pas Francais

It was a little slippery getting to the autobahn, but once on it, the road was mostly clear and we were moving quickly towards our destination. About three hours into the trip, as evening approached and the temperature started to drop, we saw a flashing road sign written in red next to an autobahn exit.

As we got closer to the sign, I discovered that it was written in French.

I was prepared for German, but not French! Despite my efforts at learning this beautiful language, I could only understand a few words including croissant, jambon, and merci. If someone needed help ordering a ham sandwich in French, I could be of assistance. Anything else, they were on their own.

Although I couldn’t understand the message, it was written in red with flashing lights, so I knew it was important. As my husband and I were discussing what to do, we rounded a corner and came to a screeching halt behind a huge line of semi-trucks.

We had no idea what was happening but feared there had been an accident.

As it turns out, this section of the autobahn was completely shut down due to the winter storm. The sign we had passed earlier was directing all passenger cars to immediately exit. Now, it was too late.

This Car is Not Big Enough for the Five Of Us

Not knowing how long we would be trapped, I quickly surveyed our rations. We had one bag of Goldfish crackers and 6 juice boxes. Doing some quick math, I calculated that we could survive for at least five more hours if we carefully divvied up the snacks.

I felt better having a plan.

As kids do, shortly after the car stopped moving, they began to get fidgety. One complained that he had to go to the bathroom which was a challenging feat with the current conditions. We had to improvise. Enough said.

After that issue was resolved, the kids began arguing about who had more space in the backseat and there was some pushing involved. We had a small car with little room between the front and back seats, so you can imagine how pleasant it was to be the parents of these bickering siblings.

To console myself, I ate their portion of the crackers and drank two juice boxes.

My husband and I passed the time by getting out of the car every five minutes to see if traffic was moving — it was not. I briefly considered just walking to Amsterdam, but I loved my husband too much to abandon him with the cranky kids.

Finally Free

Thankfully, after a long three hours of waiting in a cold car with restless kids, a snowplow cleared a path for us on the shoulder. We were able to maneuver between the semi-trucks and exit the autobahn.

It was close to midnight by this time and we were in the middle of nowhere according to our GPS. Our only option was to drive until we found a town, which thankfully appeared after about 30 minutes. A small silver lining in an otherwise disastrous trip thus far.

The next morning, after a few hours of sleep, we discussed whether we should turn back or keep going.

The autobahn was still closed due to weather, so we would have to travel on back roads that would further extend our travel time. Given these delays, we would only have a few hours in Amsterdam. There were three votes for turning around and two for heading north as planned— so, off we set for Amsterdam. It is good to be the parents.

An Icy Welcome

When we arrived in Amsterdam, exactly 20 hours after departing on our five-hour trip, the city was covered in ice as they had run out of salt to clear the sidewalks. The ice was several inches thick, like a huge skating rink, which proved to be treacherous for both pedestrians and bicyclists.

After traveling so far, a little ice was not going to deter me, so our family of five linked arms and inched our way to the Anne Frank house. There were only a few falls, even fewer tears, and not a single chipped tooth.

When we finally arrived at the Anne Frank House, it was everything I hoped for and more. The tour was both heartbreaking and fascinating — a piece of history that we must never forget.

We spent six hours in Amsterdam, seeing as much of the city as possible given the weather conditions. Although it was not the trip I had planned, it is one I will never forget.

The Trip of a Lifetime

I sometimes wonder what might have happened if we had been able to read that flashing emergency sign years ago. I suspect we would have promptly exited the autobahn as instructed and headed home.

Instead, after braving several hours on a closed highway, my husband and I were determined to reach our final destination. The worst of the winter storm was behind us by then, and I’m glad we decided to continue.

This trip was full of lessons including the importance of learning French, packing plenty of snacks, and embracing the unexpected. Some of our fondest memories are made when things don’t go as planned.

Originally published on Medium.