Been given £1000!!!

[LivingInATrailer]

Happy Boxing Day to you all.

Had Christmas dinner with my parents yesterday who gave me and my brother £1000 each to do with it what we wish.

It's an unexpected and very lovely gift to have. I'm w single mum to almost 2yo living alone in a teeny flat.

We manage day to day and I've saved hard so we have a good fallback fund should anything break or we need to buy something etc.

I would like to go on holiday before DD starts school meaning we don't have to go in school holidays

What's the best month (not in school holidays) and the best country to get nice weather? I'm completely stuck. I haven't been abroad since I was a teen with my parents and honestly don't know where to look

So I get a package holiday? Do it all separately? Any tips for flying with a toddler?

Thank you s

It's very different going on holiday with a toddler. With a baby, you can just put them in a carrier and do what you want. With an older child, you can go somewhere with a kids club so they can go crazy whilst you explore.

With a toddler, you cant do those things. So choose somewhere with access to waterparks, swimming pools, beach and parks etc. As well as being able to go off and sightsee for a few hours, you can do lots of fun kid things at those places.

@Lulualla thanks for your reply

I'm glad she's of an age where she's up and running about because I can't wait to take her swimming every day and runnin down the beach etc. I don't drink at all and love my sleep so will be having an early dinner every night and chilling in the room which sounds perfect with an iPad and some snacks whilst she sleeps!!

Do you have any recommendations of countries? Or resorts that are toddler friendly?

I kids club would be great but I wouldn't leave her there id take her and watch her whilst She plays etc but wouldn't feel comfortable just dropping her off I don't think I'd rest anyway!

Canaries in May!

@Poetryinaction oh that's sounds lovely I'm already dreaming!

I have heard it's very windy there though? That would put me off a little. I can imagine pegging my towels to my sun loungers and having sand blown in my face!

Early June would be ideal as weather is nice. Or September.

As a single mum with a 12 year old I’d recommend a resort, all inclusive if you can as it takes away a lot if the stress and gives you a break from cooking and doing shopping/dishes.

Algarve/Majorca/Nerja all beautiful, child friendly and short ish flight times. I love Lara Beach in Turkey but flight is quite long

Pick sonewhere with a kids club if you think your DD would go, to give you a little bit of peace every day... ds wouldn’t entertain the idea however

Think Lanzarote is the windiest of Canaries but it’s mostly a cooling breeze as opposed to having to hold things down. certainly bot a problem. Longer flight time, but better weather in May.

June - not the first week
Menorca

I'd go somewhere like Menorca in September when the sea will be warm and there's lots of shallow small safe beaches.

Try jet2holidays if the airports suit as they have a good selection of well priced packages that include transfers and luggage. I'd probably go b&b or Half Board in an aparthotel within walking distance of the beach and restaurants, shops etc so you should get a kitchenette to store food and drinks and prepare simple meals and snacks. I've never been to Menorca but I think cala n Bosch is supposed to be ideal.

Don't forget the cost of passports and the time taken to get them if you've not had one before.

I think I'd save most of it until next year and maybe do Disneyland Paris on the Eurostar.

For a small uk break have a look at butlins. Their tots weekends are utterly brilliant (just make sure you upgrade to b line passes to skip the queues). I stay in the silver rooms and just take a toaster with me.

Enjoy planning. :)

I would look at a Butlins just for tots break. You could get the premium dining, enjoy the rides and shows and the pool and still have enough left for a holiday abroad.

Italy Apr-June (June can get very hot in some parts though so be careful).

Lovely laid back atmosphere, amazing food, beautiful history. Maybe a nice lake Garda hotel with kids stuff. (We found it surprisingly cheap when we were there).

Greece in June is lovely - and it's such a friendly country with a real child friendly warmth.

However, could always just do a nice cheap haven break somewhere pretty and bank the remains £500-£600 into your rainy day fund.

Having savings and security makes life feel like a holiday ❤️

Thanks everyone. Deffo want to go abroad. It's DDs birthday mid jan she 100% doesn't need any toys after what she got yesterday so I could pay For us to do tots weekends at butlins for her birthday that's a good idea.

Menorca sounds great il look at jet2 holidays too.

Disneyland Paris sounds amazing but I'm already slowly putting £ away to take her when she's about 4 as she'll understand and appreciate it a bit more then

I'd like somewhere hot (not too hot though because she's so small I wouldn't want her to find it unbearable) so I can enjoy the sun and chill on a lounger whilst she naps etc and play with her in the pool and on the beach

I've got my passport and hers came in the post 2 weeks ago funnily enough as her dad wants to take her away with her step sister to France in March to visit family which I'm sure she'll love

Honestly at that age we had a much better time at Butlins than we did abroad.

Also she's allergic to cows milk. So no butter. Cheese. Milk. Yoghurts. And cows milk is in so Much food!! I'd be worried about her having something accidentally. Can I get a special card or something made up to show restaurants?

Spain and canaries are generally really good with allergies. Do your research and find somewhere with good reviews for allergies. You can get cards with allergens on but I would plan ahead so you have more options. You can buy all sorts of oat milks etc in the supermarkets.

September and October in Tenerife is boiling
I’d choose November or April avoiding Easter
We got back last week
December is especially lovely. Hot during day . Cool enough to sleep on a night
Three hours extra daylight compared to here

Really recommend Gran Canaria in March / April. We want to a place that all the accommodation was bungalows. Two separate pools with toddler pools one had a little slide. Two different play grounds.

Go all inclusive as it saves a lot of stress as there is tons of food even with restrictions.
https://www.jet2holidays.com/canary-islands/gran-canaria/playa-del-ingles/hd-parque-cristobal-gran-canaria?dsrl=1206481&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkoyvg6TT5gIVSbTtCh0J7AF0EAAYASAAEgIeovDD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Trailer we are df and gf
Most of the restaurants are very clued up and English is spoken a lot

Protur safari park hotel in Sa Coma, Majorca in May/June or early September, it's all inclusive and decently priced and really nice, lovely beach and little town 5 mins walk away and the rooms are like little apartments

Do you live in a trailer?

We have been to Mallorca twice now (with Jet 2) with a toddler. May/June or Sept the weather is still lovely beach/pool weather. We loved Puerto Pollença for a beach on a safe calm bay, but there are loads of other resorts. Enjoy x

Thanks for all your suggestions. Gonna make a coffee and flick through them all now. Getting so excited

@lovemenorca no I don't 😂 I live in a flat. My username is a Quote from a song in green mile