Where would you go for first holiday with baby?

[EmeraldIsle81]

Hi Mumsnet
Want to book a week's holiday for myself, DP and DS (who will be just under a year old) in late spring/early summer. Where would you recommend we go? Home or abroad? I'm really nervous about anywhere the water isn't safe or I can't easily get baby suitable food.
Ideas welcome please!
Thanks all!

We went to Sa Coma, Majorca last year when DD was nearly 13 months. Brilliant holiday and location.
Agree with taking food pouches though, DD only wanted to eat chips! Went to a few supermarkets to get jars/pouches but she wasn't keen on many of them.

I highly recommend Bluestone in South Wales. Like centre parcs but cheaper, amazing fun loads for babies (soft play swimming etc) and you have your own lodge with microwave, kettle etc. It's so well suited to families. We absolutely loved it there.

Our first was a hotel in Torquay with self catering flats attached. Meant we got the benefit of facilities plus hotel pool and bar.
It a long time ago but I'm sure there will be similar now.

The South West has lots to do too.

We just went to centeroarcs with our 10 month old and it was perfect as loads of age appropriate things, all the restaurants are child friendly, the staff are fantastic with children and I could walk him back to the room and any given time should I need to.

We did Greek islands loads with them as babies but always went in a self catering apartment but within a complex where for example there was a bar and restaurant...all small places. They worked brilliantly as we always ate out on an evening but meant breakfast was easy, had a fridge for drinks etc and if we wanted lunch in we could.

June and late sept are great times for the temp as well

Holidays with young children are really just doing the same stuff in a different location, and I found out that the best holidays are the ones where convenience is top of the list. My advice would be to stay away from the hot temperatures and beaches, you'll probably end up exhausted with a cranky child and forever trying to get sand out of everything.

Book yourself somewhere that has a separate lounge/kitchen area where you can chill out once the baby is in bed. Somewhere that makes life easy for you because you will most likely come home needing a holiday. Not trying to put a downer on it, but we realised how important this was after our first family holiday. We've done centerparcs a few times now and it ticked most of the boxes.

We went to Spain a lot when they were babies. It's child friendly which was the main thing for me. So we could always go out in the evening and there was no issue if little one got upset. If your baby is going to be nearly one then they will be eating food too.

Holidays with young children are really just doing the same stuff in a different location

I really don't get this. We took DS to Malta at 8 months and Spain at 18 months then to France at 2 with DD 6 months. We weren't doing the same stuff, we were seeing new places, eating out, visiting loads of new museums and castles and swimming every day and having a lot more ice cream than usual and taking boat trips and all sorts of things that aren't at all about just transporting home life to somewhere hotter.

We did Center Parcs or cottages in the UK for the first few years. DS had dairy allergy when he was little so didn’t want the hassle of trying to source suitable food whilst abroad (I was a worrier though, so I assume other people cope really well with that). I also don’t pack light so it was easier to throw things in the car rather than be limited to luggage allowance. Our first trip abroad was France and we did the ferry, so again could take everything we wanted.
Other thing to remember holidays with babies/toddlers can be very different to holidays pre children. If you are a lounge by the pool reading sort of person, that might have to go out of the window for a few years. Some babies are fine whilst you eat out, others are not.
One memorable holiday with DS at CP involved him coming down with an ear infection the night before we went. Called in on doctors en route but didn’t give us any medication and told us to keep water out of ear. So we spent the whole holiday with a non-sleeping toddler, who was happy to do things in the morning, but then wanted to spend the rest of the time cuddling. Wasn’t able to go in the pool (whole point of going to CP) and couldn’t eat out, as although usually DS loved eating out, this holiday he would just scream! Not our best holiday.

Forgivemenot most bottled water is fine but you need to check the sodium content.

We live Tui Family Blue, it’s an all inclusive cop out but ideal for young children and good with allergies which is essential for us. With a baby and a 3 yr old all inclusive is much easy. If I had to cook on holiday then it would not be a holiday for me. We are probably looking at Cyprus, we know it is easy to hire baby equipment there.

Anywhere, they get less potable with age! I took mine backpacking a bit which was fun. Obviously budget comes into it but most hotels can accommodate one cot and supply (we coslept so even that wasn't needed). Try not to worry, unless you go out of Europe/n America the water is fine and they can eat pretty much anything at that age

Perhaps I'm unusual I admit but I just fed them from my meal from 10 months ish (at home too) I did breastfeed until 18 months that makes life easier. Never stayed in a "family" hotel ever, too noisy

@Selfsettling3 my close friend runs a baby equipment hire business in Cyprus where you can order everything from sun cream and nappies to sterilisers, perfect prep, jumparoo's small toys and push chairs to be at your hotel on arrival - very handy!

Rented a two bed property in the new forest for a few nights with DS who was 5 months. Easy driving distance and I could pack everything without worrying about luggage restrictions!

If you want abroad try Playa Mar Aparthotel in Porto Pollença, Majorca.

If not then I'd vote Center Parcs.

If you're into cruises that's pretty easy with kids and P&O or Cunard offer a free night nursery so baby can sleep and you can go out in the evening...

We took DD to France at 10 months. Car and ferry to a cottage in Brittany. Was fantastic- lots of coastal walks in the buggy/ backpack, play on beach, easy food. The French were fascinated by BLW and loved that she sat in restaurants chomping on mussels, steak and camembert (this changed massively when we went back aged 4 and she would only eat chips and green beans )

We did the lakes, Peak District, whitstable , norfolk, Normandy and Loire Valley

avoided plane rides until child was 2.5

At that age we did beach holidays in Belgium - Damme is lovely. Another successful holiday was California- stayed in Santa Monica. Loads to do and see. DC’s ate mostly off our plates. Put them in the buggy and walked for miles.

Definitly a home break. I took my boy to Portugal when he was 9months and we had to take the carseat, pushchair, foookload of stuff for him. Like half a big suitcase. He didnt like it so hot anyway n got cranky.
Was still lovely but I'm gonna stick to home trips till I'm dint with early years

We stayed in the UK and not too far from home so we could put lots of stuff in the car and the NHS easily accessible if needed as didnt like the thought of dragging baby/small children to airports and planes (althought often they go free), but plenty do go abroad successfully, anyway here some suggestions:

Moonfleet Manor, Weymouth, Dorset
Redcliffe Hotel, Paignton (not Redcliffe Lodge), Devon
Sea Acres Holiday Park, Nr The Lizzard, Cornwall
Centre Parks, (all over UK and very good but maybe more out of it with older children)

We went to Benidorm with a 6 month old and had a great time! Long flat promenade for walks with the buggy, spanish locals very welcoming to babies, short flight. We used Mam bottles which are self sterilising in the microwave and booked a hotel with apartments, I just used part bottled water and part boiled for his bottles, was just as easy as the perfect prep!

Spain France Portugal Italy Croatia all good with babies. Don't go somewhere with loads of steps like positano amd you will be alright pushing a pram around.

Might as well go for a more adult holiday as baby is so little will come with anywhere. Save eurocamp for entertaining older dc. Choose somewhere nice.

Go self catered. Tick child friendly on homeaway. France and Spain both excellent for having well kitted out gites and apartments.

Baby friendly boltholes good for child friendly hotels etc

Oh and go before it gets too hot. May is ideal. I had a baby jogger city mini thats excellent for getting on flights and has a really good sun shade.

We took DS to Spain when he was 8 months. No problems at all. Hotel we’re accommodating with boiled water for sterilising bottles etc. You can get pouches from Boots I think to sterilise on the go.
He was fine on the plane, just ensure you take plenty of snacks/drinks/things to keep them occupied.
Can guarantee it will seem more hard work in your mind than when you’re actually there, you just adapt, plus you’ve not got the added work of shopping and cleaning etc that you’ve got at home.

We went to Port Douglas in Queensland (we live in Sydney) when DS was 17 months old and it was bloody awful

I was newly pregnant and vaguely queasy all the time. The hotel was lovely and perfect for him but he just was grumpy, clingy, hated the pool when he normally loved swimming, randomly went back to two naps per day, ate nothing but chips and pasta. I actually sat and cried on the beach one day thinking “how am I going to deal with two when one is such a misery?”

But when we got home he did a huge happy sigh and said “We home!” and went back to being his normal lovely self.

We’ve had plenty of great holidays since then but that first one we still laugh about how awful it was!