Taking children abroad

[BellamyBells]

What age where they and where did you go the first time you took them abroad?

Dreaming atm, haven't taken our 15 month old anywhere!

Obviously pre covid times

DS1 went to Italy at 5m, we stayed with family and had a lovely time. Went in September so it was a bit cooler

DS2 hasn't got yet - he's 1. We've got our fingers crossed for this August, planning to get hin baptised in my old village church so my grandma can come (restrictions permitting)

*gone

6m and regularly since

We had super hols in Cyprus, Greek islands, Canaries. Malta not good for beaches iirc but we still had great fun.
From age 3, with a baby, then 5 and 3 , with a baby. Up until secondary age when their ££££ school trips (fuck me HOW MUCH? x 3) started.
Then UK camping with teens was hilarious, better than you would expect, then onto UK hol cottages once my dad died and mum was folded into our holidays.

Discounting th first four months of DD1s life where we lived in the Country she was born in before moving back to UK
They were 2.5 and 4yo when we moved to Cyprus. We frequently travelled between the UK and whatever country we lived in after that, as well as holidays elsewhere.
Moved back to the UK when they were 6&8.

8 weeks. It was the easiest time. I breastfed and she slept and couldn't crawl or walk. Much harder as toddlers.

Couldn't deal with hassle of going abroad with toddlers when we didn't have to,and there was much of the UK we did want to see.
Went to wedding in Ireland when kids were 6,5 and 3, then holidays in France and Germany over the next couple years, then USA once youngest was 7 and would happily watch a couple films in a row.

DD was 3 months old, we went to Holland for a friend's wedding. I think DS was 8 months old his first time - we went to the US.

Was often travelling with our two , from 6 weeks old (dd1) since living abroad until they were 10 and 7.

If flying, always take some sort of ready to eat food you absolutely know they like, plus at least one change of clothing, since you can absolutely guarantee that they’ll wet themselves or spill something down themselves, especially if it’s an under 2 on your lap, grabbing at your G&T.

Likewise, forget about wearing anything ‘good’ for the flight, since there’s a good chance of it being a sticky, stained rag by the time you arrive.
Any major time difference/jet lag can be a nightmare with babies/small children. Ditto long flights with toddlers who want to walk about all the time and can’t understand about being strapped in for take off/landing.

Always take toys or something to amuse them with - preferably something new, and not too small - if they drop some tiny precious toy, the floor of an aircraft is like a black hole - speaking from experience here!

One of mine was two weeks old the first time I took the children back to the UK for the summer and the rest were six weeks or so old the first time they did their first 8 hour flight.

We took dc to a euro camp near La Rochelle when they were 3.
They had a magical time and it remains an absolute favorite holiday of mine.
The sandy beaches, pine forests, lovely play parks, eating outside in little restaurants, seeing salt marshes and donkeys.
We hired a car and it took a lot of effort to Hoover the sand out before we gave it back.

I had to travel with them several times for work and family reasons rather than holiday from 3m. Based on that experience I don’t see the point in travelling far until they are much older. They’d probably love to stay on a farm though so it would be nice if we could do that this year.

I think it depends where you go. Yes to a beach holiday in France or Similar but no to a city break type of holiday. I took my dd to channel islands when 6 months. Less than 1 hour flight and staying with family. I took 2 DC to Ireland when 2 and 4 and it involved as lot of driving as we went on ferry. They enjoyed it but we did self catering.

Older one went to the US with us when she was 4 (I used to live there, so went back to visit friends and family).

Youngest I took to Barcelona for a holiday by myself when was 8 months. It was my last mat leave as no more babies, so I was determined to make the most of it.

From 3 months until covid.

All over. Transatlantically, all over North America, Europe, Central America... next is Africa and Asia if it opens up.

We have a child who is very good at transitions, very stoic, will eat anything. You may not have that child.

2 years old and we went to the Balearics. Various places in Europe and Africa since then. He will be 8 when we go long haul for the first time. We have plans for Florida, Caribbean, Singapore and Australia when we are allowed to travel.

Dd1 flew at 7 weeks, dd2 went abroad by car at 4 weeks. We aren't typical!

Dd1 flew at 7 weeks, dd2 went abroad by car at 4 weeks. We aren't typical!

I suspect you’re more typical than you think.

Overseas at 6 months for both of my DC. DH and I have always been very keen travellers and we decided that we weren't going to let having kids hold us back. Started with Europe, then started going further afield.

DC1 , Tenerife at 10 weeks
DC2, Cyprus at 10 weeks.