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Original poster

Have you ever had a holiday with small children that was actually worth it?

189 replies

superorganisms · 30/12/2022 14:01

...in terms of money and stress? And if so, what/where was it?

I have two under three. One 9 week old. Thinking of holiday next year but the thought of travel, the expense, the stress...would it actually ever be worth it? Thinking maybe not abroad, or at least not long haul, and possibly asking another family along. Don't care about hot weather, just not crap enough to allow us to get some fresh air every day.

Have you ever actually had a good, vaguely relaxing time, and if so, where did you go? Where did you stay? Any top tips?

OP posts:
YouremywifenowTubs · 30/12/2022 14:05

Nah, fuck that.

I’ve never bothered until they are 4-5. Too much hassle when they are little. My youngest is 2.5 and going anywhere with her would be a living hell to be honest.

Chocchops72 · 30/12/2022 14:06

No.

The only vaguely bearable ones involved going away with or staying with grandparents. This at least would mean more hands around the place for childcare and shared housework. And shared costs so it was less money down the drain.

it’s not a holiday by any definition I care to use.

popandchoc · 30/12/2022 14:06

My best holiday when mine was little was Tenerife in an all inclusive hotel when they were 1 and 5. Lots to do and they loved swimming etc and food was easy.

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Holidays
Wildehorses · 30/12/2022 14:06

Yes, look up Kinderhotel in Austria and you'll see why!

SixCharactersinSearchofanAuthor · 30/12/2022 14:06

Same shit different pot, isn't it.

Numbersarefun · 30/12/2022 14:07

We’ve been on holiday with ours since they were tiny babies, but I’m not sure our holidays are what other people perceive as a holiday. We stay in cottages in different parts of the uk and enjoy exploring the local area - countryside/beaches/hills/towns etc.

Conkered · 30/12/2022 14:09

I think the holiday I dreamed of with DC that kind of age was hiring a nanny/cleaner for a week so I could just enjoy my home and the best bits of the kids, eat in peace or go out for lunch with DH or days out altogether. We did camping though which was the opposite of a holiday, so don't do that!

itneverstopsraining · 30/12/2022 14:10

Centre parcs type places worked for us.

OldTinHat · 30/12/2022 14:11

The Sun £9.50 holidays were great when mine were small. Haven, butlins, those kind of places.

yadaya · 30/12/2022 14:11

Yes.
We did family friendly AI holidays with kids clubs.

AI takes the stress out of eating as the kids will always find something they like and the entertainment is aimed at the kids which keeps them entertained.
We had some fabulous holidays - Sardinia was my favourite. I'd highly recommend the TUI family life hotel.

Luxembourgmama · 30/12/2022 14:11

Yes martinhal in Portugal

WoolyMammoth55 · 30/12/2022 14:12

popandchoc · 30/12/2022 14:06

My best holiday when mine was little was Tenerife in an all inclusive hotel when they were 1 and 5. Lots to do and they loved swimming etc and food was easy.

Ooh, what was the hotel please and how long ago? I could definitely fancy this! :)

Mnusernc · 30/12/2022 14:12

Yes x100. Go to the martinhal sagres, get a villa and half board (off season)

Petronus · 30/12/2022 14:13

Had a lovely one where we stayed close to the beach in Dorset, but the weather was really nice and we could just potter down to the beach. If it had been awful it would have been completely different. The accommodation was a modern bungalow which was also ideal for small children.

TheKitchenWitch · 30/12/2022 14:14

Travelled with mine from when they were a few weeks old and have always enjoyed it, but like @Numbersarefun maybe what we consider holidays might not be to everyone's taste.
We always do self-catering or visiting family/friends abroad. Very relaxed, flexible schedule. Don't expect it to be about me and DH as much as just enjoying some family time away from home together iyswim. I do think it's very much about expectations though - it won't be the same as before kids, nor it is the same as when they're a bit older and understand the concept more and get excited about it too.

ShadowPuppets · 30/12/2022 14:14

How are you all doing hotels with little ones? We’ve ruled out AI for a few years as I can’t bear the idea of having to go to bed at 7/8pm with the kids if we’re all in the same room. I can keep them up a little later but with two poor sleepers (8m, 2.5y) I can’t imagine how you do one room? We’ve committed to a villa set up for next year.

LittleDisaster · 30/12/2022 14:16

We went to centerparcs and self catering in the Lakes when ours were tiny. Always had a lovely time.

I think the mistake is thinking holidays are going to be like they were before. Wherever you're going there's going to be a lot more "doing" than on the sunshine holidays you may be used to.

Clouds3898 · 30/12/2022 14:18

We've done loads from about 3 months right up to school age and always had a good time. I liked hotels with crèche/kids club so we could get a break. But also enjoyed city break type things and long haul night flights so they could sleep on the plane

Arseulaundress · 30/12/2022 14:19

We just do camping. It's not super easy, but we have had some genuinely lovely times.

minipie · 30/12/2022 14:19

I would say at this age holidays are enjoyable with kids club for at least one child or grandparents helping out. Or at least, somewhere with a shallow shelving pool and all food laid on.

Clouds3898 · 30/12/2022 14:19

ShadowPuppets · 30/12/2022 14:14

How are you all doing hotels with little ones? We’ve ruled out AI for a few years as I can’t bear the idea of having to go to bed at 7/8pm with the kids if we’re all in the same room. I can keep them up a little later but with two poor sleepers (8m, 2.5y) I can’t imagine how you do one room? We’ve committed to a villa set up for next year.

Go to dinner early then sit on the balcony with a bottle of wine while they sleep. Get the hotel babysitter one night so you can go out for dinner

postcardpuffin · 30/12/2022 14:20

Yes, but you have to have the right set of conditions and not try to do too much. Somewhere like Southwold worked really well for us when DD was small - we rented a self catering cottage next to a playground, and the town is small enough to potter about the town in short bursts but big enough to have enough to do for a week.

So: walk and playground in morning. Back to cottage for lunch. Trip to beach for 1-2hrs in afternoon. Ice cream. Back to cottage. Pizza or fish and chips. Brief early evening trip out to playground. Back to bed (and wine for me!)

Similar for 5-7 days - sandwiches and salads, pizza, ice cream, sausage sandwiches, trip to pier, trip to beach, play ground, lunch out, people and dog watching, ferry trip, pottering around book, cheese and wine shops. Not the most exciting holiday for adults, but everything was in walking distance, could do beach and playground in small doses, child absolutely loved it and we all had a nice time. A good example of when lowering your expectations and just enjoying the small things works well. Avoid the height of summer though - v busy!

FannyCann · 30/12/2022 14:20

Same @Numbersarefun

U.K. cottages, walks, picnics, beaches, paddling and rock pooling.
I suppose it would be nice to have had a babysitter occasionally and a meal out but we never did. I didn't really think of it at the time.

We had a very good holiday at Tuckenhay Mill in Devon. DD1 had slipped and broken her arm on the last day of summer term and we cancelled holiday plans as she seemed to have trips to fracture clinic and a new plaster every two weeks (it was right on the elbow and not straightforward #) When her arm came out of plaster at the end of the holidays she couldn't straighten it at all. We took her out of school (they didn't have the school fine police back then) and went to Devon for a week. Half price as not in holidays. They have/had excellent swimming facilities and we swam two or three times a day and by the end of the week her arm was nearly back to normal. Lovely cottages, walks on the estate and various facilities, trips to the beach etc.

SchrodingersKettle · 30/12/2022 14:22

Yes! Tenerife, the best. Portugal and Menorca out of season when weather is not too hot. We self cater in a villa usually with a shared pool, we bring GPs, we set low expectations. We don’t try to do too much - eat out very rarely, just shop in local shops and don’t worry about doing day trips.

Most days we will bob about at the swimming pool, as kids usually love water. If we go to the beach we make it a short visit early or late out of the hottest sun.

I can honestly say I absolutely loved our last two weeks in Tenerife when our youngest was a baby. And last year teaching our 3 yo learn to swim, build sandcastles etc and his excitement at everything new was just a joy. Although could have done just the same at Weymouth tbh!

Once you let go of the idea that you need t have a holiday like the ones you had pre-babies, it become a much easier enterprise. Still hard work but I have no hesitation to recommend a gentle mooching holiday letting the kids discover the big wide world.

im less excited about taking our 4 yo skiing next Christmas but that’s a whole different thread!

AriettyHomily · 30/12/2022 14:23

My parents had a mobile home in france and we did that a couple of times a year when DTS were small. It was easy to load up the car with the ton of stuff they seemed to need at that age, no worrying about airports, car hire etc. They could go to bed and we could sit out on the deck and have a drink.

Very much 'same shit, different location' when they are small though.

First 'proper' holiday was the US when they were almost three and the flight nearly broke me. Actually it did break me, I ended up in tears.

Did America again when they were five and it was fun, they could stretch their bedtime out, no naps, much more like an actual holiday.

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