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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:
IWishIWasABaller · 30/12/2022 16:45

We've always taken ours on holidays abroad since they were babies. Never dawned on us not too and we always enjoyed it.Always stayed in a hotel near to the beach with a pool . We would take turns to bring them up for their naps meaning we both got time alone to sunbathe and swim during the day. Out for dinner then in the evening lots of kid friendly restaurants to leave toddlers play and baby would either snooze in buggy or be in our arms. I suppose we were lucky as our babies were very easy going and adapted to the new holiday routine very quickly

Sotiredmjmmy · 30/12/2022 16:48

All inclusive with decent pool and kids club that starts at age 3 and play areas suitable for babies upwards - kids spend all day in the pool, don’t have to think about food/drinks etc, makes it easy. Just be selective if go Europe May/June as the pools aren’t always that warm - long haul all inclusive worked surprisingly well for us

WoolyMammoth55 · 30/12/2022 16:49

GemmaFoster · 30/12/2022 16:19

Another vote for mobile home on a French campsite. Relatively cheap, self catering is by far easier with little ones as you can eat when you want plus there’s always a bar / restaurant for take outs. Pool on site, other families, easy living. We upgraded to mobile homes after camping, also did many fancy holidays but the French campsite ones were always the best. I think it’s because you have proper living space, rather than just a room. And freedom to just have a sandwich if needed. Hope you find something.

Can you name any specific sites for this, please? It sounds ideal but I don't know where to start :) Thanks!

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Holidays
MotherofPearl · 30/12/2022 16:50

VitaminX · 30/12/2022 16:34

We had an amazing time in Copenhagen when ours were 1 and 3. We cycled around with them and did the sort of things they would like (the science museum was a particular hit with the 3 yr old) and fed them on hot dogs, ice cream and other nutritious food. City breaks can be great if there is an easy way to get around with them and lots of playgrounds and things to give them a chance to blow off steam.

Agree about outdoor space to allow DC to blow off steam. We usually stay somewhere self-catering and if in a city our routine is:

Breakfast at apartment
Get everyone out to an attraction for the morning (museum etc)
Late lunch out (main meal)
Find outdoor space for DC to run off energy while we loll on bench
Walk around and find shops to buy a few easy things for light dinner at the apartment
When DC are asleep we have a glass of wine and play cards/Scrabble etc.

Tiredalwaystired · 30/12/2022 16:58

We had some lovely ones when mine were nursery age at Parkdean resorts. Loads of tots activities during the day.

Although I guess it depends on how much you want it to be your kind of holiday or a holiday where you enjoy what they enjoy. We always found the best holidays when they were little were watching them have a great time. It wasn’t really about our needs for a good few years.

Holihobbies · 30/12/2022 16:59

Definitely AI with a decent pool and kids club. If you can find one with really shallow kids pool or a beach style lagoon even better. Mid day 2 hour naps because of the heat were amazing !

Draconis · 30/12/2022 17:02

Every single holiday.
Have taken dc on holiday in uk and abroad.
Cottage in wales and Cornwall.
We flew to the US when dc were 3 and 1. Parts of the flight was difficult but the rest of the holiday was great.
We tried to time drives during nap times, always carried snacks for dc that were easy to eat like croissants/rolls or bananas.
Went self catering everywhere and bought things that I knew dc would eat.
Dh is hands on and helps out with chores so that obviously helps (and how it should be but I know some people have a difficult partner)

DelphiniumBlue · 30/12/2022 17:03

OldTinHat · 30/12/2022 14:11

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

Oh yes, we did a Haven holiday on the South coast when DS2 was about 8 weeks old and DS1 was 2 1/2. It was great, August but not that warm , but there was an onsite playground for DS1, and nice walks and the beach and steam trains and cheap cafes.. all very low key and tbh we had very low expectations too, so everything nice was a bonus!
We've done Spain with a 2 and 4 year old, that was also lowkey and we had my mum for an extra pair of hands. If there'd been only 2 adults we would not have had 5 minutes rest but with more adults than children you can work in shifts so everyone gets time to chill. You need low expectations, and I reckon it's not worth spending a lot of money becasue the children won't appreciate it and you still won't get to eat a meal in peace.

purplepush · 30/12/2022 17:05

We've been on holidays with DD since she was 3 months old and had good fun on all of them. The best places have been completely targeted towards DC - Butlins, Cornish activity farm, CBeebies Land, Peppa Pig, Disneyland Paris. But we've also done city breaks and sightseeing (the kind of thing we'd have done before having DC). It doesn't feel like hard work to me because we tend to keep busy most weekends anyway (we're in London so DDs are used to going to museums and tourist attractions), and I've never done relaxing beach type holidays - I'd get really bored.

One thing that's different is that we always choose to stay in apartments now and not hotel rooms - so much easier to have a separate living area when the DC are in bed, and have a proper kitchen for meal prep (we find it easier to self cater as it's healthier and can serve at times that suit us).

Peabody25 · 30/12/2022 17:16

We always did Center Parcs when DS was small. We'd do a Monday to Friday in term-time, we'd always be up early as DS is a real early bird, so we'd just get breakfast, pack a swimming bag and be there for the baby swim at 9:30, stay in there for a couple of hours, have a walk with him in a buggy so he'd fall asleep.

We'd then wheel him back and chill or get a hot chocolate and walk, when he woke up we'd have lunch, go to a playground or bike ride in the afternoon then for tea we'd either cook in the villa, get a takeaway or do an early meal out.

We'd then put DS to bed and we'd relax in the villa and watch tv.

It couldn't have been more relaxing. We always chose the ones within a couple of hours of us and it was perfect.

Lovetotravel123 · 30/12/2022 17:17

It depends on the purpose of the holiday. If your aim is to relax, then no. If your aim is to explore a new place, then yes.

sunlight81 · 30/12/2022 17:17

3 under 4 here ... we've done short breaks (m-f or f-m) in the uk at holiday parks eg butlins/haven

Won't get me Abroad or on even a weeks holiday until the youngest is 4 ... far too stressful at it is and I need a rest when I get back!!

Duttercup · 30/12/2022 17:19

I love taking my toddler on holiday. Guess it depends what kind of parent you are. I'm a disorganised, non-planner, as long as I have a few nappies, I figure it'll all be fine.

Long haul, short haul, camping, city trips. Occasionally on a more complicated trip I wonder WTF I'm doing, but never on an AI, by the pool sunshine trip. Kids love water and ice cream, what's to not like.

AzerJoon · 30/12/2022 17:26

I went fuerteventura when my daughter was 9 months (nope) and 18 months (yes!!)

I now have a second child and will not be taking them anywhere until he is Atleast 3.5 (he's 18 months) I attempted Disneyland Paris and it was a absolute shit show. Even my 4 year old was a devil.

Fizbosshoes · 30/12/2022 17:27

I've had 2 really unenjoyable holidays when DC were little
One was a month after my mum died. The cottage was isolated and the weather was mainly crap, but to be honest I was finding everything unbearably tough having tiny children and dealing with grief, so that wasn't the holidays fault!
The other was AI and both children had notorious. It was pretty hideous.

Otherwise I've enjoyed holidays when DC were young but again, like pp, we usually go on holiday in the uk (which some on MN don't consider a holiday) self cater (which some dont consider a holiday) or camp (which lots don't consider a holiday!!)

saraclara · 30/12/2022 17:28

Prior to kids, my DH and I did adventurous long haul holidays. But when they came along and we barely had the money to leave home, we were able to be equally excited about going to the Dorset/Welsh coast, and our kids picked up on our pleasure at going on holiday.

I honestly think that it comes down to parental expectation and stress levels. If you're happy and relaxed and wholly positive about what a good time you're going to have, they usually they will be too.
Being organised but remaining relaxed, and timing journeys right makes a big difference. And take a lesson from your kids and find pleasure in small things.

I still love a caravan. As soon as you step into one, the environment says 'holiday'.

Fizbosshoes · 30/12/2022 17:28

Norovirus not notorious 🤣

Bestcatmum · 30/12/2022 17:30

DS is 40 now but was a very sweet and self sufficient child. The two of us went off for a typical bucket and spade holiday in Spain together and had a lovely time swimming and making sandcastles.

Bestcatmum · 30/12/2022 17:31

He was introduced to all kinds of food at a very young age so would try all the Spanish food too and loved it.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 30/12/2022 17:35

Yes! We've taken DD away abroad at 6 months, 10 months, 18 months and 4yo and loved each holiday.

Main things:

  • we went with another couple with a child or with wider family so lots more adults/children. Wouldn't wnat to go just the 3 of us.
  • all inclusive so dont have to worry about food/drink.
-took pushchair/stroller when she was little so went in pool to tire her out then she would nap in pushhair so we could swim/sunbathe etc.
  • pick a ground floor hotel appartment style room so you can put kids to bed in 'lounge bit' so you can sit on patio and drink/play games etc to whatever time you want, and keeps the main bedroom free for you.
mewkins · 30/12/2022 17:40

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.

I did the same. Still not relaxing but kind of entertaining for a change of scenery. Much better from about aged 3 onwards.

AChristmasCaro · 30/12/2022 17:40

Low expectations are your friend. Our best holidays when DC were very small were cottages where we could go for country walks, snuggle up by the fire, explore local petting farm or steam railway etc or seaside with bucket and spade. Maybe a couple of pub lunches or equivalent. Really lovely times and I have some great memories. This was mainly UK, France, Ireland, Germany- we saved the more long-distance and adventurous trips for when they were a bit older.

I don't like resort holidays anyway so wouldn't consider that but I know they work for some.

user863 · 30/12/2022 18:00

Yes! We went with 3 &1 to Canary Islands. However we went with another family who had similar aged children. Was lovely just to get away, change of scenery and good food

CatSeany · 30/12/2022 18:01

We went to menorca with a 9 month old and 2.5 Yr old. It wasn't without its stress, but we enjoyed it. We chose an apartments that had a small indoor soft play which gave us an hour to just have a drink each day. Got the kids to bed and aimed to just have an hour or so on the balcony looking at the sea... sometimes we managed that and sometimes we didn't. I think we might go half board or bed and breakfast last time rather than self catering just because restaurants opened at 7 which was when the kids were getting tired.