Trip to Blackpool

[Summermeadowflowers]

Planning a trip to Blackpool (I know, it’s the seventh circle of hell) next week with a very nearly 3 year old and a 4 month old baby. We live about two hours away and have to be back the following day by about 9.

I am undecided whether to go early and leave early - by about 1 latest, as the 3 year old will almost certainly fall asleep on the way back and this generally isn’t a problem if it’s before about 2. If he falls asleep after this we’re looking at a very late bedtime.

Alternatively I could stay over at a hotel and go back the following morning and make a day of it. I imagine there’s enough to keep children happy all day and we’d have a dinner at Pizza Hut or similar and go back to the hotel as I don’t really fancy being out after dark in Blackpool with small children alone - I know it can get a bit more sinister shall we say at night. What would be best? Trying to think.

If you don't like it then why are you going?

Sorry, I just get a bit defensive of Blackpool as it's my home town.

If you're taking loads of stuff anyway as you have a baby, you might be better off staying over. That way you can have a leisurely day and not have to worry about rushing around and doing quite a bit of driving before and afterwards.

It was an attempt at a joke; sorry if that wasn’t very clear. Usually when you mention Blackpool here you get horrified responses telling you to go to lovely Lytham

DS wants to meet Stick Man

I would go and just leave after dinner so little one will sleep in the car and you can hopefully transfer to bed - I know this often doesn't work and they might wake up, but I loathe trying to get toddlers to sleep in a strange hotel and would rather have the struggle at home and wake up in my own bed

I love Blackpool.

Kids will have so much fun.

I did consider that @legalseagull but I don’t think I would successfully get him from car to bed and plus his bedtime isn’t until seven thirty ish and I don’t want to be out with them then. @TidyupPutaway i think they will

I'm sorry, its early but it was no excuse for me to have a go

Why on earth would you drive 4 hours with a 4 month old baby before 2pm just because you're scared a 3 year old might wake up

Either drive home in the evening or stay over. What do you think will happen at 7pm in Blackpool? (Other than the illuminations coming on).

The winter wonderland village is there with ice skating etc, all of the usual attractions and the illuminations. Why miss out on that? He's 3, he'll go back to sleep if he wakes up

How much time you need depends what you are going for. Until 1pm or a whole day it's a huge difference. Will you fit everything in?

Book a room, have an afternoon nap and go out again in the evening. You’ll have an amazing time!

Kids love Blackpool.

My parents live near it and I always took mine to visit Blackpool.

I'd stay over, you'll have less stress and they'll love it.

Don’t worry @TheChippendenSpook , as the response above shows you’ll always get unpleasant responses no matter how innocuous the thread!

@JamieKnows , because for the last week I’ve got by on four hours sleep. I’m tired. I prioritise sleep. It’s not about being scared he’d wake up, it’s about him charging round the house until 2am then having a knock on effect the next day and the day after and the day after that … When you have very small children you do have to prioritise their needs, funny that.

I was thinking of leaving early - 7am maybe, getting there around 9, then leaving around 1.

As for what I think will happen, nothing, just that it’s dark and cold and the children are little and would probably be better home or in a hotel.

DS doesn’t routinely nap but he will nod off in the car, that’s why I do have to give the car journey some thought because if I left at say 3 and got back at 5 the evening and that night would be horrendous for everyone and it’s not fair.

And @keye I am taking him to the Gruffalo thing (forget what it’s called!) where he can meet stick man, but I can easily add on things if we do decide to stay over.

If the 4month old isn't sleeping well then being packed into a hotel room might not be much fun. I'd go early, have lunch out and then head home. Would they normally have a nap in the afternoon and hence sleep in the car?

It’s her brother who is the poor sleeper at the moment - they’re doing a good job of tag teaming in fact!

It probably does sound overly fussy but I really don’t want to be dealing with DS past 9, 10, 11 pm and then having the fallout for quite a while afterwards. DD tends to nod off wherever but DS only naps in the car. Ideally he wouldn’t nap at all but it’s probably impossible to completely avoid without staying over.

We go to Blackpool every year about this time to see the lights. On the prom is is safe imo and the kids will love looking at the lights and projections. Just take loads of warm layers as it can be cold if the wind is blowing off the sea. The gruffalo thing looks great though we haven't been yet. Hotel is definitely the way to go as you can pop in and out as suits.
We always go to Bispham Kitchen for fish and chips the get on the tram and travel the whole way down to see the lights from inside the tram, then we get back on and get off around the tower for a bit then back to Bispham to look at the vintage lights. Loads of on street parking there and we have stayed in hotels up that end, as it is less busy.

With such a young baby, I wouldn’t. It was -4 a little while ago and staying indoors all day can be very expensive.