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Original poster

What is the best and worst holiday that you have been on?

253 replies

worldshottestmom · 20/03/2026 20:11

Hi. Plane virgin here. Thats right, I've never left the UK (pity me). I am thinking of taking the plunge and taking my kids on holiday abroad next year, for the first time ever for all of us! 'Terrified' doesn’t quite cut it.

Despite my fear of flying (heavily instilled into me by my mother, who is phobic of planes) I don't want to hold myself back and die only ever having been in the UK.

But now the question is, where do we go? I'm thinking of somewhere that's only a short distance away for the first time (probably Spain), but if it goes well, will be looking to travel further in the following years.

So, what was your most and least favourite holiday that you've ever been on?

Bonus question: if you've ever been to Spain, where would you recommend taking 2 kids to within Spain?

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Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 19:03

Twirlywirly25 · 20/03/2026 22:10

Best holiday: Croatia - have been 3 times and have booked to go back again this year. Really good for historic towns and watersports on the coast.
Worst holiday: Morocco - my friend and I were hassled so much everywhere we went and didn't even feel safe in the hotel.

Omg that actually sounds awful im so sorry that happened to you. This is what worries me about going abroad (among many other things) is being harassed and not knowing where I am well enough to know where to go or not being able to ask anyone for help (I only know english). Hopefully this won't happen, pray for me!

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Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 19:03

ilovepixie · 20/03/2026 22:13

How old are the kids?

4 and 2! Will be 5 and 3 by next summer though

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Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 19:06

Angrybird76 · 20/03/2026 23:00

Worst holiday i have been on was florida and new York with my exh and daughter when he was having a affair and was awful to me. I cried in disney world. The best holiday I went on was the year later with my daughter in a caravan in Cornwall. Ironically the caravan was called florida. It's not where you go it's who you go with.

Thats awful and im so sorry you had to go through that. Well done on making him an exH! Have to agree 100000%, I feel like wherever we go we will have a fab time cos ill have my kids with me. Thank you, and im glad you enjoyed Cornwall. Went there when I was little and it was heaven!

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Freeme31 · 21/03/2026 19:09

Your fear the plane will crash is common, perhaps think the pilots and cabin crew would never get on the plane is there was even a 0.00001% chance of it crashing. Its safe as it can be, so enjoy your holiday abroad.

JustAnotherDadOf2 · 21/03/2026 19:09

Lake Garda, Italy north end awesome and beautiful. Easy access to Verona. Porec, Croatia at Nicholas island

mrssunshinexxx · 21/03/2026 19:10

Costa Dorada with two young children it was perfect for the general things parents want plus short flight and very short transfer , 15 mins .

Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 19:11

winnieanddaisy · 20/03/2026 22:20

I cannot believe the people moaning about the Scottish highlands . We rented a lovely cottage near Glencoe about 18 months ago . We stayed the first week of October and had lovely dry weather with only an hours rain one morning . We drove all over the area every day and saw Ben Nevis , the Isle of Skye and Loch Ness , to name a few . I absolutely love bed it and would go back anytime.
I also loved my holidays in Cuba , Mexico and the Greek Isles .

I think the reason I hated it so much because we were in what i can only describe as a wilting cabin in the middle of nowhere. Freezing cold, raining like crazy the whole time, stuck inside the freezing damp cabin it was actually hell on earth. I think being so young made it worse tbh as I just wanted to eat ice cream on the beach haha. I think perhaps staying somewhere a bit (a lot) nicer and going as an adult would be much better!

I've heard good things about Mexico! Just all that flying over the ocean makes me so nervous lol

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keffie12 · 21/03/2026 19:12

The reason they suggest you don't use tap water in Greece is because of the difference in type, to the U.K. it's perfectly safe. I've been going to the Greek Islands for 25 years, and drink the water.

One of the reasons they say buy bottled water is it can save Timmy upsets as it's different treated water. Other reasons is it helps the economy people buying water.

As the business of the toilet paper. They are 2 reasons for that. They are one to not have the paper going out into the sea, and two cos of the waste pipe sizing.

I can't speak for Turkey, however that's the reasons in Greece

Sassylovesbooks · 21/03/2026 19:15

I don't think I've had an awful holiday...well possibly Torquay, Devon when I was a child. We stayed in a B&B, our room had a brick wall right in front, you could open the window and touch the bricks!! 😂 The food was dreadful, think chocolate sponge so hard, a pneumatic drill was required!! 🤣🤣

My favourite country is Greece - I've been to Crete, Corfu, Zakyinthos (Zante), Kefalonia and Kos.

Spain is lovely too. The flight is shorter, and probably ideal for a 'first timer'. Costa Blanca, Costa Dorada, Costa de la Sol, Costa Brava areas are all fantastic.

The Balearic Islands - Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza are all fantastic too. Again, for a first holiday, I think Majorca would be a good choice.

We visited Icmeler, Turkey is nice, we went to Turkey for the first time last year. The flight time is much longer though, over 4 hours.

Canary Islands are fantastic but again, a longer flight at 4 hours or so.

Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 19:17

Lucieintheskywithdiamonds · 21/03/2026 01:32

I dont think i have ever visited a place I dont like but i have never been to an all inclusive type place. So there isnt much that can go wrong? The accomodation isnt so important, i just LOVE being in a new place.

Your family might like Thailand (specifically an island like Koh Samui) but it might be too far for a first trip. Go for Italy. Dont worry about flying. I dont love it but i do it all the time - have a glass of wine at the airport and again after take off to take the edge off! Make sure you have a way to distract yourself - short flights often don't have movies which isnt great - so bring some along if possible like on a tablet. Or trashy magazines also good.

Wine and trashy movies/magazines will get you through! After a couple of glasses of wine, i always think "Why do i always worry about this? I love flying!" But back to being nervous again as soon as its time to board the next flight!

Hahaha that is definitely me. I always thought id have to be steaming to get on a plane, but with age 2 glasses of wine and some magazines / books would probably actually be quite nice! Thank you so much for the suggestion! Its the flying part im having a hard time getting over tbh.

I have always wanted to go to Italy! There's so many choices I just cant decide 😭

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Soufriere · 21/03/2026 19:22

I tend to think my last holiday was the best. We have just been to St Lucia and it was sublime.

We prioritise holidays and travel a lot. I’d probably say holidays when our kids were small were the very best. We always did long haul and never found it tough with kids.

The worst holiday we had was with 6 friends. We let one couple choose the rental property in the Dordogne (somewhere we usually love) and they went for cheap. It was awful, basic accommodation and we were all extremely tetchy after just a few days. Also, I’d not go back to Greece because of the toilet paper situation.

ginasevern · 21/03/2026 19:35

Worst holidays were Malta which I hated. It wasn't what I expected it to be. The second worst was Lido di Jesolo, and I love Italy so that says something.

AgnesMcDoo · 21/03/2026 19:38

Menorca and the Canaries are my favourites in Spain

Best - Australia, Jamaica, Switzerland

Worst - Costa Brava or Cyprus

Appleberrybloom · 21/03/2026 19:39

Another suggestion Eurocamp. It gives you the best of everything. Kids will be happy which will mean you can enjoy yourself more so. You can either use as a base or use all the facilities on site. It's self catering but also restaurants on site which you could do pay as you go for all week. You can filter by distance from airport or port. Perhaps a ferry is an option if you're unsure of flying?

There's lots of accommodation options too varying from tents to more premium 'lodges'. Also if you find a site you like, then search it on Mumsnet as often lots of site specific advise/comments.

Also in my experience there's usually a British representative on site, which may be a nice support for your first trip.

landlordhell · 21/03/2026 19:41

worldshottestmom · 20/03/2026 20:23

Yea I feel like Spain is a pretty safe bet for a first time holiday, with kids especially.

Whoever told you to go to the Scottish Highlands on holiday is no friend to you and I hope you've healed since then. Went to a rural part of Scotland on a little getaway as a child and well, I won't be going back...

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Scottish Highland was a fab holiday for us one October half term with two chn. We cruised on Loch Ness , visited castles, went up the Nevis range in a cable car. It was absolutely stunning in autumn.

Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 19:44

Gardenquestion22 · 21/03/2026 02:29

I know people who have done fear of flying courses and found them incredibly good, transformative in fact.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/apr/16/conquer-fear-of-flying-terror-board-plane

Thanks so much for this!! I think i would definitely be up for doing something like this. I have this really bad concern that even if I did book a flight id have a panic attack when it comes to boarding and embarrass myself making a scene. I always tell myself people fly all the time it'll be fine but the anxiety is on me like a leech 😭 think I will definitely go ahead and book something like this first. Thank you!

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PBJsandwich123 · 21/03/2026 19:48

Love this question. Feel like I'm living vicariously through you. So here goes...

Worst: Paris (expensive, unsafe, polluted, rude people), Porto,

Meh (ok, but nothing special):

Best: Kyoto, Osaka, Kusadasi, Rome, Sorrento, Fuerta Ventura, Tenerife, Paphos,

Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 19:48

Villanousvillans · 21/03/2026 03:57

I like the area around Valencia in Spain. It’s cheaper to stay in that area as it’s not so commercialised. Valencia is a beautiful city and definitely worth a visit.

I like Oliva, which has a stunning beach. If you fancy self catering Kiko Park has very nice apartments along with their camping pitches. There’s a beautiful pool and the site is situated right next to the beach. They keep the place spotlessly clean. There’s a restaurant and a pizza place onsite but also lovely restaurants close by. Oliva town is a short walk away and is very quaint. The area is very Spanish and doesn’t have places doing a full English breakfast. You can sit in the square and have coffees or freshly squeezed orange juice. There’s a choice of shops and an excellent market every Friday.

https://kikopark.com/en/apartments/

Wow this looks incredible thank you so much for the recommendation! I would love to experience more of the true Spanish culture and this place looks and sounds great for that. I adore markets as well and love having a mooch about them. It being lower cost is an added bonus as well - more money to spend at the markets 😏 Will definitely add this to the list, thanks!

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Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 19:52

Caspianberg · 21/03/2026 05:38

There at slots of family hotels or kinder hotels in Europe. Especially Austria, Croatia, Italy.
They are focuses on kids so always good at weird times available also, kids friendly rooms, kids activities

Its very hot generally in Most of Europe
now in July and August, but May sea and outdoor pools will be cold if not heated. So make sure to book somewhere with heated outdoor or indoor pools if you want water

Family hotel Amarin in Rovinj - Croatia is worth a look

Also Terme Olimia in Slovenia. It’s thermal pool complex with various accommodation surrounding it ie hotels, apartments, camping and you pick what suits you can use all the facilities

Theres also a few centre parks equivalent in Netherlands. It won’t be as hot and you can find one with space to get away from others if needed whilst using all facilities

https://little-clogs-holidays.co.uk/where-to-stay/ - this has some good recommendations in Netherlands or Belgium area. Both could be reached by Eurostar and just hire car locally if needed or use public transport

Brilliant informative comment, thank you! Yes i am quite keen to make sure my kids have a lot to do while we are there. I'm thinking of only going for a week the first time just in case, and those countries sound great for that.

Thanks so much for the link! Will be having a look now. Honestly just getting so excited about it all now and can't wait to decide where to book. There's been so many fabulous recommendations, I'm spoilt for choice!

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Sometimessmiling · 21/03/2026 19:54

worldshottestmom · 20/03/2026 20:23

Yea I feel like Spain is a pretty safe bet for a first time holiday, with kids especially.

Whoever told you to go to the Scottish Highlands on holiday is no friend to you and I hope you've healed since then. Went to a rural part of Scotland on a little getaway as a child and well, I won't be going back...

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As a Scot get up here your kids would love the great outdoors and Edinburgh is spectacular.

Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 20:04

RubyFlax · 21/03/2026 06:59

If it’s your first time abroad and through an airport I would advise booking a package holiday rather than trying to do flights and accommodation yourself. Honestly the flight will be an absolute breeze, the most stressful things about travelling abroad are airports and the to and from either side.

You mentioned your DS is autistic so to keep stress levels to a minimum I would recommend a smaller UK airport if you have one near to you, and choose your accommodation carefully based on the transfer time when you arrive, With a package holiday they will just meet you as you leave the airport, shepherd you all on to a coach and then drop you at your hotel, which I’d say is perfect for your first time abroad, however some can be a long coach journey of 2+ hours, others can be a mere 15 mins - so definitely look at the transfer time of the accommodation you’re looking at. I should add it’s also possible to have a private taxi transfer so this might something worth considering (you can usually select to upgrade to this during your booking).

I would also recommend going in quieter times of the year - although obviously all school holidays will be busy, but May and October half term will still usually give you pretty decent (25c) warm weather, where as you could be looking at 35-40c in mid summer.

Also one final thing, do you have a lanyard or anything for your DS ? A friend of mine travels with her DD who is autistic and has a sunflower lanyard & informs the airport staff / cabin crew etc that she has additional needs. They will help with things like queuing etc at security (taking you through a quieter lane) and helping you get settled on the plane so as you board first that kind of thing. I think holiday companies like TUI tend to be the most family friendly and aware of additional needs so maybe worth booking through them or even visiting an actual travel agent to book & chat through with them.

Finally, be totally honest when you are at the airport & with the cabin crew etc - if you let them know when you check in at the desk that it’s your fist time flying they are much more likely to direct you what to do / where to go next, otherwise they can be a bit surly and will just expect you know the drill 😆 especially important if you want things to be as calm as possible for your DS.

Not trying to put you off at all, as I’m sure you will have an absolutely amazing time, just forewarned is for armed and with a little bit of preparation you’ll sail through the airport and onto the plane for a lovely smooth flight.

Flying is the absolute best. Try and get a window seat if you can, The power you feel under you as the plane goes down the runway and then lifts effortlessly into the air and above the clouds is like nothing else, and seeing the fields etc below is fascinating. Enjoy !!

This is honestly one of the most helpful comments I have received, thank you thank you thank you. ALL of this hadn't even occurred to me as I was so focused on where would be best to go!

I actually feel so much more prepared after reading your comment. He does have a lanyard for when we go to very busy events etc, and with him being minimally verbal it makes me so paranoid that if he were to get lost he can't even ask anyone for help. The small airport is an absolute must. The closest to me is one of the biggest in the UK, so will definitely have to travel to somewhere smaller but I don't mind that so long as its safer and better for him.

I will definitely make sure to tell cabin crew, and probably all staff that I see that its my first time flying lol. If people get pissy with me cos I don't know what I'm doing I'll just cry and go home 😭 but we remain positive. It will not come to that. I think I would also feel so much better having somewhere transfer us to the hotel directly, though will make sure it is definitely a short journey. Getting lost during my first time in a foreign country is definitely not on my to do list! Didn't even know this was a thing so thanks so much for making me aware!

I would love to be so brave as to have a window seat, but i just don't know. I don't want to send myself into panic mode by looking out the window lol, but someone else suggested a good dose of wine and I think with that I may be brave enough. I don't want to sit my kids in the window seats as I think they would panic too lol.

Exciting times ahead! Thank you so much for this, truly!

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Luckyingame · 21/03/2026 20:11

Worst, Calabria.
Best, cannot really remember.

Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 20:12

Oneearringlost · 21/03/2026 07:13

Corfu is ABSOLUTELY lovely, OP.

We hired a villa, totally beautiful...we visited remote monasteries with aparies and honey...churches, quiet beaches, Gerald Durrell ( My Family and other Animals), Corfu Town/ Castle has history and a beautiful warmth, good cafes...restaurants, they do the street lighting really well. It felt safe. We came back rosy and restored. ( We visited in the last week of Sept...so excellent, balmy weather for swimming and beach, short-sleeved evenings still, but tourists at a minimum. Would return in the blink of an eye.
Would you hire a car? Not essential, as you can hire taxis ( not sure of your budget?) We had a brill taxi ( guide ) trip on Paxos, but different island....

I do hope you find a lovely place and have a super experience, as it sounds like a big deal for you. X

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Honestly that actually sounds like heaven and I wish I was there now! You really described it in such a beautiful light I can just imagine it. All of the things to do sound so perfect for us. Im definitely going to book Corfu for a future holiday once Im more used to flying and familiar with the customs of being abroad in general.

The budget for the first holiday Im keeping at around £3k, only wanting to go for a week the first time just in case lol and I can't drive so would definitely have to be taxis!

I think Corfu would be my number one choice for when the kids are a teeny bit older (perhaps when youngest is 5) as i think i would just feel safer being further away when they're at a more manageable age.

Aww thank you so much! It really is a big deal I'm so nervous but so excited. I just hope all goes well and we all enjoy it but especially my 2 munchkins. Thank you! X

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Original poster
worldshottestmom · 21/03/2026 20:20

popcornandpotatoes · 21/03/2026 10:13

Best and worst have many other variables like who you're with, the weather etc.

Spain is great, Balearic islands I would always recommend. We also had a brilliant holiday in South of France. Stayed at a eurocamp that had a regular bus dropping you off in town, and from there the train travel was brilliant and could take you all the way along the coast in either direction. Didn't need a car. Got the train all the way to Italy one afternoon.

Edit as I didn't add best and worst.

Best was California, drove top to bottom. But far away and it was incredibly expensive.

Worst was a really cheap AI in gran canaria. Proper getting up at 6am to get pool loungers, no air con in the rooms. In the middle of August. That was years ago and we've stayed at lots of great AIs since but that one was hellish

Edited

Going to california has always been my dream since being a teen! I know its super expensive but cruising along the california coastline like im in a beach romance chick flick would feel absolutely divine. No chance im flying all that way first time though lol, but hopefully one day!

I want to travel to so many places now. Italy and France probably on the more immediate list. Think I will go further out the more I get comfortable and as the kids get older.

The cheap AI sounds 😩 omg. Im not getting up at 6 on holiday for anybody. And no air con in August?? Goodness me I wouldn't make it. You get what you pay for i guess and will be sure to keep that in mind! Thank you!

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