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Original poster

What age did you first take your child abroad?

103 replies

Leabee1234 · 03/09/2026 19:23

What age did you take your child abroad for the first time? My son has just turned 3 and I haven't taken him abroad yet. He also has autism and he gets very overwhelmed and even UK holidays are quite stressful.
I was thinking of going abroad next year but not sure I have the nerve to do it with his needs yet.
I feel like a bad mom seeing the young toddlers going abroad at a young age but not sure whether to stick to UK holidays until hes older and can handle it more.

OP posts:
Jules198711 · 03/09/2026 19:53

4 & 1. But to be honest we have had lovely holidays in the UK. Thier favourite place that we've been is centerparcs at whinfell! (We've been to Portugal, majorca and disneyland paris but they still talk about center parcs all the time!)

PartoftheBand · 03/09/2026 19:56

DD was around 18 months. I was around 16 before I went abroad in a school trip and never went abroad with my parents.

It's absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, especially if your DC's autism is likely to make things difficult for you. We've had some family holidays abroad but also had years where we've had lovely holidays in the UK instead.

nomoreraintoday · 03/09/2026 20:03

A few months. Travel is important to me.

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newseries · 03/09/2026 20:04

Haven’t attempted it yet (one is 5 and the other recently turned 3.)

I get a fair few influencer type people in my Instagram feed who are always travelling. They all just have one child though!

seahorsessky · 03/09/2026 20:07

Why are you a bad mum? Surely a good one to not inflict airports and flying on little ones-it can really hurt their ears-and there's no need to take them abroad-at that age they won't care, and there's lots to do here.

AllJoyAndNoFun · 03/09/2026 20:07

About 4 months I think. It was fine but obviously he remembers nothing of it so from an “experience for him” it was null and void.

thislittlelife · 03/09/2026 20:07

All kids want is a beach and ice-cream. Parents who take their very young children abroad are doing so because it's them who want the abroad experience... which is absolutely fine! But very young children aren't missing out by going on UK holidays. We can afford occasional abroad holidays, but didn't go abroad until youngest was 5 as husband and I were happy to stay in the UK and it was less stressful. I'm confident my kids are having a brilliant childhood and haven't missed out at all!

LimesLemonsOranges · 03/09/2026 20:08

4 and it was not great!
Have stuck to UK since.
Now considering abroad again at age 8

Coldwetlettuce · 03/09/2026 20:10

If it’s just cos you feel bad for your son, he really won’t care! I didn’t go abroad until I was an adult. Every holiday was a cottage or campsite somewhere in the UK and I had the best time and have amazing memories. My 7 yo dd has been on holiday abroad twice but seems to enjoy the camping holidays we’ve had in the uk way more. She just moans in the heat and doesn’t appreciate being abroad the way an adult or older kid would anyway. There’s loads of fun holidays you can do in the UK!

Justploddingonandon · 03/09/2026 20:10

DS - 9 months but this was for a close family wedding
DD - 10, she has ASD but tbh we’ve never been beech holiday people so were happy to stay in the Uk before they got old enough to enjoy city breaks.

modgepodge · 03/09/2026 20:12

First child was 4, second was 2. Only did it sooner with second one because oldest child was desperate to go on a plane again! It was fine actually but we only did a short (90 minute) flight and chose the times carefully so he wasn’t tired (not a chance he’d sleep on the plane).

Found the airport absolutely exhausting especially with 2 kids this time, but the actual flight was ok.

Absolutely fine to stick with UK holidays if you can’t face going abroad yet!

DappledOliveGroves · 03/09/2026 20:12

DD1 - about 6 weeks. DD2 - four months.

user293948849167 · 03/09/2026 20:14

My eldest was 2 but it was for a family wedding and lots of extra pairs of hands to help if needed.
We then went on holiday when the was 3, she was quite sensible though and it was just her with me and DH so felt manageable.
My youngest didn’t go until she was 6, combination of not wanting to take two young kids and then Covid.
If you don’t think your DS will cope just now that’s fine, he isn’t missing out. Young children are just as happy on the beach in the UK.

nowimabeliever · 03/09/2026 20:14

9 months on a multi-generational family holiday. It was good. It was much worse when we went abroad with a 3-year-old and a baby – could have skipped that one.

thisfilmisboring123 · 03/09/2026 20:15

We lived abroad so about 3 months old.

However, I don’t think it’s helpful to compare in this situation.

Given what you’ve said, do you actually want to go? Do you think your son would enjoy it?
From your opening post, it’s sounds like it’s a no to both.

Your son’s not missing out at 3 years of age. Plenty of great things to do in this country.
Wait until he’s older and assess the situation then.

I wouldn’t put yourself through something because others do.

painthisbathroom · 03/09/2026 20:21

Just taken our 5 yo abroad for the first time. I think doing it sooner would have been a waste of money unless we had family overseas to visit. This was the first summer she was really confident in the water so loved being in and out of it without us worrying too much and she's much more confident, sociable and independent after a year at school so made friends easily which meant we didn't need to entertain her. We're planning to holiday in the UK for the next couple of years, then go abroad again the year after that.

hafig · 03/09/2026 20:37

7 months and it was brilliant. Not walking so confined to buggy. No need to worry about her running off into the pool. She napped in buggy, heat just knocked her out. Such an easy holiday compared to taking toddlers.

Now they are 9 & 11 and it’s again brilliant, they can swim, go to the play park and you’re not constantly following them about.

GrandTheftWalrus · 03/09/2026 20:38

Mine were 5 and 1 when we first went abroad. Then every year until dh health has stopped us going this year. Hopefully get away next year. They are now 5 and 9.

I first went abroad at 13 with my parents.

GoodkneeBadKnee · 03/09/2026 20:39

DC1 was 22 months. We went to Jamaica. DH stayed home, so was just us two. DC2 was 5 months old DC1 was nearly 4 when we went on holiday as a family of 4 for the first time.

Blondeshavemorefun · 03/09/2026 20:40

5mths and been every year (bar covid as flights all cancelled)

I work very hard all year to enjoy a holiday abroad with sunshine

tinytemper66 · 03/09/2026 20:41

Both around 18 months

Oooonoooot · 03/09/2026 20:43

My 1st 4 ,2nd 2 and youngest 7 months . All good for us .

MassiveOvaryaction · 03/09/2026 20:43

Eldest 8 months.

Youngest I still haven't and he's 16 (very different circumstances), although he has been abroad on school trips.

Hmmmmwineandchocs · 03/09/2026 21:02

7.5 months

floofydoofy · 03/09/2026 21:08

UK holidays are much better for young children IMO. No need to feel bad. There's nothing wrong with taking toddlers on holidays abroad but you don't need to do it for their sake, only if YOU (the parents) want to go and therefore child can go with you!

We took our children abroad for the first and only time when they were 2 and 4. It was lovely. We did it because my dad was working in the country we travelled to at the time so we went for a visit and made it a holiday. We had a fantastic time, but no better than our week in Wales this year. We are going abroad again next year when they'll be 5 and 7, again to visit my dad working abroad (different country this time). We are looking forward to it, but again, not particularly lusting over the abroad aspect. They'll have plenty of time to travel when they're older.