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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that you can travel with young children?!

78 replies

FlappyBaps · 13/05/2011 11:15

Right I am am rapidly losing patience with my DH and the dreaded subject of The Holiday. Please tell me that my desire to get somewhere almost guaranteed to be sunny is not overriding common sense!

Our DD is 14 months old - a very wriggly, active 14 months old and to be honest travelling anywhere with more than a 2 hour journey is going to be painful. But I reckon for our only 2 week holiday it's worth the pain. I'm thinking: flight from local airport, 2 hour flight, 2 hour car journey at the other end. That has got to be better than 3 hour drive to ferry port, ferry crossing (long one) and 2 hour drive at the other end (at least).

I'm sure some of you have done plan journeys with young children: how hideous is it? Really??

OP posts:

Sleepwhenidie · 14/05/2011 06:15

I thought when I saw OP that you were contemplating a transatlantic trip with four DC's under 6, in which case I would understand your reluctance to even leave the house....but one 14m old-pah! I am with expat on this - yanbu !

Sleepwhenidie · 14/05/2011 06:16

Wow, just saw your post Beattie- respect

EdwardorEricCantDecide · 14/05/2011 06:39

My DS is 2yo now he's been abroad 3 times

5hrs to Egypt he was 10mo
3.5 hrs to Spain he was 17mo
2.5 hrs to Spain he was 23mo

There are 2ways to make it easier depending on child, time the flights so that they are exhausted we do very early morning (wake at 4am) or late at night anytime past usual bedtime and keep them up till takeoff this mean when plane starts moving they're likely to sleep for most of it.

If your DC is easily amused with TV get a portable DVD player with few cbeebies DVDs or Disney movies etc

I don't think YABU even if it is tough for 2weeks away it's worth it!

cory · 14/05/2011 09:50

I have travelled home to Sweden twice a year with dcs ever since they were a few months old, sometimes on the place, sometimes on the ferry, sometimes with dh, sometimes alone. Also several holidays, the longest being a 17 hr train journey to Berlin with dd when she was 23 months. Absolutely fine, by the time we got to the Ardennes I knew her story book off by heart and could admire the view whilst reading aloud to her.

My db took his 2yo on the train from Sweden to Rome. My parents took theirs on the train from Sweden to Athens.

Basically, if you are the kind of person who wants to travel and perhaps even needs to travel it , then it will be worth doing. Yes, it's hard work, but sometimes a change is as good as a rest. I would have been a lot more exhausted if I hadn't had those holidays.

manchestermummy · 14/05/2011 10:04

Of course you can travel with young children! DD1 has so far been to mainland Spain, the Canaries and Canada. She was 20 months when we did Canada. Wouldn't really recommend long-haul with a child who does not have their own seat though...

manchestermummy · 14/05/2011 10:04

Oh and my first trip abroad was to Canada as a 6-month-old!

belgo · 14/05/2011 10:08

Op: ferry crossings, even long ones, can be great fun with children, and I consider them to be part of the holiday.

If it's a choice between plane and boat, I would look at the cost. I have three children and a two hour plane flight would cost a fortune.

TheBride · 14/05/2011 10:11

Wouldn't really recommend long-haul with a child who does not have their own seat though...

Hell no. Once they're out of the bassinet, they're in their own seat on LH, or we're not going.

EveWasFramed72 · 14/05/2011 10:19

I travelled to America on my own with my two when they were 2 and 9 months, and then the next year when they were 3 and 1...7 ish hour flight...it was work, but no problem. It's easier when DH travels with us, so you shouldn't have any issue with one 14 month old and two parents!

wonka · 14/05/2011 10:31

I travel regularly to Ireland on my own with 4, (aged 8,7,4 and 2) By ferry which is 6hrs in the car 3 hrs on the ferry and an hour the other side. Have done America on my own with all of them last year and will be doing a long flight this year without DH. Of course its much easier when he can come with us. Two of you with on toddler... easy peasy!

belgo · 14/05/2011 10:32

wonka - my children are of similar ages to yours, and I have to admit, a ratio of two adults to one toddler does seem easy peasy!

belgo · 14/05/2011 10:33

except I have three children, not four! Sorry I can't count.

lljkk · 14/05/2011 10:36

One child age 14 months is fine. You try flying transatlantic with 4 children age 10 and under, when you have a broken arm and probable swine flu and no other helpful adult in your party. (God Bless the Flight Stewards who kept my 22month old entertained).

Your husband is being a wimp, OP .

CornishTwinMoominMamma · 14/05/2011 10:47

Do it, it'll be grand. We went all over with our first set of twins when they were tiny (Cornwall to Scotland, 8 hour ferry to Brittany, flew to Menorca) and now we have a second lot of twins and are determined to keep travelling. We are driving Cornwall to London, then sailing Dover to Calais, driving to Paris, Loire and Brittany before sailing back to UK this August, with a set of five year old twins and a set of fifteen month old twins. If I can do it, being someone that likes a quiet life and gets stressed easily, I'm sure you can.

cherryburton · 14/05/2011 10:53

I reckon it all comes down to the sort of child you have. One, nice placid easy going baby? Piece of piss. Two constantly fighting boisterous under five year old boys? Probably do-able but only by the brave...

The thing that I've recently realised is that there is actually no such thing as a holiday. It's been (quite often in my bitter experience) just the usual daily slog somewhere different without the amenities that make it easier at home.

(We still do it - because we also don't want to be people who don't do anything because we have kids) but quite often we do wonder why.

bronze · 14/05/2011 11:11

Also the more you do it the more used to it they get. even if you can't go far because of cost going off and doing mad adventures will help keep their hand in.

CurrySpice · 14/05/2011 11:19

Course you can travel with kids. Tell your dh to get a grip! Have flown with mine every year since they were born. Including on my own with two. There's two of you and only one dc. Easy!

In fact I remember flying back from Florida with 10 month old dd and a dh with a violent vommiting bug. When I got up to change DD's nappy, he threw up on my seat! I lived!

Pedallleur · 14/05/2011 14:12

Took our 8 mnth away recently to Italy. We were lucky in that she was fairly happy there and back but it was only a 2 hour flight. I have no intention of subjecting her or us to anything more than that. We've all heard the noise that babies make on a lh flight and there but for the grac of God...

Astramum · 14/05/2011 14:42

It really is as only as complicated as you make it. We [ with now ex ] travelled all over when our son was very young. He went to New York when he was 4 months old.
Australia when he was 16 months and again when he was 5. We went to many European countries for holidays. Canada when he was 2.

It really was never a problem.

JustAnother · 14/05/2011 15:11

DS was 9 weeks when we started going to Spain regularly to see my parents. He's been on a plane at least 4/5 times per year since, always shortish flights, and it has never been any big trouble. Of course you need to be prepare with snacks, colouring books, whatever keep your child entertained, but it is perfectly doable. I was delighted when DS was old enought to watch a video on the plane. If is 2 of you and only one child, I can't see why it would be a problem.

everyspring · 14/05/2011 15:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lizcat · 14/05/2011 17:08

Up until DD was 6 years old DH was in wine import so we did it all. 12 hour flights to South Africa, flights to the USA, long car journeys to parts of France and every so often a chill out in the UAE to regain my sanity. As everyone has said snacks and tat are the way to go.
Personally across europe I prefer the the Blat technique and get all the awfulness over and done with in one.

Sidge · 14/05/2011 17:53

We went to Australia when DD3 was 13 months. 22 hours on a plane - I won't say it was easy but it was entirely do-able and so worth it when we got there.

Flight length wouldn't bother me unduly, if it was going to be worth it when I got there. I'd rather spend 6 hours on a plane and be in my dream destination than 4 hours in a car and be somewhere second best.

helenthemadex · 14/05/2011 20:05

no problem at all!!

I regularly fly with 3 on my own, and have done it with 4, 3 and 9 week old. Its a 1 hour 45 minute flight. They all have little cases with books, those pads that you can draw then erase the pictures, and a pack lunch (no chocolate!!) wet wipes etc

I also frequently use easyjet and ryanair and have to say that the flight attendants are actually quite good, they will always help with the kids

barbie007 · 14/05/2011 20:56

We took our 3 kids to the US when they were all under 5...it was fine! Not as relaxing as travelling on your own but absolutely ok. We've also done Thailand when they were all under 8 and frequently go to Europe

I find longhaul overnight flights the easiest

go for it. At least you're guaranteed the sun

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