To think about going to Mexico with a 5 month old?

[Onlymydogunderstandsme]

DH and I got married earlier in the year and would like to go away on a honeymoon. DS will be 5 months the time we are thinking of going? The lady in the travel agents said "I was ridiculous" to consider it which has made me question it? I'm thinking he is only little so won't want to get down and move about on the flight but have t been abroad with a baby before?

If your just after a resort/ heat I'd probably go with Egypt which'd cut your flight time in half, I stayed [http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_sahlhasheesh/index.asp here] once which is definitely honeymoon material.

YANBU. It will be very easy with a five month old.

We are going to Mexico in December. The youngest DC will be 18 months, I would rather she was 5 months, but I am still not worried about the plane/hotel/resort, having done similar holidays when the other DC were babies.

I did several long haul flights when dd was under a year, she slept through most of them, it got harder as she got older! Much easier to take a 5 month old that a 2 year old on that sort of flight!
Airports and airlines have always been beyond helpfulnwhen we have travelled, just be as organised as possible with your handluggage.
I think it sounds fab, im dead jealous!

I took dd1 to Indonesia when she was 4 months. We backpacked for six weeks and then stayed in a resort for 2 weeks. It was fantastic. Best age to travel.
My seven week old has been to three countries - flying from the UK to Canada was fine, but I agree with the posters who said get a bassinet. It would have been hell without one.
I would go!

What made you choose Mexico?

If its just a resort with good weather you are after then I would probably go to Egypt, canaries or cape verde instead.

My daughter is 9 years old, and we've been taking her abroad since she was 3 months old. We've done a mixture of short haul and long haul. We've been to Europe, Australia, Africa, South America and South East Asia.

The baby years were definitely the easiest (apart from the amount of nappies that we used to carry around for the longer trips), but toddlerhood wasn't bad either. Personally, I found it slightly trickier once she got to about 5, because that's when she started to announce "I'm bored".

Her first trip was to Cuba when she was a baby. We booked a package holiday to make it easier to get a visa, but only stayed in the resort for the first and last nights. The rest of the time we backpacked. We didn't have any problems on the flight or on the holiday.

As long as you're organised, prepared and relaxed, you can take a baby anywhere.

Egypt is good for sun definitely. And Mexico has wonderful resorts. But I know a few people who have done big holidays with babies and been disappointed. They don't always cope well with the heat (let alone the sun) and there's no chance of ligging on sunbeds in peace.

If you'd feel comfortable leaving your baby for a few days with a grandparent you can get to sharm for a long weekend. Or hurghada - and go to a hotel in el gouna. Look up the sheraton miramar - spread over 9 small islands. Sighs yearningly. Or the movenpick. And hassling tourists is forbidden cos the whole resort is private. Then save your dosh for a big holiday later.

That said i'm one of those that coupdn't leave their baby but sometimes I wish someone had given me a slap and pushed us off for some couple time.

sorry - should have also expressed my shock and horror at rude woman in travel agent. i'd complain to head office if I were you (you may even get some vouchers if you say ow upset you were which is even better than just getting her in shit!)

I went longhaul earlier this year with a toddler. I have first hand experience that going with a non crawling baby is sooo much easier.

so not only rude but wrong.

Go now! Took DD when 5months to Southern US (flew to Atlanta). Babies that age are easy on flights. Toddlers not so much. Just took 10mo and 2.3yo to California and that was much trickier.

My DD was exclusively Bf'd at that age which makes it v v easy too - if that's the case with you. Bit more difficult if bottle fed or weaning onto solids - but staff on planes are extremely helpful.

As others have said - make sure you have bassinet. Oh, and use Calpol to sedate a bit.

Make sure you have good travel insurance to cover any possible health care costs and make sure you stay somewhere where there is good hospitals/doctors within easy reach.

Friend of mine went backpacking round India with her 3mo by herself and loved it. they are never more portable than now!

5m is a great age to travel as they are not yet crawling therefore more contained & less likely to eat rubbish (if you're worried about hygiene!). We took DD1 backpacking in South Africa & Swaziland when she was 1 & it was actually hard work at that age. The trip to India & Nepal when she was 2.3 was much, much easier.

We're off to Mexico soon- DS will be 17m, and I'll be 28w!! We also travelled to malaysia (went to the city as well as rainforest, beach and limestone caves) when DS was 4m, India (multiple cities) when DS was 7m, and the northern Norway (to see northern lights at -20C) when DS was 10m. Your travel agent is being ridiculous. It is far easier to travel when babies are little, and I also found DS adjusted remarkably well to different temperatures. It's also easier at this stage when food isn't a problem!

Thank you for all of your comments, seems I wasn't unreasonable in asking the stupid woman to look at holidays to Mexico for me! If I hadnt been so shocked by her rudeness I would have insisted! We were given vouchers as wedding presents for this particular travel company so have to book through them otherwise I would never use the company again! I have sent an email of complaint as still after a week a feel upset when I think about it! I hate being treated like a stupid idiot first time mum by other mothers as if I know nothing and they are superior!

That's not other mothers obviously...just the couple I have come in to contact with!

My DH is keen to go to Mexico as he's not been to the carribean before and it's what he imagines a honeymoon to be (which is fine as I do to) he was nervous about taking DS so far but I said I thought it would be fine and this thread has reassured me!

It will be fine easist time if you ask me

OP, Mexico is lovely, but quite different from the rest of the Carribean IMO, in that it is much more developed, but this obviously comes with it's own benefits. There are some fantastic hotels there and it's cheaper than most of the Carribean too.

Lots to do outside of the hotels and it feels very safe to walk around outside of the hotels.

The only possible downside I can see to taking a baby to Mexico would be the fact it will rule out certain activities, such as cenote snorkelling, but this may not appeal to you anyway.

Oh God, definitely YANBU. Cannot believe the Travel agent, she sounds like a bloody jobsworth! I went to Cuba with DH and DD when she was 6mth old and that was far easier than travelling to Mexico when she was 13mth old and fully mobile!

Try to find an airline with bassinets (most holiday company airlines don't do them anymore, Thomas Cook certainly don't), but it's not the end of the world if you cannot - we didn't have a bassinet. Do contact the airline though beforehand either way; they have medical seats at the front of the cabin with greater legroom and, assuming someone with a greater need for them doesn't board, usually the airline are happy for you to have those seats.

Other than that, make sure you have a very comprehensive insurance policy, take calpol, ibuprofen, teething stuff and other medication, take sunscreens and mosquito repellent and obviously pack enough nappies, as they can be expensive in resort. I was bf DD, so didn't have formula to pack.

Once you've booked, contact the airline as many give an additional luggage allowance for infants FOC - we got an additional 15kg allowance each time we flew long haul with an infant. Finally, enjoy!

The other lovely place for November is South Africa - overnight flight, same length, good weather, beaches, wineries, very beautiful and set up for honeymooners too... same time zone so no jet lag (no I don't work for a travel company!) Also, I've always wanted to go to Cuba - so could you go for me!!
I agree with everyone who says don't worry about the flight and good time to travel before they're mobile! Have a lovely honeymoon!

Wow....I'm shocked that the travel agent said something like that?! We live in Cairo and so fly quite frequently and I would LOVE to go back to when DS was so small and just slept with all the vibrations! I remember feeling quite smug while older children/toddlers would be screaming and mine was sound asleep!
make sure you get a bassinette though... did not enjoy the flight where we didnt get one ('no, of course there will be enough bassinettes madame, we have 8 and it would be very rare to have more babies on board than that'- cue 15 babies at check in....grrrr!!!)
Lots of people have suggested Egypt as a second choice which will be much cheaper potentially- would definitely reccomend somewhere like El Gouna where hassle is not present at all and hotels are ALL good so even the cheapest is a good deal (but the Moevenpik...mmmm!)
Just get yourself a good travel bed (i love our samsonite 'bubble') which has a mossie net, and go and relax. In my experience (ours as well as watching our friends probably do far more travelling than us tbh!) its great travelling with them when they are babies and actually as toddlers, I've found the easiest place to go is the beach!

No advice here on the plane travel side of thing, but another vote of confidence for your destination. Since 2008 I've been living (mostly!) in Mexico. I agree with the poster above who said there are real problems with drug cartels and violence in recent years.

However, as a tourist, I would only encourage someone to rethink their travel plans if a) they were heading to a seedy border town, b) staying in a dodgy area in a cheapo motel that rents by the hour and c) they were planning to engage in seedy activities, like selling or consuming drugs, or abusing prostitutes.

Clearly, you do not fit this description, so go! Mexico is a delight, and you'll have an easy time in a big tourist resort. It's an amazing country with some very welcoming and friendly folk. If you're after a relaxing holiday, you'll certainly be well looked after at an all inclusive resort, though of course there are heaps of better places to explore if you're feeling adventurous. Happy to give tips if you like.