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AIBU?

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Original poster

I'm not enjoying my holiday.

155 replies

Polkadots72 · 29/04/2018 21:45

First family holiday with our 2yo dd 1 week away in a fairly chilled part of Spain. Husband booked it. Hotel not child friendly we are self catering in a bedroom.. No lounge area no kitchenette not even a kettle!

No evening entertainment or other guests in the hotel. Majority of tourists are German so feeling a bit isolated. Getting dirty looks from locals if we dare go for a quiet drink in one of the local pubs or bars so each night we are stuck on the balcony while we wait for dd to fall asleep.. also its unusually cold here at the moment had a bit of nice weather but it's very windy. I know I should be grateful to go on holiday but there's no fun to be had here it sucks and ita BORING!! early flight home will coat in excess of £300 so not really an option got 3 days left and I'm feeling thoroughly miserable... any advice. Please be gentle I've had a rough few days dd is playing up and being sugar nearly every where we go oh and she's frightened of the sand. All there is to do is walk up and down the same strip of shops and bars day after day can't even find a boat trip or anything.

OP posts:
Peanutbuttercups21 · 29/04/2018 22:23

You have my sympathy! We once did something similar.

We were in Mexico and the hotel was in a mall (weird, uncosy) and there was nowhere that served dinner before 8, our room was stuffy and tiny and luxurious in a heavy-draped curtains way. We were miles from the beach and had no car. We had a balcony that was too small to.move the chair onto.... so we'd picnic in our room at 5pm, watched kids tv in Spanish until 7, put the toddler to bed and then we'd sit inthe bathroom with a couple of beers. DH on the loo seat and me in the bath (empty, it did not even have a plug). We tried going out with the toddler in the evening twice, but it was hot and he cried and ate dirt of the street....

The hotel had a pool, which was full of algae and only filled up halfway....

Worst holiday ever!

I had blocked it from my memory, but your post brought it back...

I have since become an expert at researching holidays properly!!!

You live and learn, take heart Grin

boywiththebrokensmile2 · 29/04/2018 22:24

yea i was in nerja this time last year [in the very south]and while the days were hot enough, the nights were cold and the beach water was freezing. I think alot of people have the misconception that countries like Spain and Portugal are hot all year around when this is not true and they can get very cool.

Fruitcorner123 · 29/04/2018 22:24

Maybe it's partly your expectations. Going away with little ones is never like going away as a couple and if you are in a place you went to before just as a couple it probably feels disappointing to not be able to do the same things. Try and relax and just make the most of it. Is sitting on a balcony together so bad?

You DD is probably having a fab time. Some people have posted some great links to child friendly restaurants and there's beach. All kids of that age really need is a beach!

Next time do some research and consider what you need. The holiday you are in sounds fine to me(eating out in restaurants every night then sitting on balcony with DH) but if it's not for you then maybe a villa/apartment with seperate room for DD?

Runawaycat · 29/04/2018 22:25

Are there any nearby leisure centres, indoor water park type places, zoos or farms, anything really?

It's Spain, not Antarctica, surely you can rustle up a few toddler friendly activities and have some nice meals out to make the best of things

TeisanLap · 29/04/2018 22:25

This page has boat trips, some even tomorrow, that are suitable for under 3's.

This is one of the boat trips. I think if you click on the link it will take you to the page where there are others

www.viator.com/tours/Mallorca/3-hours-boat-trip-in-the-Bay-of-Alcudia/d955-5420P32

theeyeofthestormchaser · 29/04/2018 22:25

I can’t believe you’re getting dirty looks from people in every bar!! Ime, people in Spain are always really friendly.

So, next time, do research. Weather for the time of year, what to do, trip advisor reviews, etc.

Do you have a car? Can you explore by car? Is there a tourist info in the town? If so, try there.

Why did you book Spain in April for a holiday with a 2yo? We found that hitting holiday cottages in the uk was the most relaxing hol when the dc were small. It’s not fun having to be quiet in a hotel room while dd gets to sleep...

Original poster
Polkadots72 · 29/04/2018 22:26

I'm going to try the trip advisor thing and look into a few of these suggestions I've had hopefully can salvage the last few days. We have been lucky enough to have a fridge so at least I can keeo things like yoghurts for dd. Ive drove here once before and dh doesn't drive... I'm afraid to say I dont trust myself I wasn't too good last time and id be too frightened with dd in the car as well.

OP posts:
LaContessaDiPlump · 29/04/2018 22:26

Is your DH helping to look after your DD or is he leaving it all to you? Doesn't sound like much of a holiday for you, especially since he booked a really inconvenient room/hotel type. Sorry op Flowers

Balaboosteh · 29/04/2018 22:26

I’m wondering about your expectations of the trip. It took me a few years to adjust to the fact that holidays with children were a “different kind” of fun. Two yo is very young to be interested in an aquarium or anything like that. And beaches take a lot of getting used to. There isn’t really a perfect kind of holiday with kids that age, unless there are older kids in the family to make it worthwhile maybe keep it simpler for the next year or two

boywiththebrokensmile2 · 29/04/2018 22:27

''Your husband booked a cheap "deal". Quite clearly you get what you pay for. Stick it out and next time pay a bit more to get what you want.''

tbh i thought at this time of year everywhere around Europe would be cheap.

cariadlet · 29/04/2018 22:28

I wouldn't worry over much about expensive child friendly attractions if your dd is only 2. I think holidays at that age are more for the parents as children are too young to really remember what you do.

We travelled before we had dd and just carried on as normal. When she was a baby and a toddler she didn't really care where she was as long as she was with us and we'd taken a few of her favourite toys.
We dragged her around some Roman ruins once when she was about 2 but she didn't mind - she was happy to toddle around picking up little stones.

Most towns have at least one park with a bit of a children's playground. We always used to look for one whenever we arrived in a new place. Swings and a slide are usually enough to keep a toddler happy for hours.

AgentHannahWells · 29/04/2018 22:28

What have you tried re. the sand fear?

If you let DD walk on in shoes does that help? Sit at the edge and explore it from 'dry land'? Try tipping it from a cup etc. With a bit of patience you can move onto stage 2 of kids and sand, when they won't stop eating it!!

Original poster
Polkadots72 · 29/04/2018 22:29

Peanut Shock

OP posts:
Yvest · 29/04/2018 22:29

You are in Mallorca, possibly one of the nicest places you could ever go. Get yourself a car pronto. Seller is fab, there’s a train from the town to the port and some lovely restaurants. Your DD will love the train. Palma is fabulous, great shopping a lovely cathedral, plenty of squares for DD to run around. Take a 40 minute drive up to pollensa and puerto pollensa. In pollensa you can tire her out by getting her to walk up the million steps my DD loved this when she was 2 and have lunch in the square. Take a 10 minute drive to puerto pollensa and let her run safely down Pine Walk. Near Palma is illetas which is a lovely seaside resort or spend some time in Port Portals which is lovely and swanky with all the yachts.

You need to make the most of your holiday, loads to do.

Fruitcorner123 · 29/04/2018 22:30

Sorry OK I kissed the botnwhere you said she is frightened of the sand!! Blush

Is there a pool? If not there might be a water park nearby with a section for younger children, would she like that?

Hope you get some ideas on the trip advisor links

Original poster
Polkadots72 · 29/04/2018 22:32

I think you are all right to be honest dh booked a cheap deal. He's been brill with dd and at times when he can see im clearly stressed or getting anxious he has taken dd off to look around the gift shops and left me to it for 20 mins or so.

We have tried everything shoes and no shoes and she just banana legs us the whole time. The closest we got was putting her under a brolly while me and dh searched for shells near her and she put them all in her bucket... other then that she screams!

OP posts:
donajimena · 29/04/2018 22:32

It sounds crap OP. With little ones you definitely need an apartment rather than a hotel. I'm not judging I've suffered the same fate.
Please do the Soller train. You'll have a fantastic day out.

Crispbutty · 29/04/2018 22:33

Hope you enjoy the next three days. I’m sure public transport there is fairly good. No need to hire a car. :)

Thequeenisdeadboys · 29/04/2018 22:34

Check out and into somewhere a bit nicer for the last few days ?

Original poster
Polkadots72 · 29/04/2018 22:35

Thank you so much all of you for your kind words and suggestions I'm actually feeling a little calmer and i will take some of your ideas on board! I will look into the train in a sec dd does love buses and trains!

OP posts:
LaContessaDiPlump · 29/04/2018 22:36

Well, no cheap deals again with little kids, eh?! I'd say to do it yourself next time, but that's how we breed men who end up expecting their wives to do all but wipe their arse in all aspects of life. So your DH should do the searching again next time, but he must run it past you first!! I hope it improves - holidays with small DC are just plain hard IMO.

BarbaraofSevillle · 29/04/2018 22:37

Can you get breakfast in the hotel, even if it costs extra? Lunch out, which may feel more comfortable than dinner, although I don't understand why you are getting dirty looks from the locals. Are you sure they're not tourists of whichever nationality thinks that DCs should be in bed much earlier than most Spanish people? If you are out and about and have a proper meal at lunchtime, you could just get cheese, ham, olives, bread and ready chilled alcohol to have on the balcony in the evening. Or just go for a walk and dinner and ignore people who you will never see again pulling faces.

A lesson learned for both of you, by the sounds of things. Your DH needs to clearly understand what he is booking, the difference between self catering and room only, and to look for whatever your key requirements are and you to join in with the booking process to make sure whatever is being booked suits all of you.

TeisanLap · 29/04/2018 22:38

OP, further up someone mentioned a square where your DD can round around and it reminded me of my favourite video of my then 2 year old granddaughter chasing pigeons around a square in France in the hope of catching one. She was exhausted at the end of it and had great fun.

CocoaGin · 29/04/2018 22:38

Find a bus to a livelier resort tomorrow, that should make life easier. It's tougher to find things to do when the season hasn't really started yet, we've been to Spain a few times in late April/early May and it's been a struggle to keep busy so we've hired a car and gone further afield.

Try to make the best of it and don't let your DH anywhere near booking sites again in future Grin. I book our holidays for a very good reason!