To not want to take a young child on holiday abroad?

[Faerie87]

I am expecting baby number 1 in the next week. My partner and I have no holidays planned this year or the following year because of the new arrival. However I know my partner would most likely want to go on holiday the year after when I am back at work and earning again.

Is it unreasonable of me to think a holiday with a one year old abroad is a massive waste of money?

My partner, his daughter who is 11 and myself a long with my sister, her husband and two children who are 5 and 2 went to Disney Land Paris last year and my sister now regrets going. The 2 year old was really ill and ended up being sick on the train from the terminal at the airport and then for a day after that and her 5 year old was so overwealmed by the experience she did not really want to do anything!

Would you take little ones on holiday abroad or is it too much hassle? We are planning if we did have a break next year to do the Lakes or Wales but not to go abroad due to traveling with a small child. Also when would be a good age to start taking children overseas?

We've done it with all 4 from as young as 10 weeks, before they are mobile is the easiest time. Once they start walking it gets harder then before you know it, its easier again.

We’ve done three trips abroad with DD (9 months). It’s been fine, especially since we can put her in a sling and get on with walking/whatever. Plus being first at the hotel breakfast buffet owing to the 6am starts 🤦‍♀️.

I’ve just got back from a week in Spain with my 4 yr old and 1 yr old, short flight and so much to entertain them, I’ve been taking my 4yr old away once a year abroad since he was also 1.

I have always travelled with my two from about 6 months. Lots of long haul/short haul/UK trips. I keep expectations realistic. The baby sticks mostly to the same routine so naps and meals at a regular time. Somewhere with a pool is good. Lots of museums have open spaces to run around. DH and I went to Athens with a 7 month old and a 5 year old. We are good food, drank wine and at the Acropolis museum took turns with the baby while the other looked around with the older child.
You have to alter your expectations of what a holiday is, but I always find that as long as I am prepared and also not hung up on what I ‘should’ be doing then it works out well.
We did Paris with an under 1 and a 6 year old as well. Lots of lovely parks and picnics in the park eating amazing patisserie. And we did a couple of museums timing it to coincide with nap times so the older one could get attention. Walked around some churches etc.
It was a different Paris from the one I had seen before but lovely nonetheless.
You have to enjoy travel though.

We've taken dd in holiday abroad since was was 16 months old. Her first holiday was at 3 months in the UK and it rained most days - was a real dampener on what could have been a nice break. Said that from then in I wanted at least one holiday in the sun, with less chance of rain. So the next year we took dd to Italy and it was fabulous. As a toddler to about 5 she went long haul and short haul, including two trips to WDW, Florida. They were great. We did self catering most of the time, but ate out at least once a day every day. We are not really beach holiday people, but then neither was (or is) dd although we did usually have a pool which dd enjoyed. Holidays with a little one are not relaxing in the same way as pre children holidays but, for us, they've always been great fun and worth doing.

We took dd1 to the south of France aged 6 months. That was ok, other than that we haven’t gone abroad with our (now) two, we go to the seaside or centre parcs. Once they are a little older we’ll certainly go abroad, I can’t wait, but the thought of it before now seemed like too much hard work.

I haven't taken my 10 year old abroad and I have no interest in doing so. There is so much of the UK she (and me and hubby) that we have yet to experience. Depends what you want from a holiday. We like things like the Great British Seaside and going on Steam Trains and antique shops and swimming pool and country parks etc. The thought of having to sort out passports and deal with security and a long journey and getting different money and learning a bit of language and having to find food that I know we will eat - I can't be bothered with all that!!

The thought of having to sort out passports and deal with security and a long journey and getting different money and learning a bit of language and having to find food that I know we will eat - I can't be bothered with all that!!

I find that thinking a little bit of a shame.

The UK is fab, with a huge variety of scenery but there are so many exciting things to see abroad and do and none of those issues you mention are really a hassle.

We took our dd to a Greek island all inclusive resort aged 9 months, and it was great. I never thought we'd do it. She was sleeping better at that age, food wise we took loads of pouches as we weren't sure if she'd eat the food, she napped loads every day and it was wonderful. She's now 11 months and crawling, I don't think it would be as relaxing even now

Its up to you. Some people love holidays, some people hate them.

I personally would hate to go abroad with young children. We have a 5, 3 & 1 year old. We do holiday each year but the past three years we have gone to pontins. The kids have lots of fun, we get time away from home and can actually relax (a tiny bit) for some of the holiday as they're all kept entertained so leas stress. We went camping when our eldest was 18 months and I was pregnant with dd2. It was lovely but not something I'd do again. Our middle child is 3 and I'd say just at the age I'd go abroad, youngest is 1 and no way i would. We're waiting until our youngest will be 4 and then going abroad for a holiday.

This year we are going to st Ives and I can't wait. Its a long drive for us but the kids quite enjoy that and we will have a few stops

My dad’s lives in the Canaries and I visit each year. I took my eldest for the first time when he was 6 months old and it was a piece of piss. He slept, loved the pool, kept to his normal routine, bedtime at 7 and OH and I got the evening to relax. The next visit he was 18months old and I expected more of the same, but it was awful. It was so hot and light then he barely slept. One night I stayed up the whole sodding night with him as he was completely awake. We spent most evenings driving round at his bedtime trying to get him to drop off. I learned by the end of the visit to ditch the routine. Following year I had a 6 month old and my eldest was 2.5. Quite hard work as he wanted to be in the pool constantly, screamed at the sand, so we spent a lot of time trying to not let him drown. But we’d given up the bedtime issue and discovered the joys of late family dining the Spanish way and the bonus of the kids sleeping in the next day! Our evenings to ourselves were gone, however. Now the kids are 9&7 and can swim and I can actually read a book by the pool while they play!

I personally wouldn’t bother with a completely child centred holiday, like Disney, while they’re too young to appreciate it. But a holiday abroad is a real treat, whether the kids remember it or not.

To add, I'd rather go with a young baby say 2-5 months than one that's at the crawling stage. Would be OK if they're not on the move but once they are its hard work for things like that

I just remember reading an article warning not to spend loads of money for a holiday when the child won’t remember it and it will be tough, which sounds like a no brainer

Do you only go on holidays so that your child will remember them? Are there not other reasons for going on holiday?

We went to the Caribbean to meet up with family for Christmas. I'm sure none of my children remember it but I certainly do. It was wonderful.

To visit family but not otherwise.

I'd choose comfort and ease every time. It won't feel much like the holidays you fondly remember for a few years.

We did it when DD was 2 too a family apt in Majorca.
She’s now nearly 7 and DS is 3 and we’ve never braved it again.

Maybe next year but for now UK is best for us

Some holidays are definitely worth waiting for. I always wanted to visit Costa Rica, but we waited till all the children were old enough to hike, climb, zipline, appreciate the scenery/fauna/etc.

We haven't yet visited India because I wanted all the children to be able to cope with being sick as a dog without me needing to be involved in any way. We might never go...

If you would all like a change of location and some warmer weather and a change of routine (to a certain extent, with a baby!) then a holiday would be great. You can take them out in the evening in the buggy and if they sleep, have a nice meal together! Let them enjoy the beach/pool etc. Nap when they nap because you are on holiday and won’t have anything else to do. Get a baby carrier and explore a city with the baby strapped to one of you, we did that when DS was little. If they sleep in the carrier you can immediately sit down for a nice drink! Next year you can still have a holiday for you as I agree Disney etc is pointless on a tiny child. I don’t see why you have definitely decided no holidays for two years. Two people I know took a trip round Europe in a motor home for a few months with their baby after they sold house and had time before relocating for jobs... it was an amazing experience for them and they adapted to the change in routine brilliantly.

We live abroad and have to fly long haul to see family. So we are totally unphased by travelling for holiday. Which we like to do reasonably frequently. DD had her first flight booked before she was even born and took her first foreign holiday at 10 weeks. Babies are so easy, toddlers are trickier on planes but I’d definitely take air travel over a long car journey any day. We have great family time whilst we’re away and really enjoy it. So each to their own! I agree that there are some more adventurous holidays we will be waiting for though; I’d also love to do Costa Rica and a safari is on the list but not until DC are older.

YANBU. Holidays with young children are awful.

There's no such thing as a holiday with young children; you just pack a whole load of crap up and take that and your family to somewhere a lot less convenient.

Keep your expectations as low as they can possibly and you'll enjoy it a whole lot more. Definitely book a family room or you'll be huddled round an iPad wearing one ear of a headphone by half 8. And always make the most of nap time with a cocktail or beer with your other half! Then it might just resemble a holiday

Took DD on an all inclusive when she was 1.5 and 2.5. It was easier second time round ashe wasn't always toddling towards the pool and enjoyed the beach so much more building sandcastles and collecting water herself.

She does have a fair bit of stamina though and stayed up with us till 22:30. If you have an early to bed may be a tad boring stuck in room unless they sleep happily in pushchair.

We also have a camper and she has been in that from 8months. She absolutely loves camping and last year started to make friends with the other younger kids on the site.

For me it got easier each year. This holiday we are camping in Europe which will be a first and am really looking forward to it with her. She is 4.5 now.

I should have said: I took a 9 month old away (note the iPad / room error); then when they were 2: then an 8wk old and 2.5 yr old (not fun at all), and then this year they will be 2 and 4.5 yrs old and I am lot wiser!

It completely depends on the child.

We took DD1 to Cyprus when she was 19mo and it was horrific. She didn't sleep or nap properly. Woke up at 4.30am every morning. Refused to go in the pool. Refused to eat. Cried almost constantly.

It put us off going abroad again until she was 5

BUT lots of my friends holiday abroad regularly with young DC and it's fine.