Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

123 replies

Faerie87 · 01/06/2018 16:55

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?

OP posts:
Semster · 01/06/2018 19:34

My worst holidays with small children were in the UK when it rained.

What shall we do? Let's go to the pool. Oh look, everyone else in Cornwall is here.

DuchyDuke · 01/06/2018 19:34

Easier with a baby than a moving toddler. I used to take dn with me on long business trips for a while and it was a doddle.

Trunkisareshite · 01/06/2018 19:35

I holiday with mine, long and shorthaul on the ferry and in the uk. From just a few months old we’ve gone away. Don’t write it off just change your expectations as others have said. When you have kids most things change including holidays so lounging by a pool with a glass of wine and book just the two of you is over but you can take it in turns to have some down time and actually spending time just your little family without the humdrum of normal life is great. .

If you go abroad pick your flight times carefully and make sure your room has air con, suss out places to eat etc on TA before you go as preparation makes things easier.

It’s a change holidaying with kids but in my experience not a bad one.

I also don’t get the kids won’t remember it argument, my kids love hearing about holidays they went on and looking at the photos even if they can’t remember it and actually, the memories are a huge part of our lives.

MuddyForestWalks · 01/06/2018 19:37

DS will be 18 months when we go to Spain (DD will be 4) and I am so excited. We are going all inclusive so just that time away from meal prepping and planning and cooking will be a holiday by itself. And the DC love the water, and there are kiddy pools and a nice beach nearby, and we are the sort who are happy to splash/swim/build sandcastles every day. Can't wait

hettyforthright · 01/06/2018 19:40

Definitely do it. We had a brilliant holiday in the south of France when DS1 was 11 months. Probably our last totally chilled out adult holiday before DS2 arrived and holidays became all about buckets and spades, kids clubs and ice cream. Not that I don't love those things. They're ace! And we have great fun now, but I do miss those restful, quiet, lazy holidays that were all about food and sleeping in the sun!

At 1 your baby will easier to entertain on the flight (mine slept the whole way there and back!) and will probably be napping around midday for 1.5-2 hours so you can have a nice laze around the pool or time it right with a buggy nap and have a lovely long lunch somewhere nice. Bliss!

witherwings · 01/06/2018 19:47

Holidays with children will never be what you are used to pre-kids but surely everyone enjoys a holiday?
We have taken 2 kids long-haul to Australia, Middle East & America. We've also gone on city breaks to Europe. Also done uk holidays. It's always worth it if you adjust the mind-set that it won't be lazing in the sun, reading several books and drinking wine (I really miss those holidays!).
A Disney or similar experience holiday IS a total waste of money for a child younger than 5. But a seaside holiday or city break is still fun. Kids just want to be where you are and if they are getting your sole attention, they are happy.

Oly5 · 01/06/2018 19:47

I love holidays with young kids. When they’re tiny they’re happy cruising around in a pushchair looking at stuff, when they’re a bit older there’s so much to see and do (although we do holiday in hotels with pools for extra entertainment).
I think yabu. If my partner had told me I couldn’t go abroad while the kids were small, I’d have told him where to stick it!

halfwitpicker · 01/06/2018 19:52

Total waste of time IMHO.

We fly back to the UK to see family, there's no point in spending loads on holidays, small children are too young to appreciate it. Wait till they're older.

Lorrainethebitch · 01/06/2018 23:20

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ThatchersCold · 01/06/2018 23:26

I went to Florida with mine when they were 16 months and 7 years old. The baby had a whale of a time, not that she can remember it, she just rolled with it and loved the theme parks. The 7 year old moaned A LOT (has never coped with heat very well). The only slight trauma was the flights with the baby, she had not long learned to walk and insisted on spending the whole flight toddling around the plane (sorry fellow passengers Blush).

penguinsnpandas · 01/06/2018 23:30

We had lovely holidays abroad when the kids were little - apartment in Maderia and a trip to Sweden and Denmark mainly staying in apartments. Kids loved it so did we but maybe wait and see after how you feel. I hate DLP so do kids.

LittleLionMansMummy · 02/06/2018 00:02

Of course the baby/ toddler won't remember it, but you don't go on holiday just for the baby do you? Some of my best memories are of taking our two abroad from the age of 8 or 9 months. We drove to France too (not advisable!) but survived and on the whole really enjoyed ourselves.

Aragog · 02/06/2018 09:10

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

Not everything has to be for the memories. Sometimes it's fine to just done something for the bow, the enjoyment at the time.

Is it all this #makingmemories stuff that now means people aren't happy to just let their children enjoy what's happening at the time?

We did loads of things with dd when she was smaller, including holidays such as Disney? Does she remember them all? No, of course bit. But the photographs of the time shows she was having a fabulous time at that moment. And we do more things every year.

Costacoffeeplease · 02/06/2018 09:37

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!!

What a shame

Queenie72 · 02/06/2018 09:51

We’ve had holidays since the boys were tiny . Have met my husbands family in Asia a few times and the boys have had a brilliant time . Holiday and travel are really important to my husband and I and as people say it’s not quite the same but we’ve always had a brilliant time , and the boys talk about our holidays a lot ! We remember the ones when they were too small too with real fondness.

bookmum08 · 02/06/2018 19:05

Heroo I agree that there are places abroad that would be lovely to visit and there are some very specific places I dream of going to. But my stress and anxiety levels would take any enjoyment out of a holiday. It's not 'a shame' my daughter hasn't been to some Greek Island or Paris or Disney World or whatever. She wouldn't enjoy it because she has anxiety too.

bookmum08 · 02/06/2018 19:07

And Costacoffeeplease same response to you.

Costacoffeeplease · 02/06/2018 23:01

I would suggest you need to work on your anxiety, and that of your daughter

Rainshowers · 02/06/2018 23:14

The younger the better has been our experience! We’re just back from our first holiday since we had our second DD. She was 13 weeks and a total dream.

DD1 is 4 and had probably been on about 3 holidays a year since she was born (including one long haul to west coast US, city breaks and beach holidays). Only in the last year or so has she started to remember things from trips but she loved looking back at photos and we buy her a magnet from each place we’ve been so she has a little collection.

We love to travel and make sure we find child-friendly things for her wherever we go. It does help she is pretty flexible with her routine and will happy stay up for an extra hour or two. Plus we always try and make sure we stay in hotels/apartments with a seperate bedroom so we’re not all stuck in one room.

VillageFete · 02/06/2018 23:21

I am truly surprised how many people seem to believe it’s not worth holidaying with a small child?! To me, that would be completely putting my life on hold! Not a chance. My DD is nearly 9 and we have travelled far and wide since she was 2. I’d have taken her before 2, but we weren’t financially stable enough then. As long as you have an Ipad, snacks, toys etc when they are toddlers then it should be easy enough to do a flight? We were always fine doing long haul.

I’m undergoing IVF at the minute and often think how holidaying would be affected once a baby comes along.... I think we may stick to Greece until baby was maybe 2? I’d be happy to go long haul after that. Plus my eldest would be almost 11 and would be a great help.

My daughter always loved the pool, the beach, the kid’s disco etc... and it was always a fabulous, fairly stress free holiday for us. We always met other couples with young kids too.

fabulous01 · 02/06/2018 23:27

We took twins abroad to Spain at about 12 months. On scoped well. The other took I’ll about 4 days in and just wanted to sleep with the heat.
Would I go again? Yes. Different type of holiday but I would be prepared. Piriton in their system for one.
We went again when they were 2. Again a different holiday.
We are going again when they are 3 but this time all inclusive

As long as you know it won’t be the same type of holiday. Be prepared for what you can be
It is a lovely break and mine already can’t wait to go on a plane. They know if they get wakened during the night it is a holiday

Camomila · 02/06/2018 23:40

We’ve been abroad 4 times with our 2 year old (visiting family 1h easyJet flight away so fairly cheap), the airport is always a bit stressful but once you get there it’s easier than being at home IMO...no house work, little cooking, weather is usually better...

OTOH DH wants to visit the Philippines soon (his relatives) and I’m dreading it! All the logistics stuff seems 100x harder than anywhere in Europe!

TimeToDash · 02/06/2018 23:52

I took my son away to Menorca when he was three months old and that was lovely (my husband was skiing which wouldn't really have worked for us) so I took my mum too. Next year we took the baby skiing and he loved it. Both kids went on long haul flights to Canada when they were babies. I don't think it's an issue.

FrozenMargarita17 · 02/06/2018 23:59

Hi OP.

Since having dd in July last year we have been to Morocco, Disneyland Paris, center parcs, Barcelona and Ibiza.

We've had great times on each holiday and definitely think it's worth it :)

FrozenMargarita17 · 03/06/2018 00:00

Oh and dd was 8 weeks when we took her to Morocco. It was so good because she was so small and slept a lot.

Swipe left for the next trending thread