AIBU to think this holiday is too much?

[tootlepootleschmootle]

DH has planned a trip for this summer, wants to book flights before prices go up. I think flight times are silly with our DS, and too much in such a short amount of time. He thinks I'm BU and boring, should I just do it?

Flight to Spain 5am, we would have to get 20mo DS up at 2am to do this. Four days in Spain before flight to Porto. Half a day there and two hour train to Lisbon, two days there. Fly to Vienna at 9pm for one and a half days, before hiring a car and driving half way to Slovenia, staying in air b n b, waking up and continuing drive to Slovenia where we stay for two days before flying home to airport far from our home, which gets in at 6pm, and then requires a four hour train (or 2 and a half hours if he can convince MIL to drop us at another station from the airport)

I'd be happy with a week in Cornwall with DS. I'm happy to go somewhere more exciting, but can't help feel it's all a bit much, but DH calling me boring and saying things like we shouldn't be together if I'm not up for things like this, babies travel all the time, blah blah blah.

I know my little boy could have an absolutely amazing time in Cornwall or Devon for a week- Ice cream, see the boats, try fish and chips, paddle in rock pools, use a little fishing net, see the arcades... but it's an absolute NO from DH as not adventurous enough

Tough shit if it’s not adventurous enough.

Tell him that’s what you and DS are doing (that or Spain) as that’s what DS will enjoy and so you will too. Tell him (as another poster said) DS is NOT an instagram
accessory.

I have to say that sounds like THE WORST ‘holiday’ ever!
It’s lunacy!
Your 20mo DS will have a really crappy time, you will be knackered and resentful.
Could be an interesting trip with no kids but I think your DS is being selfish beyond belief.
There is NO way I would agree to this

He sounds like a complete arse, like he's threatening you with breaking up if you don't join in with his sense of adventure. It is a bonkers schedule and an overstimulated overtired two year old is not going to be living his best life doing that trip. The trip would be for your partner, not your son. How much does he expect his son will remember, a few years down the line??

Jesus. 😳 Is your DH insane or just a twat? Stupidest idea I’ve heard in a long time.

If he’s desperate to go to so many places on one trip, go on a nice cruise ship. Or do that trip when your ds is 14. Not 20 mths. It will be exhausting and fractious for all of you.

He needs to spend less time on Instagram if he thinks your ds will enjoy that or remember it. Absolute nightmare.

I do crazy trips with my kids, lots of driving and lots of destinations but I like to have a sense of flow to the journey and to stay in each city for a few days if possible. Your itinerary sounds rushed with little time to see the sights where you are and a lot to pack if you are not on a tick box adventure. (I am someone who definetly does like adventure do ticking boxes!!)

What's the point of half a day in Porto before then rushing off to Lisbon? Doesn't sound like a holiday more like Race around the World

@greenlynx MIL lives in London!

That's crazy. I think you either do Spain/Portugal or Germany/Hungary/Slovenia and I think one transfer perhaps? So fly to Spain then head to Porto. However I think even one transfer of the kind he seems to want to do seems a bit much.
When the kids are a bit older Interrail would be great - but I don't think a 20 month old would cope. Where would you store all the nappies/wipes/toddler food? Their sleep pattern would be all over the shop. Would he consider a 2 part Eurocamp type holiday? Huttopia are also really good & you could try and find 2 places not too far apart?

I wouldn't even contemplate that trip without kids.... let alone taking a toddler. That's not a holiday, it's a constant journey.

Can't you do those as city breaks over long weekends and have your relaxing holiday either in Spain or Cornwall? Bonkers to do all of these together. It'll be a gritting teeth holiday for you and DH if you do.

Fuck that- go to Center Parcs. When my DD1 was 18 months we spent a lovely week in Woolocombe. With DD1 and DD2 we went to Scotland for a week and had a blast. Other places we’ve loved are The Brecon Beacons, the Lakes and Butlins. Bollocks to all that travel with cranky toddlers.

Lol... Next series of race across the world has twist.. You have a toddler in tow.
Quick pitch that idea to bbc

He's being ridiculous. That will be awful with a toddler.

No no no no no no no no no no no ..... absolutely horrendous.

I think likes the idea of our son having been to loads of countries at a young age

Why? Your son won't remember any of it.

Ask him if he's up for taking your son on his own. It might just make him think a bit about the realities of this idea.

Madness
What's the point of half a day in Porto (fantastic city by the way, deserves way more time than that), flying so much in 10 days, trying to cram so much in ..sounds like a nightmare. You will be constantly clock watching, worrying about missing flights, not to mention all the packing and unpacking. Pick one country, maybe Portugal split between Porto and Lisbon or Spain or Austria or Slovenia or Cornwall. Savour it and enjoy it, it's a holiday after all. That itinerary is just a recipe for stress and exhaustion!

Try a different tack. You want to fully experience the culture of your location, not race past with barely a glance like a closed minded tourist. That means staying in one place for a week, which could be a historic Greek or Spanish island perhaps.

I love a multi stop holiday but there's no way I'd contemplate it with our 1 year old. You'd be knackered!

Sounds awful and we love travelling and have taken DC all over the place. I can't think of anything worse than packing/unpacking 5 times in a 10-day break.

Could you do some research and make a suggestion to do fewer countries but really see something of the place that you are staying. For example, "while we are in Lisbon it would be great to do X on Day 1, Y on Day 2 and Z on Day 3. We could also do ABC."

I think you need to have an alternative plan rather than just saying that it won't work.

YANBU as someone who is reasonably well travelled with a toddler. I wouldn't dream of doing such an itinerary . You barely have enough time to actually see the places you are visiting. It's like you DH is just trying to visit each place to take a photo for instagram then move on. It's hardly making memories.
He is being selfish on both you and your DC. It will be very hard work and your toddler will be rightly tired and grumpy.

He wants your son to "see" all these countries but then books a ridiculous trip with no significant time anywhere.

Him wanting his son to see countries = I want to look like a super cool Insta dad to my cool Instagram travelling families and Cornwall definitely won't make me look cool

What’s the point? Your dc won’t remember any of it! It all sounds like a pointless mishmash of places. Spain for a week? Great. Portugal? Fine. Half a day in Porto then travel across several countries to Vienna for 1.5 days? Ducking pointless. I wouldn’t want to do that as an adult!

It’s like he’s just going for the sake of saying he has gone, not because he actually wants to do or see anything there.

Ask your what exactly he thinks dc will get out of this ‘holiday’. What a selfish twat. He needs to get off Insta and into real life.

No.

No. Just no.

No.