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AIBU?

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Original poster

…to ask for your best holiday locations with a toddler?

129 replies

Lifeisnteasy · 31/12/2021 09:02

Posting in AIBU for traffic - sorry!

Desperate to book a holiday for this summer when DD turns 3. I have a fantasy about a week in New York but know this is probably a horrendous idea with a toddler - has anyone done it?

Where would you recommend for a holiday with a 3 year old?

Thanks in advance!

OP posts:
Seashor · 31/12/2021 09:34

Babymamama I’m with you! Centre Parcs, the nearest one!

WakeUpLockie · 31/12/2021 09:34

In my experience our UK breaks have been self catering so just same shit different location really. Anyone know a good AI in the uk? Also we did centerparcs twice - never again. DH desperate to go to the European one!

MoonCowbag · 31/12/2021 09:36

Minorca if going abroad. We went when my DS was 2 (I was pregnant with DD) and it was pretty enjoyable. We did an apartment, near a beach and park, with a pool inside the complex.

karmakameleon · 31/12/2021 09:37

We took DS to NY when he was two and had a fantastic time. It’s hard work in many ways but not a completely inappropriate holiday for a toddler. We combined it with Washington and Niagra Falls to make it a two week holiday, which helped with the jet lag.

Highlights were:

  • all the museums in Washington but in particular the US version of the Royal Mint where they print the dollar notes (DS couldn’t believe it Grin)
  • the zoo in Washington
  • Times Square and all the sirens
  • the NY toy stores
  • the junk food!

It wasn’t the same as a holiday pre kids but DH and I had been to NY plenty of times before and it was great to be able to share the experience with DS.

StylishMummy · 31/12/2021 09:38

Looe in cornwall, lovely sand beach with a gentle slope into the sea. Child friendly boat trips and close to other areas to explore

AmberRoseGold · 31/12/2021 09:38

Villa Pia- was recommended on here to me years ago and it was fabulous when kids small.

Superhanz · 31/12/2021 09:39

Club Mac Majorca, basically has an online water park and has free entry to the bigger water park next door and its all inclusive so you need not leave the site. Definitely not NY, it's probably the worst imaginable holiday with a 3 year old.

GiraffeDancer · 31/12/2021 09:39

We’ve always stuck to UK holidays, with self contained accommodation (cottage/lodge/caravan) so that we can self-cater as our DC have some issues with food and severe allergies. Our best ones for the toddler age have been staying in a cottage on a farm, where they have a playground and play barn, you can go around the farm and see the animals/collect eggs etc, and also near other attractions for days out like castles, beach, harbour, museums. Being abroad for a beach type holiday with a toddler strikes me as being very un-relaxing for the adults!

Superhanz · 31/12/2021 09:40

*onsite

KatieKat88 · 31/12/2021 09:43

We've only been to CenterParcs with DD(2) and if I could have gotten away with cancelling beforehand I probably would have as I was so stressed about how she'd sleep Grin glad DH wouldn't let me as it was fab - child friendly furniture in the lodge, separate room for her, we could cook when we wanted,or go out to eat, or get takeaway delivered so plenty of options for food. It was the first time she'd been swimming (thanks pandemic) so it took her half of the first session to warm up but then she loved it. It was stressfree and different to normal life, so even though we were still following her routine it still felt like a holiday. And somehow her sleep didn't go to shit which was an absolute miracle Grin we've booked to go again twice in 2022...

Bythebeach · 31/12/2021 09:43

It’s probably not ideal for all toddlers but we did do New York when our youngest son was not yet at school aged 4 and it was absolutely brilliant. We’ve 3 kids and have enjoyed taking them to lots of places. Chilled do-nothing beach holidays at nice resorts we’re the easiest but we’ve done other brilliant ones with babies and toddlers. The trick is to lower your expectations and aim to do much less than you would without a little one. We were lucky enough to stay in New York for 10 days and punctuated our museum and tourist site visits with lots of stops for food and drink and playgrounds in Central Park …. there are 21 playgrounds in Central Park and we did one at least everyday. Other hits with the kids were of course the top of the skyscrapers, a brilliant brunch high up opposite the Empire State, the natural history museum, there was a cool toy/kids hands on museum, walking over Brooklyn Bridge, and they loved the aircraft carrier that’s a plane museum…can’t remember it’s name. And for stuff I wanted to see and they didn’t, a playground and ice cream stop on the way back worked perfectly as bribery!!
Of course, covid times may change all that.

HamCob · 31/12/2021 09:45

Another vote for Butlins/center parcs!
If you are keen to go further afield then Puerto Pollensa in Majorca is lovely.
Short flight, beautiful beach, nice restaurants around the town square, can drive to lots of other places if you want a change. We went when DS was 1 and loved it.

grey12 · 31/12/2021 09:46

We have a beach resort holiday in Goa. DD1 was just over 1yo and I was pregnant Grin

LakeShoreD · 31/12/2021 09:46

@Lifeisnteasy

Posting in AIBU for traffic - sorry!

Desperate to book a holiday for this summer when DD turns 3. I have a fantasy about a week in New York but know this is probably a horrendous idea with a toddler - has anyone done it?

Where would you recommend for a holiday with a 3 year old?

Thanks in advance!

Not NY! We had family living there when our eldest was a toddler and used to visit a lot as we were also in the US so it was a quick domestic flight. Honestly, I’ve never been anywhere less welcoming to young kids.

Our best trips so far have been Mexico and South of France. In the U.K. we loved the Four Seasons in Hampshire, luxury for the adults and tons of kids activities so couldn’t go wrong!

grey12 · 31/12/2021 09:48

Btw my parents always took me and my brother on all holidays. So personally I don't really get the idea that kids can't be part of the holiday 🤷🏻‍♀️ but all inclusive resorts tend to be more relaxing for the parents rather than city breaks

DuneFan · 31/12/2021 09:52

Our best toddler holiday. . . A bungalow on a farm with a pub, a takeaway and play area in walking distance, and GPs on hand to babysit. Less than two hours drive from home.

New York as an older kid would be a fantastic memory. I'd be tempted to wait a few years.

lots33 · 31/12/2021 09:55

Our most successful holidays with toddlers were Puerto Pollensa in Majorca, Clydey Cottages in Wales and Bosinver Cottages in Cornwall. All ideas from Mumsnet several years ago!

Gardeningtipsneeded · 31/12/2021 09:57

We did AI with our toddlers - Turkey, Greece, Cyprus etc. Go in May/June and it’s warm and nice and quiet, use kids clubs liberally, let them eat chips and a banana three times a day and do the mini disco in the evening. Try and book a room where the toddler is sleeping in a separate bit so you can watch a film or whatever in the evening (always take a firestick for Netflix). Sensatori AI hotels are decent.

karmakameleon · 31/12/2021 09:57

We’ve done all sorts of holidays with the kids and the beach resort holidays are probably the easiest, closely followed by self catering near the beach. But they aren’t the most fun.

The ones that the kids want to return to every year are the cheap UK camping holidays. I’d rather give it a miss but they think it’s the bee’s knees.

And probably one of the most memorable and a big hit with everyone was taking two toddlers to China and Hong Kong. We all had a fantastic time and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

QueenofLouisiana · 31/12/2021 10:05

We found that these worked well:
Centre Parks
The Algarve
Majorca
Lanzarote
Caravan Parks in France (Siblu for us)

Bizarrely, Singapore also worked well. However, in retrospect I wouldn’t suggest it as a first flight. I look back and think I must’ve been mad. DS had always travelled well, fine on long drives through France etc so I didn’t think about it. I appreciate that we were very lucky!

RussianSpy101 · 31/12/2021 10:05

It might help for the OP to list what their idea of a holiday is as clearly we’re all different and have very different ideas of holidays.

Our DC will all be different too and what some enjoy others wouldn’t.

Peccary · 31/12/2021 10:07

Camping in France (car and ferry to get there) excellent kids facilities, pools etc and load cheaper than British equivalent. Haven't flown with DD since she was 2 after a traumatic experience. She's 4 now and will risk it this year as she will stare at a tablet for hours now Grin

Millionairesshortbreadshort · 31/12/2021 10:13

We went to a place in France that was the most relaxing holiday we had when DC was toddler. We went twice it was so nice. It is self catering gite but totally geared up for kids. We don’t fly for environmental (aka human survival) reasons but it was easy to drive. We had a stop over on the way to make the journey part of the holiday. The place had so much for toddler to do but without the noise and hustle of larger places. It was just five gites. Very safe. Quiet and rural. But not too far to supermarket and restaurants etc. We both felt truly relaxed after our stays there. We got to read books!

I can’t remember what it was called but it was near Royan. La Bigorre I think? It had a mumsnet rating I think which is why we booked it.

We chilled in the shade or sun while the kids all played (it was all so safe we didn’t need to be constantly watching) we hung out by the pool. We went for walks and borrowed the bikes. Did venture out to nearby attractions which were great but mostly we just chilled. Was really great. I’ll see if I can find it.

TruffleShuffles · 31/12/2021 10:18

If you want to do abroad I would definitely recommend renting a villa or staying on some sort of holiday village where there is bungalows of some kind. I found that having a decent amount of private space was a necessity, a small hotel room would have been hell.

We’ve only gone as far as the canaries but our daughter is actually a pretty good flier although an iPad filled with her favourite films and lots of jigsaw puzzles is very much needed.

ForsythiaInBloom · 31/12/2021 10:20

Best holiday with toddlers we had was self-catering in Normandy (did it twice). Depends where you are in the U.K., and if you have a car, but it’s very easy to go Portsmouth to Caen on the ferry and then a short drive. My three found the ferry very exciting and there’s a soft play and entertainer on board (get a cabin for naps). Lovely beaches, the D-Day battlefields (if you are into that) proper Norman castles to climb around, swimming pools. Food is delicious and it’s fun to walk around a market, orchards or to collect a baguette each morning from the boulangerie. www.babyfriendlyboltholes.co.uk/France-FR/Normandy-1823/