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

[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!

Keep it simple!!! If you fly make sure you really think about the times, wrangling a grumpy toddler at the airport late at night or early morning can be hell!!!
I've done all-inclusive and self-catering with toddlers..........all-inclusive can be easier unless you have a very fussy eater or allergies to deal with.
Be realistic...........make sure there are toddler friendly activities.

I had dh with me, so we could take it in turns to have a break, one stay with dc while the other grabbed some food etc. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed being abroad with a toddler on my own..........but that's me, we are all different.

Depends what you want to do in New York. I personally felt it was quite child friendly. I hear there's a huge park in the middle somewhere.

If you’re a city break type of person, or were before kids, San Sebastián is surprisingly great with small kids. There’s a beach for daytime fun and loads of playgrounds (and an aquarium if it rains) and then the pintxos scene means you can have truly amazing grown up food in a casual pub type setting while you throw some croquetas in front of your child. Walk and an ice cream before bed time. Lovely. Get an apartment in the old town and you can sit out and people watch with a beer once the kids are in bed. Plus everywhere had those amazing shutters so you have a chance at a lie in if you keep them on British time and let them nap late.

But my favourite toddler holidays have been eurocamps near big cities.

I went to NY woth a one year old. It was too tiring.
My best holidays woth toddlers have been

• Santander, Madrid and Barcelona by train
• Train to Milan and visited lakes and Venice, via Paris
• Gran Canaria. No time difference.
• Munich. Lakes, zoo and the most amazing thermal swimming pools, plus a huge park.
• Ferry to Normandy, Eurocamp. So easy and cheap.

I've never seen the point of holidaying abroad with toddlers. Best toddler holiday I had was a bargain apartment at Romney Sands Parkdean Resort one Easter.

They played on the beach for hours, swam in the toddler pool, ran around in the playpark, rode the mini steam train to a near by seaside resort where they went to the fairground, and in the other direction rode the mini train to the lighthouse/cafe/power station/Derek Jarman's garden, had fish and chips on the beach and ice cream sundaes at the 1950s style ice cream parlour. Wandered around the massive radar systems built but never used in WW2 by the fishing lake behind the holiday park. I loved every minute and so did they.

It was dirt cheap and yet every bit as fun as the much more expensive holidays we went on with them.

@hivemindneeded I've never seen the point of holidaying abroad with toddlers. Best toddler holiday I had was a bargain apartment at Romney Sands Parkdean Resort one Easter.

The only advantage is weather. A toddler doesn't care which beach they are on, you do though care how warm/dry it is.

I've never seen the point of holidaying abroad with toddlers.

Because you want to surely. Lots of adults want to holiday abroad (better weather, change of scenery, different food) so why stop because you have children. The toddler years may not be the best time to book the Himalayan trekking holiday you’ve always wanted to go on but there are plenty of other fun, interesting places you can take small children that aren’t in the UK.

@karmakameleon

I've never seen the point of holidaying abroad with toddlers.

Because you want to surely. Lots of adults want to holiday abroad (better weather, change of scenery, different food) so why stop because you have children. The toddler years may not be the best time to book the Himalayan trekking holiday you’ve always wanted to go on but there are plenty of other fun, interesting places you can take small children that aren’t in the UK.

I retract that. We know a family who took their preschooler trekking in Bhutan, loved it and returned several times. Different holidays suit different families.

The point of abroad is the weather, and the all inclusive reduces the work load, otherwise it’s just same shit different location!

People who don’t see the point/say the kids won’t remember it… I bloody will! It’s my holiday too :)

@WakeUpLockie

People who don’t see the point/say the kids won’t remember it… I bloody will! It’s my holiday too :)

Exactly!

@WakeUpLockie

People who don’t see the point/say the kids won’t remember it… I bloody will! It’s my holiday too :)

This is so true! My kids don’t remember the holidays they had when they were little but we certainly do. It was fascinating to see what interested/amused them and as much as they liked bucket and spade holidays, they also had the capacity to enjoy so much more.

We did the Caribbean when she was about 19 months and Mexico even she was 3, she loved both holidays.
The Canaries are a hit as not to long a flight time and if booked a Tui hotel their kids clubs are great!

I was recommended this place by a travel agent and we hope to go next year...

www.martinhal.com/sagres/

@hivemindneeded I find that really sad. There are many experiences your children will of missed out on because you “don’t see the point” in taking them abroad.

Javea in Spain. Short flight to Alicante, then an hour or so drive. Self catering apartment near beach, shared pool.

Short walk to the beach which has fabulous restaurants by safe sandy beach with climbing frames etc on it. We went a lot when our DCs were younger.

We personally liked self-catered accommodation with two bedrooms and a garden/terrace. This meant we weren't on top of each other and could get a bit of me time. We liked the freedom of cooking what we wanted when we wanted although I can see why all inclusive might be attractive!
We like renting a car not to have to rely on public transport. There is always so much to carry with a small child (push chair, nappies, etc).
For us jetlag was an absolute no no but I have friends who went to America with their toddler and that didn't cause any problem. Our daughter was also a terrible sleeper so I didn't want to risk 'upsetting' her sleep routine!!
Flight-wise, we always aim for 2/3 hour. 4h max if it is a particularly exciting location. Our toddler was rather mobile/active so we didn't feel we could handle more. Some toddlers are more passive though and some parents are just better at dealing with this stuff than us!

Oh and we normally tried to do one activity for grown ups, one for kids each day so there would be something to look forward to

Finland (specifically Helsinki, but there are loads of beaufiful places all over the country). It seems like everything is built to make life with kids easy. Public transport is free for kids and free for an adult travelling with a child, as long as the is under 6 and in a pram. Every - and i mean EVERY - cafe and restuarant will have high chairs and the staff will be used to parents asking if they will heat up baby milk etc., which they will do pleasantly. Lots of musuems etc are free and there are lots of fun places to go with kids (e.g. museum of childhood in Helsinki, Moomin World in Naantali). Summer is hot and there are lots of beautiful parks - again, all will have some form of kids playground - a great zoo and you can get the ferry to one of the islands or just get a boat tour around the archipelago. There are 3 outdoor sea pools on the harbour, which are lovely (one is a toddler's paddling pool), and they have a proper changing room, so you can all get washed and dried properly after swimming. Oh, and at the airport, they have free prams for parents to use with toddlers, once you get past security (as they usually ask you to check your own pram in with your luggage).

This place is great for children and the food is really good. the only downside is its quite pricy so depends a bit on your budget

www.i-escape.com/columbia-beach-resort

We did New York with a just-turned 4 year old and a 10mo. We have family there and have been lots so we didn't mind not seeing all the sights. We did a couple of boat trips, went up the Rockefeller Centre (less queuing than the Empire State Building), went to the Met, walked along the Highline, and did a fair bit of Central Park in a couple of visits. We only had 4 days there so that was enough for us, but we also considered the Bronx Zoo and the Museum of Natural History. We are hopefully going again in the Spring when the DC will be 7 and 4. New York is full of great little playgrounds hidden away in residential areas, and the food is very child friendly (DS1 loved the diner breakfasts and the slices of pizza that were bigger than his head). But if you haven't been before I think it might be disappointing because you won't get to see nearly as much as you want to.

I would never take my toddler for city breaks as it's impossible for me sometimes and a total nightmare to run errands with my toddler in my local area let alone manage him on holiday. The max I would do is find a kiddies hotel with loads of kids focused activities that is a short flight away. Once ds reaches 5-6, I would then consider city breaks but then would probably leave him with my parents because I don't want to be dealing with I'm bored, I need a wee, I'm tired.

@jabmeupthe

I would never take my toddler for city breaks as it's impossible for me sometimes and a total nightmare to run errands with my toddler in my local area let alone manage him on holiday. The max I would do is find a kiddies hotel with loads of kids focused activities that is a short flight away. Once ds reaches 5-6, I would then consider city breaks but then would probably leave him with my parents because I don't want to be dealing with I'm bored, I need a wee, I'm tired.

Exactly, you know your child. My 2 would be fine with a city break - my eldest more so than my younger but my god did I enjoy the 5 night all inclusive break I did with a friend and no kids!

Staying in Britain with toddlers has lots to recommend it. No airports to negotiate. And toddlers are ecstatic with sand, sea and optional dinosaurs.

Self catering is way easier than anything else, so we had some great holidays in Tenby, Combe Martin, Hemsby, Scarborough, Charmouth.

And the extra good thing about being in Britain is that if your child is ill, you can easily cut the holiday short and go home.