To ask for your ultimate, once in a lifetime, family holiday destination?

[PicturesOfLily]

I should probably start by saying I love travelling and planning potential holidays (which largely don’t happen because of budget!). My dds are 5 and 1 so I have a bit of time to think about it yet but on my list are places like Lapland, Disney World, Costa Rica, safari in Africa and Japan. However, they will probably be the ideal ages to go to these places close together and there’s no way we’ll be able to afford all of them. Also, a friend recently went to Disney World and said that although it was amazing, it was SO expensive that she didn’t think it was worth the money. Our annual budget is around 3-4K so these big trips would be 3-4 years worth of holidays and I don’t want to waste our money. So that got me thinking, where is the best place you’ve been with family that I should look at and what sort of age child does it suit? Alternatively, is there anywhere you’ve been that didn’t live up to expectations? (A bit like the emperor’s new clothes thread that I really enjoyed reading!)

Alaska was amazing, we mostly used ferries and trains. They were 2&4

A Stay Kay - no stress, p'raps with a paid Cook/Driver/Cleaner instead of Travel Costs? Little dc just want you and they'll more remember happy times with you rather than the travelling-stress.....

Save the 'Destination Holidays' for when the dc are old enough to express their choices.

Loved Ghana, Barbados, Canada, St Maarten, lots of europe.

wouldnt rush back to Dubai /RAQ

next in turn plan is Thailand and Singapore in January and then DD1 goes to KL for a year with uni so planning to visit her.

would love to explore more of Africa and South America.

closer to home would love to visit Eastern Europe.

we don’t do travel agents or tour operators and try and avoid any brits destinations. My idea of hell the majority of brits abroad.

Yep. You win. I have wanted to go there since I was about ten. And I'm so old they didn't let any tourists in at all when I first saw photos of it, then when they finally did, no women were allowed! Glad they've relaxed a bit.

Costa Rica is on my wish list, along with Japan. My favourite holiday so far was Australia.

I agree, especially when they are little. We never went abroad (apart from Disney Paris which they adored) until they were about eight or nine. One of my happiest holidays with them was a Park Resorts apartment at Romney Sands for less than £100 at Easter! But as they grew older we got a lot more adventurous.

We're planning Lapland for our 10 year anniversary November 2023. DD will be 6. Have done Thailand pre-child and it was fab but I am not a fan of hot weather so would not rush back. That said I would love to see Japan one day.

We did Costa Rica with a 4yo. We saw loads of wildlife and had an amazing time. She was too young for zip wires etc. But plenty for smaller kids to do. We loved it.

Xcaret parks in Mexico with our 10 year old. Just amazing.