Has anyone ever had a good holiday experience with a toddler?!

[lancsgirl85]

So, having read a lot of threads on here about how it's a nightmare to take a little one abroad, I'm looking for any positive experiences whatsoever of taking an under 2 on holiday abroad. I'm actually starting to regret booking it due to reading about "dreadful" holiday experiences on here as well as my own anxiety tying me up in knots. 😫

So AIBU to ask if there are any positive experiences of holidaying abroad with an under 2? I'll take anything at this point 😂

@Jagoda

DD still has milk for her nap times and bedtime (she's almost 16 months). At home we give her full fat cows milk, but for the holiday we have packed a load of those SMA ready made toddler milk cartons (there's literally about 30 of them between both our cases 😂). I anticipated that she might not like Spanish cows milk if it tastes slightly different. Also with ready made cartons we don't need to use water to make her milk.

I hope you have a great time OP. If she gets used to the milk cartons before you go that should help.

All that effort and she'll probably decide to give up her milk habit entirely just before you go It's an entirely different scenario anyway at 16 months to the concern you would have of a small baby struggling and refusing. DN ended up in a Greek hospital at 4 months and SIL had to come home early when he refused to take his milk on holiday. She still moans at him about it and he's 21!!

One thing that did catch me out was the flight home. I booked a night one thinking he'd prefer it because he'd sleep... Boy was I wrong. He was uncomfortable and grouchy because he was tired. But he does prefer sleeping in his cot at home so should have anticipated that really. He'll have short naps on me but won't sleep for any long period of time unless he's in his cot and so he was just very grumpy.

He was much better on the daytime flight on the way out.

I think that if this thread proves anything it's that there is no one "right" way to have a holiday with small children (or indeed without ). A lot of people's idea of a perfect holiday would be my idea of hell, and I'm sure the opposite is true. It all depends on what you like really.
And I think there is an element of luck. All my children were very adaptable and never upset by changes in food, weather, routine etc but I know others that found that kind of thing really hard. Some of that may be down to parenting style, how you've planned the holiday and so on I suppose, but I think a lot of it is about the child's personality and some is just plain luck. I think all you can really do is try things, be adaptable and if something just doesn't work out, change it if you can and if not, learn for next time. Do some research about what is available in your planned destination and have some ideas about what you think you'll do, but be willing to change your plans if things don't pan out the way you expect. I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but my children are adults/late teens now and looking back on their early years a lot of our best memories are of occasions when things didn't go quite according to plan!

We took DC1 to one of the Balearic Islands when they were 14months old.Stayed half board in an hotel .Room was huge with a separate seating area and basic self catering facilities ,so never felt cramped.DC loved the pool and was happy to float around and splash with us.Meals were not an issue,always had something DC could eat.Stayed up later than usual bedtime watching children's entertainment and joining in the kids dancing.If we were out and about during the day they would nap in their buggy.Daytime flights both directions and DC was more than happy to sit on one of our laps with a new toy or book.We had a similar holiday when DC2 was 18 months old and again would rate it very successful.

I noticed this! My son has blonde curly hair and it was 'Ciao, bello!' wherever we went. All the waiters and old ladies we met were fawning over him 😂 He loved it!

I have always travelled with mine and I have learned much of it is a mind set thing. If you accept that it isn't going to be anything like it was pre-kids and enjoy the good times when they happen and move on quickly from the more stressful points, so stay in the moment so to speak, it is okay.

My biggest lesson was learning that for the time we are away, my toddler was not going to be eating/drinking/sleeping like they do at home, and a week long diet consisting solely of Lays crisps, Orangina, bread basket bread and ice-cream did not kill them.

I took my DD at around 18months, she was a dream. Slept most of the flight & we just napped for a few hours during the day so she was able to stay up later at night & enjoy the entertainment! I didn't stick to usual routines at all & she was totally fine getting back to normal once home. Also food wise there is always something they'll eat. Again, I don't stress if she won't eat proper meals as long as she has something she likes at each meal! It's a holiday for you, it's fine to be more relaxed & enjoy it. In my experience getting them back into routine once home is very straightforward. I also think its nice at night to go out walks etc & they can always nap in the buggy if tired! Have a lovely time it will be great!

Yep, we've had great holidays with our child.
The key is just sticking at one child 😂

I travelled all over when my children were little. Flights can be a little tiring but the holidays are fine, easier than staying at home where I don't have a pool, a beach, the sea and lots of other fun things to keep them occupied!
I'm a single parent of three autistic children BTW. The first time I flew long haul with all 3 was when my youngest was 3 weeks old, the others were 2 and 4.

Of course! Loads! I find it's as they get a older that it gets more miserable lol.

@berksandbeyond i agree ;)

We've had loads of good hols! The key is not expecting it to be like your previous holidays. We went to Portugal with a 9 month, then again with a 3 month old and 19 month old, Lanzarote in Feb with them at 4 and nearly 3 and had a fab week in France in June. Had a couple of Haven (plebby but the kids loved it) breaks around lockdown lifts. Have a good time!

Gosh yes, all of them bar one (Ireland). We rarely go self catered though and it has to be abroad / hot (warm). Hotel for a break from the drudge. Nice hotel with some sort of ability to room divide for less nights is preferable to all in the same room.

Yes! Several. Canary Islands, Majorca, France. Never had nightmares. Self catering always, can keep your home routine (but allow a little flexibility for hour changes and hot weather). Typical day would be TV for an hour, breakfast, out to the beach or whatever, lunch out, back to villa for a nap and play/pool in afternoon. Tea would be either all together eg BBQ or simple tea for DC, then adults eat, drink, sit out under stars while DC sleeps, exhausted from swimming etc. Repeat next day. If flying take plenty of books, snacks, tablet etc. Never had any problems.

We're currently in Karpathos with our 2 year old.
Took 3 flights to get here. Very quiet place. Got our own villa with a small pool pretty much on the beach.
Absolutely nothing to do for toddlers here in terms of parks etc.

We're having a great time. Thing is our DD just needs a bucket and spade and she's happy. She spent an hour yesterday just throwing handfuls of sand into the sea.
There's plenty of beaches here. One down the path from our villa completely deserted.

Maybe it's just our DD, but she finds anything fascinating. She loves the cats that wander round and the goats.

We can literally take her anywhere.

I found 1 yr old was great but at 2 it’s tricky. As long as you go somewhere child friendly (AL) and have 2 adults it’s good.

Single mum here, lone parent.
When DD13 was young the best holidays were with Scott Dunn. Best kids holiday clubs ever.

She had a great time, I got time to myself and plenty of time with her.

We had quite a nice trip to Portugal with ours when they were 2 and 4. We stayed in a fairly bog standard all inclusive hotel, but it was completely set up for families.

DD went to the kids club in the morning and in the afternoon splashed around in the pool with one parent while the other got DS to have a nap. It was near a lovely beach, too, with caves and rock pools to explore if we got bored of the pool.

They did early mealtimes in the restaurant, and it was a buffet so there was always something they'd eat, even if just chips, pasta and ice cream. Childrens' entertainers roamed the dining room, stopping to distract the more bored/fractious children; then ran a kids disco afterwards.

We'd been able to a two bedroomed hotel room, so once we'd got the gruesome twosome to sleep, we could sit on our bed and watch something on the iPad quietly (it was May, and not really warm enough to sit on the balcony).

It was only for a week, but I remember it being quite pleasant.

Yes we have a similar DD I think! She's almost 16 months so a bit younger than yours, but yesterday she spent ages just putting a small plastic ball in and out of a beaker repeatedly, completely fascinated by it! So I think we'll be alright in terms of keeping her entertained. I think she will love the beach 🥰

Will add, putting TV on for them in the morning while you have a 'lie in' is completely OK on holiday! 😉

The absolute highlight of DS’s holiday this year was the two geckos who lived by the fountain. We had to walk into town to visit them every flipping night. They had names (speedy and jumpy), and an entire backstory/relationship (brothers). He is 5.

The beaches, hotel pool, fort, cathedral, market, walled city, Neolithic ruins, caves etc were nothing compared to these two lizards. The horse came close.

We took our 2 year old away the week before the school holidays in May and we had an absolute blast.
He loves planes anyway so was very excited to be on a 'big blue plane'. Took lots of activities for the journey and he sat in between me and OH.
Holiday was fantastic, we were at an all inclusive and just had a routine which I think helped. Breakfast around 8.30/9, walk to the beach to feed the fish, I took him to baby pool while OH sat on lounger then we swapped. About 11.30 DS would have a rest on the sun lounger watching his iPad. 12.30 go for lunch, DS have a little siesta. Pool swap again in the afternoon then get ready for tea etc etc. don't get me wrong the holiday was centred around him so don't expect to do much relaxing (although I really appreciated having a bit of time to have a lie down when it was OH's pool duty). The only issue we had was eating as our DS can be a nightmare not wanting to eat anything.
Plane back was fine apart from the end, we flew in at midnight so he was fast asleep and we had to wake him for landing which he didn't want to do.

Just don't get stressed, let your child decide what you do and they'll be no fights 😂