To ask... are holidays abroad with kids worth it?

[ImALittlePea]

I'm currently fixated on going abroad in late September/early October with the family (myself, DH, 9yo and 2yo). I don't know why, really, but I'm desperate for the children to have the experiences that DH & I never had as kids of going to the A/I style resorts, planes etc. 9yo has been abroad once, before starting school and covid hit. 2yo has never left the country. We've done UK holidays - Airbnbs, holiday parks etc - all-in-all quite successful (and one only a couple of weeks ago - four nights in a holiday park along the south coast of England), but I can't shake the feeling of wanting to take them abroad.

But as I look at the packages and prices, I'm starting to second guess myself about whether it's really worth it. We have a modest budget with which I can find what seem to be packages that I'm happy with - a week of A/I in apartment style resorts with plenty/enough for kids to do, space for us to chill once they're in bed etc. But if we do spend the money and go away, we'll feel the pinch and have less freedom/leave from work over the long summer holidays.

Please help a holiday-hungry overthinker out!

YABU - holidays with kids are harder work than they're worth
YANBU - life is short and for living - holidays are always worth it

Someone I know has an apartment in Spain that we had looked at briefly, but discounted it on the basis that there wasn't anything there other than a pool.. no resort base, entertainment etc. But I might re-explore this with some of your thoughts and stories in mind!

We love a Eurocamp. Similar to the holiday parks you've done in the UK, but invariably better than them. We tend to drive to the French ones, but we flew to this Italian one in May if you want the plane experience for them.

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/italy/tuscany-elba/montescudaio-campsite

Flew into Pisa, 45 minute direct train to Cecinia and then a 10 minute taxi ride to the parc (taxi rank outside the train station). There's outdoor pools and a fantastic restaurant onsite. We ate out every night whilst watching the entertainment.

Italians are very family and child focused. We spent two nights in Pisa at the end of our trip, and it was normal to see toddlers pottering around the outdoor cafe seating at 10pm.

We've done Eurocamp since mine were 3 and 5. They're 10 and 12 now.

There's also loads of Eurocamps in Spain if you have your eye on that.

For an easy drive from Calais, this is our favourite Eurocamp.

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/france/paris/la-croix-du-vieux-pont-campsite

Alternatively, we also loved Beekse Bergen in the Netherlands. Also a 3 hour drive from Calais, it has an onsite safari park with unlimited access if you're staying on site, plus 'Speelland' which translates to 'Funland', a sort of theme park/giant playground. Also included in your stay. You access the safari park by car, safari train or safari bus from the accommodation parc, and you access Speelland by boat (big hit with my two). All included in the cost. The safari park is excellent. The Dutch cater heavily towards families, too. It would suit both your ages.

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/netherlands/north-brabant/lake-resort-beekse-bergen

For warmth that time of year you're really looking at southern Spain so Costa del Sol/Costa Almeria. I've been looking at Spain myself and realised Mallorca is cheap in October because it's about 17 degrees!

I totally get it - the 2 year old won't remember, but some of my best childhood memories in late primary are doing things like Tivoli World theme park and Benalmadena Sealife Centre even though they're not exactly Spanish culture.

We had a self catering cabin in a small town. It had a pool and was a 5 min walk down to the sea. No entertainment or anything. We hired a car and explored different beaches in the area, visited caves, had boat trips, played in the pool. Then every evening wandered down into the town and ate pizza by the sea, followed by ice cream and sometimes a look in the souvenir shops.

My big plan is a long trip to India when they're a bit older.

Just realised when you're going. Italy will likely still be warm in September, but France and Netherlands are similar to here. If you're happy to pull them out of school, we took ours to the Netherlands in the June, and that was lovely. So could be an option for the future (doesn't help you now, I appreciate).

Yes, most things do tend to be at their peak in the summer in Eurocamp, though Italy had the Discos going from May, so might still have some in September. Entertainment tends to be hosted by parc employees, not Eurocamp. Eurocamp are just an accommodation provider.

I absolutely love holidays abroad and have taken mine since she was 3 months old. The first time was obviously intended to be for us with baby 'tagging along' but I was surprised how much she enjoyed herself even then. She has loved holidays ever since.

Obviously it's not the same as holidays pre kids but then life isn't the same in any which way. It's still most definitely worth it. With a nine-year old it's a no brainer, even if the two year old is a little challenging.

We went all inclusive but we did it at very cheap, unpopular times which I appreciate may not be possible with one in school. So even if it was a disaster, it wasn't such a big financial investment.

100% worth it for me. UK holidays just never feel like a proper break for me. I find I spend too much time thinking about how much we’re spending, what we’ll do if the weathers not great etc. AI means I don’t have to worry about any of that. We have food and drinks sorted, kids love just being in the pool / on the beach. Yes with toddlers it’s not going to be truly relaxing, but feels a lot better aboard having food cooked and the room cleaned then it does in a self catering cottage / holiday park caravan.

@RhubarbFairy we were looking at the camp near Paris! But from everything we've seen (from Eurocamp, the parc direct etc) the entertainment side of things shuts down from 1st September. We're hoping to make it there earlier next year though, now that we know. I will look at the ones in Italy though.

@Blueey yes we've had holidays like that (albeit in the UK) where we have a SC base and explore the area, have days out etc. And they've been great, but that's not what we're after on this one. I think both DH and I really want a break from having to facilitate all the fun, do the cooking and cleaning and planning. It may not be as culturally enriching, but for us I think the ease of it outweighs that at the moment. Plus DH hates driving abroad, so ALL of that would fall to me on top of everything else, which doesn't particularly appeal to me right now.

Anyway, I really did flip flop yesterday about whether it'll be worth it or not. But I've decided I definitely want to just go this year (or early next year for some winter sun - although for some reason that makes me anxious??). I've just got to figure out where will be warm enough in late September (sounds like southern Spain is a goer?!) and find the right deal for us. Eep!

Late September/Early October we love the canaries, still mid 20's for warmth and the entertainment in the hotels is still on too.

If you can afford it, do it - it'll be the best thing the kids have ever done and they'll talk about it for months after. Every little thing will be amazing for them.

Package holidays usually come with transfers included so you have little to worry about once you're there. I'd recommend a big all inclusive resort for a first holiday if possible, as once you're there pretty much everything is catered for and you don't have to think of things to do and you can spend as much or as little as you want on extras. Most of them will have kids clubs and activities on, which the older one could go to to get some stimulation and meet other kids their age.

I have a 12 year old DD. When she was still in a buggy we took her for a city break in Europe. Really mostly for the benefit of the adults and it was fun. She liked the plane and the hotel and we got some culture in. Since then I got divorced and we did a Paris break when she as 9 and she enjoyed the hotel pool far more than actual Paris. Last year we did a sunny holiday and she had a great time. This year we are planning a week in a self-catering apartment in Southern Spain near the beach and it will be swimming all day everyday! Well worth it for us but we do most holidays in the campervan in the UK so abroad is a rare treat.

I did UK seaside holidays when mine were little. Your oldest is 9 and that’s about the time I started to look further afield. An AI holiday sounds really fun and you and they will probably love it. You could try and get a deal somewhere like Jet2. Another alternative is a Eurocamp holiday which I totally recommend. At May half term these are usually a lot cheaper.

I think it's worth it as you don't spend nearly as much abroad as you have better weather so kids are just happy in a pool

I really appreciate everyone's input! There's nothing to lose really, is there - we've got the money set aside and I know that if we don't use it on a holiday now it'll get used elsewhere (to fund local school holiday activities for instance!), and I'll regret that far more than going away!

Looking at southern Spain/canaries now.

One more question - does anyone have much experience as to whether it's better to book now, if whether last minute deals are worth holding out for?

🤦‍♀️😁

Book now. Last minute bookings tend to be grim.

We are just back from an AI in Turkey, 18 month old and a 9year old (and a teen!!). Oh my, it was totally worth it. 18 month old doesn't nap unless in cot - or so I thought.the hot weather and being out all day meant baby had post lunch nap in buggy -couldnt believe it. It meant I could still enjoy time with my other kids and me or hubby actually got to sit on a sun lounger while baby was sleeping!!!!

An best of all, 18 month old went down for the night in the pram, so as a family we all got the night entertainment!!! Def could not have foreseen this.

Hot sun, lots of pools, older kids as much ice cream and drinks. Baby tried so many different foods sitting in high chair, what an experience! Loved roast potatoes, plain pasta, cheesy pitta, melon, and fish -had sea bass practically every day!

The routine does shift, so dont be dead set time on the clock, we just followed tired cues and made sure baby had had some food beforehand to resemble home.

Baby loved loved loved the pools, the slides, the sand (after crying in the water the very first day). now home and climbing on everything so def developed/stretched new muscles!!

cant wait to go again (older two had a total blast as well)

We've gone every year since dd was 4 months old - until she turned 18 and refused to come any more. Never AI though and rarely hotels. We've done SC all over Europe over the years - gite complexes/Eurocamp/apartments etc. We used to take it in turns by the pool/sea when she was very small. She would always nap well after all the activity so we usually got a couple of hours to chill after lunch. She loved a baby disco. And then stuff like karaoke when older. The only time I remember it being hard was when puberty hit and she turned mardy - too hot/hated sand/bored - and would sit in the aircon on her phone. We had a lovely villa with own pool the summer she was 12 and she watched TV indoors half the time - just popped out to regale us with tales of the probably unsuitable programmes about incest or murderous neighbours etc.

Amazing to hear of successful holidays with a similar age gap to ours! 😁

OP - how about one the baby friendly bothole type places? There are loads of gite complexes in France that are set up for small kids with safe spaces for them to run about together/trampolines/playground equipment etc. I've seen places that offer cooked meals or have a bar area.

We were set on a Eurocamp until finding out that lots of things we were going for weren't open late in September. Having said that, we were only looking at a particular parc so I'm going to look at the other ones before making a booking.

I've not come across these - my first thought is would there be enough for the 9yo to be sufficiently entertained? Off to Google!

https://holidaytotsmagazine.co.uk/2022/02/03/11-baby-and-toddler-friendly-holiday-cottages-or-gite-complexs-to-consider-in-france-for-a-2022-family-holiday/ Like these

https://www.babyfriendlyboltholes.co.uk/France-FR/villas/#results_map=&search_propertyname=Name+search&search_country=FR&search_region=&search_sleeps=&search_arrivaldate=Arrival+Date&search_datevar=&search_numbernights=&search3335=on&search36455=on&search_continent=&showpage=undefined&search_orderby=sleeps_name_asc&search3477=on

With baby friendly botholes you can search for older kid activities

No holidays with kids are worth it!

If you are looking for AI with apartment style accommodation I can recommend Eden in Portugal (near Albufeira). All drinks and meals (really good quality) included. Pools, kids club, evening entertainment. Has one, two and three bed apartments. We had a two bed which also had two bathrooms, a lounge and kitchen. Our eldest was going to have the sofa bed in lounge but the kids ended up sharing the twin room as it was very spacious. It's a way out of town but the hotel runs a few minibus every hour to the old town and beach. We managed a couple of extra trips out too. Really good holiday. Was a bit too hot in August (39-40 some days) but late September should still be lovely and warm. You could also look at Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus which I think is also AI in apartment style. I've bit been but other mumsnetters have recommended on similar threads.