Are abroad holidays worth it toddlers?

[daisydoo32]

Really weighing up the pros and cons at the minute. Desperate for a sunny beach holiday and our older dc would love it too but with a high maintenance toddler in tow, is it ever worth it?

Prices are looking at 3k ish which is so much money for us. I'm torn between wanting to make memories but equally knowing it will be hard work with not much chill time.

Do we bite the bullet and book something? Or is it best to wait til the diva is older? FWIW she's very fun loving and I know she'd love the pool and entertainment in a family resort but equally she's quite demanding and doesn't like the word no. Travel, change of routine, small hotel rooms are all worrying me. Advice?

Because?

We went to Portugal with a 9 month old and a 3 year old. Brilliant holiday.
We went to an aparthotel so had mire space but all the advantages of a hotel.
Bigger one went to the kids club sometimes. Little one napped in the pram while we lay on a sun lounger/ went for a swim.

Just don't expect it to be the same as a pre child holiday and you'll have a ball.

Some hotels have 2 room set ups available you can filter by them 🙂

We mostly aim for these so we can chill in the evenings too.

If your budget can stretch to it I suggest checking out holiday villages (tend to be partition rooms) but lots of activities for all different ages

I took DD away when she was 2. It was a bloody nightmare and nearly split me and now DH up.
It was stressful and the worst 2 weeks of my life

I also have three with a big age gap- 4, 9 & 13. I wouldn't stay in a hotel. It just wouldn't be relaxing all being in one room. I would look at one of the cabins at eurocamp or lodges at the the European centre parcs. It makes the world of difference having separate bedrooms and a bit more space to play and chill out of the sun occasionally.

Yes! One of my fave holidays ever was with a one year old and a three year old in Santorini. We went in Oct, the weather was beautiful but not too hot, they were happy with endless plays on the beach and playground, and visits to beautiful little visits so long as they got an ice-cream. Much easier in some ways than holidays with older kids who have opinions abut everything!

Absolutely! We've had two amazing holidays with our two. First holiday after lockdown they were 11 months and 2 year old - we went all inclusive so food was easy. We booked a ground floor room with a terrace, so when they had their afternoon nap I had a couple or hours on a sunlounger which was lovely!

I think the key is choosing the right hotel - definitely all inclusive with a playground, splash park, kids disco and creche ideally.

so the I,dear kids have to wait for the younger one to grow up? Nah …that’s just wrong….and what kid at secondary school will be happy with an ice cream and bucket and sleaze U.K. holiday when the option is going abroad….none I know for sure…..I took mine half way round the world from 2 years….wouldn’t have let my older kids go without because I chose to have a gap before having my 3rd child ….that’s what would be selfish,..opting for the easy option for the adults

Spade not sleaze 😂😂

Took DC1 abroad when he was just 2. He sounds v. similar to your DD. Not an easy going child at all 😂

It was hard work. Thankfully my expectations were very low (mostly thanks to MN!) so I wasn’t disappointed. I loved seeing him enjoy himself. But it wasn’t at all relaxing and I came home more tired than I left!

Absolutely worth it, my daughter has always loved holidays. As a toddler she could handle staying a bit later and then we’d get her to sleep with the lights off, once asleep lamps could go on, we’d take turns to go to the bar and bring back drinks.
She’s also always enjoyed going to hotel kids clubs.
She’s 7 now and adores her holidays!

Yes I think it’s worth it. But stick to same routine/UK time, short flight, short transfer, hotel with good quality food, lots of sun beds and shade and spacious rooms, take turns with DP to enjoy 1-2 hours a day chilling by yourself 😂 enjoy not having to make beds, do laundry, cook or clean for a week. Accept evenings won’t be anything like they are without children, probably spent on balcony/terrace with a couple of drinks, a movie/good book when kids are asleep, or take it in turns with DP to take older one to the entertainment for an hour.

No.

We’ve got 4 and have travelled with them all as babies and toddlers. Not it’s not always easy but we’ve all got some amazing memories. Plus, dh and I got some much needed sunshine. I’d honestly rather be dealing with miserable toddlers in the sun than trying to entertain kids in the UK in pissing rain. With the cost of food and attractions in the UK, it’s never actually much cheaper than going abroad.

We’ve done a variety of accommodations from villa to apart-hotel to all inclusive. All had their pros and cons.

I’ll let you know at the end of June 🤣

We’re going to Majorca for 10 days in June, with our 10 year old and toddler who will be 17 months. He is a quite easy going baby to be honest but we had become so accustomed to relaxed holidays more recently as our first got older it’ll be a shock to the system I think!

We did take the eldest abroad when he was similar ages and it was always fine, I think you just need to accept you won’t be coming back refreshed and rejuvenated. It really is just parenting in a different location isn’t it.

The things that help us are tag teaming in the day, so one of us will take the kids while the other has an hour by the pool with a book or a massage. Having an early dinner, eg 4:30, then getting the littlest in his jammies and in the stroller. We then go for a wander round the local area til be falls asleep and stop in a bar for a drink or two while he sleeps in the pram. There’s also a lot to be said for sharing a bottle of wine on the balcony when littlest is in bed and playing a game of cards or reading whilst the sun goes down if you don’t end up going out in the evening.

We’ve never had a holiday where we came home and said never again! Also we found they get so exhausted in the new environment and playing/splashing all day they were ready to crash a bit earlier giving you a bit more tkme
to chill.

We did many years of Eurocamp and a few child friendly Gite complexes. A hotel room is no fun! I loved being able to have a leisurely breakfast, and put dd to bed in her room. We would cook, eat out, get a takeaway depending on what we'd been doing in the day time and go for a drink/mini disco etc. Kids clubs when older. Canvas did an evening one one place we went - so we got a couple of quiet dinners. Loved playing in the pool / on the beach even when she was small.

He kids ages were posted as i wrote this.

Both holidays under 2.5yrs were proper awful. Not a break, not fun, not really making memories. Wish we'd saved our money. After that all grand (and DC v high maintenance/energy too).

So what kind of holidays do you do then @Doteycat as I strongly disagree with your opinion.

You can pick a hotel geared up for families, pools, close to the beach, entertainment programme running day and night, plus kids clubs. How is that "completely selfish" 🤔

I have had a great typical TUI AI holiday with a toddler, then again a few years later with a baby too. We picked somewhere with a splash pool, and near a beach.

DH and I took turns at spending an hour at the adults only cocktail bar on our own with a book in the evening, while the other did bedtime.

The second time I did an evening sightseeing trip once with the baby asleep in a sling, while DH stayed behind at the kids entertainment with the toddler.

With your mixed ages, I'd pick somewhere with an onsite waterpark and a decent games room for the older kids in the evening. It could be lovely and relaxing, IMO.

The sort of UK self catering holidays I do most often now with my older kids would be much harder than abroad with a baby too.

Yes definitely! But go for an all inclusive & family orientated hotel with a kids club & disco etc - they love it. Can’t understand all the recommendations for self catering when kids are young, yes it might not be ultra relaxing regardless but at least you don’t have to cook or sweep the floor after every meal & snack

If it's all-inclusive, yes. Otherwise it's just the same old shit (cooking, cleaning up, etc) in the sun.

There's always kids clubs too, if you/your toddler are happy to use them.

I had toddler nightmare and went to Cornwall and then …. Somebody told me about Mark Warmer with kids club and that was a holiday! Life changing

One child, super easy. Op has more than one dc and many more challenges. I also have 2 with a big age gap. It's very hard but I just want my older one to still have experiences.