best holiday for a 12 month old

[LionsnTigersnBears]

We're looking to book our first holiday to take with our brand new DD in the summer, who will by then be a year old. In the past we've mainly done either adventure travel (my choice) or city based arts and culture-y type breaks (his). We don't tend to do all that well on beach hols. Has anybody got any suggestions for something wonderful to do? Or could you share your best holiday with a baby story? I'm clueless, I don't even know where to start looking, to what to look for, but feel like I'm running out of time.

Help!!!!

Both 'big' holidays we have done with DC we have booked with companies that had kids clubs that way we could have some fun with them but also had time to do what we wanted to do.

Thanks Aren'tFanny! Its just most of the package hols are quite 'beachy' and there's only so much lying on a beach I can take (in the past 3 hours was my personal best before wigging out). Someone suggested RV'ing in the US, but I don't know how practical that is. Ah, I'm clueless aren't I? :(

Would suggest Italy - perhaps Sorrento. Lots of boat trips and the beautiful coastline. Just dont try and think you can do what you did before. Taking a 12 month old around musuems will end in tears...

We went to the Italian Lakes in June (just DH and I). A lady took her 2 year old to look around a beautiful villa which was only accessible by boat. He was a compete pain (not his fault at all!) He tried to touch the very precious paintings and tbh spolit it for the rest of us. I cannot think what she was thinking of. She didnt seem very bothered and in fact the tour guide had to have a quiet word with her..

centerparcs

[runs]

Isle of Wight!

Sorry but 1yo isn't a great age to be taking a child away. It will be stressful...this isn't to say that you shouldn't go away, it's just having been on 5 holidays with ds (3.5) the one around his first birthday was the least relaxing.

Chances are your daughter will be crawling everywhere, pulling herself up on furniture, teething, wanting to explore/touch everything.

At this age you will still need cot/push chair/bottles if not b/f'ing/nappies and more toys than elc.

On the plus side, on an evening you should be able to get baby to sleep in push chair and have an evening to yourselves.

Have low expectations, somewhere warm, relaxing, family friendly will be perfect, and as long as you don't plan too much, I'm sure you'll have a lovely time. Just different to any other holiday you've had before

I would (and, in fact, did) go to Cornwall for a beach holiday in a self-catering cottage with a baby that age.

Baby backpack for clifftop walks, picnics, building sandcastles on the beach, splashing in the sea, rockpooling, cream teas, farm parks - it was perfect.

DH and I spent the evenings either eating out and child friendly pub at walkable distance with DS asleep in buggy or cooked nice meals, drank wine and watched back to back episodes of 24 .

Most holiday cottages will supply travel cot, high chair etc and you can get a supermarket delivery for the day you arrive if you are organised so stress free.

p.s. all our pre-DS holidays were watersports based, backpacking in far flung places or walking holidays. We have never been beach holiday people but you won't be doing any lying on the beach with a 12 month old anyway!

A self catering villa/apartment in Italy/Spain either in the city or countryside. You can eat in/out as you like.

You will find that you spend more time in childrens parks (we found one in Spain once that had a bar in the corner!) than looking in Cathedrals/museums. It is a different pace of holiday but can be quite relaxing.

We did a country villa in Perugia when dd1 was 18months we did picnic lunches in various parks/small towns, we could drive to various destinations while she napped and we did manage to look round a few cathedrals.

We haven't done beach holidays until last year (dd's now 7 and 5).

what about Neilson BeachPlus? we did it when DS was 9 months and then again 2 yrs. He had a few hours a day in the nursery/kids club, and we did sailing, surfing, snorkeling, etc. Definitely not lying around in the beach (I get so bored doing that). Then, when the heat went down, we used to get DS out of the club and go down with him to the beach to play.

We're not beachy / lounging round a pool type people either. We went to Paris on our first holiday with DD at the age of one. We've always had great holidays, but this one was particularly memorable because we were so worried beforehand about highchairs, travel cots, etc.
DD was still napping in afternoons, so we visited galleries for a couple of hours then. We also walked around the city in the evenings and DD would be up with us, so would sleep in in the mornings.
Wherever you go, what I would definitely recommend is keep your expectations and ambitions low, go self-catering. And if you go on a city break, I'd take a sling to avoid metros.
If there isn't a highchair at a restaurant, you can get cushions for your DD or she can sit on your lap. If there isn't a cot for her, you can co-sleep ... just improvise and have a great time!

The idea of the beach holiday, was to spend some time with DD on the beach which we loved and we hired a car to do the cultural bits, sailing etc

I would certainly suggest self catering apartment on the ground floor (terrible memories of my year old trying to climb over the balcony of a 1st floor apartment).

We love Puerto Pollensa in North Majorca. The beaches are lovely in a really picturesque setting. Beach on one side of the tree clad promenade with restaurants on the other. So plenty of lovely seaside days to be enjoyed.

Then you have the option of daytrips eg Palma, Soller for some culture.

If you look at www.puertopollensa.com you will get a feel for the place. They have a great selection of accommodation on private holiday rentals.

June/September are good months to go.

Brilliant ideas, thanks ever so much! Picnics, backpacks, roll on summer!!!!!!!! Happy X-mas!