Best kind of holiday with 1 and 3 year old?

[Chocaholica]

We have 2 DC, who will be 14 months and 3 1/2 in June when we want to take a holiday. We don't want to spend masses. I am wondering what the best sort of holiday would be to suit the DC and us. DD1 likes to play with other children as much as possible, and likes swimming, reading, etc. DD2 will probably be just walking then. I don't know whether we should book a cottage in the UK for a week as we did last year, plus have a short break at Center Parcs, or whether we should go abroad (preferably France). We live in the north-east so a long way from ferry ports etc.

Does anyone with experience of holidaying with kids the ages ours will be have any helpful tips about good sorts of places to go? TIA.

Hi there, a couple of years ago we did a Siblu holiday in France which was lovely, bit like a Haven here, but much much nicer. Our DS's were 3 and 9mths at the time and loved it. We did drive / ferry / drive and it was very long trip! Year after we did similar type of holiday with Eurocamp in Spain, but we flew. You don't mention if flying is out of question for you, but I would say to consider it asyou can go out of school holiday season (which is what we did)and it was much cheaeper. I would advise abroad simply because ofthe better guarantee of good weather. Tryhng in entertain little ones in the rain is no kind of holiday HTH

You need one with lots of holiday clubs!

Hi. Thanks for the replies.

Coincidentally have been looking at a Siblu campsite in Normandy (so not such a terrible drive, well just in the UK) which looks fab. Only issue is the potential for wet weather, as you say - BUT we don't want massively hot weather either, particularly, given the age of the kids. We could indeed fly and hire a car at the other end - but that might be annoying in terms of carting car seats, travel cots, and assorted paraphernalia?

As for kids clubs, yes, you're right in a way - but wouldnt be able to leave 3 year old in one as she likes us to be there, unless they had that sort of club. Sandpits and play areas work fine for her to meet other children.

Is it sad to admit I thought the Siblu holiday looked fab and then realized there might be no TV, and wondered if child would survive without daily dose of Peppa Pig....

we went is sept last year with thomson al fresco (similar to eurocamp) to france. it was absoloutely fantastic. i had always (pre children) been really horrified by such a holiday. But- it was so great. everything we needed was on site- baby bath, cot, high chair all incl in price. wonderful 'lagoon style' pool (like walking into sea- no steps so they cant really fall in), clean and beacuse it was in france lovely weather and didnt feel naff. it was in a caravan, but we had a deck and garden furniture and we spent most of time outsideincluding all our meals. Also, they say in the brochures which sites are especially toddler friendly.
we chose this kind of holiday after spending ages trying to find self catering accomodation abroad that was safe, had all we need etc and i was so glad we did. in case you're interested, it was called le brasilia near perpignan.

only thing i would say is, we went out of school hols so v quiet which was great, with mainly families with toddlers. prob feels v different in august.

Thanks Kriss Kross, we would definitely go out of season, too.

Another heads up for that kind of holiday in France then!

Do you have a lptop choc? or a portable DVD? We took our laptop with us and had loaded it with shows before we went, and the DS's would have an hour in the morning and anotherhour at night watching their favs whilst DH and I had a lie in / wind down time. Didn' miss TV at all!

Yes we've got a laptop, so we could take that - good idea - she would be fine with that.

Pricing away here now. It doesn't seem as expensive as I anticipated (good!).

do you know- i was a bit worried about telly so we took our laptop and thomas tank DVDs- didnt watch them once! the mini disco in evenining wore him out and in the morning a really long brekkie outside distracted them.

We've been on a few trips with Siblu and Canvas. Siblu certainly have a club every day for the tiny ones, you have to stay though. But beaches, lovely toddler pools and baby disco exhausts them. We always tend to alternate a late night out, with an early night in bed with a dvd whilst we have a bottle of wine on the terrace.

Not bothered about kids clubs, but liking sound of baby discos and bottles of wine!

There are too many companies though... Canvas, Keycamp, Siblu, Eurocamp, Thomson al Fresco... which to choose?

They are much of a muchness. Choose a site you like. Look at the accommodation each offers - depending on where you go, a terrace and certainly air con can be a necessity. Always book the biggest, highest spec mobile home you can afford. It is ALWAYS worth it to have a bit more posh/space. You get a MN discount with Siblu!

When dd was little we went to Union Lido near Venice in June for a week. Ryanair flight, booked transfer from the airport. The site is fantastic - we planned to go to Venice and never actually left at all. On the beach, great pool complexes. Supermarkets/takeaways/restaurants. Playground, baby disco every night. I want to go back but am nervous that it will be too busy in school holidays.

i found eurocamp staff on phone incredibly helpful and would find answers to all sorts of questions- but we booked with thomson al fresco as they had decks and gates available to put on the decks.

Ah you see, I never thought of fact that DD2 will be walking (probably) and need restricting by then. Thanks for the gates tip, Kriss Kross.

Portofino, do you think we'd need air-con in June in Normandy or Brittany, if the homes have electric fans in each room? Many don't seem to offer air con.

Venice sounds lovely. Think we want to take our car though as we have a lot of stuff (!). Also can combine holiday with visiting grandparents on south coast of England en route.

I think you will be OK without aircon in the north of France. We did a week in Normandy in June when dd was about 4 months old. The weather was lovely and sunny - but not roasting hot.

Thanks. Yet another question - I've noticed that booking direct with some campsites is cheaper than going through Keycamp/Siblu etc. I have no issue with the French (have lived in France and am fluent) but is there some compelling reason why it would be better to book via a tour operator?

Not really - you pay extra for the admin at this end, and the reps on site. If you speak the language, and have proper cancellation insurance etc, it shouldn't make a difference.

Thanks. Language not a problem. And kids too young for clubs anyway really.

We used to camp in France when I was a kid, in a caravan on campsites near beaches. I loved it. I feel all excited at the thought of doing it again. Bit concerned that some of these sites with fab kids activities might be a bit rowdy though (at night I mean - not fussed during the day). Need to read reviews with care!

from my research (trip advisor) it seems that as long as it not school hols it will be okay, without maruading teenagers running around! you might want a rough idea of when european school hols start and go before. also its v nice to go when the camp is quiet. it felt almost like we had thr camp to ourselves and about ten other families in sept.

Oh- and thr thomson rep was unbelievably crap. when we asked for an extra sheet as DS had done a wee on his she said no- they had all gone back to head office. really? every sheet she had??? But i wasnt bothered as i wouldnt expect to be using the reps. The french staff however were wonderful.

and everything was open to everyone where we went- except some eurocamp stuff.

we were recommmended a camp in brittany called something like le grande metairie- good for toddlers apparently.

Our Belgian school holidays start 1st July. We normally go away then for 2 or 3 weeks. It seems to work well.

It is "High" season so all the clubs are running/everything is open. But it is before the UK school holidays start, and the European August Migration. It tends to get busier towards the end. The last couple of years we noticed a lot of Irish families with older children - I guess they break up earlier too. No gangs of marauding teenagers!

Thanks for the tips.

Another evening of research, and I have discovered that Eurocamp and Keycamp have some camps that have tumbletots, free swimming lessons for 1-5 year olds, and other related stuff specifically for tots all available in June before the July high season starts. I know DD1 would love that sort of thing. Am wondering whether that would be a good idea, or whether just to plump for a site with indoor and outdoor pool, play areas etc, like Les Mouettes (which I went to, apparently, some 23 years ago as a kid shortly before Eurocamp etc found their way there).

Decisions, decisions. But we are definitely going in June.