What is the most relaxing holiday you've ever had with young children?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Just wondering.......We've been to Bosinver in Cornwall for the past five years, but as fantastic as it is and I heartily recommend it to people with toddlers and preschoolers, the weather has been rubbish just about every year we've been (except the first year in June) so it makes for a very go, go, go week of activity and doing stuff ALL the time. Also my children are at an age (6 & 8) where they would be happy on a beach all day messing with the sand and sea and playing with newly-made friends, but all we could manage last year was 2 beach afternoons as the weather just wasn't beach weather really.

Last year was exhausting, although enjoyable. I felt like I needed a holiday at the end of the week, I barely sat down we were so busy!

So..... I decided that we needed some guaranteed sunshine and a more laidback holiday so we're going to Puerto Pollensa in August via Easyjet and a privately-owned self-catering apartment, in August. I'm sure we'll have a nice time but I just feel lately that my life is so frantic and I do so much for everyone else that I would like a holiday to feel like a holiday for myself so would like to know what other options there are (for next year - nothing like forward planning ), without having to pay out ridiculous prices to be fighting for a sunbed or dinner table at a crappy hotel every day.

Any ideas?

I don't have any suggestions for next year because for the past 5 years we have been to Puerto Pollensa and loved it.
We fly BMI Baby, hire a villa and away we go. Days spent on the beach or by the pool, perfect relaxation.
( although it has been known to rain)
We have 2 DD's 4 and 7 and we are back again in August, might see you there !!

pineapple: that's great to hear! I would love, love, love a villa with private pool but were a bit concerned that the DSs would want other children to play with, hence the apartment block this year. Are yours happy just to play together, and does the pool occupy them all day, or do they spend an hour in it and then say "So...what are we doing/where are we going today then?" (something my two have been used to saying on Cornwall holidays, basically since they were born)

We went to Tarifa in Spain with 3 other couples and loads of kids. It was brilliant as the kids just played all day, pool, garden etc and we took it in turns to play adult in charge. Was a great holiday.

thestringcheese, we have shared a cottage with my parents every year we've been to Cornwall, and my sister and her family have also had their own on the same site at the same time, so we do enjoy sharing usually. When planning this year's holiday I don't think my sister could afford a foreign holiday at the time we booked it, and my mum and dad usually got to Majorca during quieter times of year so we didn't ask them along. But maybe next year a big villa for everyone would be a good option.

I went to Puerto pollensa last year with two dc aged 2 and 4 and it was lovely! Really nice restaurants, big sandy main beach but we spent most of our time on the narrower strip of beach at the (north?) end which was shaded by pine trees so great for the kids. The water was warm clear and shallow with plenty of small fish and crabs to catch.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Relaxing holiday with young children? An oxymoron surely?!

Okay, I'm aware this might make me sound really cheap but... Park Resorts!! The kids (20months and 6) love the novelty of being in a caravan, regardless of the weather, and if we can't get to the beach there's always a pool, and lots of activities for them to do with the 'Teamstars' (outrageously energetic 20somethings determined to make everyone join in), while I sit and have a nice cup of tea and watch them having fun - fab!! Even more relaxing when we go on Sun holiday vouchers so it costs less than £100 for four of us - bargain! Right, better leave now before I sound even more like an advert...

The most relaxing holiday with kids we ever had was when we lived overseas, we went to Phuket and took our live-in helper with us! Built in babysitter, but time spent with the kids - fab. Sadly no longer an option for us now!!

I was going to say, relaxing and young children in the same sentence sounds ambitious to me :)
We're looking for somewhere to go that's child friendly and so we had a look at some brochures recently.
There are lots of resorts where they have kids clubs with activities and stuff included in the package price.
To be honest a lot depends on your budget, so I would be reluctant to give you too specific advice before knowing what kind of money you're looking to spend! want to avoid emabarrasing myself

I've always loved campsites abroad in Italy and southern france - kids are ouitside and busy all the time giving me chill out time and it's a verys ociable and laid back environment. And not budget breaking!! [www.portofelice.it is a favourite] we've been twicea nd will be going back next year.

ATOmum, I'm sorry to say but the one Haven holiday that we went on was actually the LEAST relaxing holiday we ever went on! Came back a day early after being bitten by fleas the whole week from the disgusting chalet we stayed in. (yes, they were fleas, we caught one and put it in a jar to get a close look. They were jumping all over poor baby DS as he lay on his changing mat). Am boaking just thinking about that "holiday".

Brian, I would love to go to somewhere like LykiaWorld in Turkey but during school holidays it's just a bit beyondn our budget. And possibly too hot? I was looking at some mid-range aparthotels in Majorca during school holidays and for a week they were coming in at around 2300, a ridiculous price for what you get i.e. I would not find it in the least relaxing to be on top of the next sunlounger round the pool or to have to actually struggle to find a free one. Or have to stay in a studio apartment - not sure why I would want a WORSE living space than I have at home! I like my space. Maybe I'm expecting too much.....

Makemineapinot - I have been looking at those types of places, although not camping as such. Would have to be a caravan or lodge or something. They look great, but again, I just look at the reviews and people go on about them being crowded during August and no room in the pool etc, and I just think "why do I want to pay a load of money to suffer overcrowding blah blah." If you could recommend somewhere that has stuff to do for the kids but where you don't feel like you're packed in like sardines I would be very grateful!

Rocha Brava in Portugal is lovely.. great beaches .

the one I mentione www.portofelice.it is fab - yeah it's busier in August but we never found it got too busy to not enjoy a swim in the pool. The beach just at he campsite was very busy but if you turn right and walk for 5 mins you get to a really quiet bit! They did charge for sunloungers so they're usually pretty empty! We just put towels down on the beach or by the pool! Also went to a site in Argeles in the south of france - trying to remeber the name and it wasn't too busy round the pool either. Think if you go to the really HUGE sites it could be a problem but we've been twice in August to Portofelice and once to the one I can't remeber and neither were a prblem for crowds. Going to majorca on an apartment holiday this year and getting abit owrrid as I'm a single mum and not sure how social it will be compared to the campsites - everyone sits outside their mobile homes (chalets or mobiles for me too!!) and drinks wine and chats/read books - it's very relaxing!

you can also go into venice easily from that site - that's a bit busy but well worth a visit!

villa holiday in lanzarote was amazing and we will definitely be doing it next year when i am not pg and have a 3.5 and a 1 yo.
DS slept in the afternoons and we sunbathed on the terrace or swam in the private pool, listening to baby monitor. we could have dinner outside every night, sometimes got takeaway, sometimes went out/cooked.
it was ace.

mobile home holiday in brittany was always our favourite ay this age. lots to do onsite and beaches lovely. obviously weather is not guaranteed, but pretty good usually, espec s brittany which is similar to cornwall but less crowded and less tat. then barbecues in the evening with badminton net if they still have any energy left.

makemine, I had a look at the porto felice place and it looks fabby! Just our kind of thing. Was wondering whether there'd be enough English kids for mine to chat to though? Did you book direct? And what did you do about flights etc? Seriously considering it for next year now!

CHA That's a coincidence - we went to Puerto pollensa last may and going to lykia world this year!

Thomson al fresco! Kids love pools/staying in a caravan and after the mini disco it's nice to tuck them up in bed and sit on verandah with bottle of local wine and nibbles

Villa, private pool and the essential bit - attentive and indulgent father present who is happy to play with the kids and do all the cooking.

Club Med! Kids loved kids club doing trapeze, sailing, tennis etc while I could read a book and snooze!! Tried villa etc but same s* different country, cooking, washing, cleaning and entertaining the kids! We go to Cornwall and Centre parcs for a week every year to spend every day playing with the kids but Club med for fun and relaxation for everyone!

Curlyhaored we went with Canvas (they took tesco vouchers then!!) but selectcamp also go there (much cheaper) and a lot of Brits booked direct too.

It was a good mix of nationalities and we met loads of other Brits, Swiss, Dutch, Italian and german - the kids loved it!! my dd had a best friend who was Italiana nd they couldn;t understand a word the other said but yapped at each other all the time! canvas seemed to group the nationalities together but I liked mixing!
Just booked flights to Venice Marco Polo (although Ryaniar go to another airport - Treviso? but you can get the bus from there to San Dona di piave and change there - no hassle at all and the drivers tend to move your luggage for you) and get the bus from right outside the arrivals hall. Drops you off at the side of the campsite and the bus back to venice/airport goes from right outside the front gates. A taxi costs aroun e 80 but that was 2 years ago.

It is fantastic and my dc were definitely not short of friends from day one to the day we left - still keep in touch with some of he people we met! It's lovely cos you can walk throught he pine woods into Eraclea Mare which has lovely restaurans (kids loved the pirate restuarant and the seafood there was amazing), shops and a weekly market. only 5-10 mins walk dep on age of children but take a torch!! You can also walk bacj along the road of its too dark for you but my dc loved hte adventure of walking through the woods by torchlight!

You can also get a bus direct to caorle and the big waterpark is right next to the bus station - def wortth a visit. caorle is lovely - different coloured houses, lovely shops and restaurants and amazing rock sculptures.

campsite can book you boat trips to Venice (amazing to arrive by boat first time) or you can get the bus - not as exciting but cheaper and you see some sites the tourists may not always see!!

Def recommend it and my dc are constantly asking to go back!

My DH and I have just had the most relaxing holiday with kids we've so far managed and it was a fully-catered chalet ski holiday with childcare. It was expensive, but not having to cook, shop, clean or care for our children - at least for five days from 8.30-4.30 - was heaven. I know that level of childcare isn't to everyone's taste and this summer we'll be spending much more time with our children on holiday, but if relaxation for you and your OH is your main priority I can heartily recommend staying somewhere that has the option of childcare during the day.

oooh please can someone link to the lovely villas in puerto pollensa?
For me hols are all about sun shine sun shine sun shine.

Went there pre kids and loevd the weather, even in sept
agree cornwall crap challenging without good weather - just back, thank god for this lovely hot spell.

We're staying at a block of apartments called belleresgard. Sorry, I'm rubbish at links but you'll find it if you google. Hired it through the puerto pollensa forum.

They are based round shared pools so I thought that would be best for kids to make friends rather than a private villa with own pool (although the latter would be my own preference!)

Makemine: did you have any problems with mosquitoes? Seen a couple of reviews mentioning that they were a bit of a nightmare.