If you have a toddler, where did you go on holiday last year?

[LydiaWickham]

disclaimer, only interested in details of good holidays, don't want to hear about crap ones!*

I am looking for a week in Europe for DH, DS (2 years old) and me, but am struggling with the sheer number of options.

*well you can tell me, but please state that it was a crap holiday so I don't go off and book it and then spend a rubbish week thinking "well that cowbag on Mumsnet recommended this shit".

We had a lovely week in Gran Canaria last October with dd (then 18 months). Not quite Europe I know, but only a short flight. We stayed in a place called Puerto de Mogan, in an apartment complex called Cordial Mogan Valle. I say apartments, but it was very much like a hotel really, with a hotel reception & restaurant, but also cooking facilities in the apartment. There was a lovely little pool for toddlers, & a play area too. It was a short walk to the marina, which had lots of nice restaurants & felt very safe & family friendly. We had some lovely trips out, including a boat trip to see dolphins, & a park whose name I can't remember, but it had birds of prey displays & various animals. I recommend hiring a car for the week, the roads are excellent, & it's much cheaper & easier than getting on & off buses. Dd had a lovely time, & we'd certainly go back. The climate was good too, pleasantly warm, but not stupidly hot.

Portugal-western Algarve. It was our first time in Portugal & would highly recommend. Short flight, no time difference amazing beaches & a good range of types of accommodation available. DD was 2 & had a brilliant time. Beach in the morning pool in the afternoon. We went to the marine park which was a great day out. We booked the villa through owners direct & flights ourself & hired a car which is essential to get to the fabulous beaches.

France the year before (near Toulouse) but the weather was rubbish although the region & villa was very nice.

If you have the possibility of holidaying out of the usual Summer Holidays, if for instance you can go in late September, I urge you to go to Formentera.
In late september it will be paradise.
The beaches are amazing, the sea is warm and shallow and clean, there are lots of cycling lanes, nice villages, etc.
Just don't go in July and August as it gets really crowded (lots of wannabe italian footballers, for instance)

We went to a villa in Eastern Algarve at the end of September. It was a bargain out of season, we had a private pool and the beach wasn't far. We went with my aunt and her husband and had a very lazy two weeks. It was brilliant and I would def recommend.

why thank you all! We were thinking of June, but might push to September, avoiding the main school holidays times.

Ooh we went in June the year before, was a bit different because DS was pre toddler stage, but we went to Brittany and stayed in a lovely village called Binic with fab beaches and a good few restaurants. It was a good one for a first trip abroad with DS because we drove so we could take lots of unnecessary shite essential baby items.

When dd was around that age (and not tied to school holidays) we always travelled in June and/or September. We went to:

Antibes/Juan Les Pins - rented an apartment - lovely beach at JLP and carousels/playgrounds on the seafront

Sardinia - Cala di Falco in a 2 room studio - lovely beaches and excellent food

Union Lido (Venetian Riviera) - mobile home with Canvas - right on the beach, great pools and lots of stuff for kids.

Villefranche sur Mer - apartment - was stunning - but very hilly so not the best place for a pushchair....

Pierre et Vacances - Les Restanques de St Tropez - more great pools - but miles from anywhere and very expensive.

The first 3 were all absolutely wonderful and no complaints. We never booked AI or hotels even - I found it much easier to have at least a basic kitchenette, and a separate room to put dd to bed earlier (if we chose to) so we could sit out and drink wine/listen to music etc.

Toddler holidays place in Normandy (La Couer) - went there 3 years in a row when DS1 was 1,2 and 3 - brilliantly set up for toddlers with playbarn and toys. They provide sterilisers, microwave, monitors etc. Got ferry over - booked a cabin for DS's nap and spent the rest of time exploring the ferry with him which he loved.

Did Lanzarote - on the quiet side of the island, not the built up holiday resorts - last year and year before when DS2 was 1 and 2 and loved it. Great locals beach with gently sloping shore, lovely seafood restaurants and all v child friendly.

We always took ours to Bodrum in Turkey as toddlers, it is very child friendly there. We usually rent a villa or apartment as accomodation is very good value and it is relatively cheap to eat out.

We went in June to Mousses in Lefkas, Greece. We loved it.

We stayed in Peurto Pollensa in Majorca when my 2 dds were 3 and 20 months - perfect place! We went in june - the weather was great, we chose a thomson kids hotel - ideal :)

Corfu, Greece.

Great weather, fantastic tavernas, the Greeks adore children, very family orientated. Three and half hours on a plane.

Went to Malta first week in October last year with DS who was 20 months. Still lovely and warm (low 20s during the day). Maltese people very warm and friendly and English is one of the main languages spoken there (v important for us as DS has food allergies so HAD to be able to make ourselves understood). Got a great deal for a 5star hotel through EasyJet.

Majorca and Ibiza are very child friendly, took ours there when they were small.

We had an excellent fortnight in the La Manga resort in Spain last year with our DTs who were nearly 4 at the time. Self catering appt with three shared pools (one indoors), so plenty of other kids for ours to play with but our own space. It's also about 10 mins from a nice beach with calm (lagoon) shallow water and a rather nice beach cafe.

There are also some child friendly bars and restaurants in the resort and if you have older kids there are loads of activities (though these are expensive).

We found the place through James Villas and then saved the price of the air fares by booking direct.

Not the sort of thing we'd even have considered before children but it worked well and the kids are still asking when we can go back to Spain.

We went to Minorca last year with Ds who was 18 months and it was great!