First holiday with new addition to South of France. Advice needed.

[babydad]

We are off to my uncles villa in the South of France in 3 weeks and have just started thinking about the logistics of taking a 5 month old on holiday.
In terms of sleeping arrangements, there is not currently a travel cot at the villa and as we are flying with Easyjet, I doubt it will be cost effective to take one from UK. Does anyone know how easy it would be to pick up a travel cot whilst we are down there, that we can leave at the Villa?

Also, could people just list the essentials of what we need to take on holiday without goign over our baggage allowance. WE are pretty much stumped on this.

Thanks in advance.

You don't need to take much, as the supermarkets in France have pretty much everything you can get in the uk. So don't pack loads of nappies or food - because it really is a waste of luggage space. You won't need that much clothing either, because it will be lovely & warm and hopefully the villa will have a washing machine.

Having said that, unless you can get your uncle to buy in a travel cot before you arrive, I'd be tempted to take that particular bit of kit.

Is he too big for a carrycot that you could take on your pram?

You can definitely buy travel cots in France as they have baby shops and supermarkets there just like here. If it's very rural then it might be worth having your uncle get one beforehand.

Unfortunatley my uncle doesn't live there al year round and won't be there before we arrive in couple of weeks, so I will to buy one over there.

DS has been out of carrycot on buggy for months (he is a big boy), also not taking out travel system, just a cheap stroller.
Thanks for your advice.

Cheap stroller is a good idea, as the baggage handlers hurl buggies around like they are match sticks.

You can get some really light weight travel cots these days & if you don't use it again, you can always flog it on ebay. Have a look at the pop up ones for up to 18 month olds. I expect you can probably buy one in France but it could be a real PITA trying to find it.

Does anyone know the rules with Travel Cots/Buggys with easyjet? Do they go fro free or do they come under the baggage allowance?

I'm sure with Easyjet a travel cot would come under the baggage allowance.

I think buying one there is a good idea but you will need to check it out - I imagine you know France but, for example, shopping on a Sunday isn't guaranteed and they don't seem to have 24 hr supermarkets - you will have a better idea based on where you are going and what time you are arriving. I would have thought they would sell them in a big hypermarket - I'm sure I can picture big baby sections in the ones we've been to.

You shouldn't need too much for a 5 month old. If still breastfed you won't need any kit, if not I used to take Milton cold water sterilising tablets, a box of formula, a few bottles and a bottle brush - that covers food unless baby being weaned already (then add a couple of baby spoons and little bowls and buy the food when you get there). Then you are just looking at clothes, a few little toys, a cot sheet and grobag or two if you use them.

The only other thing you haven't mentioned is the car seat - either take yours with you (not sure if that would be included in baggage allowance) or hire one with the car.

Could the baby sleep on a mattress on the floor with pillows either side? That's what we used to do - couldn't do with the expense of a travel cot for use once in a blue moon. They are a pain anyway - far too low to be practical.

you can take two items free of charge, here

So you could take a travel cot and pram and hire a car seat over there.

this pop up lightweight cot looks good magicbed.

(I don't work for them by the way, we've just been doing all this research for our holiday!)

We had a cot like a little tent and it took very little space in the suitcase, necessary as we need to fly to see the grandparents.

Unless you bottlefeed, where I would recommend taking your formula, you don't need a lot, maybe some nappies to last 2-3 days to get you going but that's it.

All large Supermarches have large babysections and french baby clothes are very cute, I always bought some when stopping in Calais.

Car hire - please don't. We had massive issues with a well known, world wide respectable company and that in a country we speak the language fluently. I never ever hired a car seat again unless my inlaws got it and checked before we actually departed. Friends had issues as it was a non-Isofix one and the instructions were in Spanish and the rental agency staff refused to translate or even help fitting it.