Holiday abroad with one year old - worth it?

[MysteryCat]

We're toying with the idea of booking a summer holiday abroad (probably Balearics or similar). If we go around May/June our dd will be 15 months. However, I'm wondering if the stress of taking a baby (flight, what to eat, nighttime routine, etc.) will outweigh the enjoyment of the holiday.

The alternative would be to wait until she is older to go abroad and maybe just have a few days away in the UK this year. This would potentially mean we could have a bigger budget next year too.

Just wondered what other people's experiences were? Thanks!

Go! It's only a couple of hours flight. You'll have hours and hours of lying in the sun / shade to make up for it.

Oh definitely go. I would recommend an aprtment or aparthotel rather than a hotel though. We took ours away starting from 4 months old. She loved being in the pool, digging on the beach and paddling in the sea. At 15 months we spent 2 weeks in Sardinia.

We've just booked to go abroad in March when DD will be 14 months. I'm looking forward to it but it will certainly be a different kind of holiday. I'm pregnant with DC2 and I just couldn't imagine not having a holiday for another year. So we booked it. We are just going to go with the flow. Not fuss about routines too much. We just made the decision that if we didn't go we'd never know of it is doable or not. Especially as lots of friends have travelled abroad with their LO's. if anything it'll be nice to have a bit of sunshine and not worry about cooking/chores etc.

It'll be fine. Been taking ds since 5mo and although it was easier pre-crawling there are compensations such as at 15mo they are easier to feed with whatever, rather than special baby food.

I still took a selection of organic snacks as you don't get then abroad.

You do have to keep an eye on them rather than chill by the pool but that's just life.

Dc love beaches & spending time with you so holiday will be lovely for them.

At that age I could still have got pool chill out time or a nice lunch whilst ds slept.

In the evening I could put him in pram. & he'd sleep so we could go out to eat. Alternatively we'd have big lunch & cook at home so he could settle in his cot some nights.

I personally prefer self catering with a pool, preferably near a beach and walking distance to restaurants. Each to their own, I'm sure there will be people to tell you it's great going to a hotel & how they make that work.

Enjoy!

Yes, definitely go for self-catering so that you can get up and have breakfast when you want, and aren't worrying about disturbing the neighbouring hotel guests.

we first took the dts on holiday at around 5 months. We had a fab time, but we didn't worry at all about routines or anything. We fed them when they were hungry, they slept when they were tired and wherever we were. We're not the type to laze by the pool and the babies were quite happy being pushed around in a pram everywhere. We stuck to apartments until they were older, and short haul where flights were easy enough.

I think if you go on holiday and are worrying about bedtimes and routines it can be a bit too stressful.

We took our 15mo on a Canvas Holiday to Spain when he was 15mo. Tbh it was a very mixed holiday! The flight was fine, we took books and apps on Kindle Fire etc. We really enjoyed the days going for walks, lunches out, swimming and so on but the nights didn't really work at all. Ds wouldn't sleep in his pram so we didn't really get out at all. He also really struggled to settle in his travel cot and ended up in bed with me most nights so I had some very early nights!

We did enjoy it because the days were great fun but be prepared for the possibility of not having the holiday you want. Keep your finge9!#rs crossed that you have a happy pram sleeper!

Go for it! We have been taking our girls away since they were tiny babies. As said above self catering has alwasy been the best option for us too.

Routine will always go out the window on hboliday but don't worry about it and just go woth the flow

Self catering is the easiest. We took dd to the Netherlands when she was about 15 months and rented a house. She had her own room and could have a sleep in the afternoon (if necessary) and we could sit in the garden or watch a film for a couple of hours.