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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Tell me about your holiday - I want to know if ours was normal....

18 replies

Legacy · 05/09/2006 13:35

We have two kids 6 & 3. Went to a villa which we'd rented in France. Weather was warm but not blazingly hot. Pool was a bit cold really.
Went on our own, not with other families.

And by the time we came back I found myself thinking "well that was all a bit dull for so much effort wasn't it?"

We did all sorts of things : castle/ zoo/ water park/ beach/ towns/ shops etc but it was all rather hard work.
Kids were constantly demanding of us - didn't seem to play much on their own (again, pool being cold didn't help) and they were missing toys at home. Meanwhile DH was complaining about the crap bed, and I was fed up trying to prepare meals in a rather basic kitchen.

We're already thinking about next year and decided we don't want to do the same thing, but what else?

Pros & cons of te following please:

Going with friends + their kids (have done this a few times in the past, but have often found it make the kids more excitable, and we often disagree about parenting type stuff (food, behaviour - nothing major, just enough to cause tension)
Going to a resort where there is a shared pool etc, and potentially other kids for them to meet/ play with. (But have also experience of this, and we were next to some really rowdy older kids who terrorised our tow )

What IS the perfect holiday for this age group, do you think?

OP posts:

suzywong · 05/09/2006 13:38

well since you ask, and I have just come back from three days away with 5 and 3 yr olds and tbh that was quite long enough all round for some of the reasons you mention, I think having a holiday budget for day trips and treats within your own area so you can get back to your own home comforts is the go. Get takeouts and don't do any cleaning and just use your house as a base but put it and yourselves in full holiday mode.
Unless you live somewhere unspeakably dull then you're buggered

flashingnose · 05/09/2006 13:42

We've just come back from two weeks in a gite in France. There were four gites together on an old farm with a shared pool, swings, trampoline etc. It was a fab holiday - there were other children around which meant we hardly saw ours (aged 7, 5 and 3) and they got to have the kind of freedom that they just don't get at home. I got so much time to myself that I ran out of books . Would definitely recommend it.

Original poster

Legacy · 05/09/2006 14:00

Flashing nose - sounds great - do you have a link??

OP posts:

Original poster

Legacy · 05/09/2006 14:00

Were you happy letting your 3 year old off on his/ her own? Can they swim?

OP posts:

coderoo · 05/09/2006 14:02

villa holidays
dull imo
you ned other kdis

coderoo · 05/09/2006 14:03

you need to go to mouusses wiht simplyu travel
no rowdies
loads of nice other kids

zazas · 13/09/2006 10:46

Legacy - defintely a difference if there are other kids around but not living in the same gite as you! We also rented a gite in France with a heated pool this year and while the weather was sunny it was not that hot and it made a BIG difference on the previous year when the pool was freezing. The kids spent most of the day in it and between that, the trampoline and playing with the other kids we got plenty of time to relax and read - bliss. Also this year the youngest was 5 and that was easier too!

mummydoc · 13/09/2006 11:09

what about a Mark Warner holiday ?? we are thinking of them for next year as had similar experience to you ( no bloody holiday for me) and we went wiht friends whose children drove me batty ( perhaps i am a little intolerent )

cardy · 13/09/2006 11:21

We went on villa holidays (with friends) up until this year, dds 5 and 2.5. Villas were fine when they were younger but this year - 2 bed apt in quietish resort with kiddies pools etc was so much better. They had a small pool that they would play together in or with other kids as safe enought as long as being watched. We went to the beach where dd1 would just join in with other kids. Because the weather was mostly nice and not too hot - the med in June the kids were happy with pools, beaches, parks short walks - this didn't cost much!

Cons re. villas - no other kids, if you go with friends tentions can arise usually through kids - different routines, needs, thing they want to do etc. pool too deep for kids to go in alone. safty aspect of having a pool so close by.

Flashingnose - more details please
Cod - where is Mouusses?
Personally Mark Warner too expensive

Medulla · 13/09/2006 11:39

We went on a Canvas holiday last year to Brittany with friends. At the time I was 8 months pg and had DD friends had their DS was was one while we were away. We all stayed in one big mobile home which was great but now that DS has come along we would have to get 2 mobile homes. Camp site was great and would recommend canvas every time. Live in Cyprus now so holidays not quite the same. Want to come home for some rain!

expatinscotland · 13/09/2006 11:43

we have two kids - 3 years old and a now nine-month-old baby.

my folks rented an incredibly beautiful self-catering cottage in perthshire and a people carrier.

we spent 10 days visiting historial sites and distilleries and eating lovely picnic lunches and fab, extravagant meals at home.

in the evenings, Papa and DH happily watched World Cup footie whilst Mama and I played cards, read magazines and did each other's nails.

i also got to soak in the bath for ages, read books and drink wine.

bliss!

Clary · 13/09/2006 11:52

Legacy we had two really good weeks away in this country (so maybe less effort than yours?)
We went to Pembrokeshire for one week and Swanage in Dorset for the other. In Wales we had glorious weather and spent the time on the beach and in Dorset we were also lucky with the weather, beach not as great tho so did more out and about things.
Not in rented cottages for that much time so kids didn?t really miss toys. Also as driving we were able to take a few things (books, games, a couple of special toys each).
Didn?t pal up with anyone but as we both work it was nice to spend time together. yes, there were a few fractious moments but then there would be I guess. Mostly enjoyed getting up later, not ironing etc etc.
Agree re meals in small kitchen, but I find holiday homes in the UK are generally well equipped/fitted out. Plus you get what you pay for so read the descriptions carefully if you want a luxury kitchen.

Personally I wouldn't want to go away for a long time with anyone else, tho have enjoyed a weekend away with my sister and her children. My kids are 3, 5, 7 btw

(reading the thread I think I must be a bit weird but I love spending time playing in the sea etc with my kids so that's my kind of holiday,. Perhaps not for others)

Mercy · 13/09/2006 12:13

Camping

Bramshott · 13/09/2006 12:26

We had a lovely holiday in Ireland with DD this year (3.5), BUT, I was surprised how much she seemed to need other children to play with, and to miss her toys. It was much more than last year, and has flagged up for me that whilst DH and I just want us to spend time together as a family when we go away, that may not be top of DD's priorities (and may get less so as she gets older)! Having never considered going away with other people and their kids, I now think I'd consider it, particularly for a short trip.

lucy5 · 13/09/2006 12:32

We booked a holiday this year that we would never normally chose because i am preggers and thought it would be nice for dd. A hotel with a kids club. she wouldn't go to the kids club, didn't like the swimming pool as it was deep and we spent all our time on the beach. On the way home she asked when we we were going camping!!!!!! She loved the hotel and the food. Hmm could have saved ourselves about 2 grand !111111

puff · 13/09/2006 12:40

We went to a villa with pool in Crete (just the 4 of us) and it have to say it was lovely. Despite the weather being warm the pool was chilly (hadn't had time to warm from the ambient temp as it was June), but I bought the boys a couple of shortie wetsuits which kept them warm in the pool and cool out of it - worked brilliantly. Late afternoon we would go off and find a play area/park in nearby towns, do a bit of shopping, then go for a meal and found lots of reataurants that had play areas for small children, so dss always found a few mates to play with.

coderoo · 13/09/2006 12:45

linkt o villa please

VoluptuaGoodshag · 13/09/2006 12:45

We had our holiday in a touring caravan. First week was spent in glorious weather at Arisaig on the west coast of Scotland where the van was practically pitched on the beach. Get kids a wetsuit and they'll be in and out the water constantly and make load of pals doing similar. Next 5 days were spent at Loch Morlich near Aviemore - I can't say enough about what this area has to offer. Last 3 days spent on Black Isle. We visited castles, went on canoes, saw steam trains (inc Hogwarts Express), cycled loads, swam, paddled, dug sandcastles, ate lots of lovely food, threw stones in water, went fishing, went fairy hunting (mine are 19 months and 3 years) it was fab. We'll be doing the same next year. It's easy to tow everything you need behind you. And once the kids are a bit older we shall hire one of those Romany caravans in Ireland for a week or two so they can drive the horse and DH can get lots of cycling done.

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