Help with off the beaten track travel destination with an infant

[Patti1981]

I hope you can help!
My partner has managed to get a month off work before I go back and we are researching travel destinations with our 9 month old daughter for the end of August beginning of September.

We're based in north east England and looking to go abroad for about 3 to 4 weeks. We're thinking of booking accommodation before we go and maybe stay in 1-3 places depending on destination. We're pretty accomplished backpackers but want to be realistic about our first big holiday with a baby in tow. Open to suggestions based roughly on following criteria:
i) no malaria / mosquitoes
Ii) relatively inexpensive
Iii) not too hot / humid I.e upper 20's
iv) reasonable medical facilities if emergency
v) some English spoken

Does anyone have any suggestions or companies that might accommodate us on a tour? She sleeps well in a car and we have a campervan so a Europe campervan tour could work although the reality of being in a van when the weather is bad is not great...!

Thank you

I am not sure any of the family holiday specialists would have a baby on a touring holiday. I am not sure I would have been happy for a baby to be on such a holiday either! Some of the family touring holidays we have done would be totally unsuitable for a baby because of long drives and a schedule to keep to. Far better to have a flexible approach and not a relentless itinerary.

However, you could hire a car in the USA. San Francisco is a great place to start and then plan a route North and South and maybe go to Yosemite too. I would stay quite a lot in each place and not travel huge distances. For example Carmel is lovely and so is Santa Barbara. It is not inexpensive but meets your other requirements. Alternatively hire a series of gites in France. Slightly different areas, eg Normandy, Brittany, Loire etc. You would also be able to buy anything you need in these countries without any problems. I never liked the idea of touring with mine when they were babies. They liked water, playing, going out in the buggy and all these things can be done on a fairly simple trip to Europe. I liked self catering and freedom to choose what we wanted to do and when. We travelled far more extensively when younger DD reached 7.

Most countries which are inexpensive would be too hot - fat east, and also risk of dengue fever even if no malaria.
Agree with milly ref US.
What about Austria? Weather will still be good, lakes are open for swimming and paddling, decent healthcare, amazing views. Could combine with Northern Italy - merano, Bolzano, Verona.
Netherlands is great for kids. When mine where small we rented a house in hellevoetsluis which had stair gates, high chair, etc which was useful. Weather unlikely to be great, bit lots to do and quite relaxing.

Sorry, my suggestions are not really off the beaten track!

I think you might have to put together your own trip. I know companies who can put together one for you to accommodate a baby but they are very very expensive.

Scandinavia would be perfect but are quite expensive, it depends on your budget but food and drink is costly.

I spent four weeks in Indonesia one August and that was great. Didn't take malarials and while in some locations it was hotter than you are looking for in others it was perfect, although most of the Far East will be too hot that time of year. Then again so will much of Europe.

How about Canada?

How about the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland or the Faroe Isles.

Might not be as hot as you would like though we've had some sunny weather recently.

What about Greece ? We've just spent 3 weeks there with our 4 month old. We took flights to Mykonos and then took ferries to smaller (much quieter) islands. We spent a week on Syros and hardly saw any tourists others than Greeks. The water is lovely and there's no malaria risk. Pretty cheap too.

If we hadn't gone to Greece we would have gone to Costa Rica but it was a lot more expensive. Mexico?

Oh and definitely put together your own trip. You don't want to be stuck to a tour's schedule when you're with a baby. And just seen someone recommended Canada - good idea. You can hire a car a travel around. I loved it there when I went a few years ago and it's definitely a good place to go with a baby.

Somewhere in the caribbean? Flights are cheaper at that time of year because it's the rainy season and there's a small risk of hurricanes. You could go somewhere interesting like grenada, tobago, etc. Not really off the beaten track but would be a good place to go with a small baby. You could use airbnb or similar for places to stay on a budget.

Mexico is a great suggestion from tertle for travel with an infant in my opinion but not in August due to high heat, humidity and possibility of tropical storms (it's the rainy season).

We spent three weeks island hopping in Greece in August a few years ago. It was fantastic on the quieter islands although often hotter than upper 20s.

Cabin & hiking in Northern Norway? That's very much on my list for next year, and all the better with a small baby you can pop into an Ergo.

How about Panama or New Zealand.
I'm off to bed now but if you'd like to know more on ideas for thee places I will try and reply tomorrow.

Costa rica fits the bill

Kerala? No malaria. Not sure if it would be monsoon though.

Canada. Maybe look at flying in to Vancouver. If you wanted to, it's only a couple of hours drive across the border to San Francisco and then Seattle. Head back to Vancouver, maybe take the ferry to Vancouver Island. Drive further north to Whistler. Drive across the Rockies to Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff and then Calgary. Fly home from there.