Should I Stopover with Toddler to New Zealand?

[Cityfreak]

I am going to be working in New Zealand for 3 months and need to fly there alone with a 2 year-old. We have flown before but never on such a long flight. The flight I am considering refuels at Singapore and Bangkok, so you can stopover free on the way and on the way back. Otherwise, including refuelling times and change of flight in Australia, it is going to be a 27-hour journey,which will be about 32 hours including airport travelling and waiting times. Do you think it is harder to stopover with tired toddler, or harder to go 32 hours onboard a plane?

Oh God, stopover. Think of all the other passengers on the plane. It's bad enough doing it in one go if you are an adult. If you can organise it, it makes life easier if both legs of the flight are at 'night time'. You can run the toddler ragged during the stopover, then get them to sleep for as much of the journey as possible.

Have never done it so can't advise but you have my sympathy. I would be inclined to stop too. I think 27 hours couped up in a plane with a toddler would be a nightmare !

I've flown to NZ with kids aged 3yrs and 18mths (my sister's kids) - on the way there we flew direct, on the way back we stopped over in Osaka. On the way over the 18mth old screamed most of the time, particularly when his mum went to the loo - a nightmare trip. Coming back was much easier - the stopover meant they were refreshed and much easier to entertain. And they loved the airport hotel as it was a great novelty.

Anyway interested to hear back on your experiences - we might be going with a 14 mth-old at the end of the year!

I have flown to and from NZ / Europe twice with 12 week old and then 1 year old (on my own) - stopped over both ways both times and found that it worked great! It mainly refreshed me so that I could deal with DD on the next flight leg - as after 12 - 14 hours of little sleep / food dropped all over you and endless entertainment that did not involve annoying others - I needed the break. She could have kept going no doubt! I definitly prefered dealing with a tired DD on the ground rather than tired DD in the air!

Enjoy NZ and yes Auckland Airport is a great big relief when you land