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

Original poster

The perfect holiday with children - what is it?

86 replies

annahove · 10/05/2007 13:49

I am trying to define the perfect holiday with children (3 years and 1 year) to my husband by creating a list of 'holiday ingredients' which we can then compare our differing holiday ideas against. We have not been away with them both yet, so this year it is important to get it right. Any thoughts for my 'ingredients list' would be most welcome.

OP posts:
bossykate · 10/05/2007 14:58

if the place you are in requires constant vigilance on yr part to keep them alive, you will have a Kerrrap time.

that is so so so true.

Heathcliffscathy · 10/05/2007 14:59

BK, us too (languedoc/motorail combo).

thought of you when I bought two cases of clos monistrol in sainsbos today (half price!! get down there!)
x

LadyMacbeth · 10/05/2007 15:03

My holiday this year will be to a holiday cottage in the UK, preferably within three hours' drive (although I really want to do East Anglia which is five hours away ). Flying with kids is a pain, even shorthaul. Airports and transfers etc spell nightmare to me and IMO are best left for when the children are older.

We usually go with Rural Retreats, whose cottages are so beautiful they are like home from home... and some consolation for the fact that we can't do exotic holidays anymore!

My sil and her bf will be coming, as they did last year. They are amazing with the kids - get up early with them some days, totally share in the responsibility of them etc so it is like a proper break for me and dh.

In the evenings, we will either take it in turns to go out and eat or all stay in and eat a lovely meal and drink lots of beer.

Expat's holday sounds pretty perfect in fact.

So:

Nice cottage
Safe environment (not a big fan of swimming pools with young ones tbh)
UK, within a reasonable drive
Sunny weather
Lots of good wine and beer
Lots of shopping in local farm shops
Decent beaches/countryside walks nearby

LadyMacbeth · 10/05/2007 15:05

... and if possible, some trusty childless relatives/friends who can take some of the slack!!

Sunyshineymummy · 10/05/2007 15:16

Hiring a villa with a pool or beach nearby. Going on holiday with good friends who also have small children. Having BBQs every night once the kids have gone to bed. Done this for the last few years and it's brilliant. This year we've also got some older kids coming who love entertaining small children so should be even better.

bozza · 10/05/2007 15:24

When ours were that sort of age we did either Cornwall or Normandy. This time they will be 6 and 3 and we are flying to the south of France (looked at motorail but soooo expensive in August).

I have chosen the following options:
villa with two bedrooms (sharing on holiday is an adventure)
pool but not private (so might meet other children there) and also private patio
walking distance to mediaeval town with range of restaurants (one child friendly restaurant is not good enough for me!)
5 mins drive to several beaches
flights at good times of day

Bink · 10/05/2007 15:58

3 and 1 ...

duration:

  • 10 days absolute most; week better

location/journey:

  • countryside or seaside (unless that's where you live, in which case maybe do a city break? - change of scene)
  • short-haul only; car/train (sleeper is fun) better than flying
  • nowhere too hot. Toddlers who can't sleep because of heat, or bitten to bits by mosquitos, are no fun

accommodation:

  • staying with family
  • family-friendly hotel (not just tolerant about kids, but with actual facilities, eg playroom)
  • self-catering that you know for sure is properly equipped (cot/high chair/fenced garden/no lovely fraying electric flexes to investigate)
  • think about whether you want to cater or be catered for: sometimes being catered for (ie in hotel) can be a bit tricky because you're dependent on their kitchen timings. On the other hand, could be nice not to have to be in charge of that side of things for once

other features/facilities:

  • just flexibility, really - ie, enough options for everyone to have something they want to do & not be bored. Playgrounds/petting zoo type outings/beach/paddling pool for little ones. What do you/dh like?

We had a very successful nearly-3 and nearly-1 holiday at a family-friendly hotel in Austria (went there by motorail-sleeper) where there was a pool and a playroom, and lovely mountains for dh to march around on with the toddler on his back, while baby and I lay about in deckchairs, me with book, her snoozing.

bossykate · 10/05/2007 16:13

hi sophable

where are you staying?

aha - twill be sainsbo's shopping next week then

thanks for the tip

trice · 10/05/2007 16:14

I think camping in Wales with another family who you know well and trust and can share child care with near a beach with castles. Don't expect a break with a 1 year old unless you take a nanny.

OrmIrian · 10/05/2007 16:17

I don't neccessarily think that a holiday with friends is always ideal . Friendships can be ruined after a week in a damp cottage with even the best of friends. Obviously in a large villa with sunshine on tap it's different.

We're going to IOW this year in what looks like a lovely cottage so hoping it will be ideal....

unknownrebelbang · 10/05/2007 16:25

No such thing!

Aim for one thing: to have a good time with DH and the children.

and keep it simple.

Enjoy.

JiminyCricket · 10/05/2007 16:26

centerparcs with friends probably - safe all-on-one level accomodation, heated (huge) pool, bottle warmers and high chairs in every restaurant, cot and high chair in accommodation, babysitting available, not necessarily a long journey, lots to do indoors and outdoors. Spa for you to have time off and relax. Cycling, kids entertainment. You know what you're getting and the kids feel at home.

Bink · 10/05/2007 16:29

Holidays with friends are better for children a bit older - at 3 and 1 there's those possible conflicts of mealtimes and naptimes and bedtimes, and they don't get a huge lot out of having playmates on tap.

Whereas from about 5 up having a little holiday "gang" can be a dream. My ds (now 8) regularly decides to marry the daughter of whichever friends come to share the summer house with us.

bossykate · 10/05/2007 16:33

that's funny, bink. i have found it harder going since the kids got a little older, to the extent we are not doing a dual family holiday this year for the first time in five years. i've found it extremely tedious to have to step and mediate the little conflicts every five minutes, these seem to have become more frequent around 4 - 5... perhaps a sabbatical for us before resuming in the future.

Bink · 10/05/2007 16:34

How old are yours, bk?

bossykate · 10/05/2007 16:34

plus have found i enjoy ds a lot more when he isn't "pushing the boundaries" with one of his friends, which is what tends to happen. last years holidays, although very enjoyable, were a lot like very long playdates!

bossykate · 10/05/2007 16:35

mine are 5 (nearly 6) and 2 (nearly 3). it's ds and his playmate who are usually the pains tbh, not dd.

bossykate · 10/05/2007 16:36

whichever playmate it happens to be on the holiday in question - it varies! ds is the constant in this!

Sunyshineymummy · 10/05/2007 16:39

I disagree as we've done it with our friends now for the last few holidays. What we've found is that we work to our own timetable during the day but when all the kids have gone to bed we sit up drinking and eating and talking and have the best time. We aren't on the same schedules but it's not been a problem for us.

Bink · 10/05/2007 16:41

And how long a holiday? - I'm asking as our most successful dual holiday was two years ago, when ds was 6 & dd 4 and a half, and we had two families in succession, for a week each - one with three girls (ds's age, bit younger than dd, and a toddler) first, & three boys (older than ds, ds's age, and younger than dd) the second. It was great, but I am quite sure that the success was partly the numbers (ie not just one playmate each) and timing - no-one had time to get bored of anyone.

(The only way I'd do it differently was to have a long weekend of just ourselves in the middle, just to have some gazing into space time.)

Bink · 10/05/2007 16:42

(that was to bk - sorry to talk across you sunshiny)

bossykate · 10/05/2007 16:43

i think a week is the max with another family.

ssm, yes it can work beautifully has did/has done for us for a number of years. last year convinced me to take a break from the formula though!

Sunyshineymummy · 10/05/2007 16:44

Don't worry BK, it happens to me a lot on MN .

Sunyshineymummy · 10/05/2007 16:46

I guess it depends on friends. I do know some really good mates who went away and came back saying "Never again" due to conflicting parenting styles. I guess for us though the upside of our nights together chatting and laughing, outweighs any downside re. conflicting schedules or kids fighting.

fennel · 10/05/2007 16:49

After a lot of attempts at great family holidays with only limited success I'd go with gingerbear's idea of holidaying at home. Never thought I'd say that before having children, but for us the packing and preparation and travelling has been often extremely grim.

As for long flights and jetlag with babies and toddlers, those have dominated my holiday memories long after I've forgotten the good bits.

Our solution has been trying holidays at home more and it's really working for us. However we did move to Devon last year so obviously having beaches, moors, surfing, sailing etc on tap helps.

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