October holiday with 3 year old?

[WhereIsBlueRabbit]

We have a week in early October free (annoyingly, no chance of going away before then). We were originally hoping for a beach holiday maybe somewhere like Portugal but am now not sure where would be wise in terms of the weather.

3 year old is transport obsessed but has never flown before, nor had a beach holiday, and is a bit of a stick in the mud so will either love a pool/beach holiday or be a total PITA for the first day or two until he gets used to it.

I can't decide whether we should try for a beach week, in which case I'm guessing we'd have to focus on places like Crete and Cyprus, or whether we should do something different, like maybe Copenhagen and Stockholm, taking the train in between?

We want somewhere easy and child-friendly, we don't want to have to drive or hire a car, and we'd prefer a flight under three hours (but realise that would rule out Crete).

Any thoughts?

We’re doing Turkey in October with our 3YO.

Flight and then coach transfer .. everything else in walking distance for a week

See, I think Turkey sounds great but I know DP will veto it....

What do you do with the coach transfer? Do you take a car seat or just sit them on your lap?

Make sure the pool is heated. If going AI call the hotel before you book and check what time dinner is. Off season they may not do an early sitting and keeping a tired and hungry 3 yr old going to 7/7.30pm for dinner is torture- a friends discovered.

The best holiday we had with a toddler, and at the same time of year, came from a MN recommendation. We took our daughter to a Kinderhotel in Austria. The weather will be autumnal and it depends what you most enjoy doing, as we like walking, but...

At the one we went to, there is a lake with a boat and a steam funicular railway that connects to it, plus cable cars, for transport, and free local buses. You could get the train most of the way from the airport too. The hotel is AI and totally centred around kids, so mealtimes are perfect and buffet for kids, a la carte in the evenings for adults. Regional Austrian food well cooked. There's a free kids club from 9-9 and this was great for us as our daughter loved it and could spend time with other children as well as us. The hotel has a small pool for kids, a great spa for adults, and you can do as much or as little as you liked.

No need to drive at all; the hotel will do transfers from the airport or station, and once you're there everything can be reached by public transport. The hotel does free loans of bikes, bike trailers for children and buggies.

It's this hotel: www.sporthotel-achensee.com/en/

We're doing Spain in October with 3yr old and 14 month old.

Honestly it will be fine. I'm sure he will love it. If he's never been to the beach befire buy some toys to build things.

Have fun.

Im going here with my three year old
Fly to Naples, short ferry ride, then the hotel picks you up. No need for car as there’s a shuttle. Kids club, good food & local attractions

www.albergolecanne.com/

I recommended this on another thread

Thanks for all your suggestions! The KinderHotel sounds amazing! We wouldn't use the kids club as he gets really anxious about being left (even though he goes to childcare twice a week) but the rest of it sounds fab.

Any more ideas as to where we'd get sun in early October?!

Have just looked at the KinderHotel: I didn't realise it was on Achensee! I feel a Chalet School pilgrimage coming on....

Sadly, I think the Sporthotel Achensee may be somewhat out of our budget, even if it is all-inclusive....if anyone knows of a budget version, do shout!

We went to the Costa Brava in early October a couple of years ago with our 2yo it was idyllic, the weather was lovely, perfect for sitting on the beach. It is possible to have bad weather at that time of year but probably less chance than in mid summer in the UK. We stayed in Tamariu but there are lots of lovely small town resorts in the area.

We took DD to Salou in October a couple of years ago when she was 3, brilliant all round!

It was her first time flying & the flight was only 2.5 hours so ideal. Short transfer time.

Spent some days on the beach & a couple at port adventura which she loved.

Only downside (as a pp has mentioned) was that the hotel pool was absolutely freezing despite the weather being red hot.

It IS Chalet School territory, BlueRabbit! If you know that, you must go. If your son wouldn't do kids clubs then you could stay in any of the hotels around there - with Kinderhotels you are paying for the childcare. Have a look at Pertisau (Briesau ) hotels. Lots will have pools, spa, half board etc and be much cheaper, particularly in early October.

Going to Puerto Pollensa in Majorca in early October this year with DS who will have just turned 4 and DD who will be 10 mo. We went in early May last year and it was chilly at night but the average temps in October are a few degrees higher and still around the 25C mark. The town itself is really family friendly and not loud, there are several AI places but we usually go with VillaPlus to our own villa.

Mallorca sounds promising! I can't decide whether we should try for sun or go for something totally different and not weather-dependent. Thoughts?