OH FGS...please can someone convince my miserable dh that going abroad with children is not akin to having your fingernails pulled out <angry>

[DANCESwithaMuffinTop]

Last summer we went to Devon for a week with dc (they will be 3 1/2 and 5 yrs this summer). It p*ssed down all week and although it was nice to be away as a family we couldn't enjoy the beach at the hotel we were staying at or the outdoor pool, had to wear fleeces and rainwear everywhere we went - blardy crappy british weather.
So (unsurprisingly) I want to go abroad this year with dc. Dh is being a complete pain about it. He's worried they are too young and what we will do while we are there.
Basically I want to be able to go to the beach, eat out, go swimming and do the odd trip to visit things (don't care what, water park etc or cultural things). SOOoo please could you recommend holiday destinations...the more specific the better...hotels etc. Also, do you use 'kid's club' type things while you are away - dh very concerned that we get a break too. Anyway if anyone can help I'd be really grateful. THANKS.

Stayed at this campsite in the Loire Valley - the cleanest site I have ever visited (they clean the showers as you come out of the shower each morning whilst I was there!

www.campingchantepie.com/en/reservation.html

Sat drinking red wine over looking the river at sunset - beautiful.

We prefer to book a villa with car hire when we go away. That way we have the freedom to do what we want all day, eat when we want to, have a drink when we want one etc! Then when kids want to go to bed we sit out on the patio with a bottle, music, books etc. Or go skinny dipping

I personally would never go to a dedicated "family friendly hotel with entertainment, galley dining, a kids club etc" - my idea of hell I'm afraid.

We have been to the Algarve twice with Travillas and found them excellent. The Algarve is lovely as well, and the flight isn't too long.

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Depends on whether or not you want to talk to other people of course

Yes villas are expensive - no doubt about that - but you can get holiday flats/villas around a shared pool - means the children can talk to other children which will be more fun for them.

Well we had our first "flying" holiday with our two this last summer. They were aged 6 and 3, so similar to yours. We had done Normandy and Brittany previously via the ferry, but you don't necessarily get the weather.

We hired a private villa (two bed house) with a small but nice tiled garden. It was basically someone's holiday home, we found it on the net. We had access to a shared pool (tbh I thought this was better than private pool because could let the DC have run of the garden and then just go to the pool when we wanted to. I carefully booked daytime flights also. It was in Aigues-Mortes which is a historic walled city in the Carmargue. It was great because it was walking distance (by 3yo) into the city square with all it's restaurants for evenings, and slightly inland but only 5-10 mins drive to several beaches child friendly beaches. There were the vineyards, wildlife of the Carmargue, Nimes, Arles, Montpellier, Pont du Gard all in reasonable driving distance.

The ££ bit depends on the villa. Ours marketed itself as a villa but was just a small 2 bedroom house newish town house really. Cost £900 for a fortnight in August.

Did a week's summer holiday in the UK with DD when she was tiny, thinking it would be easier than the hassle of flights and going abroad. It rained every day. Never again. Since then we go abroad at least 1-2 times a year with DD. Have been with other adults and children too - IME much less hassle than trying to entertain children in a wet cold UK!

I'm with you Hula. The place we stayed was great, I love Devon but the rain just ruined it for me. i had visions of dh and I building sandcastles with the kids, lolling round reading books but there was none of the that because we had to go and 'do' things because of the sodding weather. Grrrrr. Problem is dh and I can't agree on what he wants. i know, he doesn't so we can't blardy well book anything. It's really getting me down now

We have used Canvas in the past and visited Brittany while I was 8 months pregnant and DD was 2. It was a great holiday. We now live in Cyprus and I travel back and forth to the UK a few times a year (5 hour flight) with my children, often on my own. they are now nearly 5 and 2 and a half.

It's getting easier. DD (5) is very easy during a flight, I take plenty of colouring, books, comics, personal stereo and audio books. DS is more difficult to occupy but he will read a book, listen to some music, play with his cars.

They both sleep if we take a very early flight (the ones back to Cyprus usually have us getting up at 5am), we've tried an evening flight thinking they would sleep but have found they get over tired.

We regularly hire villas over here for a weekend away and have found that child safety differs quite dramatically so find out as much info as you can. We can get some really good local rates in the hotels here but tend to avoid them as we find hotels with small children quite restrictive but that's just us.

Not sure if that's any help but I wouldn't hesitate to holiday with my children anywhere in Europe.

I know what Iota means too but as well a holiday is also precious time for dh and I to spend together, not just evenings when we are tired and can't go anywhere because the children are asleep upstairs. Actual time together in the day would be great too but I'm not sure if we are ready for the full on 'family' holiday.

With children I would always choose a villa over a hotel if I possibly can. But then we don't really like hotels regardless - I love the freedom and space of a villa, being able to have somewhere to sit and drink wine when DD is in bed, room to spread out, no meal time to adhere too, not dealing with other people/pther people's children, etc. And we don't need kid's clubs or organised activities.

So have done villa and car hire most years now.

I don't understand your DH at all .

You can travel the world with children your age - I'm in the process of organising a safari to Africa next summer, and we are taking our daughter who will be 3.5. We've been to Portugal, Italy and Greece on summer holidays, to Verbier and Val d'Isère ski-ing, and on lots of short breaks around Europe (Amsterdam, Brussels, Milan, Alsace etc) since she was born and have never had a problem.

We have travelled to Orlando every year since our 12 year old DS was 3 months old; journey a bit long but Virgin reallygood with kids; bulkheads really roomy and staff good with kids; appreciate long flight but some packages are longer with flight and travel after landing. If you land in Orlando Int its only 20 mins from Airport to main tourist area of International Drive. We found that villas are good but not as central for eating, buses (if you want to leave car for a day or not take one). Would recommend large suites like the Hilton Grand Vacation Club or very large 2 or 3bed suites in Floridays area off Intnl Drive; its like having a villa but closer to the main tourist areas, and you still have the terrace for peace in the night but also separate beds. We went for £60 p night in total last August. Use the internet. Easy to get to Disney AND if you have a child with behavioural or s needs you can go to the guest relations and they will often give a pass to use the "fast pass" system, particularly if you have DLA status. I was recovering from Cancer last year and found this very helpful. Kayak, Airline Network, GoForLess and other i.t. sites give much better prices than brochures. Same with tickets for Disney. If you can afford Disney prices then the Polynesian REsort if fab but the issue of being in one room can be difficult. probably better to stay at a good suite hotel and travel in. Best to go in morning then back to hotel for afternoon chill, as too hot, and return in early evening (best time of all in Disney). If you visit when parade is on you can get on the rides while everyone at parade.

Anna - Hmmm. we may be moving in different holidaying circles I think. We'd love to do those sort of holidays with dc but there is no way we could afford it!

dont think taking children abroad is an issue at all. Took ds1 to Majorca when he was 10mths, no problems at all. Has a package in big hotel and have done all sorts since.

Usually book independently now - flights plus hotel as we are confident travellers.

Dont think would be any problem with the age of your DC'S at all. Kids should fit in with you not other way round.

This year we will be going to Turkey as ds2 will be 11 mths.

We have used the kids clubs in the past(when he was little) and he often cried. We dont usually bother booking as such now(but it depends whether its a big hotel really with such facilities), but this year(sorry last) there was a hotel run club run bu local entertainers(Tunisia) which he joined in as and when he wanted. He is now 8 and a good mixer so dont really need clubs, but your 2 will have each other and will soom amke friends

Think MAJORCA good place to start if you havent taken them before, plus short flight.

I would never entertain main hol in this country with the weather, especially this year(sorry i keep saying that, i mean last!)

Haven't read the rest of the thread, but I went to the one near St Raphael (Cannes etc). It was called Cap Esterel - one of the few ones with kids clubs for under-3s, that was open at Easter.

It was nice at Easter, but I fear in the summer it would be very very full and much more expensive.

That's the wrong expression for it. YOu have them from 6am or whenever they wake up depending on the time zone until 9 or 9.30am. Then they play with children their age, learn to sail, have lunch, have fun, then you pick them up and have tea with them and have them through until they go to bed. That's a lot of hours with the parents plus the parents have time for the 4 hour sex sessions - child free - win win all round. If you ask our older 3 if they minded they say it was great. It gets you knowing other children too and you make friends. It never felt like dumping at all. The McCanns did it, loads of parents do but obviously it's a personal thing for both parents to decide, not just the mother of course. The oldest liked it so much she's worked various summers in Europe and the Caribbean for the same company.

In fact arguably her sailing got her her pretty impressive first job (assuming she passes her exams this year), didn't get her to the assessment day (as the grades and CV did it) but was a topic of conversation which she thinks helped. So not only do the children and parents have wonderful holidays but there are these hidden benefits too in terms of their life chances. Not forgetting the 4 hour sex sessions.... may be not 4, that's slightly long.

Maybe we need a mn holiday board- where villas with broadband and multiple pcs are booked for mners to come and holiday together, like a little mn holiday village- Club mn! Could have one in UK and one in Europe, one in US to suit non-flyers, short-haul and long-haulers!

hello.
we've always travelled with ours (now 2 1/2 and 4 1/2) last year we went to Nepal and Thailand and the year before that Sth Africa. This year we are coming back to the UK for five weeks, yay!! It really is fine if you plan and are relaxed about things not always going to that plan!! We might be a bit mad but we love travelling with them

hello.
we've always travelled with ours (now 2 1/2 and 4 1/2) last year we went to Nepal and Thailand and the year before that Sth Africa. This year we are coming back to the UK for five weeks, yay!! It really is fine if you plan and are relaxed about things not always going to that plan!! We might be a bit mad but we love travelling with them

We went to Disneyland and had a whale of a time, apart from having our buggy stolen and missing our flight home. The DD loved it and we are going again at the end of the month with 3 x kids 4,3 & 1.5. We normally travel out of season and I would recommend this, if you can manage it.

Good luck.