Will we regret hotel based city break with a 10 month old?

[trrk]

We booked some flights to Amsterdam over Easter with a voucher that was about to expire but am now starting to have regrets. Our baby will be 10 months old by then. Due to being a crazy busy time so far I've only been able to find hotels within our price range in Amsterdam (without staying way outside the centre) so we wouldn't have access to a kitchen and we would all be sleeping in the same room. Also tried a smaller city Leiden which seems to have good train connections but it's the same there. Are we going to regret spending 5 days in a hotel with a 10 month old? Not sure how to deal with food etc and whether she will be able to eat food with us in restaurants. Is 10 months old a bad time for a city break generally? When I booked it I pictured us strolling around the canals and visiting Keukenhof flower gardens but will a 10 month old be happy in the stroller for long stretches? There seems so much unknown when booking a trip with a baby as you never know what thy will be like by the time you go! We were big travellers pre-baby but finding it so daunting now.

Could you take a backpack carrier to mix up their view? Iirc (visited Amsterdam and rotterdam pre kids), the cities are very family friendly - play parks everywhere! 10mos are still relatively complacent aren't they? Is he walking yet? That's when mine became harder to entertain without kiddy focused activity.

Sure, go for it. The biggest problem for us is what to do once baby is in bed, that's why a 1 bedroom flat is preferable so we don't have to sit silently in the dark from 7.30pm! But this really depends what time your baby goes to sleep. You could take a baby monitor with you and sit in the hotel lobby/downstairs restaurant/bar for example once she's asleep.

Otherwise have fun but don't go with massive expectations of doing everything in the guide book. Do it at baby's pace, though at 10 months you should still be ok to walk quite long distances etc, give her a chance to get out and toddle with your support in parks etc, but things like canal boats, cafes etc should be fine.

We took DS1 to a wedding in Nuremberg about that age and tagged a couple of days sightseeing on. He was great because he wasn’t yet crawling and was therefore delighted to just do whatever we did. Only downside was that we landed in a 32 degree heatwave and the hotel had no air con.

I think you'll be fine.

• take some ellas' ready meals and heat them in boiling water from your room's kettle. Same in restaurants. They might even microwave the food for you (after pouring it in a bowl obviously). It's forbidden in the Uk because of scalding but makes no sense in my opinion because you mix and taste the food before offering it to baby. Take lots of snacks and fruits easy for her to it. And don't forget that you'll be able to buy baby food out there too.

• if the hotel has a restaurant you could put her down in the evening and have a quick dinner with your partner & a babymonitor. We've done that many times, making sure the room was locked.

• ask the hotel if they provide cots so that you don't have to bring yours...

if the hotel has a restaurant you could put her down in the evening and have a quick dinner with your partner & a babymonitor. We've done that many times, making sure the room was locked

Please don't do this.

They have babies in Amsterdam. I know this sounds incredibly patronising, but it’s something that only really clicked when I took 9 month old DS to Paris. They have baby food, nappies, wipes and supermarkets to buy fruit and small sharp knives to cut it up. So, logistics don’t really matter in that respect. Take enough stuff for a day or two but don’t sweat it.

The crunch is really your later point. Adjust expectations now. This is going to be a nice break but it’s not going to be like other breaks you did BC. They’re still small enough to be immobile so just do what you do when you’re out and about normally. If you take them to the park at home, there are parks there. I used to take mine to art galleries because I got to look at interesting things while they napped, ymmv.

In terms of evenings, I’ve done it a couple of ways: broke the bank to rent a suite (first time), then just shared with a cot in our room. In terms of getting an adult evening, we did small person food at normal time in hotel room, then put them down to sleep in their pram, gave them half an hour then we took them with while we went out for dinner. Pavement cafes with background noise were perfect for our DS, but as soon as we tried to go inside wailing and tag team dinner ensued.

Our one-under-1 city break holidays are still fondly remembered (and do it now because when they’re mobile it’s all gonna change again). Enjoy!

What about Airbnb?

We did this with a 4 month old and it was fine. Hotel provided a cot, which we set up in the darkest part of the room.

Baby was't really in much of a routine then so just slept out and about in a sling, so we could stay out as long as we fancied.

On an evening we just kept one lamp on and messed around on our phones and watched a film on the iPad until we wanted to sleep, baby was fine sleeping through this activity.

We didn't flush the loo at night time though as we did worry that might wake him up.

We did Rome at the same age, and I look back in it very fondly. It even felt properly romantic at times, with the baby sleeping in a sling in my back. We saw all the stuff we wanted to see. There's no way we could have done it a few months later. Go for it

I'm surprised by these comments because like with everything it totally depends on your baby. I notice that many are saying baby will be immobile but that's not necessarily the case. My daughter was pulling herself up at 7 months and wanted to be on her feet all.the.time by 8 months. Slept well in the pushchair though because she tired herself out with the activity!

That said I don't see any reason to let that stop you going away. I have with my daughter and we always share 1 room but in fairness I was able to have the TV on low without disturbing her which helped.

It’ll be fine. I think better a hotel as if they are at the pulling up or toddling stage there’s less to bump into ( pull over) than an apartment. I would get a balcony or terrace room if you can so you sit out in the evening although probably too chilly in Amsterdam to enjoy it properly.
Amsterdam is good enough for bikes so good enough for strollers.
It’s not the same going away with young children. They don’t appreciate it and it’s more effort with less benefit for you. But it’s good to do just so you know you can I think.

At 10 months old, most babies are so interested in everything around them. Amsterdam is a beautiful place to walk around and family friendly.
A stroller will be fine, but you could try a baby carrier too?

We took our dd, who had just turned 1, away for a long city break in London, we stayed in a hotel ( just the one room) and we had such a great time.
We used our baby carrier the whole time. We did pretty much everything we would have done pre kids - museums, galleries, went to Richmond Park on the bus, southbank, cafes, restaurants, markets. We had such a lovely time. Dd just napped in the carrier when she was tired.
Honestly didn’t find it stressful at all.

Thanks all for the advice and reassurance on the whole. Our baby is currently 6 months and not showing much desire to crawl but who knows what she will be like by 10 months as I know development is not linear. I have looked at AirBnB and other apartment rental sites but everything is booked up due to Easter and tulip season. Would like to stay somewhere central (close to restaurants and possible to head out on foot without using public transport every time we go out) which is part of the problem .

We are hoping to be able to head out for an early dinner either with baby asleep in the stroller or just before her bed time but don’t know how realistic this is.

Sounds fine. I went away a lot with mine as babies. For food I just chucked them a bit of whatever was on my plate at meal times. You could take some elllas kitchen style meals as back up.

I never sat around in hotel rooms either - sleeping in buggy is fine or letting them stay up late - you might even get a lie in

We always went to cities before dc turned 5 because it's so easy, if you forget anything or don't have something you need you can easily get it much easier than a remote beach holiday! We even did NYC at Christmas with a buggy. Absolutely fine. In a busy city a buggy becomes a nice carrier of all shopping and a 'get out my way tool'. Also handy for ensuring if dc gets grouchy you can easily just put them back to get some sleep.

Btw we were on holiday with our almost 7 month old and I sat her on a chair behind me and quickly turned around to check in with the hotel (I'm talking seconds) when I turned back around dc had pulled themselves up for the first time and was standing on the chair 😂 so expect the unexpected as always with dc!! They were on their feet standing by the end of the holiday

I think our city break with a child this age was the most stressful holiday weekend we ever had. I came home tearful with lack of sleep.

He was old enough to be very aware of new surroundings, and wouldn’t sleep in the travel cot provided in the room. Or sleep at all.

Or eat on cue at meal times (I.e you don’t necessarily have the luxury of self catering to their usual routine when staying in hotels). Or eat at all, for new surroundings etc.

Being out and about was ok, we found places for him to have a toddle. But yes, whereas Amsterdam and other cities ‘have babies’, the babies that live there have a relaxed known environment for breakfast, a nap at some stage, a home where the parent/s can chill and go about their lives rather than in a hotel room.

I had taken Dc on all sorts of travels from 2.5 weeks old. Abroad at 9 weeks, long haul to a different culture at 8 months, but 10 -24 months was tough.

It was a difficult age. Maybe I just had difficult Dc!

Thanks again for the advice! Will have to watch our little one carefully in case she surprises us. We are also travelling with her at 7-8 months which is a family visit (staying with family) so less stressful once we are there but a nightmare for the flights as it’s about as far as it’s possible to travel from the UK. Hopefully she holds off being too mobile as she needs to be on our lap or the bassinet for 26 hr+.

Interesting point about a hotel room possibly being safer than an apartment for a baby on the move. I was looking at an apartment that’s a bit too expensive anyway but it has narrow stairs and not sure how safe that would be and if there is any chance DD will be able to escape a cot on her own by then.

I think it depends what your LO is like.

I wouldn't of personally taken my DS to Amsterdam as he doesn't like being contained to a pram and wouldn't sit in a restaurant happily waiting for his dinner.

However I have friends with DC who will happily sit in a pram taking everything in.

Have a look for activities you could do with DC too? We went to the zoo in Amsterdam and loved it.

If you've got a good bedtime routine I wouldn't worry about the sleeping arrangements but would recommend taking an iPad and some headphones or a book with one of those clip on lights.

It'll definitely be different but holidays since having DS have been so so special.

😂 I have done this many times and I have three kids. Just use your common sense instead of making blanket statements.

Madeline McCann was a one in a million time but also in an unlocked bedroom without a baby monitor (with sound and camera).

Depends on the child. Mine wouldn’t be amenable to anything like that at all. It would be a waste of money. Yours might be more easy going.

If bringing baby out in the pram for your evening meal, get a 'snooze shade' for it. It will cover her in as much darkness as possible (breathable material) and has a zip you can undo straight down the front if she needs you or you want to check on her.

Loads of people take their children out with no car seat, do you recommend that too? Because the majority of them are fine. What would you do if the fire alarm went off while you had left your baby unattended in a hotel room and you weren’t allowed back up to the room?

OP I think you will be fine. Just accept it might be different to breaks pre baby, relax any routine you have in place and enjoy.

@Thesearmsofmine

In my opinion having a wailing new born in the back is more dangerous (makes driving super stressful) than an adult holding him/her. Obviously not the driving adult.
My husband and I crossed France three times with newborns and they spent a fair amount of time feeding in the front with me. Leaving them hysterical is the back is just bad for them and actually increases the chances of an accident.
That's my opinion!

Common sense tells me that if the fire alarm went off in the room while I was at dinner I would be barred from going back up to my room to collect my children.

Common sense tells me that every member of staff who works in the hotel can use their key card to enter my room when I'm not there.

Common sense tells me that having a child sleep in a room 4 floor up in a public hotel is miles away from having them sleep upstairs in a private home.

You do you. But don't advise others to make the same stupid choices you do, without someone critiquing those. Just because you do something, doesn't make it right.