Tell me where to go on holiday with a four month old...

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Hello, hoping for some guidance as my DP and I are going around in circles! (Aware this is a v v nice problem to have.)

We're planning a week's holiday for my 40th in June. I'm due to give birth in the next week or so, and holiday planning has been a really nice distraction, but it's proving v difficult to know where might work! This is our first baby and we're used to just pleasing ourselves and not being bothered about long journeys/heat etc. This time around I'm wondering if we're just going to pay lots of money for a stressful time!

Ideally, I would love somewhere peaceful, pretty, walkable, warm but not crazy hot, a reasonable journey, and prefer smaller/quirkier hotels or apartments rather than huge package deal type places (aware package deal does make everything easier though!) with some local culture and interest rather than just a beach.

Does this unicorn holiday exist?? Is it daft to even try to plan this before baby arrives and should we just see how they sleep etc. first?

Thank you!

Many congrats, I am a mum of two, tbh, I would wait until baby arrives.

Nowhere! It’ll be like being at home but without all your baby-related conveniences. I’d postpone for a year.

I was dying to get away when my daughter was 4 months old 🙈🙈 we only went to Ireland as it was still during semi lockdown and we stayed with my parents for a bit then a lovely air bnb for a week in the countryside it was lovely

we then took her to Mallorca when she was about 10months old and it was lovely too we just relaxed a lot and she napped in her buggy with the sun shade on while I read books by the pool

I took my baby at 6 months before he could crawl etc and it was in my opinion the perfect time. He was in the pool and chilling on sunbeds. It was lovely. I am used to travelling and i take my son everywhere I did (within reason) prior to having him. Although so much harder now he is one. This year will be all about him running around etc. As opposed to us being able to chill. Felt like the most perfect holiday. I'd go somewhere you know you can get baby supplies and has good baby bits (like kettle, travel cot etc). You can book front row of a place that has a little travel cot. We put the pram in the hold and used a carrier at airport.

Have a look at kinder hotels. Totally set up for families and very relaxing

Sounds lovely! I took my son away when he was 4 months. We hired a villa in Menorca.

Thanks for the suggestions! Will check out kinder hotels and Menorca and Mallorca...I do understand the advice to wait a bit; it's hard to have any confidence in our ability to keep baby safe and okay abroad when they aren't even here yet. But I am pretty certain we'll be wild to get out of our house/town/country by then!

I did wonder last night if a better option would be to give baby to my Mum for a night and just stay in the bougiest spa hotel we can find 😂

Oh honest to god, I'd have gone with your second option... but then I tend to fret going abroad with DD so I'm all for an easy life!

Eurocamp.
Particularly this site. Fabulous baby and toddler pool for you to enjoy together, as well as a man made beach for a bit of a beach play. You'll be surprised at how much you want to do that with the baby.

Self-catering in your own caravan, so you can just do whatever works for you in terms of food, sleep etc.

Large decking outside all caravans, all with baby gates on, so you can relax and let them explore if they're moving by then. Also, it's nice to sit out there in the evening with a glass of wine and your partner once baby is asleep. DH and I take cards and put the world to rights as we play.

Lovely little town a 10 minute walk away. Ideal for wandering down to the bakery each morning.

Soissons and Compiègne are both a 15-20 minute drive away for some French culture. I particularly liked Compiègne.

Nearby is Pierrefonds village. The village itself is very picturesque, but the jewel in its crown is Pierrefonds château. Maybe take a sling for that day if you go there as there are steps in the château.

Also close by is the Armistice Clearing, where Germany surrendered during WW1 and Hitler insisted France surrender in WW2. Quiet and poignant place. Its a clearing in a forest, so potential for a nice walk too.

3 hour drive from Calais on lovely French motorways.

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/paris/pa012-la-croix-du-vieux-pont/ataglance.html

A country house hotel in this country isn't a bad idea OP - particularly one that's an easy drive from home. If you tell us the rough area where you live I'm sure some MNers can suggest somewhere nice to stay.

Holiday with 4mo old and 4yo was one of the nicest early holidays we had with our kids. Went to Corfu in late June. Was great. Gets harder when they are toddlers so go for it. Only issue I had at that age (not the same time) was car hire place not having the right kind of car seat (but they ended up borrowing one from a different provider). Could be really relaxing!

I would not book anything until you have an idea what kind of baby you are dealing with - they vary A LOT. In fact not even then, as 4 months is prime sleep regression time and you may think you have a wonderful sleeper only for them to be up every hour come 4 months.

I’d definitely go with the baby free night in a hotel option at that age. If you want to book a holiday do it for September when the baby will be 7 months, that’s the ideal time for a holiday with a baby IME.

I-escape is good for the kind of place you want. I-escape with kids has a “best for babies” section. Also Babyfriendlyboltholes.

I would wait and then decide what works best for you when you know what kind of baby you have.

DD wasn't a baby we could have done hotel holiday with, very early mornings, no chance of going back to sleep after a 6am feed. No way of sleeping in the pram in the evening, she needed her cot and a dark-ish room.

We had a lot more luck with a villa or cottage. More space as well.

On the plus side, they are still very transportable, you can do a lot with a sling/carrier and even easier if you breast feed as you don't have to sort out making formula.

I wouldn't have wanted to leave the baby overnight at that age either, so I would say wait and see to make a decision on that too!

I have 2 kids and they were both different. One was quite chilled and we managed to take him on holiday quite easily early on, the other was not chilled and so we waited until about 10 months when he had calmed down a bit. You just don't know what flavour you're going to get! So I would wait and see, personally.

We went to Normandy for the week when dd was 4 months. Not too arduous a drive (from Kent). Rented a lovely timbered cottage. Did some nice days out. Chilled in the garden. She was a good sleeper at that age but still was up by 6am so didn't go for nightlife 🤔I have fond memories of visiting castles etc. with her strapped in the sling on dh. Don't think he's ever had so much fuss made 😁We did several trips in her first few years - my top tips: self catering everytime with at least 2 rooms or nice balcony so you can put the baby to bed and not have to sit in the dark. Bath, pyjamas and food then out with pushchair for a stroll/drink. Everyone loves babies (when not screaming) If baby in good mood /asleep you might manage dinner out, otherwise grab a pizza or go back and knock up something simple. Drink wine on balcony and repeat. If beach or pool, take it turns to be in charge and look forward to nap time. Those stacking cup toys are fab as can be used in room/bath/beach/pool and take up no room. Don't expect too much.

It depends what kind of baby you get so I'd wait! DD1 was a bloody nightmare but DD2 would have been fine with anything.

I would stay in UK; the passport application can take a while. You have to wait for birth certificate first, then apply, which can take up to 10 weeks.

Cornwall, Isle of Wight or Channel Islands.

My DD was an absolute dreamboat by day and completely portable at that age but the sleep, arghhh the sleep. I was so painfully sleep deprived at 4 months the idea of travelling anywhere would have been just hideous - she was a dreadful sleeper anyway (until she was about 4) but 4 months as others have said is prime sleep regression - literal torture. You may be blessed with an amazing sleeper but you may not! Also to echo other posters, no way could I have left my DD at 4 months. I would absolutely wait and just see how you are getting on and book something last minute. June isn't peak season so you would be able to get something easily when you know what meets your new family needs rather than trying to fit your family to your already booked holiday.

I’d think about Italy. weather is usually lovely in June and they love babies.

We went to Spain when DS was 3 months and then again at 4 months. Stayed in a nice self catering apartment both times with 2 bedrooms so one of us could sleep in the room with him and the other could get some sleep. Ate out sometimes, cooked other nights. Chilled by the pool and also did a couple of day trips with DS in the buggy. DS was formula fed so took that with us. Travel steriliser bag/tablets etc. All quite easy as long as you're organised.

Yes it's just the same thing in a different place but sometimes it's nice to have a change of scenery.

We then went on 2 long haul trips when he was 6 months and then 8 months. Much harder work but totally worth it.

For me, travelling with a baby is much easier than when they're crawling/walking. Also cheaper as you don't have to buy a seat on the plane.

I went travelling around the world for 3 months when our baby was 4 months old! This was only last year and it was the best experience of our lives. People thought we were mad, but it was amazing.

We did Central America, Asia & Canada!

It's the best age as they are reactive but can't move. Just get a travel stroller, travel cot and a good carrier and the worlds your oyster!

I would stay in a villa.

At 4 months my DC were waking/crying consistently throughout the night. Staying in a hotel and apartment you run the risk of keeping your neighbours awake. Plus with a villa it's more of a home from home environment where you have a comfortable area away from a hopefully sleeping baby in the evening.

Honestly, in the nicest possible way go where ever you would like… the baby won’t care…. Next year and the following 14 will be focused around him/her. Make this holiday about you. They are so portable at that age and require very little, esp if breast fed.

A Villa or Airbnb will give you More space to relax once baby is asleep. Do not go to a family friendly resort. In 5 years time you will be sick of the sight of them. My recommendation would be Lake Como, Tavira or Mallorca

we went loads of places around that age. It’s the best age they are so portable!! I’d recommend Barcelona (lots to do and a beach), Rome, Loire Valley in France. Barcelona was great, we had an apartment hotel and had a huge balcony and great cooking facilities in a nice area. We would go out and about during the day, then go back early evening, one of us would do bedtime and the other would go shopping for lovely local ingredients to cook and we would have the evening to ourselves when the baby was in bed.

Make the most of it at that age, ours is nearly 2y now and wants to walk everywhere so everything takes a lot longer!!!

Is this your first child? In all honesty I’d wait before booking to see how you’re getting on. The 4 month sleep regression is something many people suffer from. I didn’t tbf with mine so it isn’t inevitable but it is a thing. You may also not be ready to leave a baby overnight at that point so wouldn’t book a posh hotel yet until you know a bit more about how you react. Feeding may be another variable. I assumed I would breast feed and couldn’t so you might have to think about formula and transporting that abroad.

but.. if you get a good sleeping, placid baby that breastfeeds travelling at that age would be easier than travelling with an older baby. I’d echo points about a villa over a hotel. I’ve been away when one of mine was an older baby and we were able to put her down for a nap and then chill by the pool.