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Holidays

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

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Original poster

Best place to holiday with 9 month old twins and 3 year old?

51 replies

Lancashirelass89 · 02/07/2023 20:03

Hello im looking for ideas of where to holiday UK or abroad? plus anybody else experiences of travelling with 3 young ones ideally?
As the title states we have 9 month old twins and a just turned 3 year old. we are not likely to have extra help from grandparents so really looking at any suggestions as to the best place to go with very young kids and actually get some enjoyment from it! thankyou in advance.

OP posts:

ellesbellesxxx · 02/07/2023 20:34

We went to Retallack in Cornwall when our twins were a similar age then Bluestone the year after. Somewhere with kids activities/a pool but easy to get to places and places on site to eat/get takeaways. Recommend both!

RosesAndHellebores · 02/07/2023 20:34

Self catering coastal cottage. We had lovely holidays in Fowey, Cornwall when ours were tinies. The three year-old will love the little aquarium and rock pooling. Buckets, spades and familiar food all the way at that age.

fruitbrewhaha · 02/07/2023 20:34

We had lovely holidays at this age at gite complexes in France. There’s a few near La Rochelle, in land a bit. You can fly and hire a car or drive down.

They are geared up for families with toddlers. So there’s other children to play with and other adults to chat and share a bottle of wine.
La Garenne http://familygites.org.uk/
la grange moulin https://www.childfriendlygites.com/

we had a such lovely times I’m feeling quite nostalgic.

La Garenne Family Gites | Family friendly Gites

http://familygites.org.uk/

not4profit · 02/07/2023 20:49

We had a lovely holiday here with 9 month old twins, a 4 and a 7 year old

https://www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/france/vendee/les-ecureuils-campsite?cq src=googleeads&cq cmp=17989237806&cqqcon=143533605721&cq term=eurocamp%20les%20ecureuils&cqqmed=&cq plac=&cqqnet=g&cq pos=&cqqplt=gp&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4pb16uTw wIVhePtCh3c8gIKEAAYASAAEgISSPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Ignore the naysayers- we had some great holidays here and on other French campsites when they were small, and much better value than centreparcs or uk self catering

carly2803 · 02/07/2023 21:11

that is not a holiday its torture.

Who puts young kids in a holiday club all day? surely the idea of a holiday is together as a family!?

honestly...look at the uk - stay near a beach and dont think about going abroad until they are much much older.

converseandjeans · 02/07/2023 21:30

We used to go to France with canvas holidays & stay in big tent or mobile when ours were little. Or caravan in Wales. I think it's good to get them used to going away. They have always enjoyed getting the ferry & we always timed journeys so they would be asleep in car eg ferry first thing but travel from home around 2am so they get carried into car in a onesie and carry on sleeping.

3 is a really sweet age for holidays & they enjoy simple things like paddling, bucket & spade, donkey rides, ice creams. It's sad people say to stay home.

Britinme · 02/07/2023 21:36

When my 3 kids were 8, 5 and 9 weeks we went to Devon for a couple of weeks, and shared a large cottage with some (very dear) friends who had 4 kids aged 7, 5 and five-month old twins. There were four bedrooms - each adult couple had one each and shared it with the babies as we were all still breastfeeding. The three girls shared a room and the one boy had a small room to himself. It rained quite a lot but we actually had a good time. There were plenty of things to do in the area (Paignton Zoo was one of them) and we went to the beach when the weather was nice. The kids had each other to play with and we had friends to share the load and have adult conversations and wine in the evenings with.

Embarra55ed · 02/07/2023 21:55

I’d say definitely go UK beach holiday in self catering accommodation.

Hotels are shit with kids unless you get a suite because what are you supposed to do once they’re asleep - sit in the dark?! Flights will be a nightmare logistically with 3 such small ones. You’ll have to lug at least 2 car seats as well as massive pram (or 2) most likely. And the suncream application would be a full time job anywhere warm. I do not understand people who are happy to leave their babies in a kids club in a foreign country either.

With a U.K. beach holiday you can keep travel to a minimum, you can bring all the baby kit you need in your own car with own car seats, you can do all the things that your 3 year old will love - sandcastles, paddling, rockpooling, playgrounds, ice creams - while keeping your babies in the same routine.

Tbh it might not be cheaper than a holiday abroad but will be a hell of a lot less stressful.

NCTDN · 02/07/2023 22:20

It's sad people say to stay at home. *
*
I couldn't agree more. It's memory making. Some of our best holidays were when the children were that age.

converseandjeans · 02/07/2023 22:44

@NCTDN

I couldn't agree more. It's memory making. Some of our best holidays were when the children were that age

Then people moan about taking teenagers away because they don't want to do much 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think some people want to be able to relax by a pool or go for meals. Plenty of time for that when they're grown up!

greengrasses · 02/07/2023 23:27

When I had 8 month old twins and a 2 year old we went to a static caravan on a site about 90 minutes from home. It was great - we could pack the car up with everything we needed, could travel in the time of one nap, and we were in the uk so if we forgot anything we could easily get replacements. We had such a fun time, lots of lovely walks, visits to castles and national trust places. It was a great holiday and I remember it fondly even now my kids are grown and we have had holidays to more faraway places.

LadyJ2023 · 03/07/2023 00:26

We did book our first uk holiday with our 1 year twins and 2 year boy this year and safe to say after a week we decided to come home even tho we had 2 weeks booked. First all the child safety gates etc so constantly having to keep them in one room
Garden wasn't child proofed so again worries of falling down steps etc etc. Then on day 5 the twins came down with a sick bug and what fun it was to be washing carpets and beds that weren't ours for the next 2 days as they puked everywhere.So we decided to come home...we followed that with a week of days out from home beach picnics etc and that went totally better. Kids were happier having there beds toys familiar stuff and we weren't stressing about breakages lol...so for us we wouldn't repeat at a young age again lol

SaveMeFromForearms · 03/07/2023 08:45

NCTDN · 02/07/2023 22:20

It's sad people say to stay at home. *
*
I couldn't agree more. It's memory making. Some of our best holidays were when the children were that age.

Yes, and as everyone knows, memories can only be made outside of the UK 😆

Seriously though, taking a 3 year old away is great, but twins under 1...just sounds like all the same hard work in a much less convenient place than your home.

3sthemagicnumber · 03/07/2023 11:52

Hi,

We had a family set up a bit like yours - twins and then DD is 18 months older. We went on our first overseas holiday with the three of them when DD1 was 2 and the DTs were about 8-9 months (starting to sit up, one could get around quite effectively by rolling). I've had better holidays(!), but I broadly disagree with the idea that there's no point going and you might as well stay at home.

We went abroad at least once a year when the kids were small (my parents live in France). First flights were when they were 5 and 3 I think - driving holidays are a lot easier at that age as you can load up with all the kit you need. Generally, we found the long drives relatively relaxing (but they were all good car travellers).

Things that worked well for us - Eurocamp and places like the gites someone else has posted, specialising in family holidays. You definitely want some easy entertainment - playgrounds/softplays etc. I think that with little ones, unless you are craving sunshine / a change of scene, caraven/chalet/cottage holidays in the UK would work just as well. For us, overseas travel has always been a priority (and we had to go and see my parents). I'm glad we did it - by the time the kids were a bit older, we felt like pros and were able to do progressively more adventurous holidays with them.

Mamarama2u2 · 03/07/2023 11:58

I have 3 young children and we are going in a private Villa this year. That way even if the whole day is dedicated to their enjoyment/entertainment/keeping them alive near a swimming pool you can still get them in bed and have your evening together if you want to. Otherwise you’re either stuck in a hotel room all together or at the childrens entertainment

DappledOliveGroves · 03/07/2023 12:01

Another vote for Center Parcs. It really is geared up for young families.

converseandjeans · 10/07/2023 18:06

@SaveMeFromForearms

Yes, and as everyone knows, memories can only be made outside of the UK 😆

I don't think anyone insisted a holiday had to be abroad. Lots of UK breaks around for kids. Our kids have never had a package type holiday as we can't really afford it but they have been to Wales, Scotland, Cornwall, France, Holland, Germany, Belgium. All camping, glamping, caravan type holidays.

NCTDN · 10/07/2023 18:23

@converseandjeans us too.

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 10/07/2023 18:32

We had a lovely holiday in mullion in Cornwall when mine were a similar age. Lovely beaches, indoor pool and play area on the site.

the area is lovely with lots to do in easy reach for small children. Ours enjoyed flambards and the seal sanctuary. Though they’re older teens now so it was a while ago!

i don’t think I’d attempt abroad in your situation. We didn’t when they were small and they had just as good a time in the U.K. we saved all the abroad stuff for when they were old enough to appreciate it and for it not to be stressful.

momtoboys · 10/07/2023 18:37

We tried to do that when my first three were babies (twins and a singleton 2.5). It was an utter nightmare. We spent so much money with babies who were thrown off their schedules, a new environment, DH and I sniping at each other because the trip did not turn out to be the fun family time we had conjured up in our minds. I'm not saying your holiday will be but ours was just awful. If I knew then what I know now I would have definitely stayed home.

turtletum · 10/07/2023 20:13

I do think going on holiday is a good idea but be picky about accommodation layout. Ideally, all on one level, no bunk beds, enclosed outdoor space, and good amount of communal space.

In the UK, holiday parks can offer this with varying amounts of space. Retallack and Bluestone, for example, are great. We've also done cottage mini break in the UK that have worked but have been more work for us to sort food and entertainment. I'd say a holiday park where everything is on hand is better.

If you live in the SE, then a short drive to France/Belgium might work, whether eurocamp/yelloh or more centre parks/Landal greenparks. We've just come back from a fab landal holiday in The Netherlands, kids loved it. Time the drive for nap times, although with babies as young as yours, I'd be looking to keep car time to a minimum, so UK might be best this time.

Gingersay · 13/07/2023 01:49

I second menorca it is perfect for young families. Have a look at the Royal Son Bou in Son bou my kids loved it when they were younger. It's aimed at kids under 5 with kikoland and kids clubs from babies you'll have some much needed time to yourself.

FridaRose · 13/07/2023 06:38

'I was just seeing if there was anybody out there who actually managed a trip abroad who can say they enjoyed it with young ones'

We did 2x long haul overseas trips with our son when he was 4 and 7 months.

The first trip we had a full time nanny and it was stress free but I was going out too much without my son and just leaving him with the nanny all the time. It didn't feel right.

The second trip we had no nanny and it was hell. No rest of relaxation.

We are staying at home now until he's at least 2.

Britinme · 13/07/2023 13:18

We took our oldest to France when he was not quite 2 and that was fine, but we stayed in a caravan in Picardy and self-catered apart from a few days in Paris when we stayed with friends. We shared the caravan with friends with a child the same age and it worked well for us - adult company and the kids got along well.

IamSTARVING · 13/07/2023 13:40

We used to look for hotels within a certain radius that were geared for familes. We woud have frequent short breaks rather than one big holiday. That way we got a little break for a swim, dinner etc.

It worked very well. They have fond memories of it.

They had actual travel when older.

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