Guidance / Advice on trip abroad with 5 month old

[Preg1989]

I’m looking for some advice and suggestions on taking a trip with my (will be at the time) 5 month old baby.

My partner and I are avid travellers and like a bit of everything. In 2023, we travelled in Thailand, did a city break in Berlin then an AI in Dominican Republic.

We both enjoy lazing by the pool with a drink and a good book but also like getting out and about.

Now that we’ll have a little one in tow, we appreciate holidays will be different for us but we still want to get a bit of sunshine, a dip in the pool and to experience new things with baby (such as baby pool).

I formula feed the baby.

I’m looking at hotels in Europe - Portugal & Balearic Islands mostly. Short-ish flight times and family friendly.

Here’s where I’m stuck - do we book something self catering or AI?

With AI, we can get as much water, juice (and occasional wine/beer/cocktail) as we need, fairly easily. As well as being able to ask for boiled water for the bottles. We can head out of the hotel for meals, sightseeing etc as and when but if we find it’s too much hassle with baby, we’re totally accommodated for. Or will be demented only having a bedroom to retreat to at any given time?

Or do we go SC, have our own access to a fridge / kettle / hob. Essentially home away from home? This does mean similar chores to home too 😞 but will also give us more space, living area etc.

I’ve managed to over think myself into a funk and now can’t make a decision 😂 so I’d really appreciate any input.

Thank you!

You think it through what's best for you as a family. Bearing in mind once you have a child everything changes I've have always detested all inclusive places. But some people love them..I think an all inclusive would he far more difficult than self catering with a baby of that age.

We traveled a lot before DS was born 18 years ago. When he was a baby we just adapted and had great holidays. I don't mean we adapted the having holidays that adults would enjoy. We adapted to doong loads of things for him that you have never been attracted to before then going with a baby . AI holidays are so insipid. Book a self catering place with lots of stuff to do. Get back at the end of the day with a tired baby, happy parents and.glass of wine..

On several occasions, we’ve done AI but stayed in an apartment with a kitchenette. One was Royal Son Bou in Menorca, and another was 3HB Clube Humbria in Portugal.

One room is fine but ensure you have a balcony, you can't leave a 5 month old alone anyway. At that age they are so portable, just head out with dc in the buggy, I remember sitting in a jazz club with my dd aged 5 months, she slept through it!

And yes, many ai's have kitchenettes, just do check the pool temperatures and consider buying a baby wetsuit - the pool last time I was in Spain was brrrr.!

We used to stay in Aparthotels, that way you could either eat in room or in hotel. My first Son hardly slept more than 30 minutes at a time, but on holiday in Portugal he slept in the shade on a sun bed for around 6 hours. My second Son was a daytime sleeper who would sleep for as long as I let him. We had a 2 bedroom apartment in Cyprus with some lovely long lunches whilst he slept.

Go all inclusive - you can always eat out a couple of times if you get bored. Enjoy someone else making your food and doing the tidying up before you start with weaning and you never get a break from it 😅🫠

At 5 months I’d make the most of being able to eat out and stay somewhere near lots of nice restaurants. It gets more challenging once they are toddlers and meals out become much more stressful.

Depending in where you are staying you might get a kettle in the hotel room (or you could bring a travel one if not). Bottled water is cheap in places where people don’t drink tap water in contrary to what I’ve real in here most don’t have high sodium levels (at least in Greece, can’t speak for other places). If you have luggage space it can be handy to have some readymade formula too for using while out and about.

I wouldn’t worry too much about extra space with a 5 month old as they tend to be with you anyway. Just pick where you would normally stay and consider if it is pram friendly.