40th Birthday/13 month baby

Dfjackson · 2024-12-03T16:06:27+00:00

Hi everyone! I am hoping for some holiday ideas for August 2025. It will be my partners 40th birthday so I’d like to surprise him to a lovely holiday. Our baby will be 13 months by then, it’s our first baby…I’m really nervous about travelling and just want it to be special and as stress free as possible. Any ideas on locations abroad (We will fly from Manchester) hotels with good facilities and areas that are easy to get out and about if we want too. Lovely beach to please with a good beach bar for hubby to enjoy x Thanks in advance :)

fruitbrewhaha · 03/12/2024 16:09

What do you normally like? I much prefer self
catering with kids. You can feed them what they like when they like and put them to bed at a good time and chill out eating a leisurely dinner afterwards. Otherwise will you be stuck on your balcony while the baby is in bed?

Original poster

Dfjackson · 03/12/2024 16:18

If I’m honest we will take any type of holiday haha! I think it would be easier to book an all inclusive just for a safe haven but we would get out for lunches and evening meals as well if possible.
If you can advise any self catering though I’ll definitely have a look I’m not sure what being on holiday with a baby will be like so your definitely more clued up than me so you advise is much appreciated:)

We are quite chilled people and be there to enjoy the day time as a family more than the evenings I imagine so in a weird way sitting on the balcony playing some cards sounds beautiful strangely!! We’re both running on steam with the baby and renovating our home so any type of break is better than none haha.

But of course it needs to be something special for hubbys 40th too!!

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welshpolarbear · 03/12/2024 16:43

It's a lovely idea but be aware that a holiday with a baby really isn't a holiday like you'll be used to.

We went when ours was 9 months and there was no relaxing unless separately! You have to have eyes on constantly (obvs) and they will not want to sit still, it's hot for them and uncomfortable with cream. Their routine is all over the place, in an all inclusive/hotel, you either all go to bed early or keep them up late and pay for it!

Ours didn't sleep well though even at home so that was an extra inconvenience.

Other than that it'll be lovely to be away 😆 sorry 💐 I just wish I'd realised at the time how hard/different it would be.

fruitbrewhaha · 03/12/2024 16:48

We took ours to France when they were little and stayed in gite complexes. You have a kitchen and living room plus a separate bedroom for the baby rather than limited to a one room in a hotel. There’s a few places that specialise in toddler holidays so they have cots, high chairs, sandpits paddle pools, trampoline and play houses etc. The other families have tiny kids so you have someone else to chat to, take turns to watch them on the trampoline, open a bottle of wine with in the evening, chat by the pool etc. Food in the supermarkets it lovely in France and you can knock up easy meals or buy nice prepared food. Plus the wine is cheap.

https://www.childfriendlygites.com/
https://familygites.org.uk/

we had a lovely time at these places above. But do a search for child friendly fire or toddler gite holidays and there’s more to choose from. We drove as we live in the south so it’s almost easier but you can easily fly into La Rochelle and hire a car cheaply.

Id say stear clear of anywhere further south in August. It’s been extremely hot the last few years in southern Europe.

It’s a world away from an AI hotel. I’m not a fan of AI, you eat too much and it’s busy, full of people, food is a bit rubbish and it’s expensive. It’s only good value if you’re going to stuff your face and drink all day.

Exclusively for families with young children & toddlers

Affordable Family holiday in France. Activities for kids, heated pools, secure play garden, wine tastings - just a few reasons why families keep returning.

https://www.childfriendlygites.com

fruitbrewhaha · 03/12/2024 16:56

And we did relax there! At 13 months your baby will still want a 2 hour nap in the day, maybe a longer if they are up a bit later. You can take a baby monitor and sit by the pool from the two I linked. It’s just in a fenced off bit of garden.

In a hotel, what do you do when they nap? Unless you’ve a ground floor room I supposed. What if the hotel is noisy at night? Drunk people wondering up and down corridors, noise from the bar, noise from deliveries or cleaning staff.

welshpolarbear · 03/12/2024 18:16

fruitbrewhaha · 03/12/2024 16:56

And we did relax there! At 13 months your baby will still want a 2 hour nap in the day, maybe a longer if they are up a bit later. You can take a baby monitor and sit by the pool from the two I linked. It’s just in a fenced off bit of garden.

In a hotel, what do you do when they nap? Unless you’ve a ground floor room I supposed. What if the hotel is noisy at night? Drunk people wondering up and down corridors, noise from the bar, noise from deliveries or cleaning staff.

I think this was a lot of the problem with ours. He didn’t sleep much, day or night! (Chronic reflux)

fruitbrewhaha · 03/12/2024 18:36

That’s tough.

Original poster

Dfjackson · 03/12/2024 20:31

fruitbrewhaha · 03/12/2024 16:56

And we did relax there! At 13 months your baby will still want a 2 hour nap in the day, maybe a longer if they are up a bit later. You can take a baby monitor and sit by the pool from the two I linked. It’s just in a fenced off bit of garden.

In a hotel, what do you do when they nap? Unless you’ve a ground floor room I supposed. What if the hotel is noisy at night? Drunk people wondering up and down corridors, noise from the bar, noise from deliveries or cleaning staff.

Gosh you have opened my eyes!!
I think you are all completely right, forget an AL hotel we need something similar to home really don’t we.
Thanks so much for the suggestions I will have a look into them.

I didn’t even think of the naps!

Maybe we will stay in country instead 🤣

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supersonicginandtonic · 03/12/2024 20:34

I've had 5 children and done every type of holiday you can think of. A holiday is what you make it. Our children just fit in with our lifestyle, we were never routine orientated and had lots of lovely breaks by the beach.

CherryDrops89 · 03/12/2024 21:10

All inclusive with little ones is brilliant! No cooking or cleaning up, mess bout by the pool, play by the beach, sunbathe while they nap next to you in the pram. Then bath, in pj's and walk until they fall asleep in the pram! Then you can sit and have a couple of drinks somewhere

ringmybe11 · 03/12/2024 21:18

What's your budget? We have a 2 year old and for a relaxing break wouldn't go self catering. Family friendly, large hotel with plenty of facilities would get my vote every time. We've done this a few times now since
DS came along.

JumpstartMondays · 03/12/2024 21:29

Highly recommend Menorca, we took my then 2yo and then 4mo to Royal Son Bou Family Club.

They had everything, we took our own baby sleeping bag and nappies, a bag of toys but that was it for baby gear. Baby bath, cot, bed guards, buggy hire etc we're all available abd ready waiting for us there. Nothing was too much trouble.

Whilst it definitely felt more of a holiday for the 2yo, we all were able to relax. We didn't need to meal plan or cook or wash up or food shop like we do in a self-catering holiday so it felt more like a holiday for all of us. While baby napped with DH, I took 2yo for a swim as the pool was right there. And in the early evening we were able to give each other some time to ourselves so DH went to the gym and did a workout or I went for a swim by myself, or we sat in the bar with a book etc etc while the other played with the kids in our apartment.

It's ok to go off your usual nap routine while you're on holiday, later bedtimes etc.

Original poster

Dfjackson · 07/12/2024 22:55

Thank you for all your suggestions it's a huge help to understand where baby will be up at that age and how that will fit into a holiday.
i think somewhere closer to home like Menorca / France is a good option as for first holiday that plane journey will probably be stressful.
Still unsure on what 'type' of holiday to do! I'll keep searching and probably leave it as late as possible to book to see where baby is up to in her temperament and naps etc x
At the moment my baby is still contact napping!! At 6 months! Exhaustion! So lots of changes in the next few months so will see maybe closer to 9 months on deciding and booking something :)
Thanks for all the suggestions keep them coming by all means :)

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