Is there a good age to take kids abroad or is it always horrible?

[FallOfSloths]

My kids are still fairly young (oldest still in infants) and we've not tried an abroad holiday, as it just seems they're too little to really care/get much benefit out of it to justify the price. I was thinking that this would be something we'd enjoy when they're older.

However, my friend has just come back from a winter sun thing with her kids (13 and 14) and says it was awful, they just fought the whole time and also just spent the whole thing rolling their eyes at her and her DH and not wanting to be near them. Before anyone says they're just spoiled etc, I have known them all their lives and they are generally decent children. My friend said she thinks the proximity just causes the arguing and that maybe it was just too intense (whereas normally they wouldn't be together all the time with school, work, activities etc).

Anyway, just curious to know if there's a golden age where abroad holidays really work? I'm particularly thinking about beach based AI type stuff as that's what I liked doing pre children, with a little bit of sightseeing.

Or do you have to wait until they leave home to properly enjoy things?!

We took ours abroad from 2 and 9 months. Never had a bad holiday.
It's not like a holiday without children but still glorious. We found self catering worked best for us and we didn't do the stupid putting them to bed at 7and sitting in the dark thing that you read about on here.
We would go out for dinner and they would fall asleep in the pushchair.
They loved playing in the pool and on the beach.

They're all grown up now and we still enjoy holidays together sometimes.

My kids have been having holidays abroad, beach types since they were 6 mths old - now 17. We have enjoyed all the holidays, kids are happy in the pool or beach, love being away. I have to admit the only bit they are not as bothered about is the sight seeing. BUT they do humour me and at least don't moan if I do plan some sights. Generally though our 'beach' holidays are exactly that beach / sun holidays and my expectations are to just chill and we do.

We have had family holidays abroad for DS whole life. He was 3 months old first time. You just need to choose the right holiday for you. For really small kids, I think SC is best so you can eat and sleep when it suits. With bigger but young ones, AI is epic free food, drinks, snacks, and great big gangs to play with.
Tweens and teens, activity holidays or city breaks or 2 centre types are fab.

5-11 ish has been ok.

We go abroad with our DC and have done since they were small being honest I enjoy holidays more now they are teens. Our holidays are relaxed usually by/in the pool and going out for dinner.

It gets easier, in that the chances of your child laying a turd on the perfectly manicured lawn right in the middle of a posh chateau campsite in Normandy while you're bollocking his big brother for running around with a penknife- something you had expressly banned- diminish drastically after he's passed the age of say, three. You know, as a random example that I plucked out of the air there 😳

It also, I have to say, depends on the child OK and perhaps on the adult too I have taken my DC on a wide variety of European holidays- Interrailing, driving and camping etc- and the only constant is that DS1 and I will have an epic bust up every 2-3 days. He's now 15 and people will go "Ha teenagers, what do you expect?", but this has been happening since he was about 5. DS2 is now 9 and a much more pacific soul, thank fuck. Nevertheless, we do all enjoy our holidays and remember them fondly.

I took my two away (8 & 5) they were ace and had a brilliant time! Tried loads of new food, swam all day every day, had a fab time we all did x don't overthink it to much x

It's generally not where the holiday is but what you're doing that matters. I could take DD on a villa holiday in the french countryside and she'd be just as grumpy, bored, bad tempered as she would with a cottage in England. There'd be nothing to do for her to enjoy. Tailor a holiday to their interests at least partly, and don't put pressure on them to enjoy every second or force teens to share a room when they don't at home and expect them to like it etc....

Took our 3 away since they were tiny babies and always been lovely. Now all over 20. Your friend's experience is not ours. Have a holiday with your own family and see what your own experience is. Why miss out on fun just because your friend didn't have fun on one occasion.

1st abroad holiday with DS1 6 months and DS2 4 months.
Throughout nursery and primary all fab holidays. Mid teens a bit grumpy but then came out the other side again. Pick the right hols at those ages!!!

We took our 3 abroad practically from birth. We all just loved it. Often it was a camp site in France or Spain but we did US/ Majorca / city breaks. For the younger years they were completely child focused so lots of swimming, playing football at the camps etc but later it was exploring , museums and so on. We had one bad experience when ds was 16 where he missed his friends and was a bit pouty but that was it.
If you can afford it do it. And don't ever look on it as a chore. It's a privilege. By 10/ 11 ours were leading us through the airports, studying the timetables and generally being on adventure as soon as we set off. They loved trying new food and nothing beats swimming for hours in a warm sea compared to shivering on an lrish beach. We did have lrish holidays too but having warm weather is such a bonus.
Confession time! We often took them out of school in June to escape the high temperatures but they were none the worst for that and they are not as strict here on that: rightly so l believe!!

Took my DD9 to a nice AI every year since she was 5/6. She's always loved it! Loves the kids club, entertainment, pool, beech - all of it!

Been travelling since she was tiny, it's been brilliant! Been on 50 flights now, still in infants!

I took my children abroad from. Being babies. They get use to flying, not bad on Airplane and they enjoyed the holiday as well as I did. They are all grown up now and a few years back we took our grandson for an overseas holiday (Age 4) I had to hold his ears as he had never flown before and he cried due to the pressure and ending up every time with earache. If I was you I personally would do the same again and take my children on holiday abroad from an early age.

I liked the primary school/infant age when they were blissfully happy playing with a bucket and spade/paddling in the sea.

8-12.
Before they don’t really remember anything.
Later it’s hard to entertain them.

We wasted so much money building memories with our sons when they were young (literally Grand Canyon, pyramids, Niagara Falls….). They have no recollection of of any of it and they both say it’s really irritating seeing photos of themselves in places that they feel look photoshopped as they have no memories!

Siblings squabbling is just an expected part of raising children, mine squabble but they are generally much better in all the school holidays when they are reliant on each other for company. They are currently a couple of years younger than your friends kids and they've certainly never ruined a holiday. We've been to 25+ countries with them, since they were babies, and don't regret any of those trips.

We have holidayed abroad every year with DS6 since he was born except for when Covid cancelled our holiday and we did road trips in Scotland and Wales instead. I can honestly say we have all thoroughly enjoyed each and every one. I agree it does sound like your friends children don’t know how to behave

Mine are 14 and 16 and we have travelled the world since they were born. First flight to Australia at 3 months old. With very young babies it's easy. Not much fun but we did it anyway at 1-3. Slightly not losing the will to live once they turned 4. Still hard under ten but small amounts of fun too. Over ten is mostly enjoyable.
With teens now I look forward to it. Actually enjoy all family holidays and long haul flights home.
Over the years we have done resort holidays, road trips, city breaks. Pretty much everything except skiing as I don't like it.

We travel most years. The only negatives were around 13 when they were too mortified to be seen with us - too young to leave alone in a foreign country and too unpleasant to drag around. Those years villas were great, city breaks not so much.

Besides that you just need to plan. We have family who live near a Disney so have been with each child. It was never a great day. I don’t see the appeal.

Pre school can be difficult.

Tantrums, need to sort out regular food, naps, etc.

Teens can also be difficult - tantrums etc.

5-11 is a more calm age.

I’ve been taking my 8yo DS abroad since he was 5. He’s an only child and DP doesn’t enjoy travel so it’s just the two of us and it’s always been delightful! No sibling to argue with, no DP to bicker with because one feels the other isn’t pulling their weight 😂 we’ve done beach holidays, city breaks exploring ancient ruins, and experiences (Lapland etc). We are doing a Norwegian Fjords cruise this year.

So honestly I think it’s down to the dynamics of the travellers rather than the ages.

We've taken Dc away since they were babies, from 0 - 3 it was tough. Enjoyable but tough! I think the golden age is 4 onwards. My eldest is 11 now and still good up to this point. This includes city breaks and sun holidays.

I think you need to pick a holiday that suits your family. And for young children that means what they want / need.

If you have a couple of sociable kids who love meeting other kids then a place with a kids club might be perfect, not so much if you have a child who just likes their own company.

What is your family like? What do you enjoy doing together?

My son is nearly 7 and been in nearly 60 flights. Easy no? I’ve really bad memories of me in Singapore crying of anxiety. But he’d have struggled / whinged anyway at home so at least he moans around the world.