Holidays for single parents

[Sheila]

Can anyone recommend a travel company that caters for lone parents? Although I have a partner his work commitments are so ferocious that if I want a holiday at all this year I'll have to go alone with my one year old son. It would be nice to go somewhere where there is some sort of structured way of meeting other adults in a similar position.

I'm new to mumsnet so apologies if this info is already available somewhere.

Sheila, this is probably light years away from what you have in mind, but if you're looking for a vaguely structured way of meeting other parents, single or in couples, you could try (shock horror) youth hostelling.

I went to one of the family-orientated youth hostels last year with my two sons and we shared a clean but basic en-suite room with travel cot provided. Both toddler and son could run around to their hearts content along the carpeted corridors and they made lots of friends including an 11-year old girl who wanted to play mother with my 1-year-old at every opportunity. Lots of adults to talk to as well.

Hostels include converted Georgian Houses and seaside cottages and there's one in a castle with a real dungeon - now that's a thought for a tantrumming toddler.....

I think it is SO unfair that single/lone parents are unable to buy an affordable holiday abroad or even in England taylor made...there is a real NEED for hotels/operators to get with it and realise that many families are ONE parent and that perhaps block bookings at certain times of year (for a start) may start a profitable trend of getting people together, I am trying to take my two-year old away and do not want to play gooseberry with another couple and would deven consider taking my son's nanny but then would need two rooms! Can mumsnet help?

There must be so many of us wanting the same thing - ie a holiday with mum and kids only (whether single parent or just partner too busy), in a place with either childcare or other parents on their own. We've had some good times hostelling but beware, most rural ones seem to be closed this Easter due to foot and mouth.
If you are loaded, Club Med Ibiza will do wall-to-wall childcare when needed and all food included.

If anyone with kids under 8 wants to explore joint short breaks (lowish budget!) within striking distance of North/Midlands please reply. I know you can rent small hostels off-season for weekends - could be fun.

I've just looked on the home page under Mumsnet news. According to the Guardian article mentioned here, (Jan 10 2001), there's a site called planetoneparent and they were preparing a directory of suitable holidays for single parents. I havn't looked, but it might be up and running now.

To Suew- do get in touch when you return - we are in Sheffield. Mobile 07880 864354

I would be very interested to meet up with any other single mums wanting to holiday with another single mum - I have a little girl of 5 and live in central London.

I'm up for almost anything that isn't too expensive!

Hi if there anyone from Surrey interested in aking a holiday I have a 13 year old daughter and everything is so expensive on your own.

The Council for one-parent families have a brochure on holidays for single parents which they will send you free of charge. Their website is here but does not seem operational at the moment. It says it goes live on 15 may. HTH

Try an amazing company called Small Families www.smallfamilies.co.uk/ I've been to Tunisia, Cyprus, Portugal and Cambridge with them. Its all single parents so you don't feel like the odd one out, the pricing is reasonable considering there aren't 2 adults and even more importantly, you as the parent really get to have a holiday - as opposed to finding somewhere that is really so your child has a great time. I've found that after a few days a sort of 'communal parent' thing comes over the kids where any parent will do if something is needed. All meals are eaten together and you get to have somebody to talk to in the evening. The host stays with you all week so there is always somebody there to help in a crisis.