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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

Holidays with young children

15 replies

seb1 · 16/05/2005 12:16

As usual when thinking about best holiday options (with two under fives) can never make up my mind if home or abroad is best, so what do you all think are the pros and cons for each, I just get a headache when I think about it

OP posts:

Frizbe · 16/05/2005 12:22

Abroad warm/hot, home manky wet. and both end up costing the same, so for me, abroad does it every time!

Gobbledigook · 16/05/2005 12:27

We've got 3 under 5 so we stay in the UK atm. Just too much hassle in airports, in planes, in stifling heat. Did it when ds1 was 2 and ds2 was 6 months and it wasn't the least bit relaxing. Found cottages in Cornwall much better.

Will do abroad when ds3 is about 2 I think so we'll have 2, 4, 6 yr olds.

That's just us though and i know a lot of people do go abroad with littlies.

sandyballs · 16/05/2005 12:43

I've got two 4 year olds and they seem to much prefer our holidays in this country rather than abroad. They get miserable and fed up in very warm weather and find it hard to sleep at night which obviously doesn't help their mood! Would love to have kids that travel well but mind don't at present so New Forest here we come!

Ulysees · 16/05/2005 12:45

We've been abroad with our 2 when they were 2 and 5 and it was great. We stayed in a superfamily hotel in Majorca. The weather wasn't good though, rained more there than home and we had a 30 hour delay on the way home. But apart from that! A delay that long must be pretty rare and we went early in the season so that's why the weather wasn't good.

At home I swear by Centre parcs but now the schools are saying we can't take the kids out for holidays it's got way too expensive.

Original poster

seb1 · 16/05/2005 12:52

Whereabouts in the New Forest do you go, Sandyballs

OP posts:

sandyballs · 16/05/2005 13:00

We stay in Sandyballs! It's a great little holiday park with log cabins in the woods -
www.sandy-balls.co.uk - near Fordingbridge.

soapbox · 16/05/2005 13:07

We've travelled loads with our DCs (now 5 and 6).

Don't find planes much hassle at all - just make sure you take a bag of snacks and a bag of play things.

Equally have done UK many times too - they've enjoyed that as well.

I think you should make your decision based on what the adults would like to do and the children will just fall in line IME

Easy · 16/05/2005 13:11

I have to say that ds is 5 1/2, and we never contemplated trying to go abroad.

Since he was born we have taken him for 1 week in a cottage in cornwall, have weekends at granny's house, and we (dh and I) had a weekend in Barcelona to celebrate dh's 40th birthday back in 2002, while ds stayed with my sister.

We have decided to go abroad this year tho', taking the easy (but expensive way) by cruising to the Canaries. No airports for us.
We do have to share a cabin with ds tho' so I'm a bit worried about that.

puddle · 16/05/2005 13:31

I think the travelling is the key for me. We have been to Wales, Dorset, Cornwall and Brittany with our two under fives and really the Brittany trip was the best because we were on the ferry so the kids could run around and had a cabin so the youngest could sleep (travelled in the day rather than night though). This year we're all going on a plane for the first time - have taken ds before dd was born but never the two together. Am rather dreading it.

Weather is not a main factor for me and I wouldn't take my two anyweher really really hot in the summer - they'd get cross and crotchety and wouldn't sleep well. We're due a heatwave here this year anyway (apparantly!)

Hulababy · 16/05/2005 13:57

We only have the one DD, but will now always go abroad for our main holiday at least.

First year she was born we stayed int he UK - went to Northumberland. Beautiful place - a week in june - spoilt as it poured with rain andwas pretty cold every day. Never again!

We have been to Italy when DD was about 16 months - fab place with children. The people adore children and will spoil them constantly, and they are welcome everywhere you go. Weather was beautiful. Disadvantages is that Italy can be expensive and can book up very quickly.

:ast year we went to Florida, when DD was 2y 4m - fantastic, but hectic.

This year are going to the South of France for 2 weeks. Have a car the whole time we are there so loads of freedom.

I would also say that we haven't found the planes/airport a hassle at all. DD i s so nosey and curious, she is intrigued by everything around her - and loves the chance to have her food on a cafe beforehand.

On the plane we always have a bag of goodies, and she is happy to look out of the window (although for Florida that was very boring - nothing but sea most of time). And she went for a little walk up and down the aisles, a few visits to the toilet seems fun at that age. LOL! And there are children's audio channels if you remeber to get a bigger pair of headphones before you go - acheap children's personal tape player will do.

On a plane, ask for you and your partner's food to be served seperately and they you don't need to juggle so much.

muminlondon · 16/05/2005 14:28

It's a bit pricey now but this gite in Normandy is lovely. It's fantastically well equipped and they can bring you meals in the evening and babysit - bliss.

swedishmum · 16/05/2005 19:59

Have tried all sorts of holidays with our 4. Travel is as hard or simple as you make it. Children pick up on vibes from parents very quickly. My only rule is no self catering as dh works away from home a lot and I have no intention of tidying up or making beds on holiday. At CenterParcs (only tried Holland) we always go out for food etc. I find hotels overpriced in this country.

Pinotmum · 16/05/2005 20:20

We've just come back from Ibiza (self catering) with a 4 yo and a 2 yo. They had a great time and the travelling was fine even with a 3 hr delay. We ate out most of the time and the Spanish are very fond of children so we didn't feel we were unwelcome in restaurants even though the younger one never kept in one place . Although where we went was a bit fun fair landish there was plenty to keep the children busy which keeps the parents less stressed imho. We did holiday in Devon last year but the weather wasn't reliable and we were holed up in a caravan with a bored 1 yo and 3 yo - not a recipe for happy families.

Ulysees · 16/05/2005 21:47

Easy, we're all going on a cruise this year too. It's with Ocean Village and we're having 2 weeks in the Med. Dss are 7 and 4 now so they should love it and it's a very informal cruise so there's no dressing up.

Easy · 17/05/2005 13:31

Hi ulysses

We're going P+O Oceana. I think ds will love the kids club (hope so anyway.

And our cruise is NOT informal, which I'm very pleased about. Since I became a mother I hardly ever seem to get the opportunity to dress up. I used to be soooo glamorous.

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