Advice on holiday abroad with 9mth old baby

[BoogieWoo]

Advice please. We want to get some sun this summer and need to know how to do this with a baby! Fancy France/Italy/Spain so that flight's not too long. Is self catering the best way to go? Would like a pool on hand so that we can cool baby down but worry that apartment with pool would be an expensive option. If we booked a hotel - would we all need to go to bed at the same time??!!...or I suppose DD could sleep in buggy whilst we ate out. Just don't know.

Maybe someone has been to a great place that they can recommend and solve all our dilemas!

Stay out of the sun between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.!

Not necessary to have a pool - a quick dip in a cool bath also helps (I do this on hot summer nights before going to bed) but could be handy if you want to laze around and take it easy. If there's a small basin, you could also put this out on the balcony/terrace for the baby to have a quick dip al fresco.

In terms of food - take some familiar food with you (formula if necessary, jarred foods as emergency rations, snacks - dry ones and you can buy fruit when you get there).

As you mention, one of the drawbacks with a hotel room is that you are all sharing the same space... that really is a personal call but it does restrict your evenings.

Sleeping in the buggy... never worked for us! A sling was handy so that DD could join in but also be less boisterous.

Don't forget a few good toys for the flight... 2-3 books, some snacks, milk (handy to give at takeoff and landing for ears), crayons and paper.

We did a holiday to Lanzarote with ds when he was 11 months. We went bed and breakfast to an aparthotel, which was a great option - 1 bed apartment with seperate living room/balcony. Having a kitchen meant that we could prepare snacks and stuff/store yogurts in the fridge, but tbh he ate what we did when we were out - pizza, sandwiches, steak, ice cream, fruit, bread etc. Ds either came out with us on a night time - we hoped that he would fall asleep in his buggy - he didnt, but he was on good form, and all of the staff in restuarants made a huge fuss of him. Once we had eaten we went back to the apartment, put him to bed and sat on the balcony drinking wine, listening to music/reading/playing cards.

We went to Tenerife when he was nearly 2, had a suite in a hotel, which was amazing. Again separate liveing/bedroom so he could sleep and we had another room. - We were all inclusive this time - was great as he able to snack whenever he wanted.

Def go for somewhere with a pool if you can afford it - if gives you something to do/somewhere to chill out if nothing else!

Happy holidays.

Honestly though - dont stress, it'll be fine - there are always supermarkets selling all sorts of baby supplies inc nappies/formula and food.

We stayed here on the Italian riviera when dd was 7 months old. We got a cheap flight to Nice then took the train to Ceriale. The train runs along the coast and there is a good bus service so it was dead easy to get out and about.

Bakers and supermarket nearby. 5 mins walk to the town centre/beach. We had a 2 room apartment with a cot in the bedroom. There is a jacuzzi and a baby pool in addition to the enormous pool in the photos. We went in September and had the pool practically to ourselves.

We found staff in restaurants to be incredibly accommodating to babies. We did a mixture of eating out/cooking/takeaway pizza. We discovered the wonders of breadsticks! We found that after a stroll on the seafront/leisurely drink, dd would fall asleep in the pushchair so we could eat in peace.

Portofino - that place looks lovely.

Cant work out whether the prices are per night or per stay? {{{{{thick)))))

Went to a fantastic place with a 2.5 year old and an 8 month old in France. It was a toddler holiday, so we didn't even need to take a stroller, as one was provided; in fact everything necessary for a child was provided so no need to pack anything, steriliser, potty, toys, cot. It was excellent.

The place even had a play barn, which meant that on rainy days or days when we didn't want to be out and about there was somewhere to take the kids.

Would definitely recommend it, we loved it, and are thinking of going back now we have 3 dc.

www.toddlerholiday.com/index_bourgeois.php

Per stay! Xenia I am not! I think we had a B4 and it cost us about 500 euros. Was a little while ago.

Thats ok then. I felt really shit asking - if it had been per night or person, I would have felt like a right tight arse!!

Is there much else to do round there? We have ds who's 2.5? Worth having a car?

How long did it take you on the train?

Sorry

Portofino
That looks fab, going to bookmark it for next year.

Already booked for this year a week here and a week here

Both of those websites are good for looking for selfcatering villas/appartments.

I would go for self catering, as you are not tied to hotel meal times and can sample different restaurants, or just get a takeaway pizza, or bung a steak on the grill/bbq, eat with salad.

Pool is handy but not essential. I found when DD was that age that she could only go in the pool for a couple of minutes before going blue and starting to shiver.

I think it was a couple of hours from Nice, Genoa is much nearer - about 1 hour. The scenery from the train was to die for though!

We managed fine without a car. We had a taxi to/fro the station, but otherwise caught the bus to Albenga and Loano - both lovely Italian towns. Loano has a lovely long promenade along the seafront with an old town behind. Albenga has an old walled town with little alleyways. There was a market on the seafront in Ceriale - and there is a waterpark there but we never went.

We used to do breakfast from the bar, or the bakers then lounge by the pool/beach (on the days we didn't go out), then grab some lunch and have an afternoon nap. Then maybe a walk or another swim, then get a shower, put dd in her pjs and stroll into town. Lovely food and much vino and limoncello! It was very relaxing!

Only problem I can think of is that if you need formula, you have to get it from the chemist, so take plenty with you. Nappies /babyfood was not a problem. I took a plastic container and steriliser tablets, and made up bottles with boiled Evian. I feel all nostalgic now!

God, that's brilliant - thank you. Already building up a picture of how to do it....maybe there is a life after baby!! That place does look great and the ligurian coast has been on our 'wish list' for a while. Also appreciate the other website tips too.

When you say you caught the bus - were there any problems getting the buggy on?

Not as I recall. We might have had to fold it....

Wow Tubbyduffs, that place looks great. I like how you can book it for groups as well, and it has private and communal areas. I am envisaging a mumsnet mums-of-toddlers holiday

There is a list here of which babyfood/formula/nappy brands are available in different countries which might help:

www.babyworld.co.uk/features/summertime/sum_essentials.asp

Also useful to ask MNers what different countries' attitudes are in general to babies in restaurants in evenings. Some countries tend to be more relaxed about it whereas others aren't. I have no experience here so can't help I'm afraid.