Holidays alone with children. Who has done it?

[funinthesun19]

Just looking for some advice and pointers really. In a year or two, I want to take my children on holiday on my own. By that point they will be about 12, 10, 8 and 4.

Is this even doable?!

I’m just looking for people’s experience of doing this (especially with so many children)
The cost, where you went, how did you do the hotel room/s, was the holiday enjoyable?

My older children will be obviously be older by then and more mature, so really it will just be the youngest who might be a handful. She’s 2 now but by 4 she should hopefully be way past the toddler tantrums.
I wouldn’t dream of taking them all abroad just yet.

I did a UK break with my 2 aged 9 and 10 last year. Booked an apartment right on the beach which made the haul of beach gear not as painful every day. Organisation is everything, and packing light. I didn't pack as light as I should and ended up doing so many trips from the car. I also packed lots of snacks and drinks and breakfasts so there was no panic the first day to find a shop. I loved my times just the 3 of us, but I must admit I felt like everyone was staring at us in a restaurant (they weren't but I was very consious of being looked at as a single mum). I let the kids stay up with me but they went to bed before me and that last hours was lonely (but would have been equally as lonely in my marriage).

I also made sure I packed a good first aid kid. Always paranoid of an emergency on my own.

Good luck!

I only have one child so a bit easier but we’ve been all over the world and it’s been fine. I make sure everything is booked in advance so when we get to the airport the transfer is there etc so they’re no stressing or waiting around after a long flight. We’ve done beach holidays, ski trips, city breaks... all been fine and fun!

If you want it to be a real holiday for everyone, look at all inclusive. It is more expensive but it saves you wasting the holiday trying to find the right food or even food you recognise, the burden to take it all the way back to the hotel just to find that the fully equipped kitchen you were promised only has a frying pan, a serving spoon and a butter knife.

Look at Travelzoo, we have managed to do fully inclusive 4* hotel holidays for less than £400 per person including the flights. Having said that... I wouldn’t book anything at home or abroad for another year.

I've done this with 3 (although the first time my eldest was 18)

The first time I took them to Italy, we'd been to the hotel before so was familiar and stress free

We have been to Florida twice, it was terrifying and liberating. Never driven in America, or done anything anywhere near this when married.

We've also done Hong Kong and NYC

Once you've done it once it gets easier, I find that people spoke to me more when I was on my own and always ended up meeting people.
I love going away with them on my own, less stressful than going with Exh