7yo and 2yo - what do I need re. accommodation & location

[Bodenbabe]

Following on from my other thread re. holiay cottages, do you think a garden is a necessity with young kids? (and worth paying an extra £250 or so for?) We'll be out on the beach all day so they'll have had lots of exercise and fresh air but is a garden still very useful for that hour in the morning when you're packing up to go out etc, or when you're trying to get dinner ready?

Also - bearing in mind that we like to spend the day out and come home in time for the kids tea and then stay in for the night - what would you vote for out of these 3 locations:

(a) a town with lots of shops, eating places and amenities all in walking distance, but 20 mins driving distance from beach.

(b) walking distance from beach but in a tiny village with only 1 pub and 1 small shop.

(c) a forest lodge with no shops nearby at all and driving distance from beaches and pretty much everything else! Kids would love the forest though (but think I might be scared of the forest at night !! )

Re. the question about location, I should clarify that I don't mean what would your personal preference be, I mean which do you think would be most suitable for kids of 7 and 2. I just want whatever is most likely to keep them from whining and getting on our nerves!!

if you're going to be out for most of the day then no, i wouldn't pay an extra £250 for a garden.

i'd go for b or c from your list i think.

if you're definitely doing beach most days then i'd probably go B.

thanks, yesterday. mind you, with British weather, we may well not be at the beach all day