We've been away every year (sometimes twice) with our kids since they were born (now 3 and 6).

What you have to remember is that you now have kids and everything with them takes more time, and you have to take double the luggage. But that's being a parent and I'm sure you've now got into that "we ain't single any more" mode. If you take the time to get to the airport/ferry/hotel/coach early and plan ahead (bring their favourite toys, make sure you have a decent medical box - trying to buy French medicine is no fun) then much of the stress of the pure travel is taken out. I've found that self catering is easier as you don't have to stress about the food and/or times they are eating.

We're been all over with ours and they always like wherever they go, but remember that a little kid is not that interested in a sun holiday, they just appreciate being away with mum and dad for a couple of weeks. So you don't need to look at somewhere hot - in fact with young kids it's probably easier as you are likely to be putting on the sun cream every 5 seconds if you go somewhere hot.

They do appreciate things like swimming pools, play areas and animals/zoos. Also my little two like riding bikes. So we've been to a couple of Centre Parc's both in the UK and Europe, by the time you take into account the exchange rate it's usualy cheaper to buy the Centre Parc holiday AND ferry than it is going to the UK one - also the wife thinks that going over to mainland Europe is a "real" holiday.

My two are now getting into camping, they live the permanently dirty, running around in a field all day style.

My recommendation would be stay in the UK, you still get to relax and the travel is relatively easy. Also taking the grandparents is sometimes useful - treats for the kids and nights out for the parents :-)

 

Thanks to all for the input good and bad.

After lengthy discusions with wifey last night we are still undecided as what to do but I think the uk is looking more likley.
She wants to go to the camping superstore near us tomorrow to look at trailor tents(not what I had in mind).

I wonder how much out of pocket I will be by close of play Saturday

 

Try CenterParcs, not the cheapest UK holiday but great facilities for the little ones. Your toddler will enjoy the childrens pool, plus all restaurants (in Elveden forest anyway) have a toddler soft play area and baby stations etc. Plus you can pick and choose a few activities to do yourself whilst the other half looks after the kids. I chose golf and a treewalk, she chose the Spa funnily enough.

Ps if you get along well with your/her parents, its cost effective to invite the babysitters

 

We have 14 year old twins and have been on holiday with them every year since they were born first time was 11 months

Es Cana in Ibiza

Short flight
Warm Sunshine
Pools
Nice Beach

Ok its not as relaxing as being on your own but slap the sun cream on and they love the sand

Now they get up early to the swimming pool to put the towels out and have a swim

my daughter even speaks good spanish

Kids shouldn't restrict you its a family thing

Saying that I am looking forward to them staying at home in a couple of years time

 

Some thoughts on our experiences with our little one who is now 3 1/2.

Flying

We have been to Dubai with her several times and flew BA. Aged under 2 they don't need their own seat and when she was 13 months we went out on a night flight, she went in the bassinet cot and slept the whole way. Coming back on a day flight she was good as well although we had a delay on the ground at Heathrow and she soiled her nappy just as we landed. She wasn't impressed as we sat on the ground for 90 minutes waiting for a stand and we were unable to change nappy.

Aged 25 months we again did night flight out and day flight back. Had her own seat but getting her to go to sleep was a nightmare although finally achieved. On the way back she decided to yell just as plane started to taxi. Wife grabbed a looly stuck it in her mouth so after about 5 seconds she was silent. Passenger across the aisle complained, only for the passenger in front of them to turn round tell them to shut up and if they didn;t want to fly with children in a plane they should go by private jet. This then started a little war between these two passengers and eventually resulted in one of them being moved. Most amusing, and daughter travelled rest of the way in silence although did discover she could siled under the seats and reappear at the feet of the other passengers! Also did numerous laps of the aircraft which irritated me!

Aged just over 3 again night flight out, day flight back, and she was a little angel both ways.

Under 2 BA allow them 23 kgs of baggage checked in. Pushchair and car seat are not included in this and are carried free. So same as adult!

The issue is of course carrying suitcases, pushchair and car seat!

Camping

We have camped in our own tent she was very small (crawling) and she loves it. It becomes een easier once they can walk, especially if there are other young children they can play with. When she was 18 months we wnt to France camping and that was fine, although don't forget you will need regular stops.

When she was 2 1/2 we went from home Kent/Sussex border to the New Forest. We had gone 5 miles when she started asking if we are nearly there! Comments repeated regularly

 

Did the passenger in front copyright this, or can I borrow it for possible future use?

 

4 kids - never left the uk with them. Take them to devon, camping, alton towers, etc, etc ..... then twice a year grandparents have them and we have a proper few weeks away.

this xmas the two eldest 11/8 will come xmas shopping in NY with us.....and at 8 he's lucky ...... putting babies on plane sounds as far from a holiday as you can get.

 

The other thing he did which was brillant was wait until we had been in the air about 3 hours and the woman behind had gone to sleep. He got out of this eat and walked up to her and bellowed in her ear "ENJOYING YOUR FLIGHT?"

Should have seen her jump! That was the point when she asked to be moved although it turned out that she had been kneeing him in the back, and the woman she has been sitting beside (who we thought was travelling with her) was also relieved to see her go!

 

Next time somebody's eating crisps at the flicks I'll remember not to ask them to stop their moronic rustling as the onus is in fact on me to hire my own private cinema.

 

No, I wouldn't be. Ive flown hundreds of times and in my experience a screaming kid always shuts up eventually. The fat bint sitting next to you with massive arms who knocks you is there for the entire journey, and a massive pain in the ****. I'd rather have a screaming kid than a munster sat next to me...

Bless the pikey's who bitch and moan about screaming kids - if you are that bothered, pay more and go business class. And quit moaning.

Or drive.

Or buy a plane.

 

ladies and gentlemen we have a genuine, 100% keyboard warrior.

 

Well yeah im afraid u would be first up for a slap round the ear followed by a foot in yer baws I dont give a **** about the other folk as i dont know them they are no concern of mine, just as long as they keep their opinions to themselves. Im sure we will be fine

 

You must have to type that rather alot on here Think of something better.

 

Well I'd just like to apologise to those who coughed up specially for a transatlantic business class ticket this summer, to find my little one staring at them for 9 hrs

 

too scared, i mean if you are going to slap someone for daring to complain about your screaming brat what would you do if i were to insult you!!

 

Im quite sure u have made a similar threat at some point in your life
The point is if a baby is upset and the usual soothers are not working due to her being in an unusal environment then what would a fellow passanger expect u to do?
Simple answer is there is no answer, so it would have to be either somebody who has never had kids or just simply has no understanding of a 7 month old human being who would come over and make a comment, they would also have a face like this

 

Amazing how fecked off people get with kids in business class. Makes you feel even better when it was a free upgrade cos your kids have wooed the lady in check in (my kids are brilliant btw - unlike every other kid on the planet )

 

The back garden

the 14 month old wouldnt know if it was butlins or benidorm, if the 3 year old is pumped full of crisps and pop, they,d be happy wherever they were.


Tent £20
Sbags £20
Fizzy pop £10
Crisps £10



Cheap at half he price


MAr

 

Maybe they just cant understand how a loving parent could put their babies through the hell of a flight.

 

We're off to the cinema later and I'm fairly confident there'll be somebody there eating crisps, chatting and doing a bit of comedy popcorn-flicking. No doubt their profile and yours will be inseparable. They may even drive an 11 year-old, three grand car, with a ridiculously loud exhaust and a pitishhh, pitishhh dump-valve.

Violent, selfish, chavs: the scourge of Anglo-Saxon Britain.

 

Before I was a dad I used to get annoyed and fume about kids making noise on planes, but would not actually complain because:
a) deep down I knew I was in the wrong and I was being a misery guts
b) I would probably have been thumped

(probably the same reasons why you have never complained except on an internet forum.)

now I just feel relief it's not my kid and sympathy for the parents.

ps - if your local cinema is full of chavs perhaps you should look to move to a better area.

 

Well quick update and you will all be discusted but...................

We are buying a caravan from an old freind for £500!!

It is 14 years old and should do the trick.
The way I see it if it dosent work out on the first holiday I can do a clarkson on it and be rid for the small price of a box of fireworks

Again may I apologise for my lack of consideration for other road users

 

Wonderful. To avoid plaguing other passengers on planes with his kids - he buys a caravan

Be prepared to get infracted

(BTW, doesn't have a renault turbo engine in it does it?)

 

Yeah - I'm with Brendan - Get yourself on a plane you selfish git

 

Me too - how dare you clog up the roads for even longer than a flight would last and annoy more people than on a plane