It’s cold, it’s dark and I’ve decided it’s time to sort out a family holiday. As a foursome we have been away quite a bit but never abroad. It has just always seemed the wrong time. I either had a baby who didn’t sleep, a toddler who required eyes in the back of my head, or both. Basically a NIGHTMARE. I just didn’t see the benefit of paying for an expensive holiday when I would probably spend all my time chasing after one of the girls and not actually getting to sit and relax. Yes, I know holidays are never going to be the same again (probably better in some ways) but it scared me. I’m guessing a lot of you are braver than me and have well travelled littles. I am rather jealous.
We have spent the last few summers down in Salcombe which we adore and are very lucky to have a family cottage down there. The fact that I have gone most of my 30 something years means it is like a second home and I instantly relax the moment we arrive. It is quite possibly my favourite place in the world. The scenery is stunning and when the sun shines the beaches and clear blue sea could rival the Bahamas (ok maybe that’s an exaggeration but you get the idea). The girls love it and we have been blessed with some lovely weather. Also A LOT of rain. At the moment the girls love nothing better than digging in the sand albeit in a tracksuit as opposed to a swimsuit. We even do the truly British thing of playing on the beach in the wind and rain and they honestly don’t care. They swim in the sea and are generally a lot braver than me.
We are hoping to spend some time there again this year but in addition we would like to go abroad. As Molly starts school in September we have had a sudden panic that this is the last year we can go away outside of school holidays. Eeek! Why oh why did we not take advantage of this before? Not only that but we also have to pay for Alice now as well. Not going abroad sooner was a BIG mistake. So the hunt is on.
We’ve decided it can’t be somewhere boiling hot as I don’t think that the girls would enjoy that but it needs to be somewhere warm enough that they can swim in a pool or play on the beach. I’m obviously envisaging that I will be sipping cocktails on my sun lounger and reading my book whilst Daddy runs around after them!
Due to work commitments for both of us, weddings, avoiding bank holidays and so on we have a limited window in which we can go away. We have been looking at the Canaries in late April or early May. Lots of lovely beaches and it seems quite child friendly. I have been told it will be warm but will it be warm enough? It is also a 4 hour flight and I am wondering if this is a bit long for their first flight?
The next question is do we go to a hotel or villa? I’ve spent lots of time looking at sites like Baby Friendly Boltholes or Kid & Coe to get ideas. I instantly thought villa as then we have room for the girls to run around and will have somewhere for us to sit once they are tucked up in bed. However, it seems a lot of the villas are quite far from the beach and we would like to be able to walk there rather than drive.
We’ve found some great hotels with amazing pools which the girl’s would have the best fun in. If we go down this route we need somewhere that has a separate sleeping area for the girls. I don’t want to be sitting in the dark come 7 o’clock. I have heard many a story of friends dragging the duvet in to the bathroom and spending the evening sat in the bath!
I am probably the world’s most indecisive person so trying to make a decision is not going to be easy. That’s where I’m hoping you lovely lot can help. Have you got any recommendations of great family holidays with two small children (4 and 2)? I’d also love to hear your suggestions on whether to choose a villa or hotel and how you have found holidays so far.
Once I’ve got it sorted and booked I can move on to the fun task of holiday shopping. Hoorah!
We have been abroad a few times but are in a similar situation to you (mine turn 4 and 2 in the summer) and am not cursing myself for not making the most of going away before school terms start! I also think when they are really little it is much harder work though so in a way it is probably for the best we didn’t!
I have never been to a hotel with the kids but this summer we are attempting the ikos Olivia in Greece. Not sure what temp would be early May but the flight is 3.5 hours. Flying with them once they are a little older and can be entertained is not actually too bad.
I’ve never been to the hotel so cannot recommend it but on the face it looks brilliant. All inclusive – so we know exactly what spending, on the beach, heated kids pool. We have booked the one bed bungalow – they will sleep in lounge and we can sit on terrace in the evening with a glass of wine. Great reviews of it on trip advisor so fingers crossed!
This looks fab Lucy. A bungalow but part of a hotel sounds exactly like what I’m after. And the fact that the pool is heated makes it even better. I hadn’t realised it was a similar flight to the canaries so I will definitely be taking a look around. Thanks so much for the recommendation x
The best thing to do is adjust the routine a bit so encourage an afternoon nap and then keep them up later on the evening. Get a room with a balcony and if they are asleep by 9 or 10 you can sit out with a drink.
Since you usually self cater I would go hotel, look for somewhere with entertainment. Even when it’s rubbish it’s actually fun! Plus if there is a kids disco I guarantee your girls will LOVE it.
My sister is going back to Lanzarote in June found it very family friendly and my 4 year old nephew hasn’t stopped talking about it since last year!
Flight should be fine just think snacks, comics, ipad. Actually much easier than driving anywhere.
Thank you so much Kathryn. Molly would LOVE a disco. I actually think the cheesy hotel entertainment is great fun when you have kids as they get so excited and they would like to be able to stay up that little bit later I’m sure. They try most nights as it is! Now they are a bit older I’m hoping it will all be ok so actually quite looking forward to heading off to the sunshine x
We’re booked up for an all inclusive aparthotel in Menorca for May with our 10 month old. I was keen on self catering for the flexibility and kitchen but the Mr was very keen on all inclusive- he had terrible visions of leaving every meal in a restaurant uneaten if little miss kicked off. So we’ve compromised. We get the apartment but also the catering ease of all inclusive. The flight time is only a couple of hours too but transfer time from airport to resort can be long so we’ve splurged on a taxi transfer so we know it will only be 20 minutes extra journey once we land. All we have to do now is sort a summer holiday wardrobe and countdown 🙂
This sounds a great compromise Steph and 20 minutes sounds ideal. I definitely don’t want an extra long transfer once we arrive so certainly something to consider. Have fun x
I’d also recommend Menorca. Its a very family friendly place and not as far to fly as the canaries.
We took our 15 month old to an all inclusive hotel in Menorca.
We found that the AI meant there was plenty of choice at all meals for our little lady. Even though the evening meals were a little later than she would usually eat, there was always bar snacks available so she could have a “high tea” if she was hungry and then just nibbles when we all sat down later.
It would definitely be easier if you had a 2 room apartment/suite. Even though most nights P was still going at 10pm ( 😮 I know!) we were relegated to sitting on the balcony once she was in bed. The late bedtimes did mean that some days we had to wake her to get to breakfast before they shut!
Hi Lou. Thanks so much for the recommendation. I have never been to Menorca but know it is meant to be lovely. I will have a little peek at some places xx
This will be our second year taking our now one year old abroad. We like Majorca because of the short flight, but I don’t think the weather would be good enough in April/May…though I could be wrong as I’ve never been at that time of year. We went on a family holiday to Cyprus with my then 4 year old niece and her 9 month old brother and they were fine on the longer flight – colouring in, an iPad and plenty of snacks help!
I’d definitely go for the hotel option, all inclusive if you can get it. We’ve been taking my 12 year old stepdaughter on holiday for the last 6 years and I must admit I had my reservations about AI the first year. I soon saw the error of my ways – no food shopping, no washing up, no having to walk about finding somewhere everyone wants to eat (well, we still did this as a break from the AI, but we didn’t HAVE to if we couldn’t be bothered that evening). No having to bring money to the pool. If the kids aren’t hungry when you want lunch (the hot weather does funny things to their appetite), no need to stress – they can get something later and there’s loads of fruit etc they can snack on all day. SO much more relaxing. On top of that, they will probably make friends with other children, which you wouldn’t get in a villa. And there is usually a kid’s splash pool and children’s entertainment in the evening – mega cheesy, but they love it, and it’s super cute to watch them learn the little dance routines. If you want to stay up after they’ve gone to bed, book a 1-bed apartment and make good use of your balcony (but be aware if you are going to Lanzarote it’s very windy in the evenings – you would definitely need a sweater or two). Have a great holiday! x
Yay, thanks so much for all the help Tracy. I am swaying towards AI for all the reasons you mentioned. We just want an easy holiday so it probably makes sense. Top tip on the wind in Lanzarote. I wouldn’t have known that at all. xx
We’re going to Tenerife in May with our will-be 16 month toddler. Chosen for the climate at that time of year, fact we can fly from our local regional airport and the unusual set-up of the hotel. It comprises villas on a hotel complex with pool, restaurant, playground and other amenities, all near the coast. Like you I found that most villas are far from beaches and towns, and while exclusivity and privacy is nice, being remote just the three of us might feel a bit quietly solitary and Fern buzzes off being around other children and lots of activity. This place is the perfect compromise as we get the privacy, convenience and space of a two-bed villa, but no need to fuss with self catering breakfast or other meals if we don’t want to, there’s also room service menus in the villas. There will be atmosphere and bustle on the complex to keep Fern engaged, but also peace and tranquility in our own private living rooms and garden. Best of all, we’ve booked a villa with a hot tub so when Fern is tucked up in the evenings upstairs, we don’t need to creep about in the dark or dilemma over babysitting services/how far the signal on the video monitor will reach, we can just relax downstairs in the jacuzzi.
Rooms with private outdoor hot tubs on family-friendly complexes are rare it turns out, so I’m so glad we found this place. We booked through Tots To Travel who also ensure all the age-appropriate gear you need is ready in your accommodation so ideal when flying with budget airlines. I promise I have no affiliation, I’m just really impressed with their service! Seriously can’t wait – can you tell?!
You’ve made me excited! This sounds amazing so I’m not surprised you are looking forward to it. I certainly would be. I’m going to check out Tots To Travel as it’s always nice to hear someone who has had good service. That’s my lunchtime today sorted. xx
Which resort/hotel is this? It sounds immense!
Its Villa Maria, family friendly but still nice and luxe. Best thing is, you can go AI but only pay for B&B up front, then can decide each day if you want to drink/dine on-site and it is no extra cost pro-rata’d than were you to have booked AI.
My husband’s mum lives in the US so we’ve flown a few times with little ones – we did our first transatlantic flight when #1 was less than 3 months old. Looking back it was so easy! Last summer we went again as a family of four and I was dreading the flight as #2 had just started walking but, again, it was completely fine. The whole process seems to be ideal for kids – they are contained (literally) and, so long as you are well prepared and a bit imaginative, there are things to do and look at all the time and endless games of peekaboo with other passengers (whether they like it or not!!).
Just before I went back to work after #2 we went on an all inclusive holiday to Tenerife. We had always been a bit sniffy about AI but it was brilliant. Pools and an outdoor soft-play area and a ten minute walk to the beach with its black sand which our oldest thought was incredible! We had a family apartment so the girls could go to bed and we sat in our room catching up on films, sitting on the balcony and taking it in turns to sneak the free wine down to our room!
So I’d say, don’t be put off by flight times and go for all inclusive to really give yourself a break. Happy shopping!
Wow. I definitely reckon I can do a few hours if you managed a transatlantic flight with a newborn. I sometimes think I was worrying about nothing. I actually don’t mind doing AI with the girls as just think it would be easier all round but need to find somewhere that has more of an apartment feel than a room. Going to do some proper holiday sorting this week I think x
I could’ve completely written this post, this is exactly what I’ve been thinking over the past few weeks! Last year we took our 18 month old to my parents’ mobile home in France, which was fab as my parents were there too to help out. This year though I want to do something different. Problem we have is we’re getting married the end of this year, so can’t afford to spend loads, however don’t want to do it on the cheap either as want to make sure it’s toddler friendly and will be good for us and him. Definitely interested in the hotel apartment type places so little one has somewhere else to sleep.
When in France I kept Isaac on UK time, while we went to French time, so that he could eat dinner with us, go to bed later, plus give us a lay in the next day (it sometimes worked!) Will check out some of these fabulous ideas. Recommendations are always a good place to start. Happy holiday hunting!
Amy
Let’s hope we get lots of nice recommendations Amy. The only decent ones I have found are really expensive so hoping to find somewhere mid range that works for us. Great tip on keeping them on uk time xx
I can highly recommend this lovely hotel in Greece http://ekies.gr we went last year with my then almost 2 year old toddler and had an amazing time – so much so that we’ve already booked to go back this July. It probably won’t be warm enough for you to go to in April/May but definitely one to remember for next year. The whole place has a very laid back cool vibe (reminded us a bit of the quiet parts of Ibiza!) but nearly all the guests were families so you didn’t feel out of place if your toddler had a melt down over dinner!! There is a lovely pool and also a beach as part of the resort that was only knee deep for miles so absolutely perfect for little ones to splash about in!! The first time we went away with our son (who was 9 months at the time) we stayed in a Villa in Italy and even though it was lovely like you mention it was in the middle of no where and we only left the villa once resulting in a bit of cabin fever! Plus I quite like the idea of no cooking or cleaning when on holiday! Good luck with search xxx
This looks beautiful. Definitely bookmarking it for next year. Laid back sounds ideal to me and the beach, wow. I need to go now please. I’m pretty much on board with the no cooking and cleaning too! xx
This looks amazing Lisa! Which room did you go for? We will have a nearly 2 year old in June when we’re thinking of going and wonder what kind of room is best. We’ve never really slept with her in a room with us. Did they also provide a cot? Thanks 🙂
I would recommend an Aparthotel, that way you can have one room for the kiddies and then the lounge space for you guys come 7pm, plus you have the benefits of hotel style facilities and location. We went to Cambrils in Spain last year with our 1 year old and can highly recommend it. It had a lovely beach and a good mix of night life suited to families. Plus Barcelona is only about an hour away on the train. x
Having a little peek now Louise. Thanks for the tip x
Hi Lottie! Im exactly the same about making decisions i think i end up doing so much research and reading so many reviews i confuse myself even more! Have you heard of The Sani Resort in Greece. We were planning on going in May with our 2 yr old boy but i just found out im expecting baby number 2 so not too sure now whether we’ll be getting a holiday this year. It looks amazing and very family oriented without compromising on 5* luxury for the adults. Definitely worth a look xx
Congratulations! Amazing news on baby no 2! Wow, this place looks amazing. You are not helping my indecisiveness! xx
I have never been here but have friends and family that have and say it is incredible. I believe the Ikos Olivia is a spin off from it, I don’t think quite the same standard but all inclusive and a bit cheaper. I have only ever good things about Sani. I think they do a 30 min “beach watch” for the kids each day as well so you can have a quick sunbathe!
We are off on our first holiday as a family of three in April which is both exciting and a bit scary given that our daughter will only be 5 months old… We’re going to Dubai which we hope will be easy in terms of having everything we could possibly need accessible. I just hope that she sleeps on the flight!
Last year we went to the Ritz Carlton in Tenerife for a short break in April, which was lovely and very family friendly – they had a kids club and babysitting services if parents wanted a bit of quiet time!
I’m sure you will be absolutely fine Amy and here’s hoping for long snoozes. I’m sure there will be some. Must take a peek at the Ritz as tenerife is definitely on the list. x
Cascade wellness is resort in the Algarve is amazing. Villas/apartments but all the hotel essentials on site like a spa, restaurant, kids club and play area as well as an apartment only pool that was deserted in peak August! The nice thing about having other families there is the friendships the children make! Ours were 2 and 3 when we went in the summer and I’d go back in a heartbeat! The no time difference helps too!
I like the look of this VERY much. Thanks for the tip xx
We flew with our little one last summer and all I’d say is you’re better off trying to entertain them on a day flight. I won’t be tempted to fly at night again. We did one of each and O was awake on the way out and fully entertained and that was all good. On the way back we took off at 11pm and everyone on the plane was asleep. Except our 2 year old. It was a task keeping her quietly entertained!!
As for holidays we just pick as we would before she came – something on air b&b or holiday lettings. We always hire a car and then we just do what we fancy. We are going to lake Como in May and will visit Milan and the mountains, and Iceland in October for more mountains and things. We aren’t relaxing holiday people. We are get up get hiking people so maybe that’s why we do it this way. And O is always considered and entertained but I want to show her the world so I book holidays for that rather than other things. Having said that when we go camping with family (which we usually do 3/4 times a year – we bought a bell tent it’s amazing) we tend to go to somewhere with entertainment as there is usually 5/6 kids at least and it is nice for them to wiggle their little butts!!
I love Lake Como. You will have an amazing time. Plus Iceland. Wow! Very jealous. My husband is trying to get me in to camping and I am slowly coming round to the idea. Very slowly I might add (he’s only been trying for 17 years!!!). xxx
Ahh camping is great! Just get yourself plenty of creature comforts and pretty things. We got an outdoor light from cox&cox with a lace shade that hangs in the middle of our tent and loads of anthropologie knick knacks, fluffy blankets and rugs and pretty cushions. Plus kids love it. Fresh air and stars!
We’ve been to Menorca twice now, first when Sasha was 2 and then when he was 4. Both times we absolutely loved it. There are several good beaches with easy access for buggies, Son Parc is one and the other one is Cala Galdana. It’s fairly affordable and there’s a lot of history to explore if you’re into pre-historic monuments 🙂 We always went in September though, but I’m sure April or May time should be good enough?