where do i take a 1 year old for a trip abroad?

Silver_Lilly

We want to get our 2006 holiday booked soon as we think it may be cheaper to do so,but we don't know where to start.

We want to go somewhere hot but suitable for a baby at a reasonabble price.

We are vegetarian too so we need somewhere that would cater for our needs .Any ideas?

trisha

I don't know, but try and go early in the year when it is cooler, it isn't fair on the baby to take it to a hot country, they don't like the heat and get quite distressed, especially at night, be careful of mosquitos too, we had a baby next to us one year who screamed the whole time in agony,his parents had sat outside a taverna with him in the buggy and he got bitten to death on his face and head especially, also choose a short flight, babies tend to cry a lot because of the pressure, they can't pop their ears as we do.

Silver_Lilly

Thanks,i agree with you and would be very careful in our choice.
Basically we are looking for somewhere that i can sunbath if i want to,we tend to be more active though.
We haven't been abroad much and don't know where to start with child friendly,clean places etc

eml_3

How about Italy? Lots of vegetarian options and the Italians LOVE children. If you go early in the year - about May, the weather should be nice but not too hot.

jaymac_2

Minorca is a good place to take children, quieter than the other Balearic islands and not too long a flight.

Jay-Jay_4

jaymac wrote:

Minorca is a good place to take children, quieter than the other Balearic islands and not too long a flight.

Mt sister is ALWAYS saying that Minorca is the best place for little children as it's very family orientated. It's a very short flight too.

We've just come back from Lanzarote and have to say that the climate is perfect for children. There's a constant cooling breeze so no-one overheats, though it's perfect for sunbathing and often reaches 40 degrees you don't feel 'hot'. At night it goes quite cool so they still need light jimjams and a summer blanket. Flight is around 4 hours so not brilliant but worth it.

in_my_wellies

If you want a DIY holiday.

We have just returned from Northern Spain ('Green Spain')

We went on the ferry to Bilbao because we are six (inc teenagers). It would be cheaper for you to fly.

The beaches are just like Cornwall, little coves and lovely sand. The weather is hot but not too hot, like Cornwall during a really hot summer. Not too hot that you have to worry about the baby and OK to go site seeing if you wish.

We actually camped in the Picos mountains near Potes, a good base for travelling from. Very high mountains and lots of friendly mountain villages with little bars. We ate at these, the 3 course house meal costing about 8 Euro's.

We intended to stay at Paradors - like special motels but they were all booked up. It was the Spanish holiday fortnight when we went but we didn't know that when we booked the ferry - duh?? They cost about 50 and petrol is cheap too - 99 Euro's.

ps brilliant whale and dolphin watching from the ferry!!!

redissue

Don't be limited by your pre-conceived ideas of what a 1 year old must do. We took our 5 month old and 23 month old on a 4 week trip around Singapore / Australia earlier this year and we all had a great time. Last year when the oldest was 1 year, we spent 2 weeks travelling around Andalucia - hire a car and went to Granada, Seville, Cordoba, etc. The Spanish are also very good with children, and by flying into Malaga, there are cheap flights available, beaches close by if that is what you (and your 1 year old??) want, but great places to explore further inland toward 'real' Spain.

sjpkgp

When I had my first two kids we never took them abroad at first (for all of the reasons above) but with our third one (14 months) we have had to as otherwise it would not have been fair on the older two who had got used to exciting foreign holidays. We have been to Disneyland and Port Aventura with the baby as well as ski-ing in Switzerland. I would agree with most of the posts above (particularly the "too hot" one) but would add that it is worth trying an early evening or night flight if you can bear it. This becomes difficult if you have older children too, but for someone with just a little one, it makes for a very peaceful flight - they sleep right through it. Also, if your baby is fussy about anything, don't assume they will sell it abroad. We also only take a few nappies and buy a small pack out there (imo the cost (and they can be dearer - switzerland was a joke !!!) does not outweigh the benefit of not having to carry them.

Becles

Majorca, Minorca or mainland Spain are all child friendly. They're all a short flight away. If you around April/May or September/Oct it's like a warm summers day here, so not to hot for baby, but still warm enough to sunbathe. It's cheaper too if you go term time!

From experience, Spanish all inclusives don't offer a great choice for veggies. We were in one in Minorca and a lady was complaining as there was only one meat free dish each meal and most of the time it was pasta in a tomato based sauce!

researcher

Having sat on MANY flight with screaming babies (not mine!) - I honestly don't think a long flight is fair unless it's really necessary.

However, for those of you who do travel try this tip for helping equalise air pressure. Hold a paper cup over both of the babies ears, pressing gently so as you create as much of a seal as possible. Do this at take off until you climb to altitude and when the plane starts it's descent. It allows the pressure to adjust more gradually and it really does work.


Additional comments on Minorca - I'd say very child friendly, and buy your nappies there! Go in May or October - the best months for nice weather but not steaming.