Never been abroad before, where's best to start?

bravobeastie

droopsnout wrote: »

How do you fancy camping? It's great for kids especially, reduces the cost of accommodation, and leaves you with a bit of extra cash for dining out and entertainment. Perhaps a great compromise would be a holiday with one of the camping specialists, who book your ferry, campsite, insurance, etc., and send the maps to find the site and everything. Look in the press and your local travel agent for brochures. Oh, they also have reps on site to help out and point you to the best attractions,and since you've got your car, you can come and go when you please, not when the hotel meal is ready or when the coach driver wants to set off.

Whatever you choose, have a great time!

We did some camping last year and will probably be a holiday for us this year too, but DD hates it and i'm always scared of the lack of security a tent offers (i'm one of those paranoid mums i'm afraid)

LesD

Have to agree strongly with droopsnout. We did just that when our kids were the same age as yours.

The adventure of going on the ferry was just as good as the horror of crowded airports. And they will be crowded if you go in school hols time.

The BIG downside, of course, is that self-catering can be a bummer for the adults. Driving, catering, housekeeping, etc.

But the freedom is something that can't be overstated.

It has to be a personal thing though. If you are more comfortable putting your trust in a travel agent to sort things out for you, rather than you have to do all the planning, that should probably be the way to go.

mobilecat

Another idea is to drive and take the ferry over to Holland or Belgium and stay on a Centre Parks type resort which are popular, clean and safe over there. we went when I was pregnant (but we had other families and kids with us) to Port Zeeland in Holland and it was great.

There is a lot to be said for taking ferrys and having your vehicle with you when you have young children. Airports can be hectic and its difficult to manage sometimes with young children. Ferrys are a lot more practical nd relaxing I find.

bravobeastie

Hi

Ferries scare me, i am a nervous wreck worrying in case one of the kids slip and fall...

I always see a catastrophy waiting just round the corner with any situation, i also have the same fear with planes (obvious reasons) and foreign countries (hence i don't want them out of my sight)

However despite all that, i still want to go abroad as i know most of my fears are groundless but don't want to add to my hysteria lol

nearlyrich

A cruise is a great way to see lot's of different places on one holiday, the ships are geared up for families if you pick the right one, Island or Thompsons for example rather than P & O. You get all the benefits of a resort with familiar food and drink, swimming pools etc, entertainment if required. The Med in September is not too hot and you ca fly to join the ship.

Or if you prefer a resort like Alcudia in Majorca has lots of family friendly hotels. Have a look on trip advisor or some of the other holiday guide websites for specific hotels and remember there are lots of hotels that the UK tour companies don't list you can get a bargain if you book direct...although I appreciate your apprehension at doing this the first holiday you have abroad.

Enjoy planning it, saving for it and doing it, travel is fantastic, learn a few words of the local language, we used to get the children to ask for the bill in Spanish or whatever, the waiters love it and the children feel they have acheived something new.

droopsnout

Well, no shortage of ideas, which is fantastic.

You shouldn't worry about the ferry to the continent. You can spend the whole time inside, having a coffee, eating lunch, watching the kids in the ball pond (or whatever you call it), sitting with them in the on-board cinema. On some of the longer routes there's even a swimming pool. To be honest, it's a lot more pleasant than crowded airports, where so many people have high blood pressure and low temper thresholds!

The CenterParcs idea is grand if you don't fancy camping, but camping doesn't have to be in a tent. The big camping companies have very luxurious static caravans available, with showers, full kitchens, central heating, etc. All the comforts of home!

I agree with LesD, though, about the catering and housework aspects. But the catering can be partly turned to fun by having barbecues, and, of course, what you save by camping can be spent on meals out in all sorts of different restaurants.

One of the great advantages of camping is that your kids will mix with other little ones from all over Europe, overcoming language barriers by gesture and smile and example. It's wonderful to see, and sets the right tone for adulthood.

Whatever I might say, though, it is a very special thing to be on holiday together, and only you can choose what is best for your family.

LesD

I can't help smiling when I think about that holiday of ours.

We went to a place called Loctudy, near Benodet. Had a nice little apartment overlooking the sea with a small kids play area.

The beach was fantastic and I used to go for a jog before breakfast. (Don't do that any more!)

One morning there was a car in the sea! A young courting couple had apparently got stuck the night before! All the locals were out in force and the farmer brought his tractor to pull it out. Of course, the tractor then got stuck too!

It was hilarious and a great time was had by all! Locals and holidaymakers really gelled that day.

donny_osmonds_mad_fan

bravobeastie wrote: »

Never been abroad before, where's the best place to start?

THE AIRPORT????????????? LOL

I am so so so so so so sorry but I read the title and this answer just popped out of my mouth...

sorry over tired, too much pepsi and chocolate ice cream tonight.

but seriously, think about what scares you, if it worries you about foreign language etc then go to somewhere where there will be a bit more english spoken, just really think about what you want, sunshine? beach? city? etc god I am well travelled and planning a holiday for october and dont have a clue where to go lol.....it is scary but it depends what you are like, some people like package deals, to me they would be a nightmare, it like everything is so personal...but maybe for starters if you are wary, and you want a beach holiday then maybe a package with reps for advice would be good for you then as you get a bit more used to it you can book your own and go it alone in the future etc

wherever you go, have fun

Voyager2002

If you care about your stomachs, then do not go all inclusive. Better to eat at a place that has to be good in order to get your money, rather than somewhere that has already been paid and so does not need to maintain standards. And half the fun of being on holiday is finding different places to eat.

MrsE_2

Voyager2002 wrote: »

If you care about your stomachs, then do not go all inclusive. Better to eat at a place that has to be good in order to get your money, rather than somewhere that has already been paid and so does not need to maintain standards. And half the fun of being on holiday is finding different places to eat.

Not all AI's are bad, lots of them are very good. But you need to research them well.
If they are good, they will be expensive. Ours is £2,200 for 2 of us leaving 22 June for two weeks in Sharm. I would much rather clean & simple SC or BB than a cheap AI. So if you are on a tight budget, don't do AI. This will be my 4th AI (I was wary of them for years) & I research very throughly. I've found them great, but I've picked the most expensive or one of the most expensive in the resort.

A good AI can be a great choice with small families, as all those ice-creams & cokes are AI.
But expensive AI's only, otherwise clean & simple SC:D