Just crashing in here from baby club as think there may be more mums who have taken a baby on holiday so posting here too

I am thinking of taking my LO abroad this summer and she will be roughly 8 mths and have a few questions if anyone can help

Firstly would you recommend it, what was your experience?

Ruby is in a really good routine and goes down every night at 7, if your little one had a routine did you break this on holiday?

Also can anyone suggest a nice place to go with a baby? We like a nice beach that's not too packed, also like a bit of culture...somewhere like benidorm is my worst nightmare ( prob cause of a mad week in my early 20's that Im kinda ashamed of ) lol...

Thanks for reading

oh also we were thinking of Mexico...Is that just too far??

Hiya, we only braved Ireland last year with Alex but thought I'd come and help if I can!

Alex was in a good routine and did struggle a bit when we were on holiday, but it wasn't too bad - I think as long as you can be flexible and relaxed about it it's not too bad.
Where in Mexico were you thinking? I travelled around there a couple of years ago and it is lovely, the beaches are gorgeous and the people are really friendly - BUT it's a 14hr flight - and actually there's not much culture right by Cancun you have to go on excursions out to places that are actually a good few hours away. It's one of my favourite places but i'd wait until your little one is older before going - you'll enjoy it much more.
We're thinking about Malta this year, because it has quite a bit of culture, they speak english, and it's only a few hours away.
hope this helps xx

Thank you hun. I haven't really thought about where in Mexico, but think you right, wait until she is a little older.
hubby and I our really relaxed and dont mind breaking her routine but wouldnt want to make her cranky...

Also would it be OK to take my Quinny on holiday as I like the thought that she can be comfortable if we are out and about and could lay right back for a snooze..

x

I took my little boy to Menorca when he was 18 months. I had just split with his dad so went on my own with him. From the UK it was only a 2.5 hour flight. The beaches are lovely and it is really laid back if you stay away from the slightly more touristy areas.

Jack was in a really good routine and I mainly stuck to it on holiday, putting him down for a nap in the afternoon and putting him down in the eve at a normal sort of time.

I was on my own tho so it was easier as I was not all that fussed about going out in the eve. HOwever, I think if you have their normal buggy and a familiar toy/blankie etc you should be fine going out in the eve - I think if I had Jack would have been fine.

Good luck x

Thanks...God your brave going on your own

Thanks for the info x

We took Phoebe to Florida when she had just turned 8 months old and we had a brilliant time. The flight was 9 hours but she slept for the first 3, the rest of the time she sat in her sky cot and played with her toys, had some snacks and crawled about in front of us. We didn't have any major tantrums and all the air hostesses were really helpful.

Once we landed Phoebe crashed out but when we arrived at the hotel she was full of beans. We didn't break her routine very much, she still had a bath around 6 pm and her bottle at 6.30, then OH would take her out in her pushchair to get her to sleep which always happened really quickly. We would then go out for dinner and she would sleep until we got back around 10ish and transferred her to her cot.

She fitted in to the time difference straight away and I would do it again without any hesitation. We also took the quinny and I am so pleased we did it worked so well at night as we reclined it like a bed and she went straight to sleep all cosy.

Hope this helps. xx

I took Katie away last year when she was 11 months. I would recommend somewhere that hasn't a long flight for your 1st holiday and look for somewhere that is baby friendly - thompson have a lot of family hotels. The one I'm going to this year in Majorca has a lot for under threes - soft play, ride ons etc.

I went to Mexico on honeymoon a bout 5 years ago but there's no way I'd take Katie on a long flight -it depends on the temperament of your baby. Katie doesn't like sitting on my knee at all so it's a nightmare on the flight. I have to keep her amused all the time!

I'd definitely try to keep to a routine, nap during the day etc. I also hired a walker when I was in Portugal last year - you get companies you can hire stuff from and they deliver it to your apartment

We took our little boy on holiday at 12months old and it was lovely, we had a lovely first holiday. I wouldn't go far though, definitely not mexico as the flight is not good fun at all! You pray that they sleep some of it, eat some of it and try and entertain for the rest. Alexander kept wanting to walk up and down the aisle. Thank god it was only a 4hr flight that was our limit for sure! The problem is that when they are young its hard to entertain them, they dont like drawing or reading books for too long, cant play on their ds etc!

I'd definitely suggest Europe. My friend took her baby to Egypt which was really silly as they all got ill there. S you need to think of sanitary.

Mark Warner holidays are brilliant for babies and children. They have everything you need, baby clubs, babysitting, baby food, milk heating things etc they are very baby friendly.

We pretty much stuck to our same routine, had a nap after lunch, and then went to bed a little later in his pushchair: we pushed him around until he fell asleep and then got on with things. mark warner have a baby sitting creche thing. A big room with cots which are nannied and you can leave you LO there to sleep whilst you go and have dinner which is nice.

You'll probs need to buy a lightweight pram though that you can take with a quinny zapp or a fizz or maclaren. We just bought a cheap one off ebay just for holiday.

Anyway its much easier than you think and we had the lovilest family holiday would definitely recommend it but dont go too far!

We have been abroad when DS2 was 6 months (to Majorca) and just under 12 months (to Dominican Republic). It was great and much easier with a baby on a flight than a toddler.

I went to Mexico with just my husband in November and we absolutely loved it. The flight is 10 hours, but I found it absolutely fine and wouldn't hesitate to take all my children (3 of them) and twins back when they are born and old enough. Mexico is a lot more developed and 'Americanised' than the rest of the Carribean and the quality of the hotels is very good. We stayed at the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya and although I don't like staying at the same place twice, if we went back with the children, we'd take them there. There would be quite a lot you could do there with a baby, Tulum is nearby and you can get a taxi into Playa Del Carmen, which is about 10 mins away by car. You are also near Akumal beach where you can snorkel with turtles and close to Xel-Ha and Xcaret, which would be easly doable with a baby.

I found holidaying with a baby under 1 very easy as they tend to sleep a lot due to the heat and my son was happy to sit in his pushchair in the shade for a lot of the time, just looking about, and as the heat made him tired, he slept a lot.

I took my LO to your worst nightmare when she was 10 weeks old Can't say it was one of my favourite places i've been either

She was a lot younger then your LO so not sure about an 8 month olds routine abroad, but it was pretty easy with my LO at 10 weeks! she slept the whole journey there and back, infact she was much better sleeping and feeding wise the whole time we was there lol

I dont think i'd go somewhere as far as mexico tbh... we took LO on holiday last year in england but it was a four hour drive, going was easy as we set of at four in the morning and to her it was just like bedtime so she slept the whole way! on the way back however it was through the day so she was awake and moaning the whole way home When we go on holiday this year abroad i'm going to make sure we get night flights.