A common refrain amongst parents is that holidays just aren’t the same once you’ve had children. It’s not just about having eyes in the back of your head and not being able to fully relax, but also places suddenly start to look very different. You may feel a need to compromise for the sake of convenience when it comes to choosing a hotel, or to go travel short haul .
It’s a strange thing to admit, but one of the first thoughts I had upon becoming a single mother was that my travelling days were over, with the difficulties too insurmountable. As a travel writer – somebody who was used to ticking off several new countries every year – I felt like I would be shedding part of my identity. And more than that, sharing my love of discovering new places – their cultures, the food, sights and sounds – was an experience I desperately wanted to share with my daughter. So I started to strategise.
Most parents panic about how their children will handle the flight. For babies, just time their nap for when you’re taking off, and make sure they’ve got a bottle (or breast) for the take off and landing so that their ears don’t pop. For older toddlers, who are still under two and therefore don’t have a seat of their own, the key here is to plan ahead: busy boards, magic colouring books and yes, the dreaded iPad (with things downloaded ready to watch), are all useful weapons to have in your arsenal.
Snacks, too, are a must-have bribe. Always pack extra clothes, for you and for them, and make sure everything is very easy to find in your bag – Storksak’s backpacks are ideal as they come with a separate travel pouch for milk and snacks. It’s also worth trying to book the extra leg room seats at the front of a short-haul flight for space for your toddler to play in without annoying the person in front. There are various foldable pushchairs that you can take all the way onto the aeroplane now – the YoYo is the most famous – and these are well-worth investing in so you’re not carrying your two-year-old for hours in the airport.
If you’ve got ambitions to travel to a far flung destination – say, Australia – then it’s actually easiest to do this before your child can move. While the thought of travelling with a newborn might seem daunting, consider that they sleep so much more than older children, and that they are very light to wear in a carrier. My other tip would be to just think about it like this: in 12 hours (or however long) this will be over, and you will be in paradise. It will be worth it. And to those who say there’s no point in taking a child somewhere that they won’t remember, my counter argument would be: they are your memories too.
In Europe, there are a plethora of luxurious, five-star resorts that cater specifically to families without feeling soulless or tacky. The Ikos hotels in Spain and Greece are all-inclusive beach-front properties that combine barefoot luxury and fine dining with family-friendly features, such as kids clubs and pools. The Peligoni Club in Zakynthos also comes particularly highly recommended, with accommodation in private villas and shared facilities like kids clubs, restaurants and pools. Borgo Egnazia in Puglia is another excellent option, with A-list approval from the Beckhams, who regularly stay here for its excellent private villas, kids club and pool, plus family dining options. A great tool for discovering the best child-friendly and parent-pleasing hotels is Tiny Travelship, which recently launched a search feature so you could pinpoint the perfect place for you.
If you’re looking for a little more privacy and freedom, a villa – specifically one that you can stay at with a couple of other families, grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins – will spread the load of cooking and childcare, and guarantees some actual downtime for you.
Companies such as Oliver Bernard Escapes, CV Villas, Five Star Greece and The Thinking Traveller have incredible serviced villas across Europe, so you don’t need to worry about cleaning up after yourself or making the beds, and many of them have add-ons like private chefs, pizza nights or boat trips too. Plus, they’ll provide cots and high chairs, and can grocery shop for milk and nappies before your arrival, too.
Despite viral videos on social media showing disgruntled passengers reacting cruelly to crying babies on flights, my experience has always been that the majority of people are extremely understanding and helpful. People like children (particularly in Europe – be prepared for Spanish waiters to want to pick your baby up for a cuddle). It’s just as well. There is still so much of the world that I want to see: the hot air balloons taking off at sunrise in Bagan; the leopards in Rajasthan; the pink salt pans of Peru. I can’t wait to see the world through my daughter’s eyes and to share these adventures together.
Don't miss House & Garden's Family Travel guide in the April 2024 issue, on newsstands 29 February.
