5 holiday ideas with a young baby
As new parents we have all had that moment when we were ready and excited to take that first trip as a family, but the idea of travelling with a young baby can be daunting, even for pre-baby seasoned travellers.
Here are 5 holiday ideas to suit families with babies under 1.
In the UK
If hopping on a plane is just too much for now, driving might be a less stressful option. You don’t need to think too much about what you pack as long as it fits in the car and if you stay in the UK, you know you will just be a short drive to supermarkets and chemists that stock your favorite brands.
I love Cornwall because of its stunning beaches, great food and it has a different atmosphere to the rest of the UK. There are some wonderful family friendly options in Cornwall, ranging from cottages on farms to beachfront hotels.
I recommend Bosinver farm, which offers cottages ranging from 2 to 6 bedrooms (ideal for inviting grandparents!). These cottages are luxurious yet cosy and have everything you need for a first holiday with a baby. They even have a playroom for rainy days and an indoor pool.
5* Watergate Bay hotel overlooks a spectacular sandy beach. With its kids club offering sessions from 6 months old and its baby monitoring service, this is the perfect getaway for a young family.
City breaks
Some would argue that when your baby is little, in a buggy or a sling, you can travel a lot more freely than when they grow up. A city break is a great option for a first holiday.
Choose a central hotel (or apartment), like Martinhal Chiado in Lisbon so you can go back easily if that nap in the buggy isn’t working out. A hotel with a couple of restaurant options is also a good idea if you want to have a quiet evening. Many hotels also offer babysitting services if this is something you are comfortable with.
Cities can be really fun for babies’ senses – the lights, the smells…One suggestion would be Brussels at Christmas, it can be reached by Eurostar and has beautiful markets and decorations. Scandinavian cities are also very baby and buggy friendly, Copenhagen, for example is very walkable and even in the trendy food halls, there are babies and children everywhere.
Villas in Europe
Villas are a great way to feel at home away from home. The idea of putting your baby to bed and sitting in the garden with a glass of wine in the evening is very appealing!
Villas in France can be reached by car and ferry or shuttle, which is ideal again to those who don’t want to fly.
I would recommend a company like CV Villas, which offers luxury villas and services like private chefs and grocery shopping.
With pool villas, I always make sure the pools are gated, which isn’t always the case and can make your holidays very stressful if you have a crawler.
Europe All Inclusive
I love an all-inclusive resort, it feels like a proper holiday. Although I see the appeal of a villa, for me a real holiday is not having to cook, meal plan, clean, tidy up. And that’s what you get at an all-inclusive.
A proper break is also being able to leave your little one with someone trusted while you have a spa treatment or a little bit of me time.
Here are a few 5* luxury all-inclusive resorts in Europe that have great baby clubs.
Ikos Resorts all offer a creche from 4 months old. The service, food and accommodation are consistently outstanding at all Ikos resorts. They are based in Corfu, Kos, Halkidiki, Marbella and Mallorca.
The Anassa and the Almyra in Cyprus are fantastic resorts for couples with a baby, they are not technically all-inclusive resorts but you can choose to go full board. They have a “baby go lightly” service, which lets you pre-book all manner of baby items online prior to your arrival. I like that these hotels feel quite “grown up” but both have amazing kids clubs starting from 4 months old.
If you like an active holiday, Club Med are also a brilliant options with babies; many of their resorts offer a Baby Club from the age of 4 months. Their ski resorts in the Alps offer this service, so this is a great option if you would like to take your baby to the mountains.
The Indian Ocean
You may think it is crazy to take a baby under 1 on a long haul flight, but actually there are lots of reasons to take advantage of this age to travel further afield. They don’t need their own seat so you only pay taxes on their airfare, they are still small enough to sleep in the little bassinets provided by airlines and if they are not mobile yet, they won’t be trying to escape down the aisle!
Flights to Mauritius and the Maldives are 11 to 12 hours, but are usually overnight so most of the flight is spent sleeping. These tropical islands are 4 hours ahead of us, meaning your baby might even give you the gift of a lie-in!
There are some fantastic baby-friendly resorts both in Mauritius and the Maldives. Some resorts in Mauritius such as Heritage Le Telfair , Sugar Beach or the Shanti Maurice have baby clubs from 6 months old.
But my favourite resorts in the Indian Ocean are the Lux brand. They don’t have baby clubs but they do have wonderful babysitters, who can take your little ones to the kids club during the day or put them to bed in the evening while you enjoy a romantic dinner. I took my boys to the Lux Grande Gaube in Mauritius when they were 1 and 3 and they had the same lovely babysitter each night.
Niyama Private Islands in Maldives is another great option, with a baby club from 12 months old. This paradise resort is divided into 2 sections – Play and Chill, so children can enjoy the Indian Ocean’s biggest kids club, while parents can chill at the spa or the adult pool.
Check out our Holiday Essentials edit for help with shopping for your next getaway.
Want to book your first holiday with baby? Claire at Frangipani Holidays specialises in planning tailor-made luxury family holidays around the world. Claire has access to hundreds of suppliers and can help with all types of holidays, including UK holidays, villas, city breaks and all inclusive packages.
Email hello@frangipaniholidays or call 0207 1678 332 to speak with a family holiday expert.