We are currently deciding where to go for our next holiday. The most important factor to consider is that our destination must be a family friendly resort. So far, Baby Bear has only been to Ireland, Wales and Holland (but then he is only 10 months old) and he went to France in my belly. We are scheduled to go to Scotland and Spain in the next few months too and if only we could get our flight delay compensation sorted, we’d be able to add in one more holiday for the summer. The twins have been to Italy, France, Menorca, Poland, Belgium, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and Bunny has been to all of these plus a few trips to Cyprus.
Of all our holidays, Cyprus and Menorca were the most family friendly resorts. The hotels we stayed in were absolutely brilliant and I definitely think that all inclusive is the way to go with children. It means you don’t have to fork out a fortune on soft drinks, ice cream and snacks, because that’s all usually included, as well as all main meals.
So the question is, where to go next? I love sunshine and warmth and feel like I’ve not had nearly enough of it over the past few years, but I don’t really want to fly for more than about 4 hours as the children get restless. I’m looking at perhaps the Canary Islands. I’ve never been to Fuerteventura or Gran Canaria, so those are on the “potentials” list. I went to Lanzarote myself as a child and I had a great time, but I was a little put off by how windy it is. I went to Tenerife with my best friend when I was 18 and that was a fabulous holiday, somewhere I’d definitely consider returning. I’ve been having a browse at Tots to Travel holidays in Tenerife and they have some absolutely stunning family friendly villas.
Some things I look for when booking a family friendly holiday are:
How secure is the room or apartment? I don’t want my toddler to be able to open the front door and escape or access the pool unattended.
Are there facilities for babies? For example high chairs, travel cots, pushchair hire, baby food warming facilities, baby changing facilities, plastic cutlery.
Is there children’s entertainment, a kids club or a crèche. I may or may not use these, but it’s good to know there are activities available to keep the kids happy.
What kinds of pool safety are in place? Is there a lifeguard for a communal pool? Or is there a barrier around a private pool to stop children falling in?
In general, it’s often quite hard to find hotels that accommodate a family of 6, but we don’t want to be split into separate apartments, so it does take us longer to find somewhere that’s right for us.
What do you look for in a family holiday? Which family friendly resorts would you suggest?
Try the Weston at Costa Navarino, Greece. Amazing.
*westin