Storms and chickens

[Cookie]

I've just booked our summer holiday - a week camping in Snowdonia (AA Campsite of the year last year - looks amazing) and then a week in Scarborough (in a luxury house to recover from the hardship of all that camping )

 

Has anyone else booked their summer holiday already? Or is it only me who books so early? I like having my holiday to look forward to through all the dark, wintry days at this time of year.

 

Love,

Cookie. xx

[Cinnamon]

We booked up last October

June half term in Cornwall.

Then a mid week break at Centerparcs to celebrate my 40th in August

 

I love booking holidays, & am ashamed to say that I have already started looking around for ideas for NEXT summer!

[Popcorn]

We're huge camping fans here and are normally very organised with weeks away in the summer holidays and long weekend breaks inbetween. Not booked a thing this year with us having a baby, but am hoping to be able to go away somewhere.......any ideas with a newborn?

[The Dogmother]

My parents very kindly take Rosie and I away each spring (otherwise we wouldn't get a 'proper' holiday). In the summer, we tend to go to their house in Norfolk, which is a free holiday (just have to buy food), near the sea and great for walking.

 

Holidaying with newborns isn't easy, but see if one set of parents will give you a couple of hours to yourselves, if only to sleep and catch up on grown up talk rather than baby stuff.

[clare*]

I booked a week in Crete for July last week

 

I am currently looking for a skiing holiday for 2007. Never been before though, not sure if its my thing but Ben my 8 year old would love it.

 

I don't think we went away much when he was little.

 

We always looked like we were going on a weeks holiday just going out for the day with all the changing bags, bottles spare clothes, toys...the list was endless.

 

Stick close to home if I was you.

[Cookie]

I was a huge fan of camping in my pre-child days, but refused to go when the children were little. It just seemed like too much hassle, although i know plenty of people who do do it with really tiny ones, so if you are up for it, don't be put off.

 

Last summer was the first attempt with the kids and it worked very well (they were nearly 6 and nearly 3 last summer).

 

Successful holidays with really tiny ones were at CenterParcs and at cottages in Cornwall.

 

A trip to France with my DS when he was 1 was memorably awful as he threw up in my hair as the plane was taking off and then scereamed for the whole flight.

 

Ahh, happy memories.....

 

Cookie. xxx

[The Dogmother]

We always used to go to Cornwall when we were little, and loved the beaches - that's all that little ones want really. When they're newborn, you don't really care where you are so long as you can get some sleep

[Popcorn]

I like the idea of a cottage, not sure I could cope with a tent and a newborn (don't expect the camping neighbours would either )

 

We spent the week beofre Christmas in Norfolk Clare - never been before, but we loved it. Will definalty go back. We stayed in Cromer, but visited most places.

 

Most of my childhood was spent holidaying in Cornwall. Such happy memories.

[Laura007]

i booked a holiday to sweden last july and im not going til june!!!

[Karen & co.]

We also spent lots of childhood hols in Cornwall, and have taken the children and OH, Mark is from Belfast so it was all new to him

 

I booked our holiday just after Christmas! to take the caravan to France again, it's great fun only problem is we look like the Clampets (sp) as the ACME instant holiday spews out from the van when we arrive !!!

 

Karen x

[Swiss Chick]

I booked a week in Crete for July last week

 

I am currently looking for a skiing holiday for 2007. Never been before though, not sure if its my thing but Ben my 8 year old would love it.

 

I don't think we went away much when he was little.

 

We always looked like we were going on a weeks holiday just going out for the day with all the changing bags, bottles spare clothes, toys...the list was endless.

 

Stick close to home if I was you.

 

Hey Clare, skiing holiday, come to Switzerland. Saa-Fee a lovely car free resort just 3 h away from Geneva airport. We wil be going there again in February and again in December. There are a lot of English in this resort. You must have some special tour operators over there who offer a really good deal. The slopes in the village are great for beginners adult and children alike. All my three kids 9,7,5 have learned in a week how to ski. Ok not my 5 year old boy he forgot everything he has learned last year.

[The Dogmother]

We spent the week beofre Christmas in Norfolk Clare - never been before, but we loved it. Will definalty go back. We stayed in Cromer, but visited most places.

 

My folks house is about 30 minutes down the coast from Cromer, we go up that way quite a bit because friends have a beach hut at Wells, There is a lovely wet fish shop/snack place called Cookies on the way up there - we are real fish eaters and enjoy the freshest fish ever there while watching the wild birds on the saltflats. We spent most school hols there as nippers, sailing and fishing. We went to Cornwall in the summer though for a week.

[Cate in NZ]

I love skiing, but am truly dreadful at it- I maintain I learnt to late and can't relax enough not to care whether I fall and break a few bones or not. Children, especially Seb are rapid and reckless, hubby's very proficient, I just love the fresh air, exercise and general friendliness of skiing. Oh, and the apres ski of course

But we've not had a ski trip for 2 years now, not since chldren have been in secondary school and taking them out for holidays is frowned upon big time. Most ski resort are so busy Feb 1/2 term that it's not as enjoyable. We did ski Christmas one year, in the USA, fabulous, my children and many others zooming down a mountain chasing a candy cane throwing Santa I'd love to do that again, but can't afford just yet.

Booked our summer hols a week ago- we're trying Northern (Turkish) Cyprus this year. The resort looks brilliant, so I'm looking forward to it, but it's a bit of a departure for us, we usually do French camping trips, hubby fancied a change, so a package to somewhere completely different . Have any of you been there, because I'd love to hear what others think of it.

Gina, babies travel a lot more easily than toddlers, largely because they haven't yet mastered the famous phrases "are we there yet" and " I'm going to be sick/ need a wee" You need to pack a lot of stuff, they do tend to less happy in very hot weather, but if you're not too concerned about travelling like a pack mule you can take them just about anywhere Feeding is a major concern, if you breast feed you don't need to fret about packing formula, sterilisers and all the acessories. Tiny, breast fed ones don't even need travel vaccs for even the most exotic locations... although personally I'd be less than keen on anywhere too exotic with a babe

With little ones my most sucessful holidays were CentreParcs, baby friendly environment, warm pools, babysitters for hire and Mum pampering available. Seb got potty trained over a weekend in Elveden Centre Parcs . I also found that Eurpe was generally very child friendly, so we went to CentreParcs sites in Holland, and camping in France, every time childen were welcomed.

Now of course they're horrible, hormonal teenagers- I just hope Cyprus welcomes them too