When your children are very little you may feel a little uneasy about taking them abroad. There are many concerns for parents of babies and toddlers when it comes to holidays outside of the UK such as the child getting ill from the food or water, immunisations that may be required, how the child will react to being on a plane and the worries of the heat if going abroad to a hot country.

Ideally I always wanted to wait until my children were a bit older before venturing abroad because of the points above but also I thought they would appreciate it more when they can take part in more activities.

I would always recommend (if possible), when taking your child abroad for the first time, to try and go someone that is not too far away such as France or Spain. Not only will you have a shorter flight time, meaning it they do not like it, you can probably pacify them for the short flight but also the weather is not usually too hot or cold and sometimes you can get similar foods to that from home.

 

If you are looking for a family vacation in the UK then you may wish to consider booking through a company such as Pontins or Butlins. These companies have been around for years and specialise in offering fun family holidays at a number of locations all over the UK.

They tend to cost a little more than a standard campsite, but with the wealth of entertainment on site you can get away with spending very little when you are there. They offer a choice of accommodation, which is self-catering, meaning that you can also take your own food with you, so do not have to fork out on dining out every night / day.

There is a wide choice of beach and inland accommodation all of which vary in price dependent upon the time of year you go.

Some people say these places are a bit cheap and cheerful but that might be exactly what you are looking for.

When packing for a holiday with small children, you often find yourself taking far too much. You may have created a list of clothes but then you also need to consider any games, books, swimming outfits, coats and shoes you want to take with you.

If holidaying in the UK, you will need to pack clothes for every eventuality as you never know what the weather is going to be like. I found myself having to take a few changes of outfits for my children which needed to be suitable for warm and cooler, dry and wet conditions. This very quickly filled up my suitcase but as we were not flying anywhere, luckily, I did not have to worry about luggage restrictions.

If you can, try and find a few outfits that can be worn in all-weather such as a pair of shorts, but that can be teamed with a cardi and tights should it get cooler.

 

Many people are choosing to have their family holiday in a caravan. This can be great for families with young children as you often have many of the mod cons you have at home such as microwaves and fridges.

When looking to compare prices for caravans, be sure to check the onsite facilities. Prices vary drastically for caravan parks but that is often because some parks have a lot better onsite facilities and entertainment.

Some sites will have indoor and/or outdoor swimming pools, kids clubs and club house on site meaning that once you are there you may not have to spend much else on going out if you wish not too. Other campsites will be very basic, bringing the initial cost down but meaning that you may have to venture offsite to find activities for you and your family to do.

Last minute deals are a great way to save money and social media has started to become a popular place for people to find these deals.

With the law recently coming in to play where parents are finned for taking their child out of school during term time, many people simply cannot afford to go away. Prices can sometimes double if not triple on holidays that are taken during school holidays, pushing them beyond many families’ budgets.

Some parents have stated that it is actually worth paying the fine to the school as they still save money on booking a holiday out of season. It is not ideal to take a child out of school for a holiday during term time but if that is the only time you can afford to go on holiday then there are arguments that it is in the best interest of the child, as long as it does not happen often.

If you have children under or over school age, then I would strongly recommend looking for a holiday the prior to when the schools break up as there are some great savings to be had.