By Suzanne Baum
The thought of travelling with kids in tow may bring you out in a cold sweat but provided you plan ahead it can hopefully be plain sailing.
From my experience, the less travelling time the better, particularly if you are holidaying with under-fives who have limited tolerance when it comes to sitting still!
There may be no avoiding travelling further afield if you have a family occasion or are planning to visit relatives but after several disastrous attempts with two little ones I have put long-haul flights on hold. Toddler tantrums are not a pretty sight at the best of times but in the confines of a small space, it can be super stressful!
TIP: Under-2's do fly for free on most airlines (on budget airlines you may be charged), so you may be tempted to travel before you have to pay for a seat!
If flying further afield, prepare yourself for the disruption of travelling across time-zones. Kids like routine and the onset of jet lag can be extremely difficult to deal with. Some families like to remain on UK time but this can prove extremely difficult as there is no way your child will agree to go to bed when it is bright outdoors.
A few tips though if you do travel abroad, especially if it's somewhere exotic, be sure to know when the rainy season is or if the country gets a period when extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, are possible. Places such as Florida and parts of the Caribbean, for example, can get torrential rain storms that last for weeks in the early autumn.
On the other hand, remember that while some countries – such as those in the Far East and Indian Ocean – have quite a long rainy season that doesn't mean you'll get rain all day, every day. During this low season you can get much better deals and you may only get a short, sharp tropical downpour each day while the rest of the time the sun will be out.
Also, keep in mind if travelling within Europe, August is peak holiday season time so the beaches of Italy, Spain and Portugal can be heaving. If you can travel either side of August it is worth doing so, especially as most hotel prices dip towards the end of the month.
As for the best form of accommodation, if you have younger kids I always found self-catering was the way forward. The last thing my kids wanted to do was sit in a restaurant for more than five minutes and on the rare times we have dined out abroad the frustration of spending a huge amount on a kids meal only for half the food to be wasted proved too much to bear.
Many families select their resort on the basis of its ability to offer a kids club to keep the children happy and entertained and I am certainly one of them! When researching my holiday, I always check the accommodation I choose has facilities for kids as provided they are happy, everyone's a winner!
Some of the best hotel kids clubs I have discovered are very close to home. They include The Grove Hotel in Watford which boasts an incredible kids club, complete with its own swimming pool, endless list of activities and playground. In a bid to make it more family-friendly, Scotland's Gleneagles Hotel has so much to offer kids there's little chance you will see them.
On a past visit my kids took part in a baking workshop and even drove mini cars around the hotel's grounds. And then there is the Four Seasons in Hampshire that again has everything available for kids, from its baby area to the teenage zone. The hotel even greeted my kids on their first night with their name written in biscuits!
However, for many families spending time with their kids is important and precious so a kids club may not be a necessity!
It's worth considering though that your hotel or apartment has a swimming pool where the kids can enjoy the company of other kids their own age.
Whatever the age of your kid, beaches are always appealing; be it to build sandcastles, go crabbing, hunting in rock-pools and simple beach games such as bat and ball. Provided the kids are protected from the heat and have plenty to drink, it will be happy families all round!
