Holidays in the Sun
Family holidays in the sun……..what a scary thought!!!
Before booking any holiday ask yourself the following questions -
- Will the children be happy in a hot climate?
- Will you be able to enjoy the hot climate or will you need to seek shade for the children?
- How long a flight time do you think the children will tolerate?
If you are still going, here are some tips to make the holiday easier -
Try and organise daytime flights if holidaying in Europe, although more expensive than late evening and early morning flights it will interfere less with your children's routine.
If booking your own accommodation with a pool and your children cannot swim, try and find a place where the pool is fenced off for safety and peace of mind.
Arrive in good time to check-in for your flight, the earlier you arrive the more chance you have of all sitting together on the flight.
Check your combined family luggage allowance with the airline, some charge if you are over your limit and children require a lot of luggage!
Most airlines will allow you to take a pram and a car seat in addition to your normal luggage at no extra charge. It is usual for you to be able to keep the pram/pushchair with you in the departure lounge and then hand to the cabin crew at the plane steps before boarding.
It is usual that a child under 2 years will share an adult seat and only pay a small proportion of the adult fare, however, they do not generally receive a luggage allowance.
If you are on a long-haul flight with a baby you may wish to reserve a basinet when booking the flight. This is a small cot that is normally placed on the table of the bulkhead seats (by the emergency exit). This means you are allocated the bulk head seats which afford you and your baby a little more legroom, it also allows a little space for the baby to play on the floor instead of being stuck on your lap for the entire flight.
On a long-haul flight exercise your toddler on the flight by walking them around the aisles whenever possible, in my experience most people are ok with this. If your toddler is happy then he/she won't be crying and making your life a misery.
Take books, personal stereos and quiet games to keep children amused on the flight.
Take a small selection of sandwiches if you are flying with an airline that charges for food on the flight.
When taking off and landing the cabin pressure changes can cause pain for young children as they are unable to equalise their ears. For babies a bottle/breast to suckle can help the equalisation process, for older children a boiled sweet should help.
Try to be relaxed about the flight, if you are tense and uptight then your children will pick up on this and will feel anxious themselves.
If you are hiring a car, either take your own child car seat or request one at the time of booking your car rental.
Ensure your children are totally protected from the sun, some swimsuits now offer a Sun protection factor(SPF). Use these swimsuits in addition to sun cream and remember to re-apply after the children have been swimming.
Keep the family well hydrated, drink plenty of water.
Ensure you and your family are vaccinated for your holiday destination. Use this site Net Doctor and check with your GP that you are fully covered.
Ensure you have travel insurance to cover you and your family for any sudden illnesses whilst you are away. If you are thinking of taking a few holidays in a year then it may be much cheaper to buy a yearly travel insurance policy.
If you are booking your flights, car and accommodation i.e. not booking a package holiday then I can recommend the following sites -
Expedia.co.uk
Opodo.co.uk
If you are booking a package holiday then you will not need to worry about flights, car hire or accommodation. Your tour operator will arrange your transfer to/from your hotel/apartment.
Many local airports now fly to International destinations, these flights are often a little more expensive than flying from the major airports but could save you a lot of travel time.
Have a good time!
Your Views
| Holidays in the Sun What is the best way to go about finding holidays in Europe that have onsite entertainment for children? I'm looking for childrens clubs and activities. | |
 | Posted: 16/Apr/07 at 16:39:15 | |
| Replies
I have heard that Club Med are excellent | |
| Posted: 22/Apr/07 at 8:10:34 | |
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