Have you taken young kids abroad?

[pmeswani]

So what your saying is you would not suggest going on a cruise...

It depends on if the parents trust the 16 year old not to go into the Cruise Casino and pretend to be 21, or into the cruise pub / bar and try and order some booze. Also, on some cruise ships, they won't allow a person under 18 to occupy a room on their own without a legal guardian in the room. (Can you see a 16 year old wanting to share a cabin room with their mother or father?)

Also, you have to ask the question, would you trust your kid not to get lost on one of the ports of call?

There won't be much point of the cruise if the 16 year old can't be trusted. But if the 16 year old can be trusted, then go for it.

[Alf W]

Florida, villa, easy.

Wouldn't go to France on holiday. It would take me 8 hours to get a car there and it's only 20 miles away from England.

[BrilloPad]

Aged 3+5 sounds perfect for going on a flight - they will love it!

[ChimpMaster]

never taken them on a flight, but I have taken them on long car journeys (8 hours).
I normally set off at about 3am, this avoids any traffic problems, and the kids sleep through. I took them down to Devon and they were amazed how close it was to Manchester, only 5 minutes away

It is a full time job to keep them entertained though.
This year I am trying something different, a week in Centre Parcs for about 2k

Eh? I thought you were like a 100 years old!

Centre Parcs gets right on my tits. My wife likes it because she has an aversion to flying and it's the most lavish place she can think of to get away, with the kids. But it's such a rip - I'm sure they prey on young families, with the prices they charge. And then once you're they're just about everything else costs extra!

[SupremeSpod]

Aged 3+5 sounds perfect for going on a flight - they will love it!

WHS.

Junior is nearly 6 months old and has already flown to Lanzarote and Dublin.

[BrilloPad]

Eh? I thought you were like a 100 years old!

Centre Parcs gets right on my tits. My wife likes it because she has an aversion to flying and it's the most lavish place she can think of to get away, with the kids. But it's such a rip - I'm sure they prey on young families, with the prices they charge. And then once you're they're just about everything else costs extra!

THat is all true (except EO being 100 - I know he is at least 110).

But whenever I go to Centre Parcs I always wonder why I would holiday anywhere else.....

[EternalOptimist]

Eh? I thought you were like a 100 years old!

Centre Parcs gets right on my tits. My wife likes it because she has an aversion to flying and it's the most lavish place she can think of to get away, with the kids. But it's such a rip - I'm sure they prey on young families, with the prices they charge. And then once you're they're just about everything else costs extra!

101 actually. It's grandkids this time, 4 of them, giving their mums a break more than anything else

[SupremeSpod]

101 actually. It's grandkids this time, 4 of them, giving their mums a break more than anything else

Don't do it!!! They breed when you're not looking!

[EternalOptimist]

Don't do it!!! They breed when you're not looking!

my daughter doesn't do that type of thing

[Old Hack]

We've been with a 6 yo, 1 yo, 9 year old (and most of the ages between) and it's ok with planning; you've just got to keep them occupied. Now with a couple of iPads the two older ones are fine, load some films on them, and some games and you'll be grand. The baby will sleep and feed most of the time, well, ours does, it's also easy to keep that oen entertained.

You'll make no friends on the flight, just be prepared for that.

We can manage 12 hour flights like this. If you're going real long haul, like Aus etc, just make sure that you have a couple of days lay over where you are.

One trick for long haul, the kids and jet lag, is to keep them up as late as you possibly can when you get somewhere, I mean really keep them up, don't let them watch TV or something, as they will sleep, but get them in a swimming pool, a park, whatever and keep them up. Then let them sleep as long as they can the next day and they'll be, and you'll be, grand. It's worked everytime for us.