Suitable city break with baby

LouD2016

I am hoping to book a city break for the October bank holiday...my son will 5 months old. Any suggestions as to where would be most suitable?

brokensoul

In Ireland or abroad?

LouD2016

brokensoul wrote: »

In Ireland or abroad?

Abroad

Bacchus

LouD2016 wrote: »

Abroad

Honestly... in my opinion. Don't do it! I mean... think it through. The packing. The airport. The flight. How does this fit with naps/feeds? A 5 month old has no routine, you literally have no idea if you'll be in the middle of an unsettled period (the first 6 months is littered with growth spurts and developmental leaps that have massive impacts on sleep). Then, when you get there, is there any joy in it? Confined mostly to your hotel room, having to get back early in the evening because your 5 month old goes down at 7pm for their "big" sleep? Up again at 2am, 4am, 5am, 7:30am because that's what they do. You're probably looking at your little 3 month old thinking "but he sleeps so much and feeding is great and we've been able to take out and about with us no problem". Babies change in a heartbeat. Today's average day will be nothing like your average day with him when he is 5 months old.

I know people do it and for some babies/couples it works, they just have that nature of rolling with things, but it does boggle my mind a bit. We just had a mini holiday with our little one (just shy of 8 months old) and it was hectic. When you're out of your own environment, everything just becomes more difficult. Where do you eat, how do we prepare her bottles, constantly trying to find a cafe/restaurant with high chairs or that serve dinner at 5pm. She naps twice a day, so for 3 hours of each day, one of us is tied to the hotel room. We have her in a good sleep routing so nights 1 and 2 she slept from 7pm to about 6am but she hit a leap on night 3 (still on the tail end of it now a week later) and it was just a disaster... took an hour to go down to sleep, up for 2 hours in the middle of the night crying, up at crack of dawn again. We were exhausted coming home. That's not to say we did not have an enjoyable holiday but 1) we waited until she was 8 months and we knew we'd have a routine going for her, 2) we chose somewhere <2 hours away so we could drive during one of her day time naps, and 3) we had family with us who were able to take her for a walk just to give us a little break every now and again.

I'm sure there will be some posters with positive experiences that will just shoot down everything I said above and I have friends who would be in that category too (so I do understand that is can work for some babies) but I just wanted to maybe open your eyes to some things maybe you haven't considered.

alchemist33

We had a few of our summer holidays with kids about six months and we still enjoyed them. As for where to go, there probably isn't much difference between different cities with respect to the little one, but you would probably want a shorter flight because of the lack of freedom on the plane. If it was me I'd be looking at something like Amsterdam, Antwerp etc.

Woden

I disagree with Bacchus. We took our one away a few times in the first year. The younger they are the easier. The main thing we changed though was moving away from hotels and into airbnb or some other type of apartment. Somewhere with a separate kitchen, living space and bedroom.

No need to be tied to the accommodation. They can nap in the buggy.

Bacchus

Woden wrote: »

I disagree with Bacchus. We took our one away a few times in the first year. The younger they are the easier. The main thing we changed though was moving away from hotels and into airbnb or some other type of apartment. Somewhere with a separate kitchen, living space and bedroom.

No need to be tied to the accommodation. They can nap in the buggy.

And I totally respect that. Every parent and child is different Hence why I felt it important to give the flip side. For example, it's great that your baby sleeps in the buggy, with our little one it was cot or nothing She has never slept in the buggy and only recently started sleeping properly on drives.

I also completely agree with staying away from traditional hotels. We stayed in a hotel but it had a separate kitchen/living area which was great.

BTW, Barcelona from what I hear is very accessible with young children and is high on our list of places we'll go once she's older.

brokensoul

LouD2016 wrote: »

Abroad

We went to France with our two when they were 10 months and we got on fine so it is doable. We did the ferry thing though so that is no good for you!

My brother brought his smallie to Malaga and they found it very easy to manage, flight straight from Dublin to there and then they hired an apartment for the weekend so they had a kitchen. Also, Barcelona is very child friendly, haven't been there with our smallies, but I know people who have.

Only advice I would give for being abroad with smallies is bring a buggy if you can, they can sleep in it and it gives you loads of space to bring stuff when out and about! We had food, drinks, suntan lotion, change of clothes, nappy stuff, books and toys everywhere we went!

Also, go for lunch rather than dinner, better value and a better chance of being able to sit in the sun and enjoy it rather trying to deal with a cranky tired baby while having an evening meal.

Whatever you do I hope you enjoy it!

shesty

Five months old is actually easy enough to travel with.
Do bring a buggy but if you are insistent on going to a city bear in mind you will have to navigate that city with the buggy.So think pulic transport, narrow streets, cobbles etc, and how you will work that.I would seriously consider bringing a sling too.Self-catering is the better option, I've done hotels with my pair and it's not great.No facilities to cook etc. and confined to one room.
I won't comment on naps, because my pair don't and never did sleep in buggies.It just didn't happen for us.They have a great routine but we were, on a recent holiday, tied to the house for several hours of the day.
I second the recommendation as to going out for lunch rather than an evening dinner.Much better.
After that, it doesn't matter where you chose.The baby won't care, so it's up to you to decide how easily you want to be able to navigate where you go and what you think you will be doing.I'd suggest a shortish flight for your own sanity but beyond that, it's really your choice (for now!!!)

scarepanda

It's funny, because I'm the complete opposite of most others here, I would advise against a buggy.... I'm sling/carrier all the way! I can fit pretty much a full days supply of stuff into a nappy bag (I am breastfeeding so don't have to bring bottles, which helps a lot). I very rarely bring the buggy even into town these days. It's only really used for walks.

We went to London when my lo was 8 months old and only used the carrier. It was amazing. I remember walking by people who had buggies and they were just stuck in one spot because people wouldn't make room for the buggy. With a carrier your so compact and no messing about for lifts/to carry a buggy up and down steps/worrying about access into places/, worrying about what surface your on especially if baby is asleep/due a sleep. On the trip to London my OH carried all baby supplies in a travel rucksack bag we have, so there was plenty of room for jackets etc. My lo will sleep in the carrier which is brilliant so no worries or pressure about being back at hotel or where ever for certain times.

Bacchus

scarepanda wrote: »

It's funny, because I'm the complete opposite of most others here, I would advise against a buggy.... I'm sling/carrier all the way! I can fit pretty much a full days supply of stuff into a nappy bag (I am breastfeeding so don't have to bring bottles, which helps a lot). I very rarely bring the buggy even into town these days. It's only really used for walks.

We went to London when my lo was 8 months old and only used the carrier. It was amazing. I remember walking by people who had buggies and they were just stuck in one spot because people wouldn't make room for the buggy. With a carrier your so compact and no messing about for lifts/to carry a buggy up and down steps/worrying about access into places/, worrying about what surface your on especially if baby is asleep/due a sleep. On the trip to London my OH carried all baby supplies in a travel rucksack bag we have, so there was plenty of room for jackets etc. My lo will sleep in the carrier which is brilliant so no worries or pressure about being back at hotel or where ever for certain times.

+1 for the sling/carrier. Actually in our case the sling was far more successful than buggies. She loves the sling and would fall asleep in it

rainbow kirby

Italians love kids. We went to Rome in November last year when the little guy was 7.5 months old, with hand luggage and a carrier. Had a great trip and we were well looked after everywhere along the way.

I second travelling with just a sling btw - very convenient for city breaks particularly outside of the warm months. We live in London and rarely take the buggy when we use public transport.

LouD2016

Bacchus wrote: »

Honestly... in my opinion. Don't do it! I mean... think it through. The packing. The airport. The flight. How does this fit with naps/feeds? A 5 month old has no routine, you literally have no idea if you'll be in the middle of an unsettled period (the first 6 months is littered with growth spurts and developmental leaps that have massive impacts on sleep). Then, when you get there, is there any joy in it? Confined mostly to your hotel room, having to get back early in the evening because your 5 month old goes down at 7pm for their "big" sleep? Up again at 2am, 4am, 5am, 7:30am because that's what they do. You're probably looking at your little 3 month old thinking "but he sleeps so much and feeding is great and we've been able to take out and about with us no problem". Babies change in a heartbeat. Today's average day will be nothing like your average day with him when he is 5 months old.

I know people do it and for some babies/couples it works, they just have that nature of rolling with things, but it does boggle my mind a bit. We just had a mini holiday with our little one (just shy of 8 months old) and it was hectic. When you're out of your own environment, everything just becomes more difficult. Where do you eat, how do we prepare her bottles, constantly trying to find a cafe/restaurant with high chairs or that serve dinner at 5pm. She naps twice a day, so for 3 hours of each day, one of us is tied to the hotel room. We have her in a good sleep routing so nights 1 and 2 she slept from 7pm to about 6am but she hit a leap on night 3 (still on the tail end of it now a week later) and it was just a disaster... took an hour to go down to sleep, up for 2 hours in the middle of the night crying, up at crack of dawn again. We were exhausted coming home. That's not to say we did not have an enjoyable holiday but 1) we waited until she was 8 months and we knew we'd have a routine going for her, 2) we chose somewhere <2 hours away so we could drive during one of her day time naps, and 3) we had family with us who were able to take her for a walk just to give us a little break every now and again.

I'm sure there will be some posters with positive experiences that will just shoot down everything I said above and I have friends who would be in that category too (so I do understand that is can work for some babies) but I just wanted to maybe open your eyes to some things maybe you haven't considered.

Thank you ...def food for thought! Worth a risk ...dont want to be confined to home for the next year

Bacchus

LouD2016 wrote: »

Thank you ...def food for thought! Worth a risk ...dont want to be confined to home for the next year

Yeah its a total judgement call for yourself to make based on how ye are getting on. To me, the thoughts of a flight delay (and dealing with airport/flights in general) just turn me right off traveling abroad for the time being. We're considering a ferry to France or UK next year. May even consider a flight to London as it's just so quick and easy from Cork airport. This year is about mini-staycations for us

ncmc

Go for it Lou, I'm a great believer in travelling with kids early. The longer you leave it, the bigger a deal it becomes. I have been travelling with my LO since she was 4 months old and we've always had a great time. I would definitely recommend a carrier, they are so handy. You could bring both and see which you feel like using on the day, but with a city break which would probably involve a lot of walking and hopping on and off public transport, the carrier would probably be best. If you are breast feeding, then you're laughing. All you need is your carrier and a few nappies and you're good to go.

The issue with places like Paris and Rome is a lot of restaurants and hotels are tiny. They also tend to eat later than us so you might struggle to find somewhere that serves dinner early. Not all restaurants will be equipped with changing facilities or have space for a high chair. With that in mind, I would suggest London. Fantastic transport system to cut down on walking and more baby friendly IMHO than some European cities. Plus it's nice speaking the language, it's just one less thing to worry about.

scarepanda

We loved London overall, and it's definitely a bonus speaking the same language when your looking for this and that baby related!

A big plus for us was that we were staying with family, the big negative was that we went there on the may bank holiday and it was bedlam in and around any of the major tourist places. I wouldn't go again on a UK bank holiday.

Would you think about Edinburgh? 40/50 minute flight and the air link straight from airport right into Waverly station which is at one end of princes Street. The airline stops at the major points on the way in. There's a load of hotels on the route because murryfield is on the same road so you could potentially stay somewhere right at a bus stop. Anyways Edinburgh is a gorgeous city, so easy to get around and loads to see and do!

Re the carrier, initially my biggest complaint was that it was harder to wrap bubs up when it was wet or cold. We got a waterproof cover with fleece on the inside for it and it's fantastic! I also use it as a footmuff for the buggy now. I think the company is called bundle bean. I found it on Amazon.

annoyedgal

We took our five month old to cascais on the Lisbon coast. Took our buggy and was great, he napped in it no problem. There's a nice Atlantic breeze so was a good temperature and it's a lovely spot. Great promenade walks, good food and reasonable prices. Baby was breastfed so needed nothing except buggy and some clothes. It will never be easier to take them than when they are that small so go for it!

LouD2016

Thanks guys...really helpful advice!
Thinking a UK city is prob best...especially for any baby supplies needed...plus a short flight to test the waters!!
I actually bought a carrier the other day...may start getting baba used to it

pwurple

I think anytime up until they get to the wobbler stage is easy peasy as long as it isn't too hot. Sling and off you go.

Hot places, the sling is a sweaty mess pretty quickly and you spend a lot of time looking for shade. Keep it northern.

When they are mobile and doing their best to wander away, fall down stairs, into lifts, off bridges, into traffic, off train platforms... that's a whole different story, especially if you are outnumbered, unfamiliar with the area, and they each go in a different direction! We tried that once and I came home needing another holiday from the stress of it.

cant26

LouD2016 wrote: »

Thank you ...def food for thought! Worth a risk ...dont want to be confined to home for the next year

Great attitude to have.
I hope you have a great trip with your baby. We love travelling both at home and abroad with our two. Of course you'll probably be wrecked after it, but it's good wrecked! I cherish the memories and love looking at pictures of our family adventures. My youngest was a day shy of three weeks old when we went on our first weekend away as a family of four. He won't have a notion of what went on but my four year old still talks about the fun we had and I'll never forget it either. Definitely worth the risk
Btw Barcelona is perfect for an October break. Weather is still lovely and I found it to be a very buggy friendly city.

ShaShaBear

Throwing Edinburgh out there as a suggestion!
Beautiful city, plenty of shops you'll be used to, a huge Primark if you need to run and get more bibs/vests/clothes. The zoo is absolutely amazing and an equally riveting experience for any adult as it would be for a child! Edinburgh Castle is steeped in history and very buggy friendly (also low light and very quiet for the most part so would be an excellent napping opportunity). There's the museum, which is free and a beautiful park. Weather is very much like ours so pack accordingly, but the flight is only about 45 minutes long (really, the plane is barely at full altitude before it starts to descend) and there is a bus from the front door of the rather tiny airport that only takes about 15/20 minutes to get into the center. There are loads of central holiday rentals which would have a more homely feel (I think having a kitchenette set-up would be a must for late night bottle making) and it's overall quite reasonable price-wise. Myself and my husband went when we got engaged 5 years ago and fell in love with the place. We're actually planning on going back in November for my 30th and it will my my two girls first holiday as well! (2 and 3 years)

shesty

I will say Portugal is great for kids....the portuguese tend to be very welcoming to kids and used to accomodating them in restaurants etc.