Mexico: We did the all inclusive thing in the Mayan Rivera. It was fab. The buffet meals at all hours and able to pack lunches for excursions suited us well with our LO. We didn't do a lot except, eat, sleep, beach, pool and play. It was a great holiday in the month of Feb to return to cold, snowy Toronto after! We only brought his Maclaren pushchair and sand toys. The flight was only 3.5 hours so very good. I was still BF'ing so that was good as well. DH and I took turns with the nap. Some days DH stayed inside and read whilst DS was sleeping and I woudl go and just lay on a lounge chair and enjoy 2 hours to myself having a Margarita. The other days I joined DS for the nap. We booked our seats with DH in the aisle and me at the window and hoped the plane wasn't full so no one would be in the middle seat. It worked out. So other than take off and landing, DS had a seat to himself. He had an 1.5 hour nap in the seat. He was walking at 10 months. So DH and I took turns on the plane playing with him in the seat with toys, stickers etc...and letting him go for a walk. At one point a lady (a vacationing nanny) and her DH asked if he could stay and play with them for a bit. SO of course we said yes! DS played at their seat and DH and I just sat in peace for 15 min. The taxi ride/shuttle from the Cancun airport was under an hour. He sat on my lap with the seat belt on us both and fell asleep for about 40 mins. They had milk and loads of food at our resort. I only brought stuff for the plane to snack on. We brought enough diapers/nappies with us.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Fantastic holiday. We drove 14 hours with my Mum and Dad in our 4x4. I only brought his beach toys, books etc... We were staying in a condo on the beach with a full kitchen. I hate staying in hotels and only relying on restaurant food. I enjoy to cook, so that helps. We bought all food etc there. I sang songs and played loads of activities with my DS on the way with DH and my Dad sharing the drive. Slept and ate throughout the journey in the car. We stopped for one meal at a fast food join on the way there. We left at 6 am both times. Again just brought the small stroller. We beached it and swam most days. My Mum and I shopped every evening and DH and my Dad took care of DS at night. One night DH and I went out and my parents took care of DS.
London, England and Glasgow, Scotland: we live in North London for almost 7 years and have a flat there, so we had everything we needed as far as kitchen etc.... We took trains, tube (underground/subway/metro depending where you live and what you call it!) cabs and buses everywhere. We shopped, went to the parks and pubs and visited friends. We could put our roll on our buggy/stroller/pushchair right on a London black cab and that was his seat. We took the train to Glasgow to visit family and stayed in a hotel for 2 nights. On the plane going to UK is an overnight flight so DS slept the whole time. We did the same with the booking of the window and aisle seat and no one was in the middles seat, so we could put him there when not on our lap, really helped.
Yes it is more work travelling with a LO but so is everything now. We have no regrets, just good memories and didn't have any troubles. I must stress that if I had to stay in a hotel with no kitchen, I don't think I would of liked it as much. I can take restaurants only so may times especially with kids.
We never brought our car seat on journeys when we flew.
Ask any other questions if you like.
Poll