Holiday Suggestions 1st time 5 month old

Hi,
Any suggestions for Holiday ... first time travelling with 5 month old in June

1. Should we do somewhere in Ireland ....... suggestions welcomed

2. Abroad ........ suggestions welcomed ..........

thanks
Smurf

Its the perfect time to go abroad. Irish weather sucks! When babies are 5 months, they are very portable, easily adaptable and most importantly static so no running, crawling, jumping etc. You can go practically anywhere whether it be a city break or a sun holiday. June wont be too hot anywhere. We brought our (then) 6 and a half month old baby to Spain last year. Was so nice, able to eat in every restaurant as Spain is so child friendly and even the airplane was anything but an ordeal. Baby slept all the way over and most of the way back, you can wheel the buggy as far as the plane.

My advice is to just do it and dont really think too much about it. Now the little lad is 18 months and never really walked, just ran! But we are doing it again at the end of May and cant wait.

We went to Sweden last year with our daughter who was 8 months. My wife wanted to stay at home but I had to get away from the rain for a few days! It worked out very well for us - we stayed in self-catering so we could prepare meals for our little lady etc.

I think its a question of where u both would like to go! I personally wud avoid anywher v hot with a young baby. The hard part is travelling as it upsets the sleep routine but when u get ther it is fine. At five months the baby doesn't mind as long as s/he has his/her parents.

After 5 months of parenthood u probably need a rest! Best of luck with your decision.

We brought our 3 month old to the states last year, it was a doddle. I think its important to get them on a plane as early as possible to get them used to it. She is now 18 months old and been to the states twice and going again in September, it took me until I was 36 to get there.
Two friends of mine tried to get there kids on a plane when they were 2-3 years, they screamed all the way there, thus they hav'nt left this rain sodden country in the last five years.
The advice my wife gives is give your baby its bottle with some dozol in it as the doors are closing on the plane, as this is when they are pressurizing the plane. Bring a favourite toy and a new toy, make sure these are soft with a string attached for easy retrieval. Have nappy changing items within easy reach. Have a change of clothes for baby and a change of top for parent.
Bon Voyage.

I don't think there's any voodoo to this. I think it simply depends on the kid themselves. Either they are generally placid and relaxed, or they are not. The former will travel easily. Other kids simply won't. Our two are like chalk and cheese. One was difficult to travel with. The other easy as anything. By 5 months you'll already know which they are. TBH if you are even considering it at 5 months then you know already they are pretty good.

We brought our 3 month old to Westport over the Easter break. Stayed in self contained apartments. Ideal. Plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance so we could bring him in with us for a bite to eat, have a glass of wine etc and they were all very welcoming. Plenty of beaches and areas for walks.

Hope whatever you choose goes well.

We're hitting France in June. However we are travelling with Ryanair and i'm dreading the baggage costs!!!!!!!

Travelled with Ryanair earlier in the year with a 5 month, I would say theres little point paying for priority, you just have to be at the top of the queue. Also your better off spreading the weight between more bags then cramming it into one. Apart from the hefty excess weight charges and paying for an extra bag on the day, you have do this at another desk. Theres always a queue. So it can delay you a lot. In one direction the ground staff were no help with the buggy etc. Buggy left on ramp in rain etc. The other way very nice. So it just depends who you get.

Next time we decided there isn't that much difference in cost in travelling with a regular airline, all things considered.

We first brought our daughter away with us to Spain when she was 9 months, and will be doing the same this year with her 9 month old brother. I would second the idea of giving the child a bottle / breast after boarding and through take-off. The suckling helps to alleviate the pressure build-up and stops their ears from 'popping'

One of my abiding memories of that first family holiday was the waft of Calpol around the plane as the doors closed, we were obviously travelling with a well seasoned bunch of parents.

If you're interested in places abroad, coastal Spain and Italy would be my recommendations, the flights aren't too long and the locals will absolutely dote over your child. Do keep your baby protected from the sun, babies get sunburn *very* easily.

If you're going to fly, make sure you're up to speed with the latest security regulations regarding fluids, if you're bringing bottles of formula - you might need to bag up the powder and mix with bought water when needed. Of course bringing a lot of little bags of whitish powder through customs might get interesting.

But most importantly, and whatever you do, enjoy it. There's nothing quite like spending a lot of quality stress-free time with your child.

Thanks All .......... any suggestions for Portugal as we have never been there .. flat, village, sea, not to hot ...........

thanks again