Why 'Baby's First Holiday' Is More Stress Than Sunshine

May 18, 2026 - 14:37

It's hot, tiring, and it'll cost you £800. That is the reality many parents face when they take their first trip abroad with a baby. The dream of a relaxing family getaway often turns into a test of endurance.

Rachel Moss, a mother who traveled to Menorca with her 14-month-old son, describes the experience bluntly. Her mother's parting words at Luton airport summed it up: "We got through it." The trip started with a nursery bug that had her taking Imodium just to make the flight. The hired cot had a cardboard-thin mattress, leading to terrible sleep for everyone. The villa pool was too cold for her son to enjoy. Local restaurants did not open until 7pm, and her son grizzled through every meal.

New research from Club Med shows that four in 10 children have visited five countries before age eight. But separate research found that nearly 80% of parents with young children agree the thought of a holiday abroad is better than the holiday itself.

Georgie Heather, 32, from Buckinghamshire, had a similar experience in Faro, Portugal. Her 14-month-old daughter Phoebe was a champion sleeper at home but refused to settle in the hotel cot. "She didn't sleep, so we didn't sleep," Georgie says. "The contrast to home, where she's so content and sleeps so well, was really hard. It was almost like we were on holiday with a completely different child."

Naomi McKee, now 50 and living in Bristol, had a holiday that started with her husband crashing the hire car into rocks. Their cottage in the south of France was advertised as family-friendly but had vases on plinths, tiled floors, and no bath. Their eight-month-old was learning to walk, and Naomi spent four days vomiting from gastroenteritis. They did not try another holiday abroad until their youngest was six.

Another mother says her first family holiday almost ended in divorce. "We argued constantly about how to deal with our baby's meltdowns and both said things we regret about the other's parenting capabilities. We've since had couples counselling to unpack the trip."

Dr Sasha Hall, an educational psychologist, says no amount of reading prepares you for the harsh realities of parenting. On her first holiday abroad with her nine-month-old daughter in Ibiza, the baby developed a temperature soon after landing. They panicked trying to find a pharmacy in a remote area. Her daughter also started refusing her prescribed formula. "At home, even if parenting is tiring, you have familiar routines, toys, support from family members, and spaces that are set up for babies. On holiday, we had none of that. We became the entertainment all day long."

Dr Sasha explains that children under 18 months are still learning to regulate themselves. Changes in sleep, temperature, sensory input, food, noise, and environment can feel overwhelming. Holidays are incredibly stimulating, and many young children become overtired.

Every parent interviewed stressed there were joyful moments too. Seeing the sea for the first time. Eating paella with delight. But the highs did not cancel out the lows.

Georgie has booked a holiday with more entertainment this year. Naomi now opts for relaxed, outdoorsy breaks like camping with a bell tent. Sasha will never holiday again without an extensive medical kit. Rachel Moss has learned to recreate her son's sleep routine with two-bedroom accommodation in the UK.

Mostly, she has learned to mute the travel influencers selling effortless family adventures. As Dr Sasha says: "With babies and toddlers, the successful holiday often isn't the one where everything goes perfectly. It's the one where parents adapt quickly and lower the pressure on themselves."