Ani

Hubby and I are planning on heading back to England and Wales next summer (or spring, maybe) with our daughter who will at that time be 1. I'm hoping those of you who have done this can shed some light on what we will be in for.
The last 2 times we've visited we've stayed about 2 nights at each stop and done tons of site seeing-obviously this will be altered, but I'm just wondering to what extent.

Kayb95

<i>&quot;...next summer (or spring, maybe) with our daughter who will at that time be 1&quot;</i>

Does that mean she's not born yet? With all the &quot;stuff&quot; you need with babies, I would imagine you'd want to relocate as little as possible.

My sister and her husband got a passport for my nephew soon after he was born, thinking they'd be taking him to England when he was about 1. They didn't end up going because she ended up being pregnant again! Now, with two babies, they've realized they can't really do much traveling until the kids are a little older.

travelbunny

..altered a lot!!! how altered will depend on how close to 2 she is (easier when less mobile and still happy in a carrier)...would suggest staying in one place for a week(?)..with day trips. would suggest appt or hotel with a mini fridge or microwave (or a very accomidating informal b and b)..that being said you can do a lot of sight seeing but &quot;plans&quot; have to be flexible according to your child ect..sometimes &quot;splitting up works&quot;..for example..both you and your partner might head toward the war museum in london..one goes in and the other heads for the swans in green park..and you meet up later.....the 2 night thing is not going to work very well...if your daughter is a good traveller in the car, roaming in the countryside may work with frequent stops (my youngest 2 would always sleep and loved their car seat, but my eldest would always vomit as a toddler)..you will need access to a car seat, umbrella stroller and depending on the age a carrier (this is great for cobble stones and rough paths)..think about a hight chair (booster) though i used to feed my child in a stroller...if you have family or friends who can &quot;loan&quot; unused baby things it helps..goodluck..just remember your plans must accomidate the circumstances not the otherway round.

jarmnm

Ani:
Good to hear from you and congratulations on the birth of your daughter. I used to own a day care and worked with many professional women who would travel all over the place with their kiddos. Generally they would get multifuncion carseats that can also work as a stroller, etc. Many just waited and purchsed what they needed where ever they were going. Most hotels will provide cribs, so the car seat/stroller is something to think about as an option. Hopefully you can transfer your love of travel on to your little girl. Again, good luck and congratulations!

Julie

janis

With a toddler or baby I HIGHLY recommend self-catering, i.e. renting a cottage for a week at a time. This doesn't limit your sightseeing as much as one might think. As an example, a well located cottage in the western Cotswolds, or near Shrewsbury, or near Hereford would be convenient for days trips to the Cotswolds, Warwick, Stratford, Oxford, Bath, N or S Wales, Chester, Somerset, etc. etc. Same w/ a cottage in Yorkshire - convenient for day trips to the Moors, coast, Dales, York, Durham and even the Lake district. same goes for cottages all over the UK - finding a good base for day trips means you don't need to pack up everything every couple of days.

Having a cottage also means you have a full kitchen, a washer/dryer, a private garden, and a lot more space and comfort than in most B&amp;Bs.

travelbunny

..Yes a cottage in the country or appt in a city is a huge help..a temporary MINIMUN would be a hotel with a kitchette which i meant to imply in my note...if actually planning a trip (too late now)..assuming a develloped country the easiest time is 3-6 months if breast feeding...a rather sarcastic comment which i read in a travel column when talking about travelling with 2 and 3 year olds the comment was dont...i wouldnt go that far but things become much easier after 4 (and much much easier) at 5.

Ani

Thanks everyone! Well, she was born on Easter-so that gives you an idea. We have a &quot;travel system&quot; that would be easy to take over with us-a stroller and car seat combined-although she would be out of the car seat by then I think. Anyway, our friends will be in Cambridge(you may recall a post she started last summer about flying overseas with a 1 year old-they will be going again next summer) to teach for 6 wks. and I'm thinking a good plan would be to base ourselves there for half the trip and then York for the second half (our FAV). But also we want to get back to N. Wales...any other suggestions greatly appreciated-thanks again!