As you may know, we are going to Menorca on 27 June. and planning is well underway! Oh my goodness, I started writing this at the beginning of May, it is now a week Friday that we go! These photos are from last time Mummy went, before I was born, in 2007
We are staying in Cala n Bosch, Mummy has stayed twice before in Son Bou. There is only one airport, at the capital, Mahon (or Mao in Spanish.) Menorca, also spelt Minorca is famous for gin, and mayonnaise comes from here! Neither of which I like the sound of! It is a small island, quiet, unspoilt, with no stag or hen parties or loads of silly teenagers getting drunk!
Back to the planning – Mummy says the planning is as exciting as the holiday itself, and loves it (but she does get a bit stressed).
This is my first holiday abroad, and it will be Mummy, MeeMee, Lea, Luke and me. Daddy can’t come with us. So, it is just mummy and us four! Mummy says she is very excited, but a bit nervous too.
Mummy booked the holiday last Autumn, her biggest tip is book as far in advance as you can. When there are more than four of you, accommodation is limited, and you can’t leave it till the last minute. Mummy did book for Daddy, so she was booking for five plus me!
Mummy booked the flights and accommodation separately but through Travel Republic, which were the cheapest company. Make sure the company is a member of ABTA and have an ATOL license.
This is the cheapest way to book, but, you do have to pay for all flights at the time of booking. So, if you only want to pay a small deposit, this isn’t for you. Beware of companies who offer £1 deposits – yes they will for accommodation, but you will still have to pay for flights upfront.
Don’t forget luggage and transfers to and from the airport are extra too when not booking a package holiday. Car hire is also extra. We are flying with Thomsons, the flights and the accommodation were booked through Travel Republic.
You will have a hand luggage allowance each, so use it! Mummy bought the lightest suitcases in the world for us, these small cases are the allowed hand luggage size – but check with your airline, as they can vary slightly. Pack as much as you can in these – checking the weight with some accurate luggage scales. The airline will charge you massively if your case is over the allowed included, or paid for weight.
With Thomsons, each 20kg suitcase is £44! So we will be travelling as light as we can!
As a baby, under two years old, I pay a nominal fee, Usually around £35 but I don’t have my own seat. As it is only a two hour flight, I will be fine. I do get 10kg luggage allowance of my own, and a pushchair for me is free 🙂
Mummy’s hand luggage will be a rucksack, to keep her hands free. In one zipped pocket will be all our passports, tickets etc.
Apply for passports as early as you can – there is the biggest backlog for twelve years, as I write this! Luckily, all ours are back.
Every baby needs their own passport.
Here’s my first passport!
You will need European Health Cards for everyone,full details are here they are free of charge valid for all EEA countries. You will need NI or NHS numbers for everyone. The telephone number is
Calls to 0300 numbers cost no more from a mobile than a call to a 01 landline number and are part of your inclusive minutes.
Buy your Travel Insurance through Top Cash Back a free to join website where you earn some cashback if you buy through the site. If you join via this link, I get an ickle bit of commission for recommending them to you. Mummy has earned over £300 cash back over the last few years. Mummy used Holiday Extras for travel insurance. She found the cheapest airport parking was at parkBCP.co.uk and chose parking within a 5 min walk to the terminal and a shuttle bus if we decide to take it. Oh we are flying from Cardiff 🙂
Car hire in the Balearics is horrendous! They have much higher car hire costs than mainland Spain and other countries. But Mummy found it cheaper to hire a car for the full two weeks from the airport rather than pay for shuttle bus transfers and hire a car at the resort for a few days. If you wait and hire a car when you are there, it is even more expensive.
Keep an eye out for early offers on summer clothes, and discounts online.
Current laws allow baby milk – breast, cows or soya both in hand luggage and in the hold. Mummy can take Water for me in a baby bottle full information on what you can and can’t take on board is here
As I am dairy intolerant, mummy has to be careful what I have, I have just been weaned off my special formulae. I have such a sensitive tummy, even a change of water can upset me. My home tap water is fine, but Mummy has weaned me onto bottled water to keep consistency when we are away. The dietician lady told mummy that bottled water is fine for babies as long as it has low sodium and sulphur. I am drinking Highland Spring, Mummy needs to find a universal one that suits such as Evian.
I hope that you find this info useful, and that if you are going away, you have a wonderful time 🙂
Please feel free to add anything else that you need to plan, and that I have forgotten. I have had to publish this post now, otherwise I will have been and come back before its up!
June 16, 2014 at 9:30 pm
I hope you all have a lovely holiday! I can’t think of anything else you’ve forgotten to plan and thank you for the tips. Will revisit this post if I plan a holiday abroad anytime soon xx
June 16, 2014 at 9:46 pm
Thank you 🙂 I will be telling you all about it I’m sure! I also have another Travelling with Toddlers post coming soon x
June 17, 2014 at 8:47 am
Have an amazing time! We just got back from a week in Majorca. Indiana slept on the plane which was a bonus haha, and she loved it. Can’t wait to see pictures :)!xx
June 17, 2014 at 2:32 pm
Thank you 🙂 I am not planning on sleeping on the plane! Not at all! 😉 x
June 17, 2014 at 8:30 pm
Have a wonderful time. The same day you fly to Menorca, I fly to Mallorca with Potato! I’ve written several posts on preparing to fly and flying with a toddler/baby. Does mummy have a wrap or carrier for you? I was travelling on my own with Potato and as well as having the rucksack on my back, I had Potato on my front. That left hands free for handling the pushchair, suitcases and everything else. If mummy doesn’t have one, ask her to get in touch with me and I can lend her one via post if necessary xx
June 21, 2014 at 7:43 pm
Oh have a wonderful time 🙂 Mummy does have a carrier, but I am not sure I like it 😉 Thank you so much for your kind offer xx