All parents know that life with a toddler can be lots of fun, hugely entertaining and rewarding BUT simultaneously exhausting, challenging and occasionally terrifying in equal measure.

Keeping parents on their toes, well it’s a toddlers prerogative isn’t it?

This is just normal day-to-day life I’m talking about too, so what happens when you want to go off on holiday? Should parents of toddlers even attempt to leave the house? I jest of course, but some days it can feel like that. When it takes 40 minutes to put a coat and shoes on and then just as you are about to leave they decide they need a 30 minute sit on the potty and manage to trap a finger, toe or head in the door on the way – welcome to the toddler years, the years they can absolutely, categorically do everything for themselves!

So, do toddler friendly holidays even exist you might ask?

The thing to bear in mind with toddlers is that they are toddlers wherever you take them, so as long as you have the basics covered, can travelling with toddlers be any more challenging than normal?

Toddlers need space to run and play and generally wander in safety. They need splash pools to cool off in. Parks to play on. Sand to eat, sorry play with. They need somewhere cosy to sleep when they finally run out of steam, and parents need to feel a bit less frantic than normal. They need to be somewhere where they don’t feel the need to intervene every 10 seconds.

All of this is the kind of thing that can be found if you look for holidays in the right places. Ideally, when taking toddlers away with you, finding somewhere which is like a home from home is a sure winner.

We previously had a family holiday a few years ago in Vendee in France and the water area and parks were superb. There was something for everyone and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We were close to the beach and the holiday home was well-equipped. Plots were spacious as well, so you didn’t feel as if you were on top of the neighbours either – reassuring for parents of noisy toddlers!

The other beauty is, with locations in France you have the option of a short plane ride, boat and car or train and car. We always favour the Eurotunnel and self-drive as we have the freedom and aren’t limited with luggage. Also, the tunnel has the benefit that you don’t even need to leave your car, so if the little ones are sleeping you don’t have to wake them up and deal with toddler grumps for the rest of the journey!

What sort of holidays do you go on with your toddlers? We’d love to know about your experiences.