Surprised by the negativity. We took my then one year old on weekend trips to places like Richmond, Rehoboth Beach (off season), and Charlottesville. She was mobile, we just took her to appropriate places (children's museums, big stores, parks, monuments, beach, etc…) and made sure she napped, and we all had a really good time.

When she was two, we did a summer trip to a four season resort where we were able to rent a condo. It was the perfect trip for that age. We were able to mix it up with eating at the condo vs eating out, we went swimming every day, went on a hike every day (using a backpack carrier), went to some nearby breweries/vineyards. And again, made sure DD got in her nap every day.

It's not hard as long as you have low expectations, have some flexibility, and don't plan a busy day.

If you are fancier than we are, then find a resort that has childcare - a lot of them offer nannies for under $10/hour.

NP here. My baby will be two next May, so I was in the same boat as op. That's why I love dcum. Maybe I should just plan something for DH and I. It'll also be our 5 year anniversary next year.

With a 14 month old, we went to Acadia National Park and stayed in a housekeeping cabin nearby. There are a lot of short things you can do but be sure to carry a frame baby carrier for hiking. There are lots of places to eat in Bar Harbor. We actually stayed outside of Bar Harbor and drove to BH every night for dinner. I think I would have preferred to stay in Bar Harbor to be closer to restaurants.

We built in naps in the car. The biggest issue of the trip was the drive from the airport (portland) to Bar Harbor.

1. Go some place where you are not going to spend a lot of money on events or museums--you may have to leave as soon as you get there.

2. Do not plan your trip for something that an eighteen month old will enjoy-they will be unhappy or happy most anywhere.

My suggestion: go to the mountains and hike outdoors or to the beach or lake where you can put the toddler down for a nap and follow the routine. At the same time, you can still enjoy the change.

You can plan a vacation in Europe with a toddler and you may have a great time--or it may be a struggle. I recommend saving that for later.

National Parks or the beach are always a good bet for that age.

1.5 year old isn't young that's the age when everything is "me do!" Not a good age to plop the kid in the stroller and go.

Dutch wonderland.

We went to a ski resort in the summer for a weeklong vacation. It was a great price, the weather was amazing b/c we were in the mountains, we went swimming and hiking every day (buy a kelty for your toddler), we stayed in a condo so nap and meal time weren't issues. And we were 5-10 miles from several vineyards and breweries, so good adult activities, too.

We had to travel to canada when my son was 1.5. We stayed in toronto which was lovely- lots to do for little kids. We then rented a cottage 2 hrs north and stayed by a lake and when hiking, kayaking, it was amazing. I actually found 1,5 quite easy. He is 2 now and we just spent 10 days in california which was way more challenging!

Don't forget nap time!

Anonymous wrote:Our toddler will be about 1.5 years old by the time we plan on going on vacation next year. We both enjoy outdoors, diving and snorkeling, walking around the city, and definitely good food. Where should we go while the kid is still young? Open to domestic as well as overseas destinations as long as our toddler will enjoy it too.

Snorkeling. Definitely try that with a 1.5 year old.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly that's a terrible age for kid travel. Too big to just be completely portable and tag along to things you like without complaint. Too little to really do kid friendly vacation activities him or himself. I'd consider saving your money toward a nicer vacation in a few years. If not, then pick an activity you like but have really low standards about how it will go. If you go to a city, for example, aim to do one thing a day. If you normally hike 10 miles, plan for 2. Etc.

Truer words were never spoken.

Or go this year! Traveling with a baby is way better than a young toddler.

Honestly that's a terrible age for kid travel. Too big to just be completely portable and tag along to things you like without complaint. Too little to really do kid friendly vacation activities him or himself. I'd consider saving your money toward a nicer vacation in a few years. If not, then pick an activity you like but have really low standards about how it will go. If you go to a city, for example, aim to do one thing a day. If you normally hike 10 miles, plan for 2. Etc.

Our toddler will be about 1.5 years old by the time we plan on going on vacation next year. We both enjoy outdoors, diving and snorkeling, walking around the city, and definitely good food. Where should we go while the kid is still young? Open to domestic as well as overseas destinations as long as our toddler will enjoy it too.