The Best Places to Take a Toddler on Vacation

Many vacation spots cater to families with children; however, when those children are still toddlers, 1 to 3 years old, deciding on the best place requires some careful planning. A beach-side hotel room, a cabin and a recreational vehicle at a campsite offer a bathroom nearby if a potty break is required, a bed if a nap is needed and a refrigerator if a snack or non-spill cup is forgotten.

  1. Low-Cost and Low-Key

    • Low-cost vacation spots are the best places to offer low-key entertainment for adults and fun-filled adventures for toddlers, who may not need as much sleep as infants, but they still tire easily and need an afternoon nap. Steer clear of vacation spots that require walking or hiking for long distances. "What to Expect the Toddler Years," author Heidi Murkoff says "on average, toddlers need from 11 to 13 hours of sleep a day and that includes an afternoon nap."

    Pass on Mickey

    • A few days at Disney or excursion along the rim of the Grand Canyon may sound like a memorable vacation, but to toddlers it means standing in long lines or walking for miles in the hot sun. Theme parks usually have rides for children 3 and under, and with those larger-than-life cartoon characters, it makes spending $50 to $100 or more for a ticket seem like a good idea. But toddlers can be unpredictable, so that ferris wheel or walking, talking dog you thought would earn a smile from your 2-year-old just as likely will evoke screaming and hysteria. As they get older, children won't have any memories before the age of 4, so expensive theme park passes aren't a good investment.

    The Beach

    • A trip to the beach means an exciting--but not overstimulating--world full of new and unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells: the salty air, the cry and flapping of seagulls and miles and miles of sand just waiting for little hands to repeatedly fill and dump it into buckets. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "playing, exploring and pretending allows your toddler to learn and grow. When playing with your toddler, let them guide the activities."

    The Mountains

    • A cabin in the mountains can feel like home away from home to a small child. There, a toddler will see that her daily activities end in a place similar to her own house with a bed or room to herself. During the day, a short stroll in the woods can feel like a grand adventure to a toddler as she picks up rocks, finds bugs and collects leaves from trees. Many cabins are even equipped with television sets and a DVD player so a toddler can enjoy her favorite show or movie if the weather does not permit outdoor adventures.

    Parks

    • Certain national or state parks can also make good vacation destinations for toddlers if they offer recreational vehicle sites. Do not attempt to pack up and move the camp site each night as this will invariably be more work than it is worth. A recreational vehicle is ideal as it provides a bathroom, a bed and a kitchen.

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