There are so many firsts to treasure with your new baby – Christmas, Birthdays, food, smiles. One of the firsts I was most looking forward to was taking baby on her first autumn holiday! But where is the perfect destination for baby’s first holiday? Here are my family and some other family travel bloggers favourite places to go for Baby’s first autumn holiday.  So whether you want city breaks, beach breaks, European holidays, cruises or something more exotic we have you covered  with some great global suggestions for baby’s first holiday ideas – a month by month autumn destination guide

SEPTEMBER

Oxfordshire with a baby by Wandermust Family

Age: 5 months

Oxford with a baby

Oxfordshire is the epitome of English beauty. Staying in the Oxfordshire countryside meant we had a holiday combining both city and rural activities. Beautiful walks ending at pubs, national trust properties alongside the museums and cultural attractions of Oxford and Henley. Everywhere was very accessible by pram though cobbles can be a travel pram killer and we found everything to be so easy. Oxfordshire with a baby is the perfect holiday destination.n

Slovakia with a baby by Travel with Meraki

Baby’s First Holiday Slovakia

Slovakia is one of those destinations that surprises you. The people, the food and the countryside all made for a wonderful experience. It was never crowded and I don’t think we came across any other tourists whenever we went exploring. English is not spoken much in some areas, so it really does feel like you are exploring a new culture which I think is rare these days.

Although the cities are modern you can still head to rural areas and bar a few modern comforts, people are living not much differently to what they would have been a hundred years ago. Slovakia is a perfect destination if you enjoy a bit of intrepid adventure and beautiful scenery.

Mallorca with a baby by Smudged Postcard

Baby’s First Holiday – Mallorca

Amsterdam with a baby by The Family Voyage

Amsterdam with a baby aged 3 months

Baby’s First Holiday – Amsterdam

Our daughter’s first trip was at 3 months old when visited Germany and Holland, a long way from our home in Los Angeles! Amsterdam stood out as our favorite location on that trip due to the city’s unique charm of being laid out along the canals.

We loved strolling around at all hours, everywhere from Vondelpark to the beautiful zoo to the heart of the city. I wouldn’t say that it’s the most stroller-friendly location we have ever visited due to the stairs required to enter some homes and restaurants, but with such a young baby we preferred to use a carrier anyway.

The city’s compact size means your family can cover everything on foot and not worry about getting a stroller on and off public transit if you decide to use one.

You can read more about The Family Voyage’s travels here. Follow along on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

France with a baby by Are We There Yet Kids

France with a baby aged 9 months

Our first overseas trip with Piper was to Northern France when she was 9 months old which made for the perfect intro to foreign travel with kids. We stayed in a gorgeous little cottage in a tiny French town and spent our days eating freshly baked breads and gooey cheeses, sampling amazing wines and exploring the natural beauty of the region.

Baby’s First Holiday France

A few things I remember:

A cottage holiday was perfect, we were able to fit around her routines and even managed a few hours a day sitting in the garden with a cold glass of wine while she napped.We drove and took the ferry across The Channel, which meant we could cart all our kit with us without having to worry about excess baggage or having to juggle ten suitcases.

We knew we wanted to spend some time hiking so took a back carrier meaning we could venture off the beaten track, not constantly worrying about pushchair friendly routes.

It was pretty much the first time we had all spent together just being a family without the pressure of work/getting to grips with motherhood/sleepless nights and it was a powerful way to connect and just enjoy us. So much so we have now been to 15 countries and counting!

England with a baby by Travel with Meraki

Baby’s First Holiday England

England obviously will always be dear to my heart. Looking at it from my Australian husband’s view  it is a perfect place to explore as a first family holiday. History, scenery and lots of activities for every taste! It is easy to get around, super family friendly and because there is less of a culture shock, I think it makes your first trip with baby less stressful.

London is always one of the major destinations for people heading to England but there are so many other beautiful areas to explore such as Devon and Yorkshire. Taking a detour from the usual tourist attractions and wandering around a pretty village, playing in a park and having lunch at the local pub are some of our favourite family memories. England with a baby is a great holiday destination!

Sperlonga Italy beach break by Learning Escapes

Sperlonga first holiday

Thailand with baby by Thrifty Family Travels 

Thailand with baby aged 18 months

Baby’s First Holiday – THailand

Our first trip with Myla was in September 2012 to Phuket, Thailand when Myla was 18 months old.  Having travelled extensively prior to this as a solo female backpacker as well as a few trips with my partner – I thought I was a bit of an expert – but travelling with a baby is certainly a whole new way of travelling.

Myla is a natural born traveler and she loved Phuket.  She loves being the center of attention and enjoyed showing off for all the local Thai people.  We would have dinner and the waitresses would all ooh and ahh over her, leaving us to have a quiet dinner almost alone whilst Myla was entertained.

Phuket is a great place for a holiday with a baby.  You can easily purchase all the things you may need for a baby at the local stores.  We mainly spent out days lazing around the resort, swimming, shopping and eating.  Although we did take one day trip over to Phi Phi Island which was easy enough with Myla.

My other tip for Phuket or in fact most Asian countries, would be to bring a small basic light weight stroller – the streets in Phuket aren’t perfect and you will find yourself putting the stroller up and down over the bumpy sidewalks.  Better still use a baby carrier – although this wasn’t my preference given it is so hot in Phuket – well it was when we were there anyway.

The Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia, Canada by  Burgess Travellers

Age: 13 months

Baby’s First Autumn Holiday – Nova Scotia

“We’d always been big on road trips prior to having kids so didn’t think twice about hitting the road with our 13 month old son. Fall in Nova Scotia, and in particular Cape Breton, is absolutely spectacular, but still warm enough that the kids were able to paddle at the lakes and beaches we stopped at and they absolutely had a ball running around. Highlights were the Fortress at Louisbourg, Baddeck (pirate ship! canons!) and the beach at Ingonish.

13 months was a fantastic age to travel with – our son was young enough to still nap easily in the car/train/plane but was happy to walk around and explore, so we weren’t completely dependent pram-friendly locations.”

OCTOBER

Barcelona with a baby by Baby Can Travel

Our first ever international trip was to Barcelona with a baby was when our daughter was 3 months old. We chose to go to Barcelona for several reasons, but mostly because were we excited to explore Barcelona and the climate was right for the time that we wanted to go. We went to Barcelona in October and we were able to spend the majority of our time outside without worrying about it being too hot or too cold for our baby.

There are so many reasons we would recommend Barcelona. We loved being able to walk (almost) everywhere in Barcelona and dining al fresco. Our daughter was happily welcomed everywhere we went and there were plenty of things to see and do in a week. Finally, they have great access from the airport to the city center allowing us to travel without the worry of needing a car seat.

Rome City Break with a baby By Wandermust Family

Age: 6 months

Rome with a baby

Rome was one of our favourite cities when travelling as a couple and we couldn’t wait to take our little one. Despite being told that it wasn’t stroller friendly, weather forced our hand and we found it to be perfectly doable (though we didn’t use public transport). We loved visiting all of the cultural attractions with our baby but our favourite place for families has to be Borghese Gardens. Even with biblical rain and an earthquake we still think it is a perfect first holiday destination with a baby!

 Austria & Germany Road Trip by Travelling with Our Kids

How Old – 16 Weeks

Baby’s First Holiday – Austria and Germany Road Trip

We really enjoy road trips and we have found a road trip with a baby is quite easy. We spent 2 nights in each location and visited 3 locations. Going off season meant it was a lot quieter than during the summer months. This meant it was less crowded to move around at certain attractions and finding places to eat. The weather was a bit on the cool side but as we live in Scotland we are use to colder temperatures. We would highly recommend a multi city break for a first holiday as you can enjoy seeing multiple cities in one holiday.

Menorca with a baby by Hayley’s Little Things

Menorca with a baby aged 16 weeks

Baby’s First Autumn Holiday – Menorca

We took Alex to Menorca at 16 weeks old. It was a relatively short flight from the UK, nice, warm weather for  October and we knew the island would be quiet. The less things we had to worry about the better. We knew that the facilities would be much the same as at home, the hotel has great ratings and had everything we could possibly need on site. Not our usual holiday destination but an easy trip with a very young family.

American Road Trip by Seven Wanderers

Age: 3 months

Baby’s First Holiday – American Road Trip

Our first son (baby number 3) was just 3 months old when we flew from Australia to LA, hired an RV and drove right across the USA to New York. We went in early September so the weather was warm and sunny in LA and gradually got colder as we headed to New York. We arrived in New York at the end of October and it actually snowed on one of our days there. It was a brilliant trip with a 3 month old. So smooth and easy! He slept while we drove, saw some incredible sights along the way and got to spend so much quality time with his family.

NOVEMBER

Mediterranean Cruise with a baby by Wandermust Family

Cruising Baby

We love cruising as a couple and so when our baby hit the mandatory six month age limit we went on our first cruise. We decide to travel around the Med as it offered the perfect mix of city breaks and beach breaks. We weren’t sure what type of holiday we would prefer for family travel so it was a nice way to learn more about what we enjoyed as a family. We also loved the ease of cruising with a baby. You didn’t have to worry about where to eat, finding a high chair or even finding medical care if you had needed it. We loved it so much we have two more cruises booked already in some more exotic locations. We loved our Mediterranean Cruise with a baby.

Gran Canaria with a baby by Wanderlust and Wetwipes

Gran Canaria with a baby aged 5 months

We were much more relaxed on this holiday having done quite a bit of travelling with our first when he was little. We chose a cheap and cheerful package holiday which was all inclusive (not our usual style!) but had little 2 bedroom duplexes so we had a bit more space for us all during the heat of the day, at nap time, etc. It wasn’t our best holiday but it was exactly what we all needed at the time.

My main tip would be to think carefully about what you want out of the holiday (we had finished renovating a house 2 months before the baby came and then had had 5 months of the usual sleep deprivation so we all just needed to Chill Out!) and to book accordingly.

Hamilton Island Queensland by Kids Bucket List

Age: 3 months

When my first born, Striker, was 3 months old, my husband was asked to be Best Man at his mate’s wedding. Of course he says yes and we found ourselves flying to Hamilton Island, Queensland for the nuptials and Strikers first plane trip.

It’s a great holiday destination. Each day is as perfect as the next, with the island surrounded by turquoise waters, a delightful climate and all the modern luxuries and amenities you need for a baby.

I highly recommend this location for a trip with bub.

Sedona with a baby Baby Can Travel

Baby’s First Holiday – Sedona

When our son was born, we knew we would want to do a trip with him in the early months as well. As long as you and your baby are healthy and feeling good, it’s a great time to travel with a baby. They spend the majority of the time sleeping and are easy to bring along to do what you want to do. The complicating factor this time was that we also had an active 2 year old to entertain. We needed to choose a destination that would keep everyone happy. We chose Sedona, AZ in the USA to do some hiking.

We knew our son, at two months, would be happy to be snuggled up in a carrier for the majority of the day. Our daughter was capable of doing short hikes plus she enjoyed being carried in a structured backpack carrier (as we had already determined at home on both accounts). Sedona allowed us to spend the majority of the time outside and keep everyone active.

We were there in November and had a mix of really hot days and some cool days. The bonus was we had no trouble finding a multitude of hikes that varied in length or difficulty depending on how we were feeling each day.

Part of #farawayfiles

Where did you or are you planning on taking your baby on their first Autumn holiday? 

Why not call back to the blog over the next couple of weeks as we provide great suggestions for baby’s first Winter and Spring Holidays. And why not check out our previous post on Baby’s First Summer Holiday Destination Ideas? 

To be the first to know when these posts are published why not subscribe to our blog! 

Baby’s First autumn holiday ideas