• Do your research, especially if dealing with independent properties. How far is the property from local shops and restaurants, the beach or the ski slopes, for instance? Check for what websites might not be telling you, and ask the right questions before signing on the dotted line. Google Streetview is your friend when it comes to checking out local surroundings in advance and making sure a neighbourhood is well suited to you.
• Find out if a property can provide all the equipment you need – these days, highchairs, travelcots and other equipment come as pretty standard, but do check. Similarly, some budget accommodation will expect you to bring your own towels and perhaps also your own bedlinen, although some will offer it for hire at extra charge.
• If you’re self-catering in the UK or driving to the Continent, bear in mind that some properties, particularly those at the budget end of the spectrum, may not have some of the kit you take for granted at home, such as cafetières and corkscrews. Make room in your car for a small box of such ‘essentials’, as well as items you will need but might not have chance to get hold of before arriving – matches, loo roll, real coffee, and so on.
• Find out if the owner can offer babysitting or can recommend a local firm or person who will, if this is something you’ll require.
• Check whether any swimming pools on-site meet safety requirements in terms of self-locking gates and so on, should this be an issue (i.e. if you're travelling with young kids).
• If you opt for a larger property with family or friends, make sure all families will get privacy in the form of their own bathroom and preferably even a separate wing.
• With larger groups, organize a rota for cooking, cleaning, shopping and perhaps even babysitting/childcare, so everybody gets some time off.
• If holidaying without family or friends, think about finding a gite in a complex with communal amenities, so kids have others to play with.
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One of the luxury villas at Aphrodite Hills Holiday Residence, Cyprus.
