As a seasoned traveller prior to parenthood I had always taken long journeys, boring airport layovers and the associated chance of disruption in my stride, however When planning our first family holiday with our little one in tow I found that my priorities quickly changed. It was now convenience, length of journey and comfort that were top of the list, even more so than destination. Desperate for some winter sunshine as the nights started to draw in and Jersey temperatures dropped to single digits, we decided to try the new FlyDirect route to Lanzarote for our first trip as a family of three. Not a destination that we’d considered before, we did some research and were drawn in by the promise of temperatures in the mid-20s and a family friendly vibe.
Unaccustomed to packing for a baby it soon became apparent to me that the smallest member of the family somehow requires the largest amount of holiday essentials. Thankfully the checked luggage allowance of 18kg per adult and 10kg for an infant proved more than enough for our clothes, toiletries and accessories, and we were also offered the option to check in a further two items for the baby, invaluable should we have been taking a travel cot or car seat along with us. In addition to our one piece of hand luggage each we were also able to take a small change bag and our travel size folding pushchair onboard at no additional cost.
The flight time between Jersey and Lanzarote typically takes just 4 hours, however with a strong tail wind we made it there in just 3 and a half. Having left Jersey right on time we pulled on to our stand in Lanzarote early, and with just a short wait for passport control and luggage we were in our private transfer only minutes after our scheduled arrival time! The crew onboard our Smartwings flight were friendly and helpful, patiently explaining to us first timers how to use the infant seatbelt and life vest, and what we should do differently in the unlikely event of an emergency. We were lucky enough to have been allocated a row of 3 seats to ourselves so had a little room to spread out, but even without that luxury the seats seemed more spacious than I’ve experienced on other short haul airlines. The journey flew by (excuse the pun) with our Son taking a lengthy nap no doubt lulled by the gentle white noise of the jet engines and the sight of clouds passing gently below us. Us grown ups even got to enjoy a celebratory drink from the onboard service in peace.
Scenic drives
As requested in advance our transfer arrived equipped with a pristine and age appropriate car seat, and before we knew it we were pulling up outside our hotel. We’d opted for a family friendly aparthotel in the H10 Lanzarote Gardens. The combination of being on a half board basis but having a microwave and fridge in our room was the ideal situation for us. The hotel couldn’t have been better suited to young families, with entertainment on offer all day long, an exciting looking children’s club and even a creche available for babies from 6 months old, offering Mum & Dad a moment of relaxation if required. Quite a change from the adults-only hotels we’ve opted for in the past but certainly one that we would choose again in the future.
My only prior experience of the Canary Islands was several visits to Tenerife, so without knowing what to expect I’d imagined Lanzarote to be a similar, albeit smaller, version. I was therefore surprised to find a very different landscape and atmosphere, with no high-rise hotels or office buildings, simple low lying white-washed buildings in what I came to realise was typical Lanzarote architecture and a dramatic volcanic landscape, greener than Tenerife and dotted throughout with vineyards. We hired a car while we were there and explored from top to bottom, including calling at the renowned Jameos del Agua cavern system, visiting the capital of Arrecife for shopping and stopping for a sunset drink by the beach in Playa Blanca. Without exception our Son was welcomed wherever we went and revelled in the extra attention. Our visit coincided with the annual Food & Wine festival in Teguise, which offered the chance to taste refreshments from the Canary Islands, Spain and beyond accompanied by live music and entertainment. A family atmosphere prevailed on the Sunday afternoon and we didn’t feel at all out of place with baby and pushchair in tow.
Stairwell into the famous Jameos del Agua
The week flew by as we basked in perfect temperatures, pleasantly warm but without ever being uncomfortably hot. Before we knew it we were checking out of our room and heading back to the airport for return to Jersey. Another smooth and pleasant airport experience and flight, and once again arriving early, we were home by early afternoon with the post-holiday laundry quickly underway and the weekend still ahead of us.
Market day and a food festival in Teguise Old Town
All in all we had a fantastic break, blowing all of my worries about travelling with a young baby out of the water. Choosing a direct flight from Jersey to Lanzarote not only saved us time but also reduced the stress of air travel with a baby to practically zero. With the right luggage allowances and a manageable flight time, we started our holiday feeling relaxed and ready to enjoy ourselves, which is exactly what we did. For future holiday planning FlyDirect will be our first port of call.
Stunning Tapas in a restaurant in Costa Teguise