As a young couple, a cheap 3-night getaway is a must do experience, and creates so many happy memories. But adding in an (almost) 18 month old little girl can soon become pretty daunting, but let me tell you about the amazing trip we had to Ibiza, with our daughter, with only hand luggage! Yep, that’s right…you might think we’re crazy but we had the best time. I can’t recommend short breaks enough, the perfect way to spend a couple of days in the sunshine, without breaking the bank or needing loads of time off work.
Getting There
We bagged some super cheap flights with a budget airline, and of course, baggage wasn’t included in the low cost fares. After a bit of research online, we found some nifty bags that fit within the included baggage allowance and did our best to fit in as many outfits as possible for ourselves and our little one. My top tip would be to order any bulky items for click and collect, so you’ve not only got more space in your case, you also don’t spend a fortune on those tiny hand luggage sized bottles!
To keep our little girl entertained on the plane, we also packed a snack box with separate compartments for different snacks and treats. This was an absolute hit and even kept us happy when she fell asleep for the rest of the journey. When we arrived in Ibiza, we collected our pushchair and headed outside to grab a taxi to our accommodation. Outside of Ibiza Airport, there’s a long taxi rank, so you don’t have to wait too long to grab one. We found the prices quite reasonable and you’re able to pay by card too if you don’t have any cash to hand.
To find out more about travelling with kids using only your hand luggage allowance, make sure to check out this helpful blog.
The Accommodation
We booked a two-bedroom apartment which was part of the Vibra brand, and it was the perfect size for four adults and a baby. There are lots of apartments, hotels and aparthotels owned by the Vibra brand dotted around Ibiza and we were really impressed with the facilities of ours, so definitely recommend checking them out as the price is fantastic!
Vibra Algarb is nestled in beautiful Playa D’en Bossa and is a great choice if you want a touch of class in your holiday to Ibiza. For more of a party vibe, go for Vibra District, parked right in the centre of San Antonio.
Exploring The Island
Ibiza isn’t a huge island, so getting out and about is pretty easy to do. Our location was great for exploring, we were between Playa D’en Bossa and Ibiza’s Old Town, so we made sure to make the most of the gorgeous sites within walking distance. Both places gave off very different vibes but were both well worth a visit!
Playa D’en Bossa
Playa D’en Bossa is home to some of Ibiza’s world renowned clubs, HÏ and Ushuaia. But apart from the legendary party scene, this town is actually a lovely place to visit during the daytime. There’s lots of shops and restaurants dotted along the main street and on the beach front. We stopped for lunch and dinner here on different days and both restaurants we visited were delicious. The tasty lunch spot we found was called Pago Pago and it had a gorgeous beachfront location with endless views out to the sea. The second place we stopped for a meal in Playa D’en Bossa was Tacosanto Taqueria. We were all craving some delicious, fresh Mexican style food and we definitely got what we desired! The menu included everything you could possibly crave from nachos to burritos, tacos to quesadillas.
Ibiza Town
Ibiza Town was right on our doorstep, as this is the area where our accommodation was. Just a short stroll away from where we were staying was a whole host of cafes, restaurants, shops and bars, which meant we could get everything we needed. Having hand luggage meant we all packed quite light, so we needed to pick up some pool towels, more baby supplies and my brother in law needed some new flip flops, all of which we could get just a stone’s throw away which was ideal! Ibiza Town has a beautiful sea front, and the beach is really accessible. In certain spots, there’s a ramp that takes you down from the promenade, right to the sand’s level, which was ideal for us with a pushchair.
For us, the highlight of our holiday was stopping at different places to grab some food and watch the world go by. One of our favourite places in Ibiza Town that we visited was The Skinny Kitchen. This place has a venue in London and two in Ibiza, one in Ibiza Town and one in San Antonio, and it serves up delicious meals, all with your health in mind. Whether you’re looking to detox after a heavy night out or just after something tasty and healthy after enjoying plenty of delicious meals out, then The Skinny Kitchen will have plenty to pique your interest.
Ibiza Old Town
For a bit of a change of pace, we decided to walk down to Ibiza Old Town and take a look around. As its name suggests, this part of Ibiza has a very old-world feel to it, with many of the buildings dating back to historic periods of time. There’s even a castle perched on a hill, standing proud above Ibiza’s Old Town. The main street is wide, with plenty of pedestrianised parts so you can wander along and take in the area’s beauty. There’s a whole host of bars, restaurants and shops to enjoy here, including many designer stores and my favourite clothes shop, Zara!
Travelling With A Baby
For anyone who hasn’t braved travelling with a baby, I get it, it’s so daunting at first. But I promise, it’s not as scary as it seems and you’re not travelling to the moon so you can quite easily find things you need if you forget something or lose something, like we did! My little girl has a dummy, and on several occasions we misplaced it, and the thought of her not having it for the plane journey stressed me out so much. So, I did a bit of googling, and found a baby shop in the old town, comparable to Mamas and Papas here, it was called Moms, Dads & Babies. As soon as we walked into the shop, we were greeted by a lovely woman who happened to be English. She helped us find a dummy clip compatible with our dummy and we didn’t lose it again for the rest of the holiday, thank goodness!
Another top tip is that we round a lot of cafes, bars and restaurants aren’t particularly forthcoming with high chairs, and for the first day or so we took it in turns to have little one on our knee during mealtimes which meant one of us (usually me!) had a less than enjoyable meal with little hands tucking in too. However, further into the holiday we thought we best try our luck and see if they had a chair for her, and they did! In the UK we’re so used to waiters and waitresses offering them, we wrongly assumed they just didn’t have one, so make sure you ask as you’re being seated and you’ll be able to enjoy your meal without having to share with someone wanting to ‘dip dip’ your fries!
Feeling Inspired?
Ready to book your next holiday? Have I tempted you with my four day break in Ibiza? Check out these amazing short-break options!