PRE-SCHOOLERS (2-5)

Travelling with kids of this age is like packing a very intense weather system – glorious sunshine one minute, a hurricane the next. Cover all bases with a hybrid resort that combines longed-for hotel facilities such as creches, restaurants and baby pools with villas or apartments where you can feed them plain pasta without judgement and allow them to kick off should they so desire.

“Clients don’t want villas anymore because they feel it means they are doing too much on holiday. But this is the best of both worlds. And I think Portugal does it better than anywhere else,” says Emma Barnett of Tots Too. Many of the country’s hybrid resorts are in the Algarve, a region that is the cheapest place to take a holiday in the Eurozone, according to the Post Office’s 2023 Holiday Money Report.

Bad development put the area on the backburner for a while, but now big-name hotels are opening in unspoiled corners. Meanwhile, revitalised towns such as Faro and neighbouring Olhão make for fun excursions – as do the sandy islands of the Rio Formosa, a child-friendly boat hop away.

The luxury Domes chain launched its first resort outside of Greece near the resort town of Vilamoura in 2023. “Location-wise, that is incredible,” says Barnett. “It’s right in front of this beautiful big lake. They manage the villas onsite, so you can take one of those and then have the services of the hotel”.

These include a creche for the under-4s (sessions cost from £25), as well as a kids’ club with its own organic garden. Tots Too (020 7284 3344; totstoo.com) offers a week here for two adults and one child from £4,220 including flights.

Elsewhere…

IN SUMMER

For the princess-fixated, Disneyland Hotel reopens at the Paris theme park in early 2024 after an extensive refurbishment. A three-night midweek break (03448 008898; disneylandparis.com) costs from £2,690 room only for two adults and two children, including park tickets but excluding travel.

IN WINTER

In autumn 2024, Jet2’s new flights to Agadir ( jet2.com) will put the beaches of this sunny Moroccan city within easier reach. The five-star Sofitel Royal Bay (0808 145 3778; sofitel-agadir-royal-bay.h-rez.com), with its private beach and playground, reopens in the summer; double rooms sleep up to three from £120 per night.

EASY ESCAPE

Bogee Farm’s name alone is guaranteed to get them excited. At this collection of Cornish cottages just 10 minutes’ drive from Padstow, curving cream sofas bordering firepits up the adult-friendly glam factor, while little ones will love the sheep, cows and pet goats. A week for a family of four (07340 446151; bogeefarm.co.uk) costs from £875.

i Child’s play: at Bogee Farm in Cornwall, ‘the name alone is enough to get them excited’