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In our relationship, I am the spontaneous one who wouldn't think twice about jumping on a plane with nothing but my handbag, while my husband is the responsible over-thinker. They say

opposites attract, and 15 or so years later we are happily married with our first child and have just returned home from our first family holiday. After a lot of deliberating on where to go

to this year, we chose Cyprus, having been there together during our pre-wed years and loved it, and the fact the weather would be good at the start of May. Given that our daughter Ivy is

only 15-months-old, we don't have to worry about the colossal school holiday prices just yet as kids under two not only fly on laps for free but many hotels do not charge for little

ones either. After a week spent in sunny Paphos, there were some huge lessons learned when planning a holiday abroad, so let me talk you through them. First up, we chose sensible flight

times and picked ones that would coincide with Ivy's nap on the way out and bedtime on the way home. While it was wishful thinking she would snooze right though the four and a half hour

journey across the Med so we could leisurely sip on a G&T, she did sleep for half of it both ways, which I took as a win. We flew with Tui who I find are more generous with their hand

luggage allowance compared to other budget airlines - essential as my bag was jam-packed with snacks, games and anything that could remotely entertain a wriggly toddler. On that note, snacks

are fundamental. We took foods she was familiar with and foods that didn't create too much mess but would occupy her such as raisins, grapes, granola bars and bread sticks. We used our

Ogio backpack as it had so many different pockets and was much easier to have on the plane compared to a wheelie suitcase. As she was sitting on my lap, here's a top tip, don't

wear white on a plane. Make sure you pack a change of clothes for your child and have wet wipes to hand. We filled up her milk bottle for free from Starbucks while we were in the North

Terminal departure lounge and gave it to her during take off to minimise ear-popping screams. We also put her pushchair in the hold and used a Wildride side sling to carry her through the

airport as it was so much more convenient when your hands are full with passports and boarding passes. Once we touched down in Cyprus, we didn't bother hiring a car because our hotel

was only 15 minutes drive away, plus it had everything on its doorstep so we could walk everywhere. As it was quite a long flight, I wouldn't have wanted to make the journey even longer

with accommodation further away. Our hotel, Athena Beach, organised transfers to and from the airport and I requested a car seat so we didn't have to lug ours from home which was so

handy. In fact, as a family-run business, the hotel was absolutely excellent for guests with children and everything was so easy while we were there. We booked a room with a balcony -

fundamental if you have a child in my opinion. While she napped during the day, my husband and I were able to catch some rays on our sunbeds immediately outside, and in the evening when she

went to bed at 7pm, we would share a bottle of wine on our terrace rather than hiding under the duvet with our phones. We requested a cot in our family size room and the mattress was

surprisingly thick which meant Ivy slept well each night. The hotel not only had various outdoor pools, it had a fantastic splash pad which she used every day, slides, a baby pool and an

indoor pool. An indoor pool was great when we wanted to escape the hottest part of the day, but also the water temperature was much warmer than the outdoor pools for babies. It has a kids

club for over fours, so we didn't use that, but perhaps something for future holidays. With a shop inside the hotel and a decent size fridge in our room, we were able to buy bottled

water and keep it chilled, as well as the vino of course. Ivy still drinks two bottles of milk a day, but she wasn't a fan of the Mediterranean cows so she went a whole week without a

drop. I couldn't even disguise it in her Weetabix, so you might want to consider this if your child relies on milk to go to sleep. There was a cute play park within the hotel grounds

and plenty of high chairs in the restaurant. We took her own plastic plate, bowl, cup and cutlery from home as she's just realised she can launch them all across the floor. On the topic

of food, the buffet selection was phenomenal. We sadly had to forgo the adult-only restaurant and rooftop cocktail bar during this trip, but we thoroughly enjoyed eating alfresco every

evening as a family of three. There was a superb range of salads, carved meat, fish, pasta, breads and Cypriot specialities, and the feta cheese was phenomenally smooth. Not to mention the

tables of desserts were sensational. We went half board, so breakfast and dinner was included and I had a lovely break from cooking and washing up. As much as I wanted to sip on Pina coladas

all day, it wasn't going to happen this year, and with Ivy sleeping over lunch time, we tended just to grab a sandwich and a pastry to eat on the balcony rather than go for a sit-down

meal. One thing I really loved about this hotel was that there were lots of green areas and even sun loungers on the grass which made it much safer for Ivy when she had wet feet. The beach

was at the bottom of the hotel which was incredibly convenient, and we only left the resort a handful of times to walk to the harbour - around 20 minutes away. In hindsight, if we stayed at

this hotel again I would leave the buggy at home. We hardly used it and tended to put Ivy in the sling when she wasn't walking. As well as being a family-friendly hotel, Athena Beach

also caters for luxury adult guests, and there is a separate pool with swim-up bar dedicated to grown-ups. On a few occasions while my husband enjoyed an afternoon siesta with our baby girl,

I sneaked downstairs to have a couple of hours on my own, soaking up the glorious sunshine and swimming in the peaceful pool. Listening to nothing but the swaying of palm trees and the

crashes of waves in the ocean, sitting there with my book and a Diet Coke was pure and utter bliss, and for a moment I forgot I was on holiday with my husband and toddler. While going on

holiday with an energetic toddler was never going to be the relaxing break we were used to, thanks to the set-up of the hotel and the fantastic staff, we were still able to recharge our

batteries and rest, enabling us to have the most amazing first family holiday. With lots of wonderful memories to treasure and very little stress, it has given us the confidence to go abroad

again with our daughter. LAURA'S TOP TIPS FOR TRAVELLING WITH A TODDLER ABROAD * Pick flight times that would coincide with your child's nap times or bedtime - 11am and 7pm worked

well for our 15-month-old * Let them burn off as much energy as possible in the terminal * Board last * Fill hand luggage with toys - stickers, masking tape, thin books, puzzles and

containers with lids to put things in and out * Take snacks they are familiar with and that do not cause too much mess such as crackers, dried fruit and oat bars * Take a bag with lots of

pockets such as an Ogio rucksack which is great for travelling * When booking hold luggage, go for the heaviest option - our limit was 25kg - and one bag was enough for the three of us for a

week, plus hand luggage * Put your buggy in the hold (there's a separate desk at bag drop-off) and carry your child in a sling. We used the brand Wildride which was excellent * Ask for

a car seat to be in your taxi transfer/ hire car and leave yours at home * Choose a hotel that's close to the airport. We went to Athena Beach in Paphos which was great for families

and only 15 minutes away * Choose a hotel with an indoor pool * Request a cot for your room * Book a family size room so you don't feel on top of each other * Book a room with a balcony

so you and your partner can still have some alone time * Ask for a fridge in your room * Half board was a great choice for us * Bring your child's own cutlery, crockery and a bib *

Bring plenty of nappies and swim nappies to minimise stress of running out or having to go shopping while you are there * Bring Calpol and high factor sun cream * Bring a small lunch box or

container to keep snacks handy and clean in your beach bag * Plenty of hats in case they lose them * Embrace flexibility as things don't always go to plan such as flight delays, bedtime

and appetite