Addy's blog: Over planning ahead?

So this blog started last week whilst on holiday in the south of France but the story started two years ago when we started planning the trip. Three couples, three countries and six kids between us saw a pretty detailed schedule get pulled together.  Friends flew over from the US, to holiday in Essex, London then Paris, where other friends met them overnight (via the Eiffel Tower of course), to then take the train to the south of France as a group of eight. My family who have the youngest children elected to drive rather than train with buggy etc. or pay over £1000 in flights (prices from a year ago!) so lots of decisions had to be made by all of us. When to fly, where to stay, what time train to get (day train/overnight train)? Where to stop for rests, where to stop overnight and where to eat etc. The last part playing a significant factor as my son has multiple life threatening food allergies that make eating out in the UK hard, let alone abroad in a foreign language and at the mercy of fast food outlets along the motorways.

Due to our meticulous planning my US friends arrived fine, had their Essex/London/Paris time and all eight of them arrived on time in the south of France, we were however a few hours late due to traffic and trying to find some lunch on a Sunday (an entire town was closed!). The next week was very busy making important decisions. Beach or pool first? Which ice cream flavour to choose, and in a cone or cup? And for the adults beer or wine? (Or both and which one first!) We mostly self-catered which made things much cheaper but also easier for us due to my son's allergies, and google translate (other online translators are available) proved an invaluable tool reading ingredients whilst out and about.

I had worried that even though I get on great with my friends, six adults and six kids (aged two to eight) all in one villa for a week would stretch our relationships. But all the kids got on great, the boys got to go fishing, the girls went for breakfast and walk around the old town. Importantly for us girls, out guys all get on. We are the main protagonists of the friendship circle, and the chaps only know each other as the married other halves. But we all payed in the pool or at the beach together and got on well, and it was nice having extra hands to keep an eye out in the pool or the beach. Although herding six kids is like herding six kittens at times, as they all just disperse automatically in different directions! But most importantly was the rest element. People managed to have a nap, read a magazine or a book (I finished a whole book, and I can’t remember the last time I actually read a proper novel), and each couple even went out for an evening alone on a much needed date night. 

So did we plan too much for the trip? A conversation with one of the other husbands springs to mind; plan for what you need to and go with the flow whilst away for the other stuff. Meaning, book the trains, planes and automobile elements, along with hotels, then just decide as you go for the smaller stuff. Don’t worry if the kids eat too much ice cream or crisps, there will be plenty of time to remedy the holiday excesses at home. The biggest thing my two year old had to decide this week was whether to choose an orange or pink cup for her water (a huge decision at her age obviously) but maybe I should take a leaf out of her book, and concentrate on what’s actually important and not sweat the little things?

I'm finishing this blog off just as we arrive home, having driven 800 miles in 2 days, the Americans left Sunday morning with a four airport slog in front of them, and the other couple went on to a different location for a week somewhere else in France. 

And on our last day we started hatching a plan for a trip to the US in 2 years’ time...

Addy is a director in risk for a bank in the city, with two young kids, a lovely husband a supportive nanny and 2 mad rescue cats.

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• Families