Planning your first holidays away as a single parent can be quite daunting and often puts many off. But if you are smart and follow some of these tips, single parent trips do not have to be any harder than a regular holiday.

Planning where to go is one of the most fun parts of booking a holiday. Make sure you get the children involved so they are happy with where you are going and don't act up when you have arrived. Find a couple of locations and accommodation options that are suitable and within your budget, then let the children help pick. They will feel very grown up and enjoy the holiday more if they feel they have helped to choose it.

Lists are underrated and can be a godsend when trying to organise a holiday like this. Well before your departure date, create lists of the important things you need to take and pack. Then, closer to the time, you can work through these lists and make sure nothing is left behind. They will also prove useful with packing on the way home.

Finally, make sure all the children have valid passports, as there is nothing worse than checking on the day you leave and realising someone's is out of date. They can take a fair amount of time to come back when renewing them so leave yourself a few weeks before your holiday.

Don't forget to get talking to other families and single parents when on the holiday. Not only will you make some new friends to talk to, but your children will have some new pals to play around with. Even better would be to book the holiday with a single parent friend so you have another adult to share the experience with.

All inclusive holidays can be great for single parent holidays, as you do not have to cook every night or eat out, which can be expensive. You cook for the children for the whole year, so why not treat everyone to an all inclusive package? The children will no doubt love the freedom of choosing their own meals from the buffet style offerings that many hotels offer in all inclusive packages.

If you are having trouble planning your holiday or knowing where to go, why not get in contact with a specialist travel company who can advise you on the best locations and accommodation that will suit your needs as a single parent?