There are NO English Channels

So you made sure that the place you booked for that precious family holiday (abroad) has a TV & English Channels. You arrive at the hotel, thinking you will get a few minutes rest, by turning on the telly for the kids. You flick through. Flick through. Endless channels only to discover BBC World News & CNN are the only English Channels! Wait, there looks like there is kids channel. But, oh no, it is dubbed in French.

Now what, you think in disbelief? Good thing you found this post. Since this has happened to me, more times than I care to mention, before travelling with the kids. I always travel prepared. Because I will honestly admit that TV is my free babysitter. We have thus far managed to steer clear of handing off our mobiles to our kids. But this post is not about tech-free parenting or the like.

You can pick up really small DVD players, for about £20. These are small & perfectly packable. I am not talking about those portable ones, with the tiny little screen. Just standard small sized ones can be found from Argos, Asda or Tesco. It is worth investing in one, for the kids & yourself. Make sure that the one you get is compatible with new & old TV models.

But then DVDs cost so much, so is it really worth investing in a DVD player, you may ask? This is where this post gets all charitable. We all getting good at dropping off what we don’t want at the local charity shop. So how about picking up something from there?

My local MIND charity shop had a wonderful selection of DVDs for only £1 each. Great value. OK, there were 3 copies of 'The Wedding Planner' and no 'Cars 2'. Check for any obvious scratches before buying. Just be sure to test them out at home, before you jet off. I also suggest taking them out of their cases & popping them into a CD travel case. A cheap one off Ebay, will do. Pack the DVDs in there. Place them between layers of clothes, so they do not get broken in transit. They will take up less room in the luggage this way.

Of course, if your little one only likes watching a particular programme, consider buying the DVDs from Amazon, Ebay or wherever you can find it. My youngest loved 'Andy's Dinosaur Adventures' & that DVD set was worth every penny. Something else worth considering. If you do have some downloaded movies, you can sometimes plug & play the movies. But do remember to take along a plug adaptor if you require it.

If you have any of your own suggestions, please do share them. Please do share this post, with friends & family who simply have to have their dose of English Telly!

#NoEnglishChannels #TV Abroad

#NoEnglishChannels