Home Holidays Europe travel Family holiday matchmaker Q&A: a TUI travel agent answers Mumsnetters' questions on travelling with kids Our recent holiday matchmaker thread gave Mumsnetters the chance to ask a TUI travel agent for advice on booking a dream family holiday. Read on for expert guidance and inspo for your next trip away with the kids. By Rachel Erdos | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 Advertisement Feature This article has been Created by Sure, searching for holidays is fun. But it can take hours (or days!) to sift through hotel, apartment and flight options to piece together the perfect family escape. And that’s if you know where to start in terms of a destination. If you’ve got a vague idea of what a dream holiday looks like for your family, but haven’t got the time to fully invest in the research, a travel agent can really help things take shape. Which is why we enlisted the services of a TUI travel expert in our recent holiday matchmaker Q&A, which offered Mumsnetters the opportunity to pose questions directly to a seasoned travel agent. Our holidays forum is the perfect platform to share and absorb information on family holidays and we got some stellar advice from a travel industry expert on the thread. Here are the highlights in an easy-to-digest format to provide inspo for your next family holiday. Q. Can you recommend a toddler-friendly holiday in Europe that’s luxurious for adults?Lighter22 asks: I have two year old twins and would like a holiday which is toddler friendly but still with luxury for the adults. Dream holiday destination: Europe, within 3 hour flight from Stansted, Oct/Nov travel, all-inclusive. Budget: £5k. Our TUI travel agent answers:I would recommend Turkey. I recently travelled to Turkey in March 2024 with my 2 year old and partner. We stayed in Antalya at the Rixos Premium Belek. If you are looking for luxury mixed with child friendly activities the Rixos hotels are perfect. The Rixos Premium Belek also gives you free access into the Land of Legends Theme Park and shopping village. Well worth a trip! We stayed in Turkey for a week and visited The Land of Legends Park 3 times! The Rixos hotels have a kids area called Rixy where they have a soft play area and activities area, my son loved it. The Rixos hotels are very luxurious. Q. Any ideas for an active break for teens somewhere warm and sunny? SlipperyLizard asks: Now the kids are older they’re less entertained by a swimming pool. I’d like to go somewhere for two weeks that isn’t mega hot, and has plenty to do that’s not just swimming/sunbathing! Kids are 13 & 15, I'm looking for all-inclusive somewhere not too hot in summer or the Easter hols. Budget: £10k Our TUI travel agent answers:Holiday Villages would be ideal for children in this age group. Most open 1st May, however Costa del Sol and Cyprus open a little earlier, so could be an option for an Easter Break (depending when it falls) and as it’s early in the season it shouldn’t be too hot. Q. I want sightseeing and history and Italian cuisine. My kids want an all-inclusive break with pools. Help! mindtheGAAP asks: I'd love to go to Italy to do some sightseeing and take in some history, as well as enjoy some Italian cuisine. But the kids would prefer an all inclusive swim every day type holiday. What's the best way to combine what we all want?! When: Easter, May 2025, kids: 8-10 + A2C, duration: 7-10 days. Budget: £4-5k Our TUI travel agent responds:I would suggest a couple of options. Either a Marella cruise which has the all inclusive, pool etc kids are after. Then would include a different port of call every day so have the sightseeing aspect also. Or the Magic Life in Calabria hotel as it's all inclusive but also can easily venture out and explore. Hope these help! Q. Where's good in Portugal for beaches and quiet hotels that are well equipped for kids? prawncocktailcrispss asks I would love to go to Portugal - it's somewhere I've never been to, it looks quieter and less 'touristy' than Spain - with a short flight for the kids. So where would you recommend in Portugal - with the best beach, quiet but hotel equipped for children (9 and 13) in the school holidays for 7-10 days. Budget: £3k Our TUI travel agent answers:You're right.. Portugal is a lot less commercial than some destinations and has a lot of character and charm. Alvor in the Algarve would tick your boxes.Q. Looking for a self-catering holiday somewhere hot outside school holidays as a family of four plus parents with mobility issues? marniemae asks: We are a family of 4, 2 girls aged 3 and 4 months. Our dreamdestination would be somewhere hot in Oct/Nov, outside of school holidays. Self catering as fussy toddler. Where's best place where my parents could come too? Early 70s and mum has a few mobility issues. We'd love 2 separate living spaces but connected. Budget: £5k Our TUI travel agent answers:Have you ever considered a villa? I think that could be a perfect option to give you lots of space. Travelling outside of the school holidays should help make it more affordable as well. I do think you would be better travelling slightly further afield with being later in the season. Cyprus or the Canary islands would be a perfect option. Q. Do you know a family-friendly hotel in Mexico with good food and a water park? SarahSosej asks: I flew with TUI to Rhodes last year and loved it. I’m looking further afield for the next holiday and am interested in Mexico. Can you recommend a family friendly resort on the beach with a water park or lazy river and good food choices? Many thanks! Our TUI travel agent answers:Hi, I holidayed at the Grand Sirenis Riveria Maya Resort with a 9yr & 12yr old. They loved the onsite lazy river, 4 pools & joined the Kids Club too. They could use their inflatables in the pools and got us helping them in the daytime activity challenges. There were a lot of restaurants to choose from & we found the food to a good standard. They even had a lovely coffee shop for my daily fix! Q. The best way to see the Amalfi Coast in September?Beautifulsunflowers asks: Italy on on top of my list next year and i've narrowed it down to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. I’d like to go in Sep for around 10 days and see as much as I can with day trips and the odd day relaxing by the pool. It’s just me and my partner. What's the best way to do this? Multi centre holiday? Stay in one place and hire a car? Organised tour holiday? It’s a minefield of options!!! Our TUI travel agent answers:Wow… Sorrento and Amalfi coast is a wow trip. I would recommend staying in the one place perhaps Sorrento and hiring a car to explore the coast. It will save packing and unpacking and be a more affordable way. Top tip make sure you visit the island of Capri…. You wont regret it. Q. Any budgeting tips for Walt Disney World Florida? lovemyflipflops asks: I'd love to go to Disney Land in America - it's our dream holiday. Needs to be in the school holidays - with a deal if possible. If I select the room only option, how easy can it be to change my booking to tailor the meals option, or can there be a self catering room where I can prepare breakfasts and a light lunch to take with us in a cool bag? Budget: £4k Our TUI travel agent answers:Walt Disney World Florida is a dream family holiday that you will remember forever. You will have a fantastic time. The self catering option would be a great way for you to stick to budget and have breakfast before you hit the parks. You can take snacks and drinks and launch into the parks. I would recommend taking water bottles with you are there is a refillable ice water machine for free around the parks. Also great options for food delivery service from local supermarkets. Regards dates the American schools go back at the start of August so after that is always a good time to go with you having to stick to school holidays. Enjoy the trip of a lifetime and say Hi to Mickey for me. Q. We'd love a dream holiday to Thailand. Any tips for a hotel that caters to allergy sufferers? RhetoricalRectangle asks: My dream holiday destination is Thailand with two kids aged 8 months and four years, preferably all-inc (not in the rainy season). Budget: £3-£4k Will there ever be an AI option that caters for food allergy sufferers? Would LOVE if there was a hotel with allergy trained chefs who could guarantee safe dining for those with multiple food allergies. Our TUI travel agent answers:Thailand is a great choice for a dream holiday. Thailand is not very driven by the all inclusive package, few hotels will offer it and at quite a high premium, not to mention that other than its many beautiful attributes Thailand is famous for its cuisine and very cost effective dining out options. I would suggest looking into the TUI BLUE MAI KHO LAK or Robinson Kho Lak. Both Hotels have qualified chefs who would be happy to look into options to cater for allergies. From November to April, great weather and many options available for flying routes. You may need to be flexible on your budget, depending on the duration.Q. Any recommendations for a February escape to the Canaries in an apartment with kids' facilities and all-inclusive dining? Needingsomeguidance asks Wanting to book for late Feb - Canaries or somewhere with a similar climate. Our son will be 2 and is a snorer. Can you recommend a all-inc hotel with apartments? Children's pool & playground close to the beach? Seems so difficult to get accommodation which is bigger than a hotel room which accommodates a separation for the evenings which isn't self catering! Our TUI travel agent answers:You could try TUI BLUE Playa Feliz or TUI BLUE Tres Vidas in Gran Canaria. Both have 2 bed apartments with an all inclusive option (shared facilities with the TUI Blue Orquidea). The great thing about these apartments are that you can use the Childcare facilities in the hotel next door including the Baby Club and free Parent and Baby sessions. The transfer is only about 30 minutes too. About TUIWhen it comes to booking a holiday, we know everyone likes something different - from great value all inclusive deals with TUI MAGIC LIFE where kids can go free* at selected hotels to our action packed Holiday Village options and our TUI BLUE for families hotels which cater for everyone and are handpicked just for your family.Our holiday portfolio ticks off everything from beach holidays and city breaks through to lakes and mountains getaways. We also offer tours that let you experience exotic places like Costa Rica, South Africa and Japan in a brand new way, and multi-destination trips with over 5,000 combinations to choose from. As one of the biggest UK holiday companies, we're here whenever you need us - via our stores, website or 24/7 Holiday line. Book now for 2024 and get a £0 deposit* when you pay via Direct Debit*.About the authorRachel Erdos is an Editor at Mumsnet where she commissions, edits and writes content with a focus on family travel.She has written hotel reviews, features and destination guides for top publications including the Guardian, Four Seasons Magazine, Travelzoo, Visit Britain and Visit London. She loves nothing more than researching and writing about fun things for families to do in destinations near and far, as well as trawling the Mumsnet holiday forum for inspiration for her next trip away with her husband and two kids.