Read Mumsnetter reviews of Tots to Travel resorts

[EllieMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the users that tested out the Tots Exclusive Experience resorts for a week. This was open to all UK MNers with children under the age of 5.

Non-testers in order to be entered into a prize draw, where one MNer will win a £200 voucher, please answer this question: Share your golden tip for going away with babies or toddlers!

Here is what Tots to Travel have to say: “At Tots to Travel we believe that every family with children under five should be able to holiday wherever they want, in the style they choose and in locations they love. It’s why we’ve developed our own Tots Exclusive Experience resorts. To give you those little extras that go a long way to address the specific needs that only parents of babies and toddlers face when going on holiday. With locations ranging from idyllic countryside retreats to blissful beachside escapes, there are plenty of places to choose from.

We are committed to giving every parent the confidence to go anywhere with their little ones, by providing everything you need for a seamless and stress-free travel experience. Tots Exclusive Experience resorts combine a whole lot of holiday know-how with a sense of fun, plenty of play, essential baby and toddler equipment, safety and a level of care that you won’t find anywhere else.

Each of the seven Tots Exclusive Experience resorts comes with the same Tots quality and family focus to make sure your holiday really is one to remember.”

Testers please answer the following questions:
- Which resort did you attend?
- Did you have all the Tots Essential Kit that you requested in your accommodation?
- Did your accommodation suit the specific needs of a family with children under five?
- Did you find the in accommodation play corner age appropriate and engaging?
- Did you find the Tots Play Zones age appropriate and engaging?
- Did you find the Playmaker activities age appropriate, varied and engaging? (Green Garden, Villacana Resort & Vale da Ribeira only)
- Did the Tots Guarantee of the Essential Kit and accommodation safety checks make you feel more at ease about holidaying with young children?
- Were you able to relax, recharge and reconnect as a family?

Selected testers will be required to leave their feedback on a thread on Mumsnet and fill in a short survey. Everyone who leaves the required feedback will be entered into a prize draw where 1 MNer will win £100 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Non tester
My golden tip for travelling with babies/toddlers is always have a spare change of clothes for yourself in the nappy bag/hand luggage. Learned this one the hard way! It’s easy to prioritise their comfort above your own and forget but remember happy parent = happy baby!!!

non tester

For little ones bring a black sheet or whatever to darken the room if they are used to a dark room to sleep well.

Never heard of Tots to Travel before this, but actually quite interested in now booking a break like this to take DS away with his cousins!

Anyway, top tip(s) (coming from a 2 year old DS rather than older children) is to take turns and try and carve out some adult time when you're away so that both parents get some time completely to themselves, whether that's to read a book in peace, or go to a spa, or just sleep in for a few hours. At least then you both feel like you've had some time to relax and unwind.

Non-testers in order to be entered into a prize draw, where one MNer will win a £200 voucher, please answer this question: Share your golden tip for going away with babies or toddlers!

Choose places that can help you - hotels / caravan parks / family members who can arrange for a high chair / cot on arrival so you don't have to take it with you. Also, roof boxes and roof racks - stick a cheap umbrella buggy on the roof and fill the roof box with clothes to give you more space in the car.

Take little wrapped presents (crayons & pad, coloured pom-poms, finger puppets etc.) stashed in your handbag and dole out during the journey as a reward for good behaviour. Take extra so you have some for the return journey!

Non-tester - my top travel tip with babies/toddlers would be to have a family nap each day. We always took a break from the midday soon and settled our two down for a nap whilst we had some quiet time. It meant we could all enjoy the evenings without the stress of two overtired children and it gave us a much needed break too.

Sorry that should say midday SUN!!

I've travelled so many times with my kids and I have so many tips I don't really know where to start! First it is take antiseptic wipes with you plus a change of top and trousers/dress for them… Maybe for you too! I like to pack lots of little new toys (or ones they've forgotton about!!) that are wrapped up or packaged up in some way so they are a mystery for them to open throughout the journey. As they got older I just make sure I buy them some toys. These are really cheap things that can be lost or chucked away usually but now they're much older it's usually stationary. I also admit I do preload lots and lots of videos and TV programmes on to their devices as well. Snacks is also a must and I pack a ton in little boxes for them. Having their own blanket or cushion or next support is also quite good as well as a pair of slippers if it's a long haul flight. I would also pack lollipops if it's a flight for take off and landing. Even if it doesn't help with the ears, it stops them talking for a bit!

My tip is when packing to find a balance between being prepared for every eventuality and understanding that you can buy things wherever you are heading off to

My tip is take more of everything than you think you will need! Wipes, clothes, snacks etc... It's amazing what unexpected things can crop up with a young child and can be stressful to be unprepared.

Pack plastic bowls, cutlery and favourite milk bottles

non tester, lists and prep are great and will save you stress, but above all else remember it's a holiday and supposed to be fun, they're little for such a short time you have to make the most of it while it lasts.

None tester.

my top tip is being organised. Lots of lists, everything packed within reach and always have a supply of mini activities to do.

Also for me I had to stop sweating the small stuff. So some nights we would be out all hours as she danced the night away. The next she was in bed by six and I settled down with a good book and some nice nibbles. If I tried to plan perfect moments invariably I would be disappointed and frustrated. Instead I learnt to just relax and see how the day panned out. It took the pressure off a lot.

Oh and snacks. Lots of snacks.

Non tester here.

My advice: don't be ambituous, and don't expect kids to tolerate adult ideas of what make a a good holiday!

Non-tester here:

My top tip - we decided to go away with our baby, toddler, our parents, 2 of my cousins, my auntie and my cousin's kid. The more, the merrier! Or so we thought! We so wanted it to be a huge coming together of people we love but in reality everyone wanted to do different things and it was difficult to meet everyone's wishes/needs together. It would have been better to split the time we had in to two and spent half of it with DH's family and the other half with mine.

My tip is to take pjs and comfy blankets for any late flights so they are comfortable on board and ready to get to bed when you get home.

Non tester - my tips are to make sure you have more of everything than you expect to need and take plenty of things to entertain the little ones like crayons and books. Snacks and drinks for traveling and a favourite teddy to help with bedtime.

Non tester here - my top tip is to explain as much as you can to little ones about where you are going, what you will be doing - helps them to start to adjust and start getting excited!

My golden tip for going away with tots, particularly if you're sharing a room, is to remember the head phones for after bed time movie watching, otherwise you just end up falling asleep at 8pm because of spending too long in the dark.

non tester here - my top tip is to choose somewhere that's about 2 or 3 hours ahead (like Greece) so you will naturally fit into the country's later meal times without having to change your child's body clock's schedule - so at home our children usually have dinner around 5-5.30 - the time difference meant we were eating dinner at 7-8 local time, they weren't getting hangry and we didn't feel weird for eating too early. (We were still often the earliest though!)

Share your golden tip for going away with babies or toddlers:
Take a good amount of snacks, especially those that may take a little longer to eat. Keep activities new and try and be creative how you use it to entertain a child.

Non tester
Take lots of little toys to keep them busy. Take extended family to help out!

Non tester: keep tones of snacks in your bag, some spare clothes for adults and toddlers / babies and don’t plan too much!

These sound like great places for young families, I really struggled having a good holiday running after little ones , in the end it did not feel like a holiday for me.

Non tester.

Plan for every eventuality!!!!
It's best to have as many things to hand as you will need for each situation on holiday and during the transportation period so that you are not spending extra money, at an inflated price at the resort, on buying things you've forgotten to bring.
Keep children well occupied on the journey- games/puzzles, food, lots of interesting conversation and learning opportunities,. Also, plan times to catch a nap so they do not get overtired and irritable. Nothing spoils a holiday more than a crying, overtired child.

If you want a real break then don't choose self catering and accustom your children to eating out in restaurants beforehand and being used to trying all sorts of food. Don't let your child's behaviour spoil someone else's holiday!

Plan simple things to do each day at a leisurely pace. Let them be responsible for carrying their own things and help them find a friend at the resort who likes to do the same things as them and they will entertain themselves to a certain extent.