It is possible to have the potty AND the training toilet seat?

[biglips]

once i start potty training my DD?

or only one of them?

We have both, and dd uses both - she was scared of toilets without training seats, but loves to use the 'big toilet' with one. Potty very useful for starting off with (we started with CBeebies after breakfast with dd on potty, to get used to peeing/pooing in it, for a few weeks before losing nappies!) and we still use one for outings sometimes, as dd still reluctant to go on adult loos.
Good luck!

what type of training seat is best? hard seat or padded?

I don't know, we only have a padded one - with little handles at the side.

We started with potty at first, then introduced training seat after a couple of weeks. Then after another couple of weeks put potty away although do still take it in the car sometimes. DD is 2.3.

we started with potties so we could use them in the living room and distract dd with the tv while sitting on it. We did use the big toilet sometimes too and it was handy that we have a downstairs toilet as it saved lots of trips up and down the stairs. She rarely uses a potty now and prefers to use the big toilet - she has a step stool for the toilet but we dont use a training seat. She holds on by herself and has managed not to fall in yet. She is 2.9 years

We use both too. She went through a phase of only wanting the toilet seat as she's a big girl, but sometimes she seems to choose the potty. I've just left her to it really, as long as she's using one of them and not having accidents I don't mind!

Oh and our toilet seat is a cheap, plastic Wilkinson's one and she's fine on it.

Our daughter has used both since she started potty training; we have the potty downstairs and the toilet seat upstairs, so it works well. It also makes going to other people's houses easier, as she can use whatever they have and doesn't get stressed about it.