Share your tips for planning a family holiday with a baby or toddler with Thomas Cook - £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

Going on holiday with a baby or toddler in tow means you’re likely having to plan for things you’ve never even considered before. Whether you’re new to holidays with a baby or toddler or feel like you’ve got too much experience, Thomas Cook would like to hear the tips you have for planning a family holiday with a baby or toddler.

Here’s what Thomas Cook has to say: “Going away with a baby or toddler can, at times, be a little stressful; there are lots of readers out there with some great tips to help make things easier for other mums, meaning that everyone can enjoy their well-earned time away”

Do you find that it’s easiest to book a package holiday so that the big stuff is done all in one go? Perhaps you have tips for making a flight run smoothly? Or maybe you have ideas for keeping them entertained when you’ve had to scale down their toy collection for the week?

Whatever your tips, share them below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&CS apply

Just go with the flow! Let your baby/toddler take the lead. It is going to be a disruption to routines etc but if you accept that before you go then you are ahead already. Take plenty of snacks for the journey and plan in more stops if you are driving.

We took our 2 (4 and 16 months at the time) to the Canaries earlier this year. We booked a package deal and all inclusive which we would never have dreamed of doing pre-DC, but we just wanted to make it as easy as possible and not have to worry about shopping/cooking etc. We downloaded some stuff from Disney and CBeebies as well as some games for entertaining during the journey. We booked a hotel with a Kids Club that DC1 enjoyed for a couple of sessions (especially useful on our last afternoon when we had to vacate our room by midday, but hang around waiting for our flight until the evening). They also loved the mini disco every evening.

We made sure the hotel was close to the beach and also a supermarket so we could stock up on milk/nappies/snacks. Have a few tupperware containers in the case for storing things that might leak in transit. These can then be washed out and used for snacks/sandwiches during the stay.

Finally, leave plenty of time for getting to/from airport and then to the gate in case the LO's decide they need an inconveniently timed wee!

I always look for a package that offers a children’s playground as well as a children’s pool. Food is less important as I like mine to try local cuisine if we are abroad.

Pack a sense of humour as something will probably go wrong at some point.

Only take what is essential and buy cheap versions of everything else on arrival.

Make sure that there is access to a good doctor near wherever you are, that you have comprehensive travel insurance and that you keep emergency numbers in paper as well as on your phone.

Keep expectations low!!!!
Holidays with children are very different than those without - certainly not as relaxing!! Though they can be just as fun & memorable - just different.

We always book a hotel very near to the beach, go at least half board so at least the shopping/ cooking / cleaning is kept to a minimum, book a family room so there is plenty of space, and take some familiar toys / games / books.

We also try to minimise any travel time so maybe 3 hour flight max / 40 mins transfer time max etc.

We booked our first holiday abroad via a package, it was great knowing everything had been pre sorted (coach transfers, apartment, flights etc). We took a small push chair with us and it was free to do so.

We also booked the airport loinge, our eldest is autistic so we thought it would be quiter, it was lively with lots of 'free ' food and drink. We also got priority on the plane getting to go on first due to having a toddler / autistic child with us.

We took plenty of toys and mags for our 2 year old for on the plane. Thankfully he slept most of the way!

We tend to book non package holidays for more flexibility. Bring lots of snacks, small toys, battery power packs for electronic devices. Keep mains chargers at hand for charging at the airport. Allow plenty of time for connections, it's better to have to kill time than to be rushing around at the last minute. Make use of online forums and Tripadvisor for researching your destination - I've often picked up great tips on restaurants/amenities in the local area.

Now that I have kids. Packages holidays, one resort only, kids clubs, all inclusive.

It used to be multi destination, breakfast only, boutique hotels but now if my son enjoys it I enjoy it. Lots of activities at the hotel also a bonus

Go before you have to pay for them

book flight early morning or late so u need to bundle them up and in the car and they then sleep for as much of the journey as possible.
let them be bored.or learn to be bored and then sit.often we try and shove htings or get panicked in needing them to be entertained all the time.but on journeys there is often so much for them to see and entertain themselves so let them try and sit and be first.
then out comes the scribble pads.colouring books.
writing a diary of the holiday adventures.
drawing postcards for nanny back home.
audio books.cds.dvd.
cards.
fun fact books on the places your going and asking them to spot things
back of snacks.
take a pillow in the car.
let them wear comfortable clothing.
don't feel the pressure to make it action packed holidays...it set president for all future ones too!we learnt very wuickly that they love to have a pool and the rest you can be more relaxed over.when we tried to make activities all over the place they just got tired and ansty.
if you want to do things more culture based for the adult make them think it is there idea.
help them feel comfortable about foreign foods bytnot making a fuss.
remember often in Europe they eat later and so restuarent booking my vary.

We used to do package holidays because all the organising is taken out of the holiday, and you just need to turn up. We pay for private transfers, where we can, and choose places near the sea- walking distance..

For the plane, we have a bag that goes within the baby bag, which has all our liquids and food for the baby. It has all the sachets of Calpol and cream etc. When you get to security, that whole bag comes out and is quick to put into boxes to go through scanners.

In an airport, we love our Maclaren folding pram, which you can usually take to the foot of the steps for a plane.
We take aloe Vera gel in case they get prickly heat.
On holiday, it is worth investing in the once a day sun tan cream, and we don't then do cover all swim suits. We let our girls run around in just swim pants which is lovely- they're totally safe in the sun.
And when abroad, we do siesta.. then the girls can stay up later, which is really nice..
Ah, holidays. I want one now!

Always be preprared! Lots of organisation before hand in terms of pre- planning for all eventualities! ...things to do, easily packable activities/crayons/books etc always come in handy when there and when travelling.. and never forget that special toy!

Dont hold high hopes on relaxation 😂

Go for somewhere child/family friendly. Lots to do in the area and kids club in the hotel. Try and get flight times that dont completely throw them off routine. Fold up, light weight buggies are perfect - we have one that folds small and you can carry it with the shoulder strap.

If you can, take their grandparents, aunt or uncle or another adult with you so that you and/or your partner can have some time off from the kids for a bit so it's more of a holiday for you too!

Prepare for the worst case scenario for example, If you are flying make sure you pack each suitcase with a few of everyone clothes and other items in so that if a suitcase goes missing it isn't the one with all the nappies and baby clothes in.

Fortunately mine are older now so I've gladly waved all this goodbye! One thing I started doing when they were little (and still do now actually) is pack them each a flight bag with snacks, inflatable pillow, little bits to play with quietly, a notepad and pen, headphones, colouring book etc. All age appropriate obvs. The good thing about taking them all is that you get at least 15kg each which can be aggregated with Thomas Cook, so you've plenty of weight allowance for that sort of thing.

Find a good hotel that caters for young children so that you can heat up baby food etc. where there will be lots of activities for children, then everyone will be more relaxed and happy.

Take lots of little toys on the plane, and hand thm out in intervals.

After the first few holidays where we took pretty much every piece of clothing, toys and baby stuff that we owned, we eventually realised that travelling light is fine as you can buy pretty much everything that you might need abroad. Except Calpol! Trying to convince a teething toddler to take a different tasting medicine isn't easy so we now always pick up a bottle at Boots in the airport.

If you are doing a long haul, then fly at night. It will make it easier

start travelling with the baby asap - get them used to fights, being in a different time zone etc. Keep the bottle of milk hidden until takeoff to clear ears. Do not try and maintain routine - take a pushchair so the child can sleep in this whilst you enjoy a night out. Have a nap in the afternoon, even if this has long disappeared at home. only take nappies etc for first couple of days - take child noise reduction headphones for seat back tvs. Use the kids clubs - its so nice for the kids to make friends. Take them out to see the sights and talk to them about it . Get them a kids camera to take their own pictures. Have good travel insurance. Use the Reps to get tips on places to go - they live there. If your child is recently potty trained - put a nappy on the child in the pool - when they inevitably have a poo it ruins it for everyone else - the child is less likely to remember to go to the loo in the excitement

Take plenty of wet wipes. Good for lots of eventualities from sticky hands to spills. Take a push chair for evening naps whilst you are eating. If long haul book overnight flights my little one always slept well on them.

We have travelled to Goa & Cuba with our toddlers & take little animals & figures wrapped up & give them to our little boys every hour of the flight to break the journey up for them, they love it & then enjoy playing with them in the sand on the beach when we get there

Self catering is the easiest option when you've got a little one. Relax your routines, don't try to pack too much activity into the day.
Think about what you can hire or buy at your destination - don't pack a high chair if you can source one locally!
Take calpol. You're bound to need it!