Mumsnetters share their stories of their most fun family holiday with TUI

[LucyBMumsnet]

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Most people spend their time counting down the days until their family holiday as soon as the flights and accommodation are booked. Family holidays give us a chance to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but most importantly allow us to let loose and have fun. Maybe you’re an adrenaline junkie who heads for the biggest slide at the waterpark or perhaps your idea of fun is basking in the sun at the poolside with a good book in hand. With this in mind, TUI wants to hear about your most fun family holiday.

Here’s what TUI have to say: “At TUI, we know that your family holiday is a time to reconnect and have fun. That’s why we’ve designed hotels especially for families to make it the best week, or two, of the year. From allowing you to take your car seat or pushchair with you free of charge, to offering baby changing facilities, kids’ clubs and children’s buffets in resort, we’ve thought of every little detail to give you a hassle free and family-friendly holiday. We’d love to hear from Mumsnetters about their favourite holiday moments with their family.”

If you were asked to name one family holiday that is most memorable to you as being “fun”, what would you say and why? What type of holiday do you feel you can get the most fun out of? Would you rather spend your time in good company, basking in the good weather or eating good food? What kind of activities do you do to make memories with your children on holiday? Perhaps you all jump into the pool the second you arrive at the resort? Or maybe you’d rather go on a family excursion to see the local sights and scenery?

Tell us about your most fun family holiday on the thread below and you will be entered into a prize draw where 1 MNer will win a £300 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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My best holiday was in Majorca last year. It was the first holiday after our divorce and I thought it would be terrible. But actually we had a great time as a 'new family'. We spent some great quality family time, swam, ate, laughed etc.

In fact we are planning on doing it again this year.

Port Aventura - Spain was brilliant for so many reasons. The hotel was lovely and set adjacent to the theme park, It took less than a couple of minutes to walk from the hotel into the park which was set in beautiful grounds. So the older children of our group could wander in and out of the theme park whenever they wished as you bought a wrist band for the park for the time you were at the hotel. The park had fantastic rides and was just lovely to wander around. There was also lots of entertainment for the younger children.

We had the most relaxing holiday at a hotel outside Agios Nicolas in Crete, the beach and two pools meant we never had issues getting sun beds and we came home feeling refreshed.

My first holiday was the holiday village in Spain costa del sol! Was amazing and just booked for the same holiday yesterday so very excited. Easy process great.

My children would say any holiday that has bunk beds , we enjoy a UK holiday and the best recently has been Chessington just because it wasn't too busy and the kids are the perfect age for it.

Best family holiday was in menorca when my boys were little; we took them on a pirate ship which had a cruise and the boys loved it ; good times

best family holiday was to Portaventura. We stayed at a hotel on site, so easy to enter park andthere were lots of rides. The Spanish were all very friendly and relaxed so made for an excellent holiday

My most fun family holiday was when I myself was about 7 years old. We went camping in Brittany and I remember a big gang of us making headdresses out of feathers and card. At the time, we thought we looked like authentic native Americans, but then again, a child's imagination is a wonderful thing! It was a lovely hot and sunny summer and I collected lots of enormous pine cones and insisted on bringing them home. I painted the tips with Tippex to look like snow and put them with the Christmas decorations.

Florida was our most fun holiday. My daughter was 10 at the time and had done her open water diving certificate in Egypt with me and we went diving at Epcot with the sharks, as well as the whole Harry Potter thing and the theme parks, it was exhausting but truly fabulous. It's true about the disney magic bringing out the child in them too!

My family will tell you that I've 'dragged' them to see the local sights but when we get back, that's all they talk about and reminisce about in years to come. We climbed the pyramids in Ek Balam in Mexico and got stranded as there were no taxis, so we had coconut juice from the locals whilst we waited for them to go find us a taxi.

We make memories by doing activities too which usually end up with a funny story to go with it, we like zip lining [we weren't heavy enough and had to be rescued) and going to water parks - the florida ones in October were freezing and there's a funny photo of me as it caught my breath which always reminds us. Our recent adventure on a skiing holiday was the best yet and we're hoping to do more of those.

I prefer a holiday with family, the more relaxed the more fun we have.

Camping in the New Forest a couple of years ago. We did a day trip to the IoW that was probably the highlight.

I tend to find I do a lot of prep before we go away to make sure we have plans for what we'll do & when, balancing relaxing with seeing the sights. We can swap things around, unless we've booked tickets for specific events, depending on the weather, but I do find I can relax more if I have a plan.

Camping in Devon the week of the eclipse I'd learned about in physics when I was about 12.

Got car, tent, family and plan. Went. Had fun.

Watching the planes come into Manchester from Viva Espania I promise there was a whole airport trolley full of stacked donkeys - the ones with plastic bodies, scrappy fur and some tack tacked on with half inch tacks.

Auntie I brought me one. Took it apart and got lots of pins, scraps of fur and a brown plastic animal shape. Maybe she should, in those days, have used it to smuggle gin. (joking).

Last time I was at the airport, I grew up less than a mile away, it was the day they were bringing families home from the shooting in Tunisia.

I can't imagine anything worse than a package holiday.

We had a wonderful (if slightly out of season!) holiday on a campsite in Henley-on-Thames - in a beautiful wooden hut. It was in November so rather nippy, but it felt like a real adventure & gave us a good excuse to snuggle up in the evening! In the day we went out exploring the local area - it was lovely as quite quiet out of season so enjoyed the rowing museum & chased my little boy around the Wind in the Willows exhibition multiple times :)
Hoping to make lots of new memories this year. I prefer a chilled UK holiday as I don't cope well in the heat (I'm a delicate little thing - haha!) & I do love the gorgeous countryside we have here in the UK :)

We have enjoyed some fun holiday times, but our best holiday was spent in Cornwall - lots of beach and wood walks, disconnecting from devices and reconnecting with each other!

Our first family holiday. You can't beat throwing stones in the sea. Jumping in the waves and building sandcastles. Simple fun

loved Disneyland Paris! do love a uk holiday though like centre parcs as I love nature

When my children were young and we had little money we used to book a family room in a youth hostel in North Wales. We spent our days on local beaches or visiting the local zoos, animal farm, castles, slate mines and so on. The children loved the variety of activities, and thought it was hilarious to be told off for chasing the seagulls on the promenade!

Fossil hunting in Dorset

My favourite holiday was the first time I took my son abroad as a single mum, we went to Disneyland Paris and the constant look of awe and excitement on his face made it priceless. I was on a tight budget and DS has sen but it was such a fantastic time together.

Since then I've taken him all over! Tunisia, Scotland, Majorca, Italy, Portugal, etc as well as lots of UK breaks too. He always just says he enjoys the time together - and the food lol.

Another Florida fan. Loads for the kids to do. Lots to keep everyone happy. Enjoyed just spending time chatting and being together. Easy to eat out so a break from cooking. Wonderful times and lots of laugher. Amazing experiences and can’t wait to go back.

I think the first family holiday we ever took abroad to France, where we just took the pace incredibly slowly and played in the pool in the morning and ate delicious food.

It was so relaxing and taught me that not all holidays have to be incredibly planned

Our best was in a big chalet in the French Alps, we went with friends for 2 weeks.

We had a private heated pool and huge decked area and a big trampoline in the garden. Also a cinema room and plenty of space for everybody. The kids were happy whatever the weather - we had a couple of cloudy days and some amazing storms but lots of hot sunny days too.

We went hiking (used the chairlifts to go up), rafting, swam in lakes, did a high ropes course and visited some areas we’d only previously seen covered in snow. We ate in sometimes (shopping in itself was fun), ate out sometimes and all in all everyone was happy and relaxed. That’s what a holiday is all about to me.

We have had so many amazing holidays ranging from UK weekends to far away but I think some of the best fun we have ever had has to be taking our foster children on sailing holidays in the Med.

Just simple stuff. Beaches, rock pools, walks up something tall to see the view from the top. Plenty of simple rustic food, time to chill and read, and being together.

The first family holiday with our daughter in Cyprus which actually happened to be with Tui

Possibly the most fun family holiday we have ever had, and the one from which I returned to work genuinely refreshed, was the 10 days we spent in Portugal two years ago. Self-catering, in a whacky flat with a lovely pool and garden. Perfect weather, and the perfect garden to enjoy the perfect weather, enough space/sofas/activities/charging points in the house for three teenagers and two adults to be contented. A short walk from beach, supermarket (wonderful food - such fruit and veg and pastries!) and train station, a slightly longer walk to the centre of town for restaurants (wonderful food, lovely service) and events. A ten day stay meant that we had enough time to have lazy days at the beach and the house, interspersed with active city-days in Lisbon or exploring further afield. Not forgetting the wonderful food!

Two out of the three children able to recognise that they didn't necessarily want the same as the others and just quietly take themselves off to do something else they enjoyed, rather than kick up a fuss, meant that I barely had to do any peacekeeping.

Children being old enough to use the pool without constant adult supervision, ditto going to the supermarket or walking in to the town - what a relaxation!

My cheeks were aching from smiling so much.

Did I mention that the food was wonderful?