Mumsnetters share what makes a family holiday special with Isles of Scilly Travel

[LucyBMumsnet]

This sponsored discussion is now closed. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share.

From picking the perfect place for your family getaway to planning what to do and how to keep everyone entertained, family holidays are full of emotions and stories to tell. Whether you travel abroad to a sunny destination or stay locally and explore what the UK has to offer, Isle of Scilly Travel would like to hear the ways you make your family holiday special.

Here’s what Isles of Scilly Travel has to say:
“Discover why the Isles of Scilly, a group of sand-fringed islands found just 28 miles off the Cornish coast, is the perfect family holiday destination and enjoy a return to a gentler way of life. One visit to Scilly and you’ll understand why the islands are famous for enticing people to return year after year; families often holiday on Scilly for generations and visit the same camp sites, holiday homes or hotels every summer.

Isles of Scilly Travel makes the journey as memorable as the destination. Short Skybus flights from Land’s End, Newquay and Exeter airports reach Scilly in under an hour, or you can sail on the Scillonian III passenger ferry, which departs daily from Penzance Harbour between March and November.”

So we are asking you what part of the holiday does your family love the most? What is your preferred family holiday - active one with lots to do, or lazy one relaxing on the beach? How do you choose between staycation in the UK or overseas travel and why? What transport do you and your family use to get to the holiday? What would you change about you travelling together, if you could?

Share how you make you r family holiday special on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where 1 x MNer will win a £300 voucher for a store of their choice AND family day trip on our passenger ferry the Scillonian (2 adults 2 children) – value depending on the day chosen is between £144.00 - £171.00.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

our holidays are made special by letting everybody pick an activity to do

Being together with my loved ones, spending quality time together away from the busy everyday stresses

Spending quality time together, making sure there's lots to do for both adults & children & that the place is safe for kids.

Spending time together and enjoying each others company!

We love exploring, getting out and about and making memories that we wont forget.I love to visit new places and experience that with my daughter. Sometimes we visit unique places in the uk or we go full on beach and sunshine.

We travel by car in this country and we use buses abroad to get around and see more.

I would obviously love for everywhere to become cheaper as we would getaway much more.

plenty of activities that every member can enjoy! lots of places to walk and explore and a menu that suit severyone

We've always wanted to visit Scilly ! We only live in Devon but it feels like you're abroad

fun activities with the children and family membes sightseeing and having a nice lunch enjoying the beach and susnset and generally making memories

We make a family holiday special by spending time with extended family in Ireland that we usually don't see.

making memories. any time spent together as a family is precious and should be celebrated and lots of pictures taken

The best holidays are those where there are plenty of new things to see, experience and explore in the day and with good family entertainment in the nights to suit all ages

we love going abroad to the spanish islands. my kids favorite bit is playing with new friends in the pool, i always hope theres a nice kids club so we can have a few mins peace!

Finding activities that we all enjoy together as we are a variety of ages with some quite big age gaps

It may be somewhat of a cliche but it is absolutely all about making memories and spending quality time together.

The photos taken on a family holiday can be preserved for many generations and enjoyed even when no longer able to travel.

Spending time as a family with no distractions from work school or electronics. Also trying new things together.

Simply being away from our everyday lives/home/environment/work/school and being somewhere different is what maks our holidays special.

Family focused activities make our family holidays special. Activities we can all take part in and make memories together whatever our age!

we can only afford staycations in the school holidays but we have found that does not affect the children's happiness or fun. Farm stays are our favourite, no matter your age there is something for you to enjoy

We enjoy an active holiday with lots to do, surfing, arts and crafts etc but a few days where we can relax on the beach, where the kids are free to play. I try not to over plan it with a few lays in to.

Being together away from the stresses of life, watching the kids enjoy themselves and have fun

The best family holidays are those where almost anything goes, all the healthy eating and bedtime rules are relaxed and everyone gets to enjoy being together. Eating out, stopping for tea and cake on a long walk, browsing the gift shops, late afternoon drinks at the pub all make a family holiday special as life often seems to busy for this at home.
Scillies holds a special place for us as DH is a birder and holidays in the autumn half term were often spent there. We loved exploring the islands, 'twitching' to the smaller ones if something was found, so exciting going on the small boats across to the islands and getting soaked by sea spray! standing in lanes and fields in torrential rain waiting for a rarity to show was not always fun but going to the bird call in Porthcressa with a pint and a game of pool later always was back in the days the main street of St Mary's was a sea of khaki as the birdwatchers descended off the 'old stomach pump' (Scillonia) Ds still remembers plates falling and people not being able to stand up as it churned it's way on one particular stormy crossing! when the weather was good there is no finer place to be than strolling along the beaches on St Martins, exploring the Old Town Church where Sir Harold Wilson is buried, and the castle walls, imagining what the bare fields will look like in spring when the flowers are out ready for harvesting. Enjoying the local blend of ale in the pub and on stormy days watching (at a safe distance) the waves crash over the sea wall. I'd love to go back.

Variety and activities make our family holidays special :) we are very active and very close to our parents so we have enjoyed lots of holidays with them in the UK and abroad. Myself and my partner drove over to France with my dad when he was 65 and we went kayaking, sport climbing, bouldering and we even all tried via ferrata. Now my dad is 70 and myself and my partner have 2 beautiful children but with the support of our families we are still managing to make special memories in some fantastic places. Money is tighter now we are on one wage but during my first maternity leave we took our daughter to Kerry in Ireland and walked up the highest mountain when she was 4 months and now my son is here we have booked to go to belfast next month and we are taking them both up the highest mountain in northern Ireland :) my fave family trip has been when we took our daughter, 10 months, and my mum and dad to Thailand and Laos. We travelled by sleeper train, taxi, tuk tuk, day train, sleeper bus, coach, minivan, and several different boats and it was absolutely amazing. Saving up now for our next adventure :)

Lots of time together to make memories and lots of fun activities to keep us all busy.

not sticking to a plan and making memories

Just being together, sounds cliche but I really mean that. Any holiday is fun when we're together - we especially love pool holidays, where the kids make friends & play in the pool. We love visiting towns & cities too & teaching the kids about different cultures