Read Mumsnetters' top tips for planning a family summer holiday with TUI

[LucyBMumsnet]

This sponsored discussion is now closed. Thank you to everyone who shared their tips on this thread

School may have only just started up again after the Christmas break, but many people are already daydreaming about their family summer holiday. But before you can imagine yourself poolside with a good book in hand, you’re quickly dragged back down to earth when you remember the planning that needs doing. With this in mind, TUI would love to hear your tips for planning a summer 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 a wide range of fun activities to all day entertainment including evening family shows, kids’ clubs and children’s menus and buffets in resort, we’ve thought of every little detail to give you a hassle free and family-friendly holiday.”

Do you aim to book family friendly accommodation? Are there certain facilities that make your holiday easier, or that you couldn’t go without? How do you keep your children entertained while you’re travelling? Do you prepare activities for them to do on the flight or take easy to carry toys along with you? What’s the one thing you always forget to pack and only realise as you arrive at your destination? What do you wish someone had told you before you went on your first summer holiday with your children?

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

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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When we were skint most of our holidays were camping in the UK.
Not too far from beach was important, also family friendly . Having a bunch of lads on a stag discuss their sexual exploits around their BBQ within easy earshot of our 2 having their wind-down drinking chocolate is something I'd rather not repeat! Something about camping that bonds the children and they're still friends with other children they played rounders with each evening.
Later discovered the joys of the All Inclusive. Great for fussy eaters as they get to choose for themselves, so more likely to eat.
I wish someone had told me that kids don't need to have a change of clothes every day if the previous ones are still clean. Would have reduced packing!

I like to plan holidays that actually encompass two weekends to make use of being self employed. Two whole weeks is to long for us to be away from the business but if we include two weekends it isn't just a week away. So we usually try to split up the travel to holidays when long with separate hotel stays on either end. Will be great this year as I'll be 6.5 months pregnant by then so don't like the idea of travelling for hours without stops, resting and stretching!!

If it's self catering then usually it's a bottle opener/corkscrew that gets forgotten.

A direct flight from our local airport is essential. An airline with great inflight entertainment is a big bonus too.

I do like planning ahead with family holiday to be prepared for any eventualities. We usually have talks where we would like to go and on what type of holiday we can afford . It makes more practical to book holiday online with child friendly accommodation, kids club, pool or easy access to beach as must-have and great location.( I always read reviews) I like self-catering holiday because I can adjust our family budget.
During travel my children happy to watch movies, do colouring in books or read.
I keep forgetting to take with us sun cream and often need to buy at the airport.
What do you wish someone had told you before you went on your first summer holiday with your children? That even on holiday you can relax too much and need to keep an eye on your brood.

I echo previous posters re getting interconnected rooms or 2 bed suites when you have teenagers. They need their own space as much as we do to make for a happy holiday. It does make the price of a decent hotel quite a lot though.

When they were little we always went self catering to a good sized villa so we didn’t have to be stuck in a single room at night once the littlest one had fallen asleep. Where is the fun in that!

We have avoided family hotels and all inclusive (in Europe) as it just wasn’t our cup of tea and in USA we go to villas. I think we are just a bit unsociable, lol as we don’t like much in the way of organised entertainment and we don’t tend to do beach type holidays either. I do like a nice pool though.

We look for holidays where we can all do activities together and separately on site. Great swimming pool is essential. We are happy self-catering but hungry teen loves all inclusive buffets so multiple site holidays work for us. Having access to a washing machine makes family holidays so much easier to pack for.
I wish someone had told us about all inclusive hols with free childcare when the kids were younger !

more recently we have booked flights and one hotel as a package, then a second place to stay independantly, so that we can get a bit of variety on our stay as the kids have got older.

So for example we stayed for 6 days at Port Adventura, then 4 days at an AirBnB in Barcelona

we spent 4 days at the north of tenerife, then 4 days in the more 'beach side' of the island.

It means a lot less driving around to see all we want to see.

In a 2 week break in La Palma we stayed in 3 very different locations. we pack savvy so luggage isnt too much to deal with, but we got beach, mountains and city.

The kids are older so like to have some input on choices.

To keep the kids occupied on long journeys, I tend to pack little bags with some mini packets of snacks/sweets in, little games/toys. Those little enclosed mazes with the tiny ball in are great at keeping them occupied. I give them something out of the bag as we're driving along, spreads out the excitement of something new to do. We also play car games depending on the route.

Question:

Do you aim to book family friendly accommodation?

Answer:

Yes I always try to find out from the holiday resort what kids facilities they have. If they do not mention any kids facility, I would not book at all.

Question:

Are there certain facilities that make your holiday easier, or that you couldn’t go without?

Answer:

Yes kids swimming pool is a must have. I also live on the fact restaurants at the hotel resort provide kids menu and give out drawing kit to keep my kids occupied.

Question:

How do you keep your children entertained while you’re travelling? Do you prepare activities for them to do on the flight or take easy to carry toys along with you?

Answer:

Sadly what I use to keep them entertained are iPad and iPhone. Netflix and Amazon Prime both allow you to download TV programs and films, so my kids can watch them online.

I say ‘sadly’ because our aim is to let kids to do more with the nature and engage in various activities on our holiday. So they don’t have to be addicted to digital devices all the time, but can’t deny it is not always possible.

I do have some Travel cards with quiz by Usborne Children Books. They are fantastic for parents to use and play with kids on a plane journey or airport.

But this is only useful to kids 5 plus, and my 13-year old girl isn’t that interested.

Question:

What’s the one thing you always forget to pack and only realise as you arrive at your destination? What do you wish someone had told you before you went on your first summer holiday with your children?

Answer:

Things we regularly forget are swimming toys, and there were times we forgot to take pen and papers, which would be used for some drawing exercises.

Most of the holiday resorts do not provide swimming toys maybe for safety reasons? I’m not sure. But a water flow or a rubber shark can make a big difference for the kids.

Pen and papers are easy to find and buy, but I find some hotel or resort label themselves kids friendly, but not always provide family interconnecting room (mentioned by others already here) and some simple cards and board game (such as dominos or draft).

We tend to hire a mobile home in France as we like the freedom of self catering and the fact that there are two bedrooms/a living area. It means that he has his own room and we can watch a DVD whilst chilling out on the sofa - no sitting in a dark hotel room because you don't want to wake him up lol (or keeping him up too late at night). From his point of view waterslides are THE most important thing - the bigger the better - so the pool area is crucial to us

top tip is not to get worried about the little details :)

I wish someone had told me to chill out about bedtime on holiday a bit sooner. With pfb ds1 we spent very quiet evenings, whereas with his brother and sister we let them nap in the buggy and had really fun evenings.
As long as I have copious snacks and drinks travelling is okay, although the porta potty was another godsend in the early days.
Researching rainy day possibilities before we travel is another important task.

We tend to look at accommodation with the kids in mind. I really dislike all sharing a room so im now keen on getting an appartment/villa. Its also really handy to have a kitchen with microwave and even a washing machine.
Keeping kids calm and relaxed is tricky especially ds who is full of energy! Games of eye spy, food and activity books.
Without fail I forget tooth brushes/tooth paste. I also never have enough suncream.
Holidays with kids are not very relaxing its doing everything you usually do but in the heat without access to their favourite tv shows and food but you also make amazing memories and spend real quality time without distractions of home.

What’s the one thing you always forget to pack and only realise as you arrive at your destination? What do you wish someone had told you before you went on your first summer holiday with your children?

A good pool is a must for us. Children's entertainment etc is a bonus but there has to be a decent pool with slides etc as that's where we spend the bulk of our time.

There's so many factors to consider, especially with two young children. It's important to have direct flights and sit together. Also to have entertainment during the journey but also whilst on holiday - a pool is not enough!
We look for family friendly holidays that are all inclusive and include transfers - easy is best when planning with kids!

My number one need is two-bedroom accommodation. DD needed somewhere peaceful and dark to sleep when she was little, and we didn't want to sit in silent darkness to facilitate this. Now she's older (11), we all need our own space. However, as previous posters have pointed out - it's bloody difficult to find suitable accommodation.

I don't want a private villa because DD is an only, and she'd soon get very bored of just parents for company.

Adjoining rooms, or an apartment with a separate bedroom. Why is that so difficult to find?

Do you aim to book family friendly accommodation?

Always, nothing worse than being bored on holiday

Are there certain facilities that make your holiday easier, or that you couldn’t go without?

Having a self serve buffet, so the children can pick what they want to eat, (without overloading their plates and wasting) within walking distance of a beach and restaurants

How do you keep your children entertained while you’re travelling?

A tablet and headphones with their favourite movies

Do you prepare activities for them to do on the flight or take easy to carry toys along with you?

Yes, it's a long time to sit still, so I have a tablet, books, and magnetic travel board games

What’s the one thing you always forget to pack and only realise as you arrive at your destination?

Nail clippers

What do you wish someone had told you before you went on your first summer holiday with your children?

Take a pram for a 3 year old - it's worth the extra hassle at the airport

Read the reviews on the hotels, do your research, see what ages the kids clubs are for (my two were separated last year as they were in different age groups and times) I picked one this year where there/appeared to be more organised kids clubs. The reviews on the food are a must, there has to be lots of choice for us. Finally I look for a hotel which is not a long drive from the airport - travelling is stressful enough (which is the tip I would give first time child travellers - the hotel looks blissfull - but if its 4 hours away from your airport it makes your journey horrendous by the end)

Make lists for all your holiday essentials on your fridge so you can add, check your luggage limits, (they can be different coming back) - saves hassle at the airport, ready the hotel reviews - good and bad (if its just about rude reception staff I tend to ignore those) - remember when booking a 8am flight time - sounds good on paper - but remember you'll need to be at the airport for 6 [shocked] -so up at 4am - is it worth the tears and stress. Finally remember the plasters for little feet rubbing on sandals without socks or running around in bare feet - I always seem to forget these.

Do you aim to book family friendly accommodation?

Always, it needs to be fun for all of us, with lots to do, memories to create and friends to make.

Are there certain facilities that make your holiday easier, or that you couldn’t go without?

I love having meals made for us, and no washing up

How do you keep your children entertained while you’re travelling?

Travel magnetic board games, a small tablet computer with games and episodes of their favourite series.

Do you prepare activities for them to do on the flight or take easy to carry toys along with you?

Not always, a tablet us usually enough - we don't select long journeys.

What’s the one thing you always forget to pack and only realise as you arrive at your destination?

Lipbalm - we always get chapped lips and DS1 gets cold sores for the sun.

What do you wish someone had told you before you went on your first summer holiday with your children?

Pick your flight times to take account of airport time and travel transfers.

I pick my top 3 hotels and then a pro's and cons, based on reviews, location (shops, buses (or trains if you're braver) any any local festivals) free child places, any excursions (and their cost) and distance from the airport. If there is a supermarket nearby - don't pack suncreams, nappies, toothpastes and mouthwashes - buy them there - saves your travel allocation.

Order a food shop to deliver if you can. If with large groups, assign meals to individuals to source and cook. Find good accommodation where you don’t need to leave to do everything- some stuff should be on doorstep eg pool / games / beach. Pack bags for need rather than person - eg tech and books and entertainment bag / beach bag with towels and swimwear. Pack less so less to cart around! The money you save on baggage can go towards any essentials you’re missing when you’re there!

Tips, take a tablet and a blanket for the plane (they can get chilly), book a flight which is not to early- or late - remember you have to be at the airport 2 hours before, and an hour after, and look at your transfer times. Pack you 'essentials' in a bag (first aid kit, and nail cutters are what I forget) and look at the reviews for your destination, and surrounding, and get a feel for the local transport if you wish to see other resorts.

Plan in advance, think of the full family and how we can manage to relax together. we love Disney, it's all go and takes a lot of planning.