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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Cant stress this enough but stick to a budget! Take enough snacks and food so you're not tempted to buy any more expensive items.

I find the only way I've had time to relax on holiday with the children is to stay with family so everyone does their bit to look after the kids.
Holiday clubs at hotels are good but only used them a few time as tend to stay away from package deals over the years.

We always look for somewhere with activities to suit all members of the family. Check around for the best price and make sure I pack travel activities and snacks.

we had a great TUI holiday to turkey last year. The kids were involved in choosing their favourite hotel and location once I narrowed it down to three choices and we talked about what they wanted to do. Swimming was their main interest so we packed various inflateable toys and snorkel sets and taught them both to use the snorkells which they loved! Only hard part was the flight back in the early hours of the morning. I would never fly that late again with a 7 and 5 year old given the choice the poor dears were shattered and there was nowhere for them to cat nap easily in the airport lounge as they kept moving us around!

I like to plan as much in advance as possible.

I'll begin by researching destinations and once decided i'll research the hotels and activities in the local area and pick something that suits our needs/budget without being too far from things we would like to do. I would usually try to book this as early as possible, preferably before flights are released. Then I can book the flights direct from the airline on the morning of release in order to get the cheaper flights.

For packing/holiday shopping, I like to get things done little bits at a time to spread the workload/cost. Of course this isn't always possible but I like to try my best to do it that way!

We've always avoided hotel and resort holidays with planned activities. We love France, staying in a gite that is our very own for the fortnight. And, even before the advent of the internet, we took out books from the library, and planned as much as we could beforehand ... perhaps a long visit one day, followed by a more restful time the next day. And there's so much to do, with theme parks, ancient monuments, beautiful walks ... and even if the kids occasionally get a little bored with something (usually the restful days!), we can always win them around with a visit to a patisserie!

Don't over-plan and end up disappointed if you don't do everything you planned to do. Just have a rough idea of what is available in the area for all members of the family.

We tend to go all inclusive as it works out cheaper in the long run. We also have a portable DVD player to keep them entertained in the car on the way to the airport.

We make sure we choose resorts that have lots of facilities for families such as kids clubs, or at the very least a swimming pool and playground nearby. Conveniently located to the beach and main resort area, and we always aim for a sunnier destination. South of France is regularly chosen

Plan somewhere that have plenty of child friendly activities for the kids. Take snacks & colouring books, iPad for travelling to keep the kids entertained

Always make sure hotel has decent reviews & clean
We have a fussy eater so all inclusive is a definite

we spend a long time making sure there are activities to suit all ages otherwise a bored child on holiday is a nightmare

Just make sure you write lists before you go, of everything you need to take or get, then in the run up to going you can cross everything off so you don't forget anything you really need

We did a big driving trip to Europe last year with the kids and were really surprised (and relieved) at how much they took it in their stride. We travelled around quite a bit, so they did get really tired. We let them have their tablets in the car on the long journeys, so they could watch some downloaded programmes.

My tips for that sort of trip would be to plan in lots of downtime and playtime. Chilling at the hotel/by the pool, finding parks, taking colouring along. Then they have energy for the sightseeing/culture/exploring.

Normally we do a sea side/forest holiday with the dogs, so lots of walking, sandcastles on the beach, ice creams and fish and chips. They love that sort of holiday and it feels very wholesome!

We always have a plan, a bag of just in case activities, and research research research before we go

Get the kids (if old enough) involved in planning. If they have helped they will be more excited about the whole adventure - particularly if one is shy or nervous about new places and experiences.

Check what is local to your potential resort before booking - we always check if there are lots of kids activities within an hours drive

Check for plenty of entertainment & reviews for the hotels/apartments etc to see what people say about the activities & safety of the rooms etc.

We're off to the Dominican Republic this year with TUI. Things we considered were:

Cost - TUI offered us a free child place so DS is going for free, during the summer holidays. This was a big selling point.

Location - We wanted a hot, beach destination as we have holidayed in the UK for the last 7 years.

Activities - We chose somewhere with water parks and childrens activities on site that also caters to adults and promotes relaxation.

I always look out for what activities there are, and whether you need to book or you can just choose on the day (which is far better as everyone is not in the mood sometimes). We always pack things to do that are small to take with us.
Always check out the snacks/food not included as its really annoying if its all inclusive but then ice creams for the family will cost the price of a decent meal back home! And always check out reviews - some places are really great and if you see someone who has had problems but they were resolved quickly thats the place for a family to go to!!!

Don’t forget travel insurance

Cash is tight at the moment, so we look for good deals on our holidays. We keep our options open as to location, accommodation, duration etc. We've had wonderful holidays in the UK and Europe. The only stipulation we have, is if traveling abroad, the travel firm must be ABTA members.

We go to Cyprus for summer as its were my husband is from. We usually book our flights 7 months in advance on our first January pay because we can get slightly cheaper flights and choose our seats. We stay with family but we have to make sure we take things over and plan that because supermarkets can be expensive. So we stock up on sunscreen nappies and their favourite organic snacks for the beach. We also book our valet parking with airport well in advance too

A couple of weeks before the holiday, start writing a list of everything that you will need for the holiday. And when packing, make sure you mark these items off!

Make a list for each person as to what to pack.