Ask TUI’s Travel Expert all of your Travel questions - £200 voucher to be won

[EllieSmumsnet]

Do you have questions on Travelling? Going on holiday can be stressful, from getting the best deals on hotels and flights, to getting your kids through the airport without any tantrums. TUI’s Travel Expert is here to answer any questions you might have about travelling, helping you to Live Happy on your next holiday.

• Everyone who shares a questions on the thread below by 04/09 will be entered into a prize draw
• One lucky Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice
• Answers will be collated and shared via informative content guide

About TUI Travel Expert:
“Hello I am Hannah, I am a mum of 2 young lively children aged 2 and 4. I have worked for TUI for 19 years. I am currently a deputy retail manager in the TUI Westwood store - one of our busiest stores. As a mum I understand the importance of seamless family travel.

I have been lucky enough to experience all that TUI has to offer on my own holidays, from partying in Ibiza, to grown-up holidays with pure luxury. However, times have changed and I now choose from all of TUI’s amazing family friendly hotels.

Travelling with young children can be stressful, but I know with TUI hotels that all boxes are ticked. From an endless children's buffet which caters for my forever hungry 4-year-old, to the safe haven of the creche for my little one. When the creche and kids club grant me a blissful 2-hour window, you'll find me lost in the pages of a good book (which is the only time I get to pick up a book, we all know how busy life is with children!)

I am looking forward to answering all of your questions.”

Here’s what TUI has to say:
"When it comes to booking a holiday, we know everyone likes something different - from great value all inclusive deals with TUI Magic Life where kids can go free at selected hotels to our action packed Holiday Village options and our TUI BLUE for families hotels which cater for everyone and are handpicked just for your family.

Our holiday portfolio ticks off everything from beach holidays and city breaks through to lake and mountain getaways. We also offer tours that let you experience exotic places like Costa Rica, South Africa and Japan in a brand new way, and multi-destination trips with over 5,000 combinations to choose from. As one of the biggest UK holiday companies, we're here whenever you need us - via our stores, website or 24/7 Holidayline. Book your TUI holiday today for a £0 deposit when you pay via direct debit."

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

How can you find out if hotels cater for dietary needs, eg gluten free?

A frequent thread on MN and convos with friends is how to take teens away. We'd like separate rooms, but guaranteed to be adjoining or connecting. I want a hotel rather than villa or self catering.

As more families are having one child only, I imagine this will become more of a request as families want the buzz of others at a hotel or resort rather than having to do daily trips if staying at a villa just so that the three (or 2 in the case of single parent families) don't go stir crazy.

Hi Hannah! It's great to have a TUI Travel Expert here to answer our travel questions. With kids in tow, finding the right family-friendly accommodations and dealing with the airport hustle can be quite a challenge. Do you have any tips for making the check-in process smoother with young children? Also, what's your go-to strategy for keeping the little ones entertained during flights? Thanks!

My DS has a dairy allergy - are foods which are on the all inclusive labelled for allergens - if so which countries and hotels do this ?

What's the latest information on taking liquids on board an aircraft - I heard somewhere that this was changing and we would not have to put them in plastic bags

Hi, when is the TUI app going to be upgraded? I find it clunky, glitchy and difficult to use. I've probably given up on booking 3 holidays because of it!

Also agree with PP above, when travelling with teens I would like to have the option to book adjoining rooms, is this something that can be added as a search function?

Can TUI make plans for a family room if you are delayed for more than a couple of hours - we spend a horrendous evening in an airport when our flight had been delayed - If we were able to have the option to go to a family area with feeding, playing, movie playing - the whole experience would have been a whole lot less stressfull - for us AND the other delayed passengers listening to board tired children

Not a question as such, but for the first time I've booked Tui flights and I have been really impressed!

Now, my question! Where shall we go next? I've always wanted to go to India, but the kids (well, teens) aren't sure. Is there a half way (not literally) destination that will give me the very different culture but the kids won't moan about the flights or not having a lie round the pool holiday? (but will involve some pool action none the less!)?

I have another one!

Can you access the TUI app on an ipad (using wifi only not a contract/SIM) if you don't have a smartphone?

How easy would it be to change your hotel if you find you get there and it's not as described in the brochure - eg you get there and the pool which is shown on the brochure is closed or nothing like the pool you have (we had this experience once when the pool shown in the brochure was from a 'sister hotel' and quite a distance from your hotel

Hi,
When is the best time to book a holiday for March 2024 with TUI, in order to get the best price? Is it better to leave it closer to the time? Or to book early?
Thanks

Hi, is there much to do on Sal, the Cape Verde island, and is there much choice for self catering holidays?

also, is there a way to search on the app or mobile website for at least one bedroom apartments? We have a child, but don’t want just a bedroom with a roll out bed!

@AlwaysFreezing how about turkey? Tropical blue sarigerme is amazing x

Which is the best resort in Ibiza for a family with a 8 and 12 year old boys and a mum who likes boat trips and local culture?

@MNHQ - can you let us know when we can expect some responses from TUI / their rep? Thank you :)

We are looking at booking a city break in October half term with our two teenage sons.

Where would you recommend that has reasonably good weather along with a bit of culture and access to sporting activities to keep the kids entertained?

I am a teacher and have “young adult” age children.

We want to go during summer holidays, (unfortunately,) to an all-inclusive maybe adults only hotel in the med.

We don’t really want a massive one where we have to fight for sun loungers.

Can anybody help and recommend an all inclusive adults only hotel there is not going to cost £20 million in August.m?

We are going to be travelling with a 6mo on a long haul flight and my father in law will require special assistance. How do I go about booking special assistance for the whole party for both Gatwick and for when we arrive in Cancun? Also do the aeroplanes still have bassinets for babies? Thanks

I know it's already been mentioned above, but I do find it frustrating trying to book family holidays when the search facility and information about room types is so limited.

It would be great to have easier ways to find rooms that have proper separate sleeping areas for parents and children, or hotels that can guarantee interconnecting rooms at the point of booking. Floor plans of family room setups would be good too, rather than having to guess from the one or two pictures provided!

Is that something Tui might look at improving in the future?

Can you please recommend a hotel in Spain or islands (or anywhere else with a short flight) that is all inclusive, has wheelchair accessible rooms and also has kids and teens clubs and activities. I seem to have been looking all year for this. Found one through tui but the activities were for under 12’s. It doesn’t seem much to ask!!

I always go by customer reviews to help me decide on where to go - but I feel some can be taken with a pinch of salt - where would you say I can find the best and most accurate customer reviews from customers who have actually stayed at the hotel ?

@Alakazam8 Tui Magic Life Fuerteventura has accessible rooms and activities for teenagers. We went a few years ago and I loved it. There’s also hoists to help disabled people into the pool and ramps all over the resort. Our room was fully adapted and was great.

TUI Magic Life hotels are all over Europe, there’s another one in Ibiza if you want Spain.

HTH.

Can you please recommend an all inclusive that caters really well for vegans? Thank you

@TheFairyCaravan
thank you so much for that. I’ve asked my travel agent to check the accessibility of the one in Ibiza as that is more than perfect for us if it is! Does anyone know if all Magic Life hotels are similarly equipped??

Want to take my children abroad for the first time next. Was thinking of Greece or Italy. Half board. Recommend anywhere with a pool?