Best family friendly destinations and hotels to book in 2024
Planning a holiday? When travelling as a family, it can be tricky to know where to start looking for suitable options. Luckily for you, travel company TUI is on board to help.
There's nothing like a summer holiday with your family; there's no feeling quite like watching your little ones play while you relax in the sun, and with October setting off to a drizzly start, you're probably daydreaming about your next getaway as a family.
However, with lots of things to consider when travelling as a family, for example, flight time, affordability and Kids Clubs - finding the perfect package holiday for all of you can prove difficult. That's where TUI comes in.
With plenty of family-friendly destinations in Europe, as well as getaways further afield such as Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, travel and tourism company TUI is your next hero holiday finder.
TUI boasts plenty of all-inclusive holiday packages — as well as family-friendly hotels, which include fantastic features such as TUI Kids’ Club and child-only pools, TUI has also created Holiday Villages and SplashWorld resorts.
But, before you book a holiday, you first need to select a destination!
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Take a look at Free Kids places at TUI
Where is a good destination for family holidays?
We've put together guides on the top hotels in family-friendly destinations such as Majorca, Menorca, Portugal, Ibiza, and more. But what makes a destination good for family holidays? There are a few things we keep in mind when travelling with our little ones, and we've included the top ones below.
Flight time. If you're taking young children on holiday, we'd recommend flying short-haul. The joy of a short-haul flight is that the only thing separating you and your family from sun, sea and sand is a maximum of three hours in the air. As little ones may get irritable in the air, a shorter flight time is preferred.
All TUI packages include flights, and you can select your local airport to suit, with the option to change flights for a supplement
Affordability. We've selected packages below to accommodate a range of budgets, and TUI offers certain benefits to keep the cost down, too, for example, kids' activities and no extra cost and the promise of no hidden fees. TUI also provides Free Kids Places: one child per two paying adults can stay for free at selected accommodations.
Kids' entertainment. Whether you'd like to get stuck in with your children while they're trying out a new activity, or you'd like to use the offer of a Kids' Club as a chance to pack in some well-deserved rest and relaxation, it's important that your kids are well occupied on their holiday.
TUI offers Kids' Clubs, Holiday Villages and SplashWorld resorts on selected holiday destinations. Holiday Villages were created with active families at its core — switch between Aerial Adventure courses, Total Wipeout-inspired inflatables, football pitches and waterparks, then enjoy a theatre show in the evening. Similarly, SplashWorld resorts come with free access to a waterpark, and all waterparks are either onsite or a short trip away.
Take a look at Free Kids places at TUI
Does TUI BLUE cater to babies?
Yes, selected TUI BLUE hotels cater to babies.
Depending on which TUI BLUE hotel you select for your next family holiday, you'll find a BabyClub which caters for newborns to three-year-olds. At these BabyClubs, you can book a two-hour session for a small cost.
Inside the TUI BLUE hotel rooms, you'll find plenty of features which are specially selected for families, for example, blackout blinds, fridges, and plenty of space for a buggy. For an extra charge, you can also pre-book a 'baby pack' which includes highchairs, sterilisers, buggies, playpens, and travel cots. In the TUI BLUE communal areas, it's worth noting that there are BabyLounges, too, so you can change and feed your little one without having to run back to your room.
In terms of activities, you can't go wrong with a TUI BLUE destination! Simply select the 'Family Fun' highlight when shortlisting hotels to access Kids' Clubs, activity rosters, evening shows, and more. You can be sure adults, teens, kids and tots alike will be entertained.
Discover a new destination for your family holiday with TUI
The team at MadeForMums have selected the best family-friendly holiday destinations and pointed you in the direction of great hotels at TUI. Now, step right this way for lifelong memories!
Spain
What is it that British holidaymakers love so much about Spain? Could it be the white-sand beaches, esteemed cities such as Barcelona, Madrid and Seville, warm climate, or the incredible food like paella, tortilla, and churros? Plus, with flights to Spain lasting around two hours, you’ll be on your family holiday quicker than you can say “one sangria, please!”
Spain has long been a favourite destination for families, offering everything from city culture to coastal gems, which are perfect for taking your family on a break without the worry of crowds.
TUI has plenty of places to stay in the sunny Spanish country, and you can browse them all on its website. With child-friendly restaurants (don't fear, picky-eaters!), exciting pool set-ups, and plenty of entertainment, TUI's choices of family-friendly hotels tick all the boxes.
Browse family-friendly hotels in Spain at TUI
Paris
Disneyland Paris is one of those destinations that is enjoyable regardless of your age. One of our Digital Writers always wanted to go as a child, but she must have been on Santa’s Naughty List! However, at 21, she made the trip to Disneyland Paris for an unforgettable time going on rides, taking photos with Disney characters (the favourite being Jessie from Toy Story), and experiencing pure magic.
So what is at Disneyland Paris? There are two parks: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park, with some top attractions at the first park being The Art of Marvel, Disneyland Village, as well as plenty of rides and chances to meet the characters.
Meanwhile, Walt Disney Studios Park has the Marvel Avengers Campus, Worlds of Pixar, and Toon Studio, where you can feel fully immersed in your family's favourite movies.
At the TUI Disney holiday hub, you can browse Disneyland Paris holidays, chat with TUI Disney Experts, check out local flights from over 20 UK airports, and book the entire Disneyland Paris package, including everything from flights and hotel to park tickets and transfers. TUI truly has made the booking process so simple.
Browse family-friendly hotels in Disneyland Paris at TUI
Florida
As well as Disneyland Paris, TUI offers packages for Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, too. Walt Disney World Resort is a magical destination for children and even adults alike. It's the place where children's favourite Disney characters and stories come alive, from Dumbo and Mushu to Tinker Bell and Moana. A place that even brings nostalgia to adults who grew up watching Disney too.
To find out more information about Florida trips, head to the TUI Disney holiday hub. Plus, it's worth mentioning that if you or someone in your family has accessibility needs, TUI is on hand to make the holiday experience as seamless as possible. TUI provides facilities for people with accessibility requirements, such as rooms with extra comfort, services for people with mobility, visual or hearing disabilities, as well as easier access at attractions, restaurants, and shows when you're at Walt Disney World Resort.
Browse family-friendly hotels in Walt Disney World Resort Florida at TUI
Cyprus
Cyprus is an island in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, and it's a great location for a family holiday. Cyrpus' family-friendly appeal is owed to its sandy beaches (over 70 of which are Blue Flag-certified) and lively resorts which offer plenty of activities that the whole family can get on board with, for example, TUI's Holiday Villages.
TUI's Holiday Villages, which were created with active families in mind, reside in Cyprus. The Holiday Village resorts pack in fun-filled activities such as Aerial Adventure courses, Total Wipeout-esque inflatables, West End style shows, and splash-tastic waterparks, as well as trained swimming and football coaches who are on hand to help your children channel their inner sports star.
Browse family-friendly hotels in Cyprus at TUI
Tenerife
Have you ever wondered what the most popular destination for holidays is? Well, in a Family Travel survey conducted in 2023 by MadeForMums, Tenerife was named the second most popular destination for holidays, with a huge 32% of parents naming the Spanish island as the next spot for their family break. But why is Tenerife so popular with us families?
The island attracted 5.3 million visitors in 2021, with a huge 1.2 million of them from the UK, and there are a few reasons why Tenerife is so in demand: there’s the sunny climate all year round, beautiful beaches — Tenerife has almost 400km of coastline and 70km of beaches to explore — as well as the last remaining laurel forests in the world, and the dramatic dormant volcano, Mount Teide. The latter two selling points are sure to make some interesting educational conversations with your little ones.
It's worth noting, too, that a lot of the TUI hotels in Tenerife come with Kids' Clubs.
Browse family-friendly hotels in Tenerife at TUI
Lanzarote
Sitting closer to North Africa than Spain, Lanzarote is the most northern and eastern island of the Canary Islands archipelago, and a popular destination for family holidays all year round thanks to its sunny climate and stunning landscapes. Don't let the location put you off, though, as Lanzarote still has a short-haul flight from the UK, at four hours.
At travel and tourism site TUI, its family holidays to Lanzarote pull together child-friendly resorts, big activity lists and fun day trips — and when we say 'fun', we really mean it. At TUI, you can book pony rides, canoeing and panning for gold at Rancho Texas Lanzarote Park, try your hand at watersports such as jet-skiing, parasailing and windsurfing, and handle some animals like snakes and giant tortoises.
Browse family-friendly hotels in Lanzarote at TUI
Crete
Are you ready to soak up the sunshine in the gorgeous Greek island of Crete? The vast Mediterranean island has a multitude of beautiful beaches, seaside tavernas and restaurants. Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, is also just over four hours from the UK, making it a wonderful destination for a sun-soaked, fun family holiday.
Crete's musical traditions, dances and dress are unique to the island, and they also have plenty of delicious food specialities including signature cheeses, smoked pork and fried snails – although the latter might be less appealing to kids!
We'd recommend visiting Chania, Heraklion, and Hersonissos because of their number of child-friendly beaches and attractions; Hersonissos has plenty of exciting things to do with kids including an excellent aquarium, Dinosaur Park and a labyrinth inspired by the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, whereas Heraklion has theme parks, water parks and museums suitable for the whole family.
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