It has to be one of the most frequently asked questions in travel. Where can we take our new baby or toddler on holiday?

Most new parents, apparently, are pretty much at loss when it comes to arranging a family holiday.

They can see that their days of just jumping on a plane are gone, but don’t know how to go about finding a break that doesn’t leave them wanting to jump off the hotel balcony (not forgetting of course that small children and balconies don’t go).

Turning to the internet, they find the results overwhelming. Thousands of sites, some offering paradise, but most selling all sorts of paraphernalia that they could never have believed they needed for a week’s holiday in the Balearics.

That’s why I’ve listed, (in no particular order), a few of the best sites for advice on travelling with babies and small children. There’s also one shopping site, Tiny Tots Away, which I’ve included because, brilliantly, it actually helps cut down your baby baggage.

I’d also like to hear from you. Which sites do you recommend? Maybe there was one that provided you with an idea for where to go. Or another for a great self-catering property that no one else has ever heard of, or a tangential sort of site that makes no claim to be a family travel site but could prove helpful to other young families. Something like the Good Beach Guide – invaluable if you are planning a UK break with children in this age range.

Post your comments below or e-mail me at yoursay@timesonline.co.uk

Mumsnet

I was shocked when a zeitgeisty friend dubbed Mumsnet “so last year” (with accompanying eye rolling and sneery lips). To my mind, the Internet parenting behemoth is still absolutely one of the best websites for travel advice. Where else can you get quick and reliable answers from real live parents, who have already been there and done that, to your questions about how long it really takes to get a passport sorted and whether your hair straighteners will work in the USA?

Where else can you find real parents’ reviews of travel cots, car seats, push chairs and actual holidays? I rest my case.

If you want to find a campsite near Disneyland Resort Paris, research family hotels, or discover which airline is really best for taking a baby to Australia, Mumsnet is for you. It also has some special offers and discounts.

Tiny tots away

Babies and small children require an inordinate amount of clobber. I know I have often wished for a mule or Sherpa or two while wedging yet another “indispensable” item into my suitcase. And that’s just when it’s a weekend away; going on holiday is much worse. Which is why it’s worth logging on to this website.

In a nutshell, it eases the packing burden by allowing you to pre order and ship bulky essentials such as nappies, baby food and formula milk direct to your holiday accommodation in more than 100 countries including all the major holiday hotspots and, for reasons unknown, Lichtenstein and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

It’s not excessively expensive. I found products cost just slightly more than at the supermarket with the fee for delivery sensibly worked out according to where you are going and how much your shopping weighs.

My only grumble is that there are no deliveries at weekends – exactly when most people start their holidays - so a few supplies are still required to tide you over.

Babygoes2

One of the first, and still one of the best, one-stop-shop sites offering information about mid to top range child friendly holidays worldwide, tips, location reports, travel features and shopping.

What it really excels at though, in my opinion, is ideas. New parents are often at a loss about their holiday options. This website, in its Why go to? section offers them inspiration and really good advice. It’s also the best website at explaining holiday childcare and which tour operators offer it. It can even recommend private holiday nannies and babysitters in Majorca.

Users can also get discounts and some exclusive offers.

Take the family

With lively writing and bags of humour this is definitely the best read of the lot. But it is its exclusive offers that make it really stand out. Ten per cent off many exciting Imaginative Traveller holidays (fancy a trip to China anyone?), and other deals with many more run of the mill family stalwarts such as Thomson, Sunsail, Simply Travel, The Mediterranean Experience and Siblu.

It also has a meaty discussion forum. A recent thread touched on the best tour operator for new families: Mark Warner v. Powder Byrne. Clearly a much more relevant topic for new parents than the Tony Blair v. Gordon Brown debate!

Baby-friendly boltholes

If you like the idea of self catering but dread the thought of a static caravan or farm outbuilding furnished with grotty seconds, this brand new, fabulous-looking, site showcasing dreamy self-catering where you can take pre-schoolers is the one for you. It was founded by new mum Sian Williams who, having spent 12 years in the luxury travel business, used all her contacts to seek out the best, many award-winning, self-catering properties (mainly in the UK).

All are checked for child-friendly features and facilities so you know before you go whether you need to take your own highchair, baby monitor, stair gates or toys. Nearby attractions, such as beaches or animal spotting, are also noted.

The website does not offer a booking service but has links to the property websites.

Got a question about family travel? Email our trio of experts at yoursay@timesonline.co.uk- Chloe Bryan-Brown takes care of questions for the 0-6 year olds, Emma Mahony handles the 7-12 age group and Jane Owen the teenage and single mother groups