What would you like in your holiday arrival goodie bag?

Something easy for dinner to just thrown in the oven - lasagne, shepherd's pie or pizza

Something for breakfast - scones, bagels etc

Water
Teabags
Milk
Biscuits or crisps

Bottle of wine?

It's very thoughtful of you.

I'd go
Something they can drink - tea, coffee, soft drink or juice for the kids. Maybe wine or beer.

Something easy for supper - bread, cheese, meats.

Something easy for breakfast - milk, cereal, eggs.

Wine and beer
Bread and some pastries
Butter
Yoghurt
Juice
Milk
Coffee
Teabags
Jam
Eggs
Granola

That should see them through till lunch time tomorrow

The last basket we had contained:

Milk (in the fridge)
Cheese (in fridge)
Orange juice (in the fridge)
Tea bags
Coffee
Taytos crisps
A selection pack of cereals
Pack of traybakes
Creamcrackers
Apples
Bananas

Made a big difference when we arrived tired and grumpy.

All good suggestions, I arrived to my isolated cottage at night to find a container of food for the squirrels but no milk, tea or coffee.

I feel differently - I think a little welcome pack is lovely.

When people come up visit at our home I do tend to check in advance if they have any preferences for breakfast (ie some people really love cereal, which we don't tend to keep in) or dietary requirements.

But we've visited people abroad and never expected them to do a shop for us. And any goodies provided as a surprise at our accommodation would be really welcome/touching.

Moreover, I wouldn't expect a visitor to provide a shopping list as they have no idea what's available or good in our (foreign to them) supermarkets (and they might also keep their requests too modest if we are paying... e.g. I'd love to be provided with a bottle of gin but would never request that as it would feel cheeky). OP can take them to the supermarket for a general shop at some point. This is just about a gesture to say hello and welcome.

9pm your time, what time for their body clock?

Surely you'll at least ask what they want to do for food the first evening? Depending on flight times we d have eaten early not on arrival. At most DC might want a few biscuits. But unless you know their tastes you might choose wrong.

If you want to make a nice "hamper" style greeting thing then your DSis' favourite coffee/tea/soft drink would be good. Plus some local nice chocolates or sweets they can nibble on throughout the holiday.

But I definitely wouldn't buy their evening meal/first breakfast. Pastries etc. are much better bought fresh in the morning. And who wants to cook bacon and eggs on holiday abroad???

Homemade bread/cakes. Decaff filter coffee Tea Bags. Skimmed milk. Butter. Nibbly snacks. Nutella. Ham. Cheeses. Tomatoes. Wine. Gin.

ive just realised that Nutella aside that is pretty much what I ate everyday on my last holiday along with fruit and Greek yoghurt.

Lovely idea!
My teens would love if there were a few bottles of whatever the local lager/ soft drinks are, so they feel like they're on holiday immediately.

@Themozziesareout surely you are offering to shop for her anyway? Tbh wanting it to be a surprise and not bothered if they actually want what you get, is all about you.

Bread
Milk
Eggs
Bacon
Butter
Cereal
Coffee
Juice
Pizza or something equally easy for their 1st evening meal
Crisps
Biscuits
Bottled water if needed in your area
Fruit

@Themozziesareout I know you say you want it to be a surprise but it really would make more sense to ask if they want you to get stuff in and what they would like.
9pm is quite late for me to eat but if I was really hungry (after the journey) I'd want something like a mac and cheese I can bung in a microwave or a packet of super noodles.
I'd then want "nicer" stuff for breakfast like pastries and fruit.
Everyone is so different about food that if I were you -ask them. Just ask.

I’d want:

-wine (plus soda for teens)
-local cheese, meats with crackers/bread and dips
-plus any other local tapas type foods
-crisps
-chocolate/dessert

-pastries fruits and juice for breakfast.
-tea/coffee

Something for dinner, tea or coffee, milk, cereal, bread, butter and jam

I don’t drink wine or tea and wouldn’t want half the things people have suggested. Why not ask 🤷🏻‍♀️

Coffee/tea/hot chocolate
Local deli food for dinner (pizza slice if Italy) paella if Spain, ham and cheese anywhere etc) for the fridge.
Juice
Fruit
Yogurt
Local breakfast food (pastries) or decent bread if not for breakfast with butter, jam bacon eggs for options. Most European countries aren't good at the bacon we are used to but depends where we are.

Lovely idea!

When we have visitors we put a bottle of wine, soft drinks, tea, coffee, milk, biscuits, crisps in the fridge for them. (There is a fridge and coffee machine in the guest room.)

After a long day of travel we usually offer a choice for tea of (i) oven pizzas; or (2) picky bits (bread, cheese, cold meats, salad if they are healthy types).

If you include "picky bits" that should cover them for breakfast, and no risk of going to waste as they can snack on it over a few days if they don't have immediately.

As you are doing it as a welcome pack you could include a couple of fridge magnets or local products to make it a bit festive!

I agree that you should ask what shopping she'd like you to buy. Then get some decent snacks that they might like. We wouldn't drink tea and the teens might want fizzy drinks etc. If there's bacon etc in you've put her under pressure to do a cooked breakfast.

I'm going to be arriving at 9ish on my holiday and I'd love the following to be waiting for me :

Bottle of fizz ( chilled and ready to drink)
Bottle of Diet Coke
Crisps
Nuts
Olives
Bread
Nice local cheese and ham/ tapas style cold meat

Biscuits and chocolates for the teenagers

Croissants/pastries for the first morning

Tea/ coffee/milk/ orange juice

Sadly we don't have a kind person to arrange it so we'll prob have to mop out to a shop when we arrive.

It really dies depends on where you live. Where i live Bacon is very expensive! I'd go down the toast/biscuit route.

Squash and juice
Diet Coke
Water (if tap water is not drinkable)
Food for breakfast the next morning - bread, butter and jam or croissants.
Snacks - crisps, packet of biscuits
Easy meal for arrival evening - pasta and jar of sauce

I'm a fussy eater and do not drink tea or coffee so I'd prefer if someone asked me if I knew them.

However on your situation as you have an adult and teenagers they may want to go out for food somewhere when they arrive to save the hassle.

I’d want a bottle of Champagne to start the holiday and whatever your local breakfast foods are.

At 9pm after a day of travelling, I’d go on the hunt for a quick local restaurant or even a take away rather than cook. At a push, everyone would be eating picnic bits like cheese and biscuits with fruit for dinner 😂