If you are self-catering abroad, what do you pack by way of food?

[Lovemenorca]

Single parent two children

Usually we do all inclusive or half board. This year our big hol is in Feb so I’ve booked a simple air bnb for a week in Spain. There’s a full kitchen. I’m looking to only eat out for dinners. So planning to “cook” for breakfast and lunch.

Lovely town. No big supermarket close by. A large corner shop that does phenomenal fresh fruit salad and veg. But limited in terms of dried goods.

We are no foodies. And I’m not interested in cooking elaborate dishes or sourcing local specialties. We are very active and eat to fuel and it’s a lot of veg, fruit, salad, avocados, salmon, chicken, Greek yoghurt etc and i will get these locally.

However, I’d like to take the kefir yoghurts that I love that I know won’t be available and also some cream cheese. Can I pack these items in a cooling lunch box with an ice pack in it - and do you think ok for a total of 7/8 hours door to door (transfers flight etc)?

Planning on bringing some packets of microwaveable rice, tins of Wild salmon and also tins of tuna - so then I can mix eg rice, tin of tuna, tinned sweet corn and a splash of soy sauce (my children LOVE this!). Also I’ll bring some tortillas and then I’ll fill with cream cheese and ham that I’ll buy out there and they can have but the pool. I’ll get a load of salad from the shop and have with the tinned tuna I’ve brought from home.

Breakfast - I’ll bring porridge sachets (so then I just need to buy milk) , dried apricots and dates for topping. And we will also have lots of fruit and maybe some toast.

I drink almond milk - I’ll pack the long life version as wont be able to get there

So my question is re whether possible to bring a small amount of refrigerated food if backed in hold luggage in a cooking bag with cooking packs inside?

And then curious about what you bring by way of dried food for self catering abroad holidays?

Don't forget that these food items will probably add a couple of kilos to your luggage

The Op seems pretty savvy and I imagine she’ll pack accordingly in order to avoid being over the weight limit.

Ps don't rely on the hold being cold - if pets are being transported they heat the hold. Don't take perishables, I like kefir but it's one week, just buy normal yogurt and they will sell cream cheese there. Carrefour will deliver, so much easier, just buy all your stuff for the week except for fruit and veg, they even sell your milk

I'm due to travel shortly to Cyprus, going half board. But due to a very fussy eater, I'll be packing half a supermarket too. Yes there is an Aldi on the island, but my DD likes certain types of bacon, sausages, yogurts etc. So OP isn't alone with her plans to take food!

I do agree though OP about the brexit comment. If there was a no deal before I travelled, i wouldn't be able to take any food at all (I don't believe), so it's worth keeping an eye on the situation.

Sorry never heard of anyone taking food with them on a plane that’s very odd. Using up your baggage allowance on basic food you can buy over there? Makes no sense to me.

And then a nosy question re what people bring if self catering abroad

If flying nothing other than teabags because that's one thing that's rarely available there or is expensive and is no hassle to stick in the suitcase.

Can you arrange a welcome pack? The owner of the apartment probably does their shopping in Mercadona or Eroski etc and they should sell kefir yogurt etc. Even if they charge a fee, it should be cheaper than paying for extra luggage to drag it all out there yourself.

I take coffee and get a delivery. Not just food stuff but some frozen treats, drinks, toiletries and household stuff.
But we never check in a bag either.

There must be somewhere that delivers. Not everyone drives or wants to go on a crazy bus ride

Haven't read the whole thread so sorry if this has been mentioned already but I'd freeze anything that can be frozen (when I was a child my family always used to take frozen sausage and bacon!) . It can then thaw on the journey and keep the stuff cool that needs to be.

I rarely self cater abroad but the only thing I’d take generally would be teabags. I take them to a hotel anyway. I wouldn’t take anything else if flying. Fussy children aren’t helped by parents indulging their food fussing on holiday. A good time to try new foods.

We do take a big Tesco dry shop when we go to our boat because it makes it cheaper and supplies are more limited in rural France. We use a local supermarket nearer the marina for fresh produce and nice French foods that we can’t bring with us. We buy wine from a local vineyard and stop in Reims for fizz.

Ps don't rely on the hold being cold - if pets are being transported they heat the hold

Not all of it.

I take almond milk wherever I go then buy everything locally.
I wouldn't take the the kefir. If you only eat for fuel you won't miss it for a short time.
It might be fun just eating what the local shop has, using their fruit and veg. A plant based diet is much healthier than meat and fish.

Self catering in a place with no food shop and no car.

That was a sensible choice.

Why would you use porridge sachets? A box/bag of oats is way cheaper and so much better for the environment.

I never take anything and just buy from the local supermarket. We tend to only buy in for breakfast and lunch and eat out most nights though.

We are in the just teabags camp.
I like shopping for food on holiday and can do without my regular go to foods for a week. We go to the local supermarket every other day at least, maybe every day. For fresh bread, tomatoes, salami, cheese etc. Completely weird to take yoghurt and cream cheese with you but each to their own

We are not interested in food
I’d say obsessed, judging by the lists of food you are making. For me one of the delights of travel is to go and eat what they have there. The only time I ever packed anything particular was a couple of packets of stuffing when I was away over Christmas once.

We took a suitcase full when we went to Iceland to keep the costs down.
Tinned tuna, ham, peas, sweet corn, beans. Packet pasta, savoury rice, soups, cereals, biscuits. Then bought the basics.
Flying off AI this morning though and quite nice not to bother.

I take some sachets of sugar, salt and pepper. That's it.

For someone who isn’t a foodie and eats only to fuel you’re very hung up on kefir yoghurt...!

Just wanted to flag you might want to factor in the flight being delayed! As our outward and return flight were both delayed by a few hours recently and I wouldn’t have wanted to take the yogurt in that situation! Hopefully yours won’t be but worth bearing in mind. Have a great holiday

Do folks not understand that the OP has been to her holiday destination before and knows there is no supermarket nearby where she can stock up on the items she wants to take with her.

Just what is the point of replying and saying oh we go to the nearest supermarket to buy what we need?

As a pp said, if you can freeze anything fresh/ dairy, wrap up well and put in suitcase, should still be cold after journey.
👍🏻

If you are taking yogurt pack it really carefully in case it bursts in transit. I once took a bottle of wine in my suitcase wrapped up so carefully and packed right in the centre of my clothes. The bottle was smashed in transit but my clothes were pretty much alright as I’d packed it in a lot of plastic carrier bags.

We are self catering abroad in a few weeks but we only get 23kgs so we aren’t taking much. Teabags, salt and pepper and a few snacks for the kids. I hope you have a lovely holiday!

There's a large convenience store in the village so that will be absolutely fine with no car and probably used by the locals so well stocked, good turnover etc.

I can understand taking food to Iceland as everything there is very expensive, but Spain is about the same as the UK, often cheaper as long as you buy Spanish brands and don't insist on UK brands like Heinz baked beans etc.

Japan, skiing

• few boxes of cereal
• jar peanut butter
• bag of pasta
• jar of pesto
• small block of cheddar
• bottle of gin
• bottle of Ribera
• as much wine as I have space for
• few multi packs of mini choc bars.

Reason being that ski resort supermarket is basically a 7-11 ( ok for bread, beer, pringles and milk) so unless you have a car to go to big supermarket, there’s no decent food supply unless you eat out and eating breakfast in is easier with kids. Alcohol is $$$$ so I try to take a stash.

OP you mention Hold All, are you taking a suitcase that goes in the hold as well?