What would you take with you on self catering holiday? (Flying)

[OhamIreally]

Going on holiday in a few weeks. It's bed and breakfast but the room is more like a studio apartment with a little kitchenette.

Destination is quite expensive so I'd like to keep costs down but don't want to take the kitchen sink.

So far I think I'll take some of my favourite teabags.

Do you take anything with you or just buy when you get there?

i generally buy whatever i need when i try to my destination, but i do take a few key items;

washing up liquid and a sponge - own brand.

ice poles - for the children - we do buy lollies etc during the day, but it's nice to have a stockpile for the room and works out much cheaper to bring some with us.

snacks for my children - packet noodles for lunch, tubs of pringles, microwave popcorn, a couple of packets of sweets. i don't buy enough for the duration of the holiday, but a few days worth.

Also double check the laws where you are going. Chewing gum is banned in Singapore for example and many countries you can't take codeine based analgesia.

Which country are you going to OP?

Buy when you get there. Sorry I don't understand bringing the kitchen sink on holidays unless you are trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas, and even there you could probably buy everything you need!

I usually just bring some tea bags, and a homemade sandwich for the plane journey, that's more or less it.

The only thing like that I take on holiday is Maldon salt with garlic.
I always take a small pot of it if I’m SC In Europe to make the most of the amazing tomatoes

Get a set of travel bottles from primark (about a pound or two) and fill with washing up liquid, anti bac spray, laundry liquid etc. bung in a few dishwasher and laundry tablets if needed.

We always take plenty teabags, and bags of granola as our favourite isn't always available. We don't have the granola every day, we often go out for breakfast or make toast instead. Often the only cups in the apartment/villa are tiny coffee cups and not a nice big mug, so like a PP we will go looking for souvenir ones that we will either bring back (if they are nice) or leave in the apartment (if they are a bit clunky). We have bag clips for any big share bags of crisps and things like that.

I also buy clothes pegs for the drying racks as usually it's a bit of a motley collection that's there. Our accommodation always seems to have washing up liquid, washing up sponge and dishtowel plus liquid hand soap in the bathroom, so I don't have to bother with that.

It's all part of the fun. Browsing foreign supermarkets is one of my favourite things

I just don't see the point in buying a big pack of dishwasher tablets or clothes detergent when I can take some from my stash at home. We are spending plenty of time and money in the supermarket despite taking stuff with us.

And as I said there was absolutely nothing here already apart from a few toilet rolls .

Buy it there, and bring the excess back! Much cheaper in places like Spain and it's an adventure (to me) trying out brands that I have never heard of but everyone there seems to buy. They even have the long discontinued washing powder tablets. I bring some of THEM home.

We’re on holiday now, and we bought with us tea bags, coffee, 8 dishwasher tablets, 4 washing machine tablets, a few cleaning clothes, S&P, and some zip lock bags. It saves having to buy whole packs of things here, or having to bring extra home with us. Not a big deal to chuck these things in the suitcase as we have them all at home anyway.

I'd save the money on taking a suitcase full of British food and buy really lovely local foods with the saved money

Much cheaper in places like Spain

Generally, I’ve found things to be much more expensive on holiday, especially on islands. And I’m saving my baggage weight allowance on the way home for gin rather than washing powder 😀

Thank you. As I said in my OP I absolutely don't want to bring the kitchen sink and I also love shopping in foreign supermarkets.

My list has:
Corkscrew
Cool bag - this is a great reminder I have a soft shell cool box that folds into a satchel when empty.
Yorkshire teabags in a plastic food bag.
Rubber gloves.

Plan is to have light lunches at the beach or in the room then eat out in the evenings.

Just double check what a kitchenette consists of. If its like the Greece I know you will have a fridge sink and a single cooking ring, so dishwasher tablets would be of little use. I would take teabags coffee & sugar and decant some washing up liquid and some washing powder or liquid and maybe some antibacterial cleaner. A sharp knife isn't a bad idea. I personally wouldn't attempt cooking as the cost of food in supermarkets is usually higher but I would buy local bread and deli items for a light lunch or breakfast. If the accommodation described a full kitchen with washing machine and dishwasher it may be different though

Foil and baking tray - we found most of the self catering places don't supply them!

Freeze board and small containers if you want to take cool bag with chilled lunch or snacks with you out and about.

Yeah I wasn't planning on a "suitcase full of British food"

Sharp knife( or knife sharpener)
Favourite tea and coffee
Maybe a garlic press.

That's about it.

Foil and ziplock bags- yes to these too.

Everything that you don't want to have to buy full packs of at the other end, i.e. tea, coffee, sugar, salt, shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, kitchen foil, loo rolls, kitchen towel, drinks to dilute, cooking oil, etc. Take partially used packs or decant into smaller containers, so you take just what you need. No point in paying exorbitant prices at the other end just to chuck the unused part away or have to bring half used containers back with you.

In the past, we've packed a small cool bag containing bacon, butter, sausages,etc so we could have a fry up on the first morning! Then again, we also took tins of soup on a skiing holiday, and several small tins of beans and beans/sausages when our son was very young and wanted simple things to eat.

Only time I ever took anything on a plane for a self catering holiday was when I had a newly weaning baby. Otherwise trying new things in a new place is the adventure of a holiday so I’d rather just get anything I need there.

Surely if you are flying you can't take liquids???

Or am I totally behind the times ..

They're fine in suitcases in the hold, only prohibited from hand luggage.

@cherryassam you can get really good powdered oat milk now - much lighter. I got a bag from Amazon.

Nothing. Shop like the locals, don't try to make the same meals you make at home or to use convenience products which will be £££

Nothing. I buy it all there.

I take tea bags in a ziplock bag because the tea available abroad is often lousy and expensive, some plastic food clips, a travel shampoo bottle filled with washing up liquid, a washing up sponge and dishcloth and rubber gloves if I remember. Depending on facilities I sometimes take a small cafetiere as a decent coffee in the morning is important to me.

OP you'll find it awkward to prep a proper meal with a tiny kitchenette - breakfast, maybe sandwich making and the ability to cook a pizza if there's an oven might be the limit.