holiday dilemma...

[sandythesquirrel]

DH has decided we 'must' go on a holiday at either Easter or Summer. We don't even have much budget for one - so he wants to do it on a shoestring budget. DH always has a travel bug so I am not surprised he is itching to go anywhere. DS travels well but has started saying he doesn't want to go anywhere - he would rather just stay at home.

Every holiday we have ever been on has been in a 5 star hotel. (usually a city or lake/mountain - we just don't like beaches). Our idea of roughing it is a 3 star hotel with no room service or pool. We have never done camping or caravan or even a self catering apartment. Holidays have always been about luxury and indulgence. This last two years money has been very tight after moving house - so there just isn't much budget.

DH has a 'bright' idea of renting a cottage somewhere in Cornwall or Scotland from airbnb and saving money by making our own meals. He is just itching to go somewhere. It is just not my idea of fun - plus I will end up doing all the planning and thinking of every food item we might need. I would rather have one night in a spa hotel! When I jokingly suggested (actually he thought it was a joke - I was being serious) that he take ds on his own and I can have a week off at home reading books - the look on his face was so pitiful I felt sorry for him when he said 'how is that a family holiday?'.

AIBU to think what is the point of going on a holiday if it involves a 7-10 hour drive and then I still have to get everyone's breakfast and/or other meals. Also, I know with money being tight, we will be limited with what we do and that will frustrate us.

I really don't know whether to go along with it or put my foot down especially as ds is so indifferent.

[TotalConfucius]

Well needs must. You must cut your cloth, etc etc, etc.
I would suggest you consider self catering on the basis of cold breakfasts, full lunches and sandwich suppers.
Also do a 3/4 night deal instead of a full week.
Get a compass and a map, calculate how far you think you can get within 3 hours and draw a circle around your home.
Then go on to Hoseasons website and find a lodge or something. With a zoo nearby.
And get over yourself!
I have a 14 yr old in the other room and I calculate she has had holidays totalling about £22,000 in her life - many of them in luxury surroundings, and one costing an epic £4,000 although that was a once in a lifetime experience. She has swum and snorkelled in some of the world's most beautiful waters, she ha trekked in some amazing rainforests, kayaked through Glacier Bay and sipped non-all pina coladas under a Caribbean sky (quite a lot of that one).
I just asked her what her top three holidays were, she said the £4,000 one (thank God - I didn't waste the money), the 3 night trip to Edinburgh when we stayed in a caravan, the time we rented a boat for a long weekend on the Norfolk Broads and it was a Royal Wedding (so she must have fond memories, it was William and Kate).
My older DS says one of his best memories of holidays is jumping waves in Watergate Bay when he was 4.

[rookiemere]

It was actually DH who introduced me to the joys of self catering.

He whisked me off for a romantic weekend, I told all my friends he was into cottaging, until someone explained what that meant .

[LilacAndLovely]

Being self catering doesn't make it less of a holiday IMO. It's still a change of scenery and accommodation, no one has work or school for X days, you have no laundry, food shopping (because you'd generally take it all with you), bills to pay, housework to do beyond the necessary...it's still an escape from 'real life'.

You do sound a bit precious op, and a bit dull tbh. I love going away but we mix it up - we've been to posh hotels and expensive cities (with the dc), beach holidays abroad, Centre Parks, Butlins ( ), camping, glamping, caravanning and to a few different cottage or chalet type things.

You don't have to choose one holiday and stick to it...try something new.

[Bunbaker]

Also, I often make a lasagne and transport it frozen so that we have one meal already made.

[Mia1415]

Absolutely nothing wrong with self catering! Go, embrace it & have a great time!

[GrumpyOldBag]

Self catering is fine.

Make sure you eat out a fair bit, and buy or take a few easy things to cook e.g. M&S dine in for £10 deals. Fish & chips one night is a treat.

Make sure everyone pitches in to help.

Have a barbecue one night.

[ClarenceTheLion]

You do sound a bit precious op, and a bit dull tbh.

To be fair, if my partner booked self-catering while assuming I would deal with all catering, I'd feel entitled to be a bit precious.

When is it booked for OP? Tell him to start practicing his cooking skills now

[toffeeboffin]

'Also, I often make a lasagne and transport it frozen so that we have one meal already mad'

Genius, Bunbaker

I'll be doing this next time we go away.

[Bunbaker]

I probably got this tip from MN. I'm not clever enough to think it up all on my own

It does need to be frozen though, then it won't slosh all over the place.

[toffeeboffin]

Self catering can be easy. Lots of picnic, or tapas style meals, depending on what you like.

I.E. Hummus, pita bread, olives, veg sticks, maybe some hot roast sausages, etc.

Or ham, sliced cheeses, home made soup, French stick and pork pies.

Add a nice dessert and Bob is your uncle.

[toffeeboffin]

Ha, with a name like BunBaker I'm sure you are a culinary genius!

And the lasagna will act like an ice block too, keep things cool.

[wickedwaterwitch]

I'm with you OP, I'm Ms 5 star all the way (and so are my children)

Self catering is only a holiday IMO if you eat out mostly.

Although decent ready meals etc are ok too.

It also depends on how old your child is.

[wickedwaterwitch]

If it was me I'd say

NFW are we driving for 7 hours
We need an eating out budget
It needs to be a nice place (I don't see the point in staying somewhere not as nice as my house )
He needs to do half the meals at least

[rookiemere]

Beware the frozen lasagne in ovens you aren't used to !

My culinary masterpiece was still solid after 1.5 hrs in the professional gas oven and ended up being microwaved which gave it the consistency of the remade stuff so I may as well not have bothered.

[toffeeboffin]

'He whisked me off for a romantic weekend, I told all my friends he was into cottaging, until someone explained what that meant blush.'

Is this code for something else? Cottaging? Like a Center Parcs MN thing?

[rookiemere]

Ah a fellow innocent toffeeboffin. Google it and all will be revealed.

[LikeASoulWithoutAMind]

I'd much prefer a lovely cottage to most budget hotels tbh. We love the freedom of self catering. I especially like cottages with no TV or wifi for true switching off.

YY to taking at least one meal already made. I often make tagine for our first night. There is no reason you couldn't do this x2.
Fish and chips by the sea one day.
Another night you could get a couple of pizzas and a bag of salad. Tada!
Proper meal out another night.
That's most of the week gone and you haven't actually cooked yet. Tell dh he's in charge the remaining nights

[wickedwaterwitch]

Also it can be LOVELY just being on holiday at home. When we do that we plan nice days out, watch films together, read a lot, lie in, do cooking we enjoy rather than run of the mill cooking. But you do still have to tidy, shop, do washing and other tedious crap that you wouldn't do if you were away.

Room service is my idea of a holiday too!

[venusinscorpio]

Still confused about the extent of the Center Parcs dome, even after that thread!

[toffeeboffin]

A really nice quick SC supper is toasted ham and cheese croissants and tomato soup.

Literally split a croissant, add sliced ham and cheese, maybe some sliced tomatoes. Fold over. Place in oven, 350 until cheese is melted.

Also good for brekkie (without soup obv)

[toffeeboffin]

rookiemere

Self-catering or cottaging? Or both together?

Don't know if I dare.

I once googled cream and sugar and the results weren't good!

[Smurfingreat]

I grew up with hotel holidays as my DM was fairly frail and found it easier. Since I got together with DH we always go self catering, and I much prefer it now. More space to chill out, no maids knocking on the door when you want a nap or you're in the shower. However, I never cook! We have basics for breakfast, stop off at a farm shop on the way down, buy lots of yummy snacky things and eat out every meal. The only cleaning I do is chucking cereal bowls and mugs in the dishwasher. My top tip is not to stay anywhere remote, stay in a village so you can walk down to the sea front for coffee, meals, beach etc. Eating out doesn't have to be that expensive if you are happy to have a pasty or fish and chips on the beach or picnic from a deli for some meals.

[venusinscorpio]

I would definitely go summer or half term as Easter is early this year and it may be freezing and miserable. So much easier to have lovely picnics if it isn't!