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.

[toffeeboffin]

Lord above

[venusinscorpio]

Thanks Snowballs.

[lapsedorienteerer]

I'm all for a high quality self catering holiday and lots of Cook pre bought meals. I'm also with those who take a homemade frozen meal for the first night. I took a frozen spag bol all the way to Normandy to find it still frozen on arrival.

[nortonhouse]

Just "cottaging", toffeeboffin...

[nortonhouse]

Our family has taken self-catering holidays since my son (now 19) was a baby. We have stayed in some gorgeous houses in beautiful settings. I always do what a previous poster does and place a Tesco order to arrive at the house soon after we do. We also do takeaways, and sometimes find a local cook who will deliver meals to the house. It really isn't difficult, and in exchange for a little bit of time in the kitchen, we get a lovely large house with plenty of room for everyone to spread out and read, do puzzles, enjoy evenings in front of the fire, etc. I much prefer this to even the best hotels we've stayed in.

[witsender]

See, a self catered cottage in Cornwall or similar is heaven to me...I don't like being waited on and prefer to eat what I want, when I want etc. But I'm not you. Can't you come to a compromise/rota on cooking and just enjoy some chill time? Do an online food shop with Waitrose for lots of lovely ready meals, easy cook stuff to be delivered there when you arrive, wine, gin etc!

[Bunbaker]

"Self catering is only a holiday IMO if you eat out mostly.
Although decent ready meals etc are ok too."

This is what we do. I don't go away to cook all week, nor do we just exist on beans on toast all week.

"It needs to be a nice place (I don't see the point in staying somewhere not as nice as my house)"

I heartily agree with this.

[ihateminecraft]

We often do self catering breaks in the UK, usually caravans rather than cottages. I don't view it as like being at home. We tend to take packed lunches/picnics out and in the evening will eat out (pub/restaurants), get a takeaway or at worse get something we can easily heat up, so not a chore. I love holidays in the UK, especially the West Country, there's so much to see and do even if the weather is pants.

Incidentally, we have done expensive foreign holidays too but my kids actually prefer the UK caravans!

[Lightbulbon]

We don't go on holiday if we can't afford a hotel.

Washing/dishes etc are no holiday imo.

[Bunbaker]

"Washing/dishes etc are no holiday imo."

But I don't do any washing on holiday, and we always get somewhere that has a dishwasher. Self catering - in the loosest sense here, is very much a holiday for us. I spend very little time in the kitchen when on holiday.

[PerspicaciaTick]

I'd rather wash the odd mug or two than have to share a room with my DCs every night for the whole holiday.

[Iggi999]

I go on holiday to see new places, is this unusual?

[BackforGood]

Are you going to come back and explain to us why you would be getting everyone's breakfast ?

We've self catered for years and had some lovely holidays. Even the really cheap ones when we were very skint were a great break and made some lovely memories.
If it takes you 7 - 10 hrs to get to Cornwall, why not go somewhere closer - Wales / Norfolk / Dorset / NE coastline or even somewhere inland as you say beaches aren't your thing - what about the Lakes ? (obv. I don't know where in the country you are).

[Bunbaker]

"I'd rather wash the odd mug or two than have to share a room with my DCs every night for the whole holiday."

This ^^

"I go on holiday to see new places, is this unusual?"

So do we. We love to visit sites of interest, walk, eat excellent local food etc.

[firesidechat]

Why would going self catering stop you seeing places? Don't get that at all.

Yes we have self catered in Devon and Yorkshire, but we've also done it in Greece and Cyprus. I think you see far more of a place if you have to shop for food in local markets and shops and have to find places to eat every day. Much more fun that eating in the hotel restaurant or sitting by the pool all day.

Even if you disagree with us op, if would be nice if you came back and commented on all of these great posts.

[Bunbaker]

"Why would going self catering stop you seeing places? Don't get that at all."

Neither do I. In fact I would say it is the opposite as you aren't governed by mealtimes and you can come and go as you please. We usually self cater abroad and always in the UK.

[BikeRunSki]

I'm right there with you OP. Same s**t, different place. In a similar situation a couple of years ago, an MNer recommended Crieff Hydro. We've booked for the third year running. DC are now 4 and 7.

[IndridCold]

We are also fans of self-catering, and in 9 years the only meal I have ever cooked is the odd bowl of pasta. It is not a cheap option though if you are relying on eating out.

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

I'd rather wash the odd mug or two than have to share a room with my DCs every night for the whole holiday.

^ This for me too, but I get where you are coming from if there isn't a clear plan as to how to remove the daily drudgery of home when on "holiday". Plus packing for the UK climate also basically means bringing all^ your clothes. There are upsides, you can empty your own freezer to take with you so if you are organised you can certainly bring lots of kid friendly meals. You can also get groceries delivered which you can't overseas.

We have two kids under 6 so we tend to break up the day with a huge and very naice lunch out somewhere so then it's just something quite and light in the evenings. Or we'll bbq so it's just meat and salads etc.

What about airbnb in Paris? Lots to do, lovely place to eat out and some amazing places to stay. Eurostar makes it v painless too if you are near to London.

There is no way I would view camping for a week as a holiday unless my spouse was very hands on and proactive.

[AMouseLivedinaWindMill]

Tricky one op. Holiday to me is getting away from where we live, seeing new things, exploring, leaning new stuff, perhaps just the lovely sea air...letting dc run round on the beach....so if its a case of being stuck at home or going somewhere new but with having to make meals, I would take going somewhere new every time.

Also I find going with the car and dc much easier than airports, delays, flights, check in etc. I love driving to Europe but I must admit and reticent about doing a long haul down to Cornwall right now.

Anyway, there are ways round it. Eating out but cheaply, picnics nice delis....where they make stuff for you...compromise.

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

If OP doesn't like self catering, then a load of people piling on here to say they do isn't going to change her mind. And I'd hazard a guess that OP probably knows her husband well enough to be able to say that she will end up doing the cooking and cleaning.

YANBU OP. We used to go on a lot of S/C holidays when I was a child - my mum ended up doing everything, it wasn't a holiday at all for her. We've only been on one holiday since 2009 - a week in Wales Haven - and having to try and cook a meal in a tiny unfamiliar kitchen was not fun or easy.

[SpecialStains]

We always do self catering as we're vegetarian. It's not a big deal. Cereal or toast for breakfast. Pizza in oven one night, get a disposable BBQ and have a soggy BBQ another night, pasta and sauce etc. I've even been known to take pre made frozen dinners. We've planned a camping holiday to Cornwall in may, travelling from nw, so we'll plan some stops on the way. Everyone takes turns cooking, loading dishwasher etc. When dh and I first started going out and were absolutely skint we had some lovely trips away in the UK. We used my parents national trust cards (naughty I know) so visited lots of places on the cheap. I had an amazing holiday in the UK with my mum last year, stayed in a campervan and did lots of dog walking and a few pub dinners out.
I'd be quite annoyed if my dh wouldn't even contemplate a trip away because it wasn't 5*. But then, I wouldn't have married someone like that.