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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there's no need to eat out every night of a holiday?

182 replies

JQuinnS · 19/03/2017 00:13

We're going away soon and are staying in a resort/hotel that has a small kitchen in the room. We have decided to not do all inclusive/eat out at the town. There's no reason to not cook something at least a couple of needs. Is there really a need to eat out every night? Not being arsey, genuinely wondering. AIBU?

OP posts:
Increasinglymiddleaged · 19/03/2017 08:36

I think it also depends where you go because there aren't a never-ending supply of amazing restaurants everywhere.

ohdoadoodoo · 19/03/2017 08:37

We do a mix of both! We both enjoy cooking so we like to make stuff but we also enjoy eating out. We use AirBnB most of the time and one of the must-haves is a decent kitchen Smile

felinewonderful · 19/03/2017 08:37

Of course there is no need to but I would only cook if I couldn't afford to eat out every night. It's a holiday so a break from daily chores is nice!

ShatnersBassoon · 19/03/2017 08:37

Part of the holiday for me is having a break from daily chores, so cooking would be a pain and I'd resent doing it. So I do think eating out is an important thing to do every night.

I don't like all inclusive because I like to try different places to eat every day. We tried AI once and found it boring and like we couldn't escape the same people, a bit like being in a massive guest house.

I do like a mooch around a foreign supermarket though, but not for ingredients. For booze and crisps.

Applebite · 19/03/2017 08:37

Whoever said all inclusives are shit is staying at the wrong ones! Some of them are shit (I lost over half a stone in Cuba), some of them are epic. We stayed at one in Jamaica that was mind blowing, literally hundreds of dishes every night, and went on a cruise where we all gained so much weight it was ridiculous. And there's usually an a la carte restaurant too, if you get fed up with the choices.

OP, it's your holiday. For me personally, I much prefer eating out, so we do. We only have one young DC, so it's pretty do-able - I might change my mind if we had a couple of babies to cope with! But if you want to chill out in your room, it's YOUR holiday, who cares what anyone except you and your family think?!

ClashCityRocker · 19/03/2017 08:38

I enjoy eating out on holiday, but can't do it for a week. Actually, I probably could but dh has various dietary requirements so it's hard to eat out and keep it varied.

We tend to go sc in the uk. A typical week would consist of a leisurely brunch cooked in, a couple of lunches out, a couple of teas out, a couple of salad and picky bit teas and the rest bbqs.

To be honest, if I've had a busy day, cooking something simple in the lodge or cottage can be more relaxing than getting changed and showered and trekking out for tea. A dishwasher is a requirement though!

Similarly, if I have had a day of lounging about with a good book, I'm ready to get out and explore and find somewhere nice for tea by evening time.

You're on holiday, do what you want!

shirleycartersaidso · 19/03/2017 08:39

Of course you don't need to eat out every night but I don't want to cook on holiday so We eat out every night. I quite like having a kitchen for lunch or breakfast so we normally go s/c but dinner is out.

skerrywind · 19/03/2017 08:40

crunchymum (had an awful all inclusive experience 15y ago - never again!!)

Sad that it put you off. We have been 12 or 13 all inclusive holidays in Turkey and Greece. Never been disappointed

We always choose small, budget, family run type hotels. The food has always been great. Local produce, brilliant fish/vegetables.bread/salad.

Only complaints from fellow guests have been a lack of chicken nuggets as a PP said.

delilahbucket · 19/03/2017 08:41

We always go self catering and factor eating out into the budget, as much like pp, we're on holiday and that means a break from cooking, washing etc. We do have breakfast at the apartment, and a snack type lunch, but always have our evening meal out. Then we get some drinks in for the evening and sit out on the terrace/balcony while DS sleeps.
It isn't really a case of BU, you prefer what you prefer.

Ameliablue · 19/03/2017 08:41

Of course there is no need to, it's choice.

Applebite · 19/03/2017 08:42

( not that you should only eat in at an AI, it's a shame not to see something of where you are!)

monkeywithacowface · 19/03/2017 08:42

Depends what you want from a holiday I suppose. I don't cook on holidays. For me eating out is part of the whole getting away and enjoying yourself. Will make a simple lunch or breakfast in the holiday apartment if we're having a day by the pool but that's about it.

I don't think it's a question of "need" though.

OwlinaTree · 19/03/2017 08:42

I HATE all inclusive (they're given SUCH a shit deal! We stay at the same resorts, and they're second-class citizens. Cheap, cheap, cheap all the way = horrible holiday as far as I can see, although people do seem to love it, and it's apparently the way to go)

Totally not my experience. Any time I've done all inclusive its been amazing! We usually go for B&B or sc because we like to eat out but it does depend where you are going.

Our next holiday is going to be AI as we have 2 little ones now, and I don't fancy the wrangling every night in various cafes with (ime) not always the best facilities in terms of high chairs and baby change!

Crumbs1 · 19/03/2017 08:42

Depends on holiday but we prefer not to eat out every night if we can avoid it. Just had 10 days in Sri Lanka where we had to eat in hotel/conference and then four days in Lakes in a lodge on a luxury hotel estate.
The baked potatoes, prawns and salad eaten watching Call the Midwife was possibly nicest meal of all.

GraceGrape · 19/03/2017 08:46

With young children, preparing your own meals is much easier. We always self-cater in France and the supermarket shop is part of the fun. I certainly don't whip up three-course meals every night though.

rookiemere · 19/03/2017 08:48

I agree it depends on the length of the holiday.

We went on a 3 week trip to Canada and by th third week even my greedy meal out loving DH was happy to stay in and have an omelette for dinner - suppose it beat me hissing at him not to have a starter as well as a main.

However I don't miss being general chef and I like to eat out most of the time, or if we'd rather not go out then get a takeaway. DS would prefer to stay in every evening and when DH went away for an evening when we were skiing as he was doing some overnight hike with his pal, DS was ever so grateful to stay in and have pasta for a change.

Never been AI as we like incorporating the walk and decision on restaurant for the evening meal as part of the experience. Also I am greedy and prefer to have my food brought to me or I overeat, I'd give a cruise a go though.

Eatingcheeseontoast · 19/03/2017 08:49

I've cooked when in places where there's little choice to eat, or it's a drive and it's nicer to eat in and have a drink. Also if there's a group it can be nice to take turns to cook.

But part of the holiday fo me is eating out and trying new things, though on a long holiday it's also nice just to be able to have bread and cheese sometimes as eating out can be expensive and a bit much every night.

We have friends who always self cater as they love cooking and eating local food and visiting markets and also they don't have much dosh and it's cheaper. But it's v much part of being away from them.

missmartha · 19/03/2017 08:49

We usually rent a house so have the choice of eating in or out. I like having choice.

Sometimes we eat out and sometimes we get home tired and just feel like vegging with a good book, and a plate of bread, cheese, salad and ham.
It could be anything really, but some evenings I just can't be bothered to get home and changed for a meal in a restaurant.
We always have a good lunch out, so starving isn't going to happen.

Grilledaubergines · 19/03/2017 08:51

To be fair, there's no NEED to go on holiday is there?

We eat out every night of a holiday because that's one of the best bits, getting dressed, drinks and a meal, a little stroll, a bar or two and a bit of people watching. Bliss!

skerrywind · 19/03/2017 08:51

gracegrape- with young children all inclusive is easier.

You can eat whenever a child is hungry, go in three times for dinner, two breakfasts, take food back to the room. Many places have hot food and snacks all day long.

randomsabreuse · 19/03/2017 08:51

We tend to do one big and one small meal a day - so if we had lunch out we'd have wine, bread, olives type thing on our balcony in the evening and if we'd planned dinner out we'd take sandwiches or buy something light. More due to not wanting to balloon/ getting uncomfortably full than budget...

skerrywind · 19/03/2017 08:53

wine, bread, olives type thing on our balcony

My hungry kids wouldn't be impressed with that I'm afraid.

BlueBlueSkies · 19/03/2017 08:58

It depends on the holiday too.

When we go skiing, we get a small apartment. I will cook before we go and freeze, usually a chicken curry, spag bog etc. They are still frozen when we arrive and are meals ready for a couple of evenings. Then we eat out the rest, or get pizza delivered.

In USA, we got a house and ate our most nights, had breakfast at the house, and ordered take aways a couple of times. It is nice to have flexibility.

We had one holiday where 4 families with toddlers all rented a 13 bedroom french farmhouse. That was great, we took turns to cook dinner each night, and babysat for those that wanted a night out. We all ventured out together a couple of times for dinner.

SoupDragon · 19/03/2017 09:01

I cook every single day at home. Why on earth would I want to do the same whilst on holiday?

insancerre · 19/03/2017 09:03

Of course I need to eat out every night

I'm on holiday and I'm not cooking