Self catering isn't a holiday. It's the same rubbish in a different location.

[wintersdawn]

We are currently 3 days into a 10 day self catering holiday and I'm sick of it already. My DH loves self catering holidays as they are a break from work and a different location and he can spend the whole time winding down from work and enjoying the break from the commuting routine.

But for me it's just the same shit in a different place, DD6 and DS4 still wake up early no matter how late we let them stay up. We either head off somewhere for the day which seems to always cost a fortune or involve lots of driving or stay in the house but without all their normal toys and entertainment options. We aren't near a beach this time which would normally give the children hours of entertainment, as we are staying in a relations house whilst they are away to save money. We don't have the budget to eat out each night and so the same cleaning, cooking, washing crap happens as it would at home.

I know we needed a cheap holiday this year as we've just had to replace the car and we did the kitchen at the start of the year but this is the 4th year in a row of self catering and I'm over them.

I can't be the only one who gets dragged down by self catering? Can I?

Crazymiss

Let me guess. You don't have young children.

Drinking at 11am, letting them stay up really late so that they sleep in the next day.... hmmmm not excwmry a recipe for a successful holiday with young children.

Drinking at 11 means you can't drive anywhere when eventually they get restless doing what precisely whilst you're drinking at 11.

Letting a 4 and 6 year old stay up really late means over tiredness and almost certainly not a lie in the next night but almost certainly two very tired and ratty children.

I've just priced up 4 star AI in Mallorca next summer, 10 days. The price is around £2000 more than we paid (including meals out, supermarket bill, car hire), and for a 1-bed apartment rather than a 2-bed, 2-bath + laundry. Ok we have no kids club but as DS is 12 he wouldn't go anyway.

Primal, what actually figures are you talking about?

I've just paid £3100 for 9 nights AI at a five star hotel in Dominican Republic at peak season.

Me and DH love food which is why we would rather cook for ourselves on holiday than eat the normally fairly mediocre food served in most restaurants.

We are not going to pay for food we can cook better ourselves plus the ridiculously over priced drinks on top. If we eat out at home it is usually only ever at an indian restaurant because although we make indian food a lot we can't make most of it better than a good indian restaurant can especially some of the breads

Does that include flights, Prima and Holiday?

Maire

Yes £3100 for everything. Including private transfers.

One adult and two children.

5 stars, all inclusive (something like nine different restaurants, including sushi etc) apparently an out of this world kids club.

I'm not criticising other people's choice of holidays, really, we're all entitled to like what we like.

"five star hotel in Dominican Republic"

I just wondered, what do you do on that kind of hol? Is it just sitting around the pool & eating, reading & keeping the kids from sunburn, all day, every day? I would hate that. I get jetlag bad, am suspecting the jetlag could be bad, too.

You pick your AI wisely, only 4* and above that way you don't get mediocre food. I'm a foodie too but enjoy AI as I don't have to cook and the kids don't like finding restaurants every evening and prefer to eat at the hotel. There is no need to sneer at AI

You can do excursions, visit local markets, go to zoos, botanical gardens etc etc. AI is the same as any other holiday you do what interests you. Most decent AI's will prepare you a packed lunch if your planning to be out for the day. I had one lunch that included wine, pate, baguettes, cheese, fruit, yoghurt it was enough food for 10.

Lljk

Very fit family here so we need to be kept active. There's water spots galore, scuba diving, boat trips.

So we will get in to a routine.

After breakfast children will go to kids club, Whilst I will go to the gym, swim, read, and then pick up children. We will go for lunch, then down to the beach for swim / scuba / reading books / playing cards.
Then back to room for shower and chill out. Then dinner. Then a walk or even a late evening swim if the children fancy. Collapse in bed.

We will do one boat trip
Walk in to little town nearby a couple of times
One quad biking adventure inland.

at not have 4 kids! I have thought that many times. And everyone assumes as we have 3 boys then DD that we kept going until we got her when the truth is we we finished and happy and she somehow descended upon us; in the way a hurricane does.

Oddly enough AI is brilliant if you're NOT in to food.

I'm very skinny and don't eat much else other than fruit, veg, chicken and sushi. I love the fact o don't need to give any thought to food. My children also get to try lots of different cuisines that I otherwise wouldn't take them too.

But then you can't win because if I was saying I was struggling to provide a holiday for my 4 kids on my £500 budget everyone would be asking me why have 4 kids!

I agree that very cheap AI can be (not always) really rubbish. Esp Thomson or TC Med holidays. So it's quite likely I'd be saying how awful it is had I been forced into a cramped hotel room on the 20th floor and unable to get a sunbed as they only had one to every 25 rooms. As I said, I'm now enjoying the extra freedom you have with good quality SC but I still wouldn't optfor it with a gaggle of young children.

There's water spots galore, scuba diving, boat trips.
...children will go to kids club, Whilst I will go to the gym, swim, read, and then pick up children.
We will do one boat trip ... One quad biking adventure inland."

Wow, good value. Is there a limit to how many of those trips or kid club sessions are included for the £3100, or how much extra do you need to budget?

...

oh yeah, I forgot. I have 2 fussy DC. They might literally eat nothing on offer from SC. Would have to plan hard to get right menu available for them.

Wow, Holidayhooray, I've just priced a similar type of holiday with Neildon on a half board basis for next year and it came out at 11k which I thought expensive for half board and when some of the activities are add ons. Is that in school holidays?

Neilson

Trips are not included. Scuba diving is not included.

Managing, paddle boarding etc - included.

Unlimited kids club 10-10. Meant to be phenomenal. Mine will be in 10-1 most days, just so I get a bit of gym time and quiet. Then rest of day all together.

Yes it's on Feb half term but I'm taking them out for two days early. I wrote to head, he rang to say that he couldn't formally authorise but there would be no consequences and to have a lovely holiday!

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it.

Managing should read kayaking

Llkj

There's pizza places, burger, french, Chinese, Thai, sushi (swoon), coffee shops

Unless your children literally eat nothing, i am pretty confident they'd find something on offer!

And no booking allowed. So means flexibility every day to pick and choose

Ah ok, I was pricing for Aug. Sounds amazing. Have a fab time!

My other bias is I worked in the Kids Clubs in one of these places as a student and it was bloody miserable!

Since having children I have decided that I will either use my holiday money for
A) all inclusive places with kids clubs
B) stay at home and get takeaway or eat out every day, cleaner every day, plus babysitter as and when we like
Anything else is not a holiday.

This reminds me a bit of my MIL

She kept going on and on about how cheap her freind had got their florida holiday

We were soending far to much and obviously being spendthrifts as we have no idea about money

And i said i had realky tried to get it cheaoer including all the stopping off on the way flights but just couldn't do it so what company was her freind using

Turns out they were going off peak...during term time

Well of course thats bloody cheaper...she has no idea

I really feel for you OP.

We do self-catering a lot (holiday houses we own). I spend the entire time cooking a meal, while everyone else larks about.