To hate booking holidays and holiday accommodation?

[Terryer]

I hate it. Managed to sort a week in France in the Lot but now have to find a stopover south of Paris. I have a weird thing about it and can only spend 5 minutes on air b and b before having a mild panic attack and shutting it down. Dh keeps asking me if I've found anywhere and it just makes me want to run away. Isn't this something I should enjoy doing? We haven't been on holiday for years so I should be enjoying it? Tbf dh is normally good at it but is about to collapse with stress at work while I'm at home doing nothing recovering from a (mild) operation so have nothing better to do.

Oh I’m the opposite - absolutely love it could spend hours searching for places

I know what you mean - once booked it’s fine but there feels like a lot of pressure to get it right.

I get where you are coming from though don't feel quite the same. Always find it a lot easier if I am visiting somewhere I have been beforehand, even if only for a day to visit somewhere in the town or city.

Me too but I hate it because I'm the only one who does it so it lands on me if I'm wrong. Ask your DP if he's sorted it yet.

I love it. I should do it as a job!

Yep! I go round in circles!

It’s one night, but it needs to be in the right place, at the right time, with the things you need - and with three kids to consider their needs as well.

My oldest dd loves it and she's amazing at it. Sadly she can't come so I'd feel too mean to ask her to do it.

Why do you think she hasn't asked him? It's all there in the OP...

Just grit your teeth and get it booked. It's only one night so doesn't matter too much if it's not wonderful. I do understand though having spent far too long booking a European city break for three adults, with regular three way negotiations and consultations on top of normal everyday work and home life shit.

I love it, I spend hours on booking.com planning and just fantasising about accommodation

It just has to be a comfortable, attractive place for a one night stopover, with two bedrooms, one with twin beds. July 15/16 if anyone wants to do it for me 😄 money almost no object at this stage

I enjoy browsing, but once it's booked I I worry in case the accommodation doesn't exist, we can't find it etc

I love it... give me the details and I'll find you somewhere!

Just putting together a multi centre trip to Africa with internal flights, canoe safari etc, so far I'm undercutting the tour company by £2k per person!

Omg. I wish I was like this!

I love it! I spend hours researching our little breaks and itineries.

I hate it too. So much pressure to find the perfect place, not be scammed, get all the dates right etc. We've actually never had a disaster (touch wood, going away next week!), but I would feel it's all on me if anything did go wrong because I'm the one that does the booking. And it takes up so much time.

I hate it too. I enjoy the idea of browsing but it’s just overwhelming with so many things to choose from.

Given that the OP is sitting around at home and her DP is collapsing from stress at work, do you honestly think this would be reasonable ?

I do sort of understand, OP. I always book easy, direct holidays for this reason.
Hope you manage to find something!

I'm not asking dh. He's having a nightmare at work and still being lovely when he comes home, he's not lazy at all. It's me that's being crap.

Same!!!!

I also get the fear about booking accomodation.

I find the trick is to work out what your requirements and compromises are first before your head is turned by all the options online.

For us the key thing is often location as we usually don't drive on holiday. Then work out your type of holiday - if we are out and about a lot all we really need is somewhere clean and safe. No need for bells and whistles.

Sometimes if you get overwhelmed there is nothing wrong with booking the safe option of a boring but decent chain hotel.

My minimum is a clean room, an ensuite bathroom and an actual double bed. I have in the past made a couple of language errors booking rather old fashioned hotels in Europe that has resulted in Mr Monkey and I sleeping side by side in single beds like Eric and Ernie.

Finally try to relax - if it turns out to be not quite what you expected you can just embrace it and turn it in to a story - fond memories of the Ibis hotel that sold itself as a conveniently located, comfortable, family hotel which turned out to be on a busy ring road. Our room was a tiny cell with a metal bed, plastic moulded sink and a "shower room" which was a tiny cublical with a ceiling mounted shower head, a central drain in the floor and a metal toilet in the corner. It has been known ever after as "the prison hotel".

This is why I do all accommodation through booking.com. it's really easy to compare several places, plus the ratings system is really useful. Went long haul recently with several places to visit, an internal flight and car hire. Everything but flights was done on booking.com so I coukd see all the dates etc were correct and each place had everything on my hit list (location, functional kitchen, dishwasher, enough bathroooms etc). I also wouldnt touch air b&b - too many horror stories from both sides and if something goes wrong air b&b give no fucks.

OP - I agree that it is more time consuming than you would expect . I'm always trying to find the 'perfect' place . I know that for this holiday you already have part of it sorted, so it's just an overnight stop you are looking at , but if you really hate it that much , perhaps you would be better booking a package next year so it's all sorted for you? Meanwhile, as it's only overnight , just book a hotel, bog standard business type place .

I don't mind the research but I find the actual moment of booking very stressful. I'll go back and check the dates and names etc a million times to make sure I haven't made any silly errors.

For what you want I wouldn't bother with Air BNB, just use one of the French chains like Ibis and you'll find somewhere clean and comfortable without needing to spend loads.

I agree, for a one night stopover it is the location that is important. You just need somewhere you can sleep, eat dinner and have a shower. Just go with a dull but reliable chain hotel. (Maybe avoid a bidget Ibis 😂)