AIBU to think a cottage is not a holiday?

[Jogonpolly]

Looking to go away in half term (DH and 2DC age 7&10).

I'd ideally like a short haul all inclusive somewhere - good weather and easy for them kids to be occupied. But with the jet fuel issue I don't feel confident booking incase we lose our money.

I suggested going somewhere in Europe by train. A hotel, pool and play area some places to visit, maybe a city or something.

DH has suggested a cottage in the UK, Devon or somewhere. Problem is, I just don't see a cottage as a holiday - in a hotel someone makes your bed and cleans the bathroom. You can choose to eat out or in the hotel restaurant, you don't need to drive anywhere, decisions are easy, everything is easy. My experiences of cottages in the UK are of same shit, different (and more difficult)place. There will still be cleaning to do, breakfast to sort even if we do go out for lunch and dinner, there's more planning and organising. I think I'd just rather not go.

AIBU and a misery?

And before people say it, yes, DH will do some of the organising and cleaning but still, it's just like being at home!

I'd also be happy with a city break, sightseeing etc. doesn't need to be an all inclusive place!

Personally I prefer a cottage to a hotel because if the extra space - we usually feel a bit cooped up in a hotel. But I've voted YANBU because you're entitled to your opinion - if you don't like cottage type holidays then fair enough, don't do one.

I get what you are saying, any self catering you are still having to think of meals and clearing up etc. It is a holiday but a different kind of one. We have done both and I do prefer an all inc as once we are there I get a proper break!

Nope, it’s not a holiday for me either, I wouldn’t go. My holidays are all about having a break from day to day life, not doing the same somewhere else. I don’t want to have to get the kids breakfast, cook meals, amuse them with less toys than they have at home so they moan they’re bored. Before me and DH got together he’d been on these sorts with his ex said how good they were until it transpired that his ex, sil’s and his mother basically waited on all the men hand and foot and they had no break from their normal life. Told him if he wanted to do all that and I do nothing then I’ll go, strangely he didn’t!

I wouldn't like a holiday in the UK because of the weather . Unless there is a pool or a beach involved it's not my kind of thing at all . I would go somewhere like a city break but only for short stay .
I find the UK, Ireland the most expensive for the least quality so avoid them both . And self catering with kids that age often ends up very much same drudge in a different place but without your stuff .
A previous poster mentioned great organisation as key but that would annoy me even more as I know I would have to do most of it .

I had to have s.c. holidays in the past, they are not a holiday.

I don't want to do anything that resembles housework - even as trivial as pulling a duvet into place.

Booking a package with ABTA & ATOL protection means you will not lose your money.

If you want on site entertainment and pools look at a caravan park, some even have lodges. Plenty of activities depending which one you pick and places to eat on site.

Why can’t you be out all day a at a cottage’s if you chose the location carefully? Hotel or cottage, you can be out all day and eat out .

I am with you OP. I do not find holidays in the UK to be particularly restful. For a start, they are so bloody expensive, holiday home owners seem to think they are doing you a favour and the weather is so unreliable. Also activities and eating out in the UK cost a bloody fortune. I do like the freedom of self-catering abroad sometimes, often there are complexes with facilities and maybe breakfast included and if it is sunny, life is so much easier. Also I strangely love a foreign supermarket- it is very easy to put together an easy lunch with nice products.

I am booking things for this year, fuel prices are out my control but I am finding a cheap flights on Skyscanner. I then book accomodation- I usually always book somewhere with free cancellation anyway. I am lucky now, I am not limited to school holidays. There are lots of reasonable flights available if you are flexible about where/the day you fly. I booked a flight a couple of days ago for Bodrum for this Sunday from my local airport for £50, large carry-on luggage included. This is a starting point for me, I am then getting a £20 flight to Ankara for Cappadocia and then traveling onward to Georgia and Armenia. Even when I was tied to school holidays, I could find a good price to somewhere.

When DC were younger we had some great Eurocamp type holidays (self-catering but more chilled as could barbecue, make a no cook meal from lovely breads and products, bakery in the morning for pastries etc...) and then eating out. Lots of freedom but also lots to do and space for everyone, especially the terrace in the evening. If you find a site you like, compare the companies as they all have accomodation and some have dishwashers etc. The price varies A LOT. I used Allcamps, which is like a comparison site for these places.

Jet fuel saga is the media

of course they only have 6 weeks left, it’s all they ever have, otherwise where they store a years worth?

if the holiday company cancelled you’d get a refund. Just make sure you book a package with a proper company

To me it is still a holiday.

You are in a different place so can see and experience different things. There are lots of places in the UK I haven't visited or explored yet. (Just realised I have been to France, Italy and Iceland more times than I have been to Scotland- but Scotland is on the list of places we want to visit).

If I was at home I would feel I need to do a variety of jobs, that I don't need to do when staying elsewhere. I can relax more so still a holiday.

Sometimes being able to self cater in a cottage etc is more practical than a hotel. More flexibility over meal times, more say in choice of food available , separate bedrooms if you have children so you ate not sharing one room etc.

We normally self cater anyway when in the uk, but will be even more practical since I was diagnosed as celiac last year.

Not saying we will never stay in a hotel, because we will, but I will need to make sure there are suitable options for me in the hotel or nearby.

Being able to find suitable places for some meals, whilst being able to self catering for others, is different to having to find places suitable for all meals.

Tell your husband you’ll go if you book a cottage with a housekeeper/cook, then you won’t need to do much.

When did you last go on what you would label a 'proper holiday'?

People can and will have some great experiences on the hotel with all meals as eating out, but recently I've had some people (with kids) report back, after expecting a really lovely break, with some disappointments, which had an added high price tag with them. I think I'd be even more deflated if I had had high hopes and was prepared for the costs, but then had to be thick skinned about it.

I was thinking of a Europe break by train for the May holiday on the basis of the question of whether flights will be reliable or not - it would have been a change at Paris - a one way ticket was showing up as £600! Putting together the costs for the whole family - I'm thinking you could get a very nice cottage, some great food, and a bottle of wine or 2 for that.

Big nope to hotels. I hate not having the living room.

When I think of a holiday, I don't mean a break from the dishes, I mean exploring with my favourite humans. I love Cornwall. There's something gorgeous around every corner and the weather doesn't matter so much. We're generally pretty lucky in June.

I have not heard of this! Will look.

Also will look at companies that will refund if it gets cancelled.

I find it really hard to relax if there's mess, so crumbs on the work top or floor, plates, cups, glasses etc needing washing up, dishwasher needing emptying will mean I won't relax until I've sorted them.

I guess it's also stuff like having to drive, find parking etc just to go out to dinner (finding it hard to find places in walking distance of nice restaurants and cafes). Having to plan loads of days out and have contingency plans if the weather is miserable.

DH is really happy go lucky whereas I like a plan. So let's say the kids start getting restless, I'd like to have a plan for places we could go, where as DH would start looking at that point. He would look, he would make a decision and he will do some of cleaning/ tidying (I wouldn't expect him to do more than half, it's his holiday as well).

God I’d rather self cater than all inclusive with people of questionable hygiene who haven’t got a clue about using serving utensils (or having to share utensils with people who may or may not use soap) screaming kids and large family groups, sitting next to someone smoking, give me my own cottage space any time.

I can see both sides.

But if you want a break from chores as part of the holiday (which I totally agree) then you need a hotel.

But if you just need a change of scenery then a self catering flat at somewhere like Butlins might work? You can ask for cleaning each day if you want, there are loads of places to eat for the kids, but you can choose to have something easy self catering.

Entertainment, big swimming pool full of fun bits, everything on site.

It's in between basically. No planes.

What I do is I books somewhere as nice or nicer than my own home. Must have a pool available to use. Generally they are spotless so all you do is wipe a few surfaces and sweep the floor, pull up the beds.

We get loads of nice easy food. Or eat out. Breakfast is simple stuff - cereal (multipack as a treat for the kids) and croissants. Lots of wine. Films in the evening.

I loved our self catering holidays.

I've just booked one, me and DH plus doggy. It will be a holiday, if I was taking to children it would not be.

Nope a cottage is a change of scenery and a break from home, but from my perspective it’s the same old sh!t, different location. A holiday does not include access to a washing machine, making beds, visits to the supermarket and cooking as normal.

Hotel all the way. Ideally, when mine were small, with a kids club they can opt in and out of so I could have a few hours resting/reading/couple time. And no housework adjacent chores. Some else preps food, clears away, and serves me wine. I’ still had the masses of laundry/ironing/[un]packing etc both sides of the holiday, but was pleased with the trade off.

YANBU

I did so many cottage/static caravan self catering holidays when the kids were small and I fucking hated every minute of them. The rest of the family would tell you they were some of the best holidays ever. Not for me they weren't!

All inclusive all the way.

You said I was being pouty and having a tantrum and accused me of being a slave to my family.

Those are pretty offensive things.

There are loads of hotels in Devon! And in Cornwall, Norfolk, Northumberland, Scotland, Wales etc...!

Alternatively if your DH is set on staying in a cottage, choose one in a village with a lovely bakery and that's breakfast sorted.

We are going away in June for 2 weeks and we've booked with TUI. They will refund if it gets cancelled by the airline. I'm not too worried though. I think the news sensationalises things a lot, for example "only 6 weeks of jet fuel left"

Quite interesting the posts about cleaning and preferring hotels

The rare time we stay in hotels I find it overwhelming in terms of trying to keep the space tidy due to lack of space, having to make the bed every day because otherwise theres no where to sit otherwise, having to shift things all the time in the bathroom because theres no space, less hanging space and shoe space.

Of course the more pricey you go the more space you have but then self catering is much cheaper

I'd never go to a hotel over a cottage, apartment or villa. Hotels are awful.