self catering vs all inc

[signalred]

What do you all reckon?

Looking for a cheap week away in September...

£1800-£2000k all inc

£1100-£1300 self catering / b&b

We've always done all inc, but I hate the routine and tediousness of it all. Husband thinks I'm mad even considering self catering with 2DC and there everlasting requesting for drinks/ice. But surely I can sort them drinks and food for 6-700? X

I love self catering it's so easy and relaxed and no timetable we have a late breakfast afternoon snack and eat out at night. Although I love hotel food I don't like the queues I was worried that I would be just cooking and cleaning all holiday but I'm not and I wouldn't do it any other way now

Id def go self catering and don't forget its both you and dh there to sort the kids, and that's only if they are too little to.get their own stuff.

Self catering for us. Cereal and bread for breakfast, it means the kids can eat when they get up and no need to get dressed. Lunch is a salad or sandwich and go out for dinner. Depending on how old your children are, mine get water in bottles when we are out of squash AS a treat in the apartment. Buy a box of ice creams from shop. So much cheaper and still a treat.

Right I'm gonna do it, I have very fond memories of family holidays in self catering. My dad hates the big hotel/Brits abroad type places. kids are 2&5, so we can have brekky in the room. Can do butties or a some chips and butties from a cafe, and a walk into town for tea at night.

We were planning to walk out of the complex a few night anyway, we always do when we get fed up of the canteen.

Thanks! DH in bed with the lurgy so gonna book it, thinking Rhodes

I go AI. Can't be dealing with having to think about food when away. That said in a week of a holiday we'd eat out once or twice of an evening.

We've always done sc, which was great when the DC were younger.

We tried AI at Easter, and loved it. But hotel was relatively quiet and 5*. If it was any busier, I would swerve it. But September would be ok, out of school holidays.
If you're looking at Rhodes, look at the Mitsis hotels. We stayed at The Grand in Rhodes Town.

Prices to eat out and icecreams , drinks etc we thought were relatively expensive. The AI was good value, and flexible. There was food available all day long in various restaurants.

We always go s/c primarily because we like a bit more space and it's hard to get with AI. However DS doesn't like to drink anything except water or milk and isn't overly fond of ice cream so we don't spend a lot on snacks out.

Generally we do breakfast in - DS only gets coco-pops on holiday so that's a huge treat for him in itself, then most other meals out - not so much me I'd be happy to eat in more but DH likes eating out for most meals. However it would be easy enough to keep costs low by having sandwiches for lunch and eating out at a reasonably priced restaurant, or getting in pizza or similar a couple of evenings. I find that it is the drinks that bumps up the prices the most so maybe if your DCs like soft drinks then let them go crazy in the apartment, but restrict them to one per meal when out.

I don't know what the cost of things is like in Rhodes, when we've been away in Europe I find the supermarkets are expensive compared to ours, particularly if it's a smallish one in a resort, so if you have a car then see if there is an Aldi or Lidl nearby or may be worth getting a taxi and stocking up when you arrive.

Have fun !

SC every time, I've never been to an AI resort and they don't appeal in the slightest, part of a holiday is trying different restaurants, different shops

SC every time here too. One of the highlights of holidays is trying out the local food. Also hate the way ai are destroying local businesses in some places.

When my were as young as yours we did S/C always in 2 bedroom apartment. AI didn't exist then and we discovered it when DC were older. It was hard work. AI would have been so much better when dealing with small children who want constant snacks / drinks and may dislike a meal when ordered. It's perfectly possible to get AI with the space of an apartment not just a hotel room.

Once they were civilised older we went back to S/C or B&B in order to enjoy the experience of eating out at different restaurants.

AI for the past 4 years, DD now 8. Love not worrying about food or drink, last year she could go up to the pool bar with a friend and ask for drinks or ice cream whenever she wanted.

We SC on our UK holidays (static caravan) but we're usually out each day, so breakfast in the van, packed lunch and then dinner out.

Done it self catering at Sun Beach in Rhodes. On beach front. £300 each for a weeks holiday, bargain. Loads of cereals in. Take a cool box and fill with juice for the day. Then either butties or a lunch out and restaurant at night. Be an adventure, can't wait!

And do you know the main thing I love when we do venture out of our AI, is that we get to all eat together instead of me getting kids food, sitting down, then me and him going separately so there not left alone. Then DC usually finished before us so they are mithering for desserts. Oh such a stress and nothing to see but other Brits eating and battling with their kids. Can't beat a little taverna with a bouzouki playing in the back. Can't bloody wait X

SC is much better. Go to the local supermarket when you get there and fill your fridge with drinks and snacks.

Im sure you will love it :)

You'll probably get better food for your money and a nicer experience by self catering and combining some supermarket breakfasts etc and a good amount of eating out at local restaurants.

Eating out at lunchtime instead of the evening is a good way to cut costs in Spain and probably other places around the Med.

I like to eat earlier in the day and would be starving on just cereal and a snack in the daytime so like a big cooked late breakfast, lunch out mid afternoon, which is how Spaniards eat and then tapas in the evening.

You can often get a 2 or 3 course lunch for less than 10 euros.

To me it isn't about the cost. I cook, clean iron and wash (and work full time) 49 weeks a year. Therefore I'm buggered if I am going to do it on holiday too. All inclusive all the way for us.

I do very little cooking and cleaning and no more washing than normal or would be necessary on AI on self catering holidays.

Most food is eaten out or easy ready prepared things (bread, ham, cheese, olives etc or nice pizza). Only cleaning is keeping the kitchen usable and everyone mucks and try to get a dishwasher.

I don't like buffets for dinner, and like good quality local food so any hotel that provides this is likely to be far more expensive than eating out all the time. I like looking at the interesting food in local supermarkets and markets and don't like maid service anyway because I don't see the need for the bathroom to be cleaned if you are just there for a week and don't like how they can pop in at inopportune moments or how they make the beds.

Self catering or maybe hotel B&B for us as I do like a good hotel breakfast.

I don't see SC as cooking and cleaning either - I'm always a bit at why that should be

As pp have said, easy prepared breakfast and lunch, and local restaurants in the evening - I don't like daily maid service, but lots of places do a mid week clean/towel change - I certainly don't clean a rental place

I'd always rather go somewhere and feel part of the local culture, than an anonymous resort where I could be anywhere

sorry but even cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch creates dirty crockery and cutlery that needs to be washed up.

Maybe its because our SC holidays have been at hired villas that I have done things like swept round every day and even the odd load of washing - non of that at a large AI hotel. I am also past the stage where I want to immerse myself in the local culture. Now I just want the kids happy with lots of stuff to keep them occupied and a nice glass of wine. The hotel we are going to this August has 7 al a carte restaurants - wouldn't have to eat in the buffet any night if we didn't want to.

Dishwasher?

Past the stage of immersing in local culture

Ok

All inclusive here ONLY.

Food, drink and entertainment all day when you like. C

To be frank I don't even want to rinse a mug while I am on holidays SC is my idea of hell. Even washing up after breakfast, no thanks.

The hotels we chose have several restaurants so generally only 1 buffet and we don't eat in every night of our holidays either.

You make us sound like some kind of caged animal.

You make us sound like some kind of caged animal.

It does sound a bit like that to me

Do none of your husbands or children rinse a mug either?

The OP is looking at £1800-£2000k all inc for a family of 4 or £1100-£1300 self catering / b&b. AI at that price is going to be buffets, it isn't going to be a la carte restaurants, which will be a lot more expensive.

SC or B&B in Rhodes and wandering to little tavernas for dinner sounds much better than buffet dining. I think she has made the right choice - sounds lovely.

I need to RTFT. I know but " self catering holiday" to me doesn't mean that I cook much !

It means the fun of local markets or even " forrin supermarkets " for basics or a " bitsa" lunch ( bits of everything fruit on the table with a bottle of wine!) the out for dinner to a local place at a time if our choosing.

We choose places to eat that are cheap and where local people eat