All inclusive or Self catering

[CaughtInAMouseTrap]

Can’t sleep so looking at holidays.
2 adults, 3 children somewhere in Europe during the summer holidays.
Would it be easier/better to go all inclusive than self catering?
I’m thinking self catering would mean possibly hiring a car to get round the local supermarket, plus having to carry packed lunches/ drinks/ snacks etc.

Kids are young still (aged 2-6) just wondering what everyone else has done.
Thanks!

I think if you're looking for relaxing then all inclusive is the way to go.

Self catering doesn't have to actually mean you cater for yourself though. It just means you eat at different places/restaurants instead of always at the hotel. More flexibility if you plan on being out for the day/exploring the area etc.

I definitely wouldn't do self catering and actually self cater! That's not a holiday imo!

All inclusive is much easier with young children and far more relaxing! Look for one with children's entertainment, children's pools and slides - they'll love it!

I would never go all inclusive. It seems a bit like a holiday camp abroad to me!

We always go self catering but never cook. We eat breakfast in and sometimes get in bread, cheese, salad, fruit etc. for lunch but we eat out otherwise. That way we get to explore more and eat in local restaurants and mix with the locals.

It all depends on what you want from a holiday really. I hate the idea of being restricted to a hotel all the time.

We did both and for me it really depends on the location and what we are thinking of doing.

We like the flexibility of SC, no fixed mealtimes, no noisy buffets or difficult reservations in other restaurants. We like to be outside the resorts to go sightseeing so AI may be paying too much if you also have to cater for lunch somewhere else.

We mostly have a car and then going a supermarket shop for drinks, breakfast staples and bbq meat is easy.

We always get a villa with dish washer/washing machine (helpful with a two year old on a diet of water and fresh apricots) and often ate out during lunch time and had just cold cuts and fresh bread in the evening. We also liked that DD slept in her own room, we could relax on the terrace.

AI does have its advantages if you like to be at the resort most times.

Interestingly, we calculated an October break as the hotel had all options from B&B to AI and found that AI was the best value for money even with the plan of being outside a lot as we plan it as a sightseeing holiday, not a pool one. So, it may be worth checking all options and see what you pay for what.

I opt for b&b (buffet breakfast is usually free for kids) and eat out each night

If you want a break yourself go all inclusive. I’m done with self catering - still have to do all the cooking and cleaning but in a different setting.

Remember with Sc you're far more likely to be able to get a separate bedroom(s) for the kids. Unless you want to spend £££££ Ai will normally be all of you in a room.
Far more space and flexibility with SC IMO. And you can still eat out as much as you want. But unlikely to get all the on-site options that you would in a hotel, with some exceptions.

I’ve got two dc and have done both. All inclusive is the way to go. No cooking, washing up, cleaning up, shopping etc etc. If my dc want ice cream for breakfast they get it, if they want a snack mid morning, they get it. A snack at 9pm, yup they get it... holidays for us are all about having a bit of luxury and things we don’t normally have (I’m a stickler for none sugar breakfast, regular meals etc), so all inclusive is our treat in the year. Plus as my pair ear me out of house and home it’s actually cheaper

Another point, I personally found AI easier with DD being a bit older, she was nearly 8 we did it the first time.

No nap issues, no being too tired in the evening. No early morning issues with hunger before the restaurants opened.

We could enjoy sitting in the bar and playing games instead of putting her to bed at 8pm. Saying that she never was a child who would sleep in a buggy or would sleep late when going to bed late. If you have one of those it may be easier. I was in awe for all the families in the resort with children sleeping peacefully in a buggy.

I like eating out at different restaurants and the added space of going SC but you are basically still running a house. I went to the supermarket 3 times in a week for stuff like bin bags, toilet roll, milk etc. AI is much more a complete break from the normal routines and chores.

Depends on how well your kids eat. If they don’t like to try anything new you may struggle with All Inclusive as most European resorts’ food options are limited and aimed at adults.

When our two where little AI suited us well as there was always something they could eat and entertainment etc. It can get repetitive though.

Now they are teens, we prefer self catering, but AI with little ones we found easier.

We have done the very odd AI (just for a couple of days combined with a few days in city centres). It’s easy but I’ll be honest, not for me. I’m a pescatarian & my youngest DD is really fussy - I’ve found my food options boring & repetitive & my DD ate beige crap. There’s so much food as well that you end up stuffing your face hour after hour with shit & then lying like a bloated thing by the pool. Because all food is paid for, there isn’t the incentive to get out of the resort & actually see the place. Which isn’t good for the kids in terms of developing their interests in different cultures or helping the local economy. We usually self cater & pick places with a walkable shop near by. This usually just means having breakfast & lunch in the apartment & eating out in the evening. Food wise, I can make sure that my DD isn’t just eating bread and chips & with the eat out in the evening option, we’re trying some of the local food. So self catering would be my vote every time!

AI

AI, I was incredibly snobby for years about AI (without actually trying it ) and when we did have our first AI holiday I was very pleasantly surprised. Choose carefully, our’s didn’t include alcohol so no one was getting drunk and the food was very, very good with a huge choice.

Self catering just felt like being at home and eating out in restaurants will probably be a lot more expensive than the cost of meals in the AI holiday.

We did SC last year although didn't actually ever cook. But by the end of the second week it was getting a bit dull having to find somewhere to eat every night, especially if we'd had a full on day.
We're going AI this year but only for a week. Thought that was best for a first go and I hope the food will be OK but I'm looking forward to not having to really think about making sure everyone is feed.

With 3 kids, your hotel options are limited. We prefer sc - way more space for everyone, eat out every day. Keep cooking to a minimum. One of our worst and least relaxing holidays was AI - when you have to get food at the buffet for your kids and yourselves it's impossible to sit down and eat together at the same time! We also hate feeling trapped in a hotel and like yo get out and try different restaurants and explore a bit.
If you can afford somewhere upmarket that has restaurants with table service it might be better, but, having done both SC all the way!

For me it had to be self catering. We eat out 2/3 times a day.
I don't really want to be around a load of other people, hate entertainment and don't find sharing with the kids relaxing so never really enjoy a hotel.

Very dependent on what you want from a holiday. We self-catering in France. We have our own car, I like the flexibility and we spend most of our time visiting places. I like cooking and visiting supermarkets. I will admit it's more work to do it my way, but I still prefer it. We are staying on a campsite for part of our holiday this year so there are activities and other children for our DC to play with.

I’ve stayed in a hotel which had a bedroom and a separate living room, which included the sofa beds the children slept on. There was a table and a very mini kitchen too. This was half board so it’s not only self catering that might have this.
I’ve never done AI but I do like buffet style - the kids pick what they want, not like trying to order off a menu for them every night and seeing it left half untouched. As a veggie I thought I wouldn’t have enough to eat but it was really good actually and everything was labelled.

Thanks all.
WhoKnewBeefStew I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with what I want from a holiday. A week without doing washing up/cooking/cleaning etc. Ideally we’d explore and visit different places, but I can’t see my husband being up for that (boring fucker)
The kids will be happy with a park and unlimited ice cream.
Although I am a bit concerned about having us all in one room.

Self catering. I don't like other people and resorts are my idea of hell. We usually eat breakfast at home, just croissants, fruit and breads and cold stuff for lunch and then a larger evening meal.