Is it still a restful holiday if you have to cook?

[timberleigh]

Usually we go on holidays to places where we can afford to eat out for every meal. Often skip breakfast out because some yoghurt and granola or cereal is fine.

We are considering going to a very expensive place for a week’s holiday. A mid range meal out for two would easily be £150. We just don’t want to spend that much on food every day, so we’ve found an apartment with a kitchen so we could cook in maybe half of the nights. Will this trip still feel restful?

I hate cooking so it’s not something I would do but if you like cooking then it’s probably fine. Will you be able to afford to go out somedays? Maybe buy some food we don’t have at home to cook or nice bakery stuff ect?

Not to me but I hate cooking. It’s such a dull chore.

Yes, I much prefer an aparthotel, eating out is only enjoyable if it's a choice and not a necessity.

The humble sandwhich with fresh tomatoes and cucumber can be a joy.

I love going to supermarkets in other countries! We also love shopping/ cooking together trying out different foods.

I think key is, make it part of your holiday and enjoy!

Eating out must be an option for rest. But
where on earth costs £150 for every meal?! I’m racking my brains here. Just had 4 days in NYC and that wasn’t even close to that expensive

It would for us, because we love cooking - our honeymoon had one week where basically we went sightseeing during the day, lunch out, bought lovely things from a market then spent late afternoon and early evening making loads of great food.

Even without that focus, it’s entirely possible for it to be restful IF you’re both equally involved, and you plan to cook things that are easy and quick. Probably also easier to plan a few meals right at the start and get food in for time, so you’re not constantly thinking “what shall we cook? When can we get to shop?”

It depends if you enjoy cooking!

On self catering holidays I tend to cook more simple foods.

We are going somewhere expensive this year too and that is exactly what we are planning to do - some meals out, some takeaways and some cooking. I like cooking so not a problem - I think on days you've laid around the pool / beach you cook and on busy days, you eat out or get a takeaway. I always found it more "restful" eating in an apartment when kids were small anyway, rather than battling tiredness in restaurants!

I think so but I enjoy cooking and use shortcuts on holiday more than at home, pre-prepared food etc. Eat out about half the time, cook the rest. Very much depends on facilities, shopping options locally, has the kitchen got a dishwasher etc, have you got nice indoor and outdoor seating etc. I really enjoy going food shopping in new places and find it relaxing eating in a garden or on a balcony instead of having to dress and go out all the time.

Pre kids I used to think absolutely yes. In fact picking up local crab cakes and making some cous cous and salad to go with them and eating them outdoors watching the sun set is one of my favourite holidays.

Now I have kids and spend so much time planning and making sure everyone is fed I couldn’t care less where I go, as long as someone else feeds us all.

Eating in doesn't necessarily mean cooking though. Depending on where you are going some nice fresh bread, cheese, meats and some salad with a bottle of wine can make a very nice relaxing meal.

If we are in the UK we do half and half of eating in and out, our eat in days is the quickest things you can put together so pasta,salad. Bung "something in the oven" its not really cooking and it isn't taking up that much time,

If I do self-catering I tend not to do much actual cooking, but buy local produce like cold meats, cheeses, breads, salads etc.

I wouldn't do it again. We went to the hotel in Guadeloupe that they film death in paradise in. Middle of nowhere and the restaurant was £110 euros pppn! We couldn't afford it and survived two weeks on panini's from the corner shop. My other half still can't face subway. Also went 5 star in Seychelles and had to live on cup noodles as my friends spending budget was too small for the hotel restaurant. I remember my mum as a child in our camping trips. Never got a break from cooking. Full English. Picnic, spaghetti Bolognese etc every day.

I don't mind cooking on holiday. We do normally holiday in the UK so maybe a spaghetti Bolognese, pizza deal, easy pasta and a couple of meals out for treats. If it were somewhere like Italy, I'd rather do a hotel with half board so we get dinner at least

Depends! If it’s me and DH - fine. I’ll enjoy pottering round local shops and picking up some lovely stuff, preparing it with wine. DH eats anything, is always vocally grateful simply to be fed, does the wash up, and won’t blink if dinner if scallop linguine or bread, cheese, salami, fruit 😅.

If we are with the DCs who have a very limited palate and I therefore have to make two meals, they complain about it etc….no not restful!

Away with four other couples who eat whatever and can cook too - great!

Away with one other couple who eat like my DCs…no!

Norway

As long as the apartment has a dishwasher and you buy smple meals that are easy to prepare, like steak and salad then I think that's restful.

If you love cooking it is restful. Last year in Kos we had four evenings out of the 14 when we cooked a meal using stuff we had picked up from a local supermarket. We did do this to save money but it was actually really nice to sit down on our terrace looking out over the sea eating a simple meal we had made together. Our meals out for four had been costing between £100 and £150 with drinks so it saved us loads just doing four nights of self catering.

We made spaghetti bolognaise one night, seafood linguini another , simple homemade tomato sauce and pasta another and then a chilli with rice ( admittedly a cheats version using jars of sauce ) All really easy to do in a not particularly well equipped kitchen ( only had two electric rings and no oven!)

On previous holidays we have bought bread and tapas style stuff for one meal per day so that we are only paying to eat out once a day. We have always done breakfast for ourselves - usually a continental breakfast with pastries.

If there's a fabulous market with fresh produce then we're happy to cook in the apartment for some of the time. We usually keep it simple though as we obviously don't have access to all the store cupboard ingredients we'd have at home. So fresh salad or boiled potatoes and simple seafood is fine. Staying in a touristy holiday area with only supermarket ingredients, then, for me, it wouldn't be a holiday to cook as that's just like being at home.

We almost always self cater as a preference not due to cost. In Norway I definitely would. The meals can be simple. I love doing food shopping in a different place and working with different ingredients though.

Depends what you expect to eat. A full blown roast dinner with starter, dessert or lasagne from scratch. Or Greek salad, pizza and ice cream for dessert for example. The latter yes as not much to wash up after either, the former definitely not.

We do this sometimes and it's fine. Buy simple meals and make sure everyone takes their turn with the meal preparation and cleaning up.

Agreed.

We always do self catering because I would much rather have a villa with a private pool that an AI resort. But we get bread, cheese, meat, salad etc plus wine. We eat out a few times.

When the DC were little it was lovely to cook/prepare a meal, get them into bed and then sit on the terrace/garden with a bottle of wine.