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?

We don’t tend to do self catering- mainly because we prioritise hotels with big slides, kids clubs etc and they tend to be in all inc resorts.

I remember skiing as a late teen being horrible coming off the slopes knackered and needing to cook on two rings that did zero or burning, no in between and no proper knife.

In Florida we did make sandwiches, DS had cereal (DH and I don’t eat breakfast) and DH knocked up a pasta dish that DS ate a few times. Had a rotisserie chicken too. Key point was it was an apart hotel where the cleaner came daily.

I would enjoy charcuterie, cheese and crackers but DS wouldn’t.

Yes. It's part of the holiday for me. I don't view food as fuel to be rushed through. That's rather a joyless way of looking at it.

As long as you’re sharing it between two? It’s fun to try new things from the local supermarkets. If it’s summer we tend to barbecue and get salads and fresh breads to keep it simple. If you’re not too rural you can get take away delivered some days too. Our child has SEND and doesn’t cope well with restaurants so we’ve learned to adapt to a very different type of holiday that suits us all. We tend to just eat out once or two and horror of horrors we let them watch their tablet so we can enjoy a meal out

I’d rather not go

Yes cooking can be a chore, but it really doesn’t have to be. Especially where you can get nice drag food and eat simply, to suit your palates and at your own pace. I don’t see not cooking as the thing that makes or breaks a holiday for me.

When we go to the Algarve, we rent a nice private apartment, then do half and half. Cooking abroad isn't the same to me, I really enjoy it! I have more enthusiasm and energy than I do at home! I love shopping at the local markets and bakeries while we're out, then some nights have something like a nice steak, salad and some potatoes for tea. Then other nights, meals out at local restaurants. My ideal holiday, but it won't be for everyone I suppose!

We often self-cater. For expensive countries (Iceland and Switzerland spring to mind), we’d often have a main meal at lunchtime and then just have a lighter supper (pasta/pizza/bread & cheese) with a bottle of wine. DH and I quite enjoy cooking together, though.

It’s a lot easier if you are able to take some basics from home and/or you can get to a supermarket.

Where are you hoping to visit, OP? (Being nosey).

We self-cater for most meals when we book self-catering accommodation.

DH is the cook so it is no hardship for me.

Yes it can do.
I assume it’s abroad? We often “eat in” just because I like to chill out and not get ready to go out every night - the trick is just to find easy recipes that take minutes to put together, and you can do this before you leave.
Things like simple pasta dishes (the one where you bake a tray of tomatoes with a block of feta for example) or tray bakes with some chicken pieces and some Mediterranean veg.
I often pack some spice mixes/chicken rub mixes which makes it even easier.
Also wherever you’re going - google “cheap eats” for the area and you may find some gems rather than paying £150 for two.
When we go away in the UK I take some batch cooked meals out of my own freezer in a cool bag.

Yes I think so. We BBQ a lot on holiday so just supermarket every few days for meat/fish and salad and I get to drink wine while DH cooks. We tend to have lunch out.

Also, I find eating out every single mealtime quite tedious. The DC stop appreciating it and it gets a bit much sitting and waiting to be served. Some nights I just want beans on toast in front of the TV.

If you tell us where you're going, someone might have local knowledge and be able to suggest somewhere cheaper

Well I guess we will be doing more cooking than anticipated. We are going ( oldies health permitting) to Sardinia at the end of the month staying at an apartment on a complex. I had emailed to ask how much breakfast was as I love a hotel buffet breakfast, its 26 euros per person per day ! And if that’s what breakfast costs goodness knows about lunch and dinner.