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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Is £1,700 for a week self catering a waste of money?

30 replies

JoyousHiker · 08/05/2025 19:31

We are looking to go away in early July, before school hols, have found a cottage in the grounds of a bigger house to rent. 15 mins walk to a super beach. 5 mins to shop and restaurant. Swimming pool. It’s in a nice part of the South of France.

Flights are £150 each with luggage and the cottage is £1,400. It seems quite a lot of money for self catering seeing as you can get Spain package hols for similar or less.

OP posts:
bloodredfeaturewall · 08/05/2025 19:39

seems cheap tbh for south of france.
hotel would be 100 a night each at least

ArtTheClownIsNotAMime · 08/05/2025 19:43

For me, it'd have to be far cheaper than that to make up for the self catering.

Trueloveneverdies · 08/05/2025 19:50

Depends how nice the accommodation is. If nicer than your home (that’s my benchmark) i’d say it’s a good price!

reluctantbrit · 08/05/2025 20:39

It's prime holiday season, lots of countries are already on school holidays.

Depending on the set up and how nice it is plus not utterly isolated I would say it's a good price.

TheBossOfMe · 08/05/2025 20:52

I love self catering in places like France and Spain. Gives you so much choice - you still have to pay for food in a hotel anyway and I find the overall cost of the holiday is cheaper if we self cater - usually eat one meal a day out and then self cater for one or two. I love shopping for food and cooking though - and love trying out new local recipes with great local ingredients. And my DD loves it as well. So slightly depends on the food dynamic in your family.

rookiemere · 08/05/2025 20:54

Depends what holiday you think you will enjoy. Benefits of South of France self catering - space so you’re probably not sleeping in the same bedroom as the DC, nice empty pool, opportunity to sight see if you rent a car ( don’t forget to factor that cost in) and lovely French lunches at lowish prices if you go for dish of the day, croissants from the boulangerie for breakfast Downsides are you have to do all your own catering, probably no other DCs to play with and weather might not be quite as good.

TBH even off season you aren’t going to get a particularly nice Spanish holiday package for £1400. I would go for your South of France option.

BellissimoGecko · 08/05/2025 20:56

No, that’s not bad if it has a wonderful view or a pool or the decor is fabulous or the location is wonderful.

We tend to pay more for holiday villas with pools, but they are all fab and I don’t mind paying for something that’s much nicer than my own house!!

Plus you’re not surrounded by other people. I’m happy to pay for peace and quiet!

HairyGarden · 08/05/2025 21:25

That’s cheap as chips.

camelfinger · 08/05/2025 21:34

That sounds really good. I’d have fresh croissants, baguettes and cheese every day, with a proper house and a private pool. A world away from a 1 bed apartment in a busy resort, sharing a pool with loads of other people, sunbeds with towels left on and a repetitive buffet.

Ratisshortforratthew · 08/05/2025 21:39

Do you mean £1400 per person or for the whole group/whole house for a week? That makes a difference

HuskyNew · 08/05/2025 21:50

£1700 for the whole house and flights?
seems cheap to me!

MoominMai · 08/05/2025 22:07

Ratisshortforratthew · 08/05/2025 21:39

Do you mean £1400 per person or for the whole group/whole house for a week? That makes a difference

They mean all in for the entire trip combined for everyone.

humptydumptyfelloff · 08/05/2025 22:51

I always do a nice hotel with breakfast only option so we can choose where different to explore and eat in every day.
You get all the good things about a hotel alongside the freedom to eat and go where you like without being restricted.

I wouldn’t pay that much for self catering and then pay on top to cook your own food op

Hollyhobbi · 09/05/2025 02:10

reluctantbrit · 08/05/2025 20:39

It's prime holiday season, lots of countries are already on school holidays.

Depending on the set up and how nice it is plus not utterly isolated I would say it's a good price.

What countries are already on school holidays? I'm in Ireland which has more school holidays than anywhere else and the secondary schools don't close until the end of May.

Chersfrozenface · 09/05/2025 02:41

Hollyhobbi · 09/05/2025 02:10

What countries are already on school holidays? I'm in Ireland which has more school holidays than anywhere else and the secondary schools don't close until the end of May.

Show quote history

The OP is going in early July

French schools break up for summer on 4th July this year. Scottish schools break up on 27th June. Belgian schools also break up at the beginning of July.

MumChp · 09/05/2025 02:44

Hollyhobbi · 09/05/2025 02:10

What countries are already on school holidays? I'm in Ireland which has more school holidays than anywhere else and the secondary schools don't close until the end of May.

Show quote history

Quite many of the European countries.

Bjorkdidit · 09/05/2025 06:55

£1400 for 2 or £1700 with flights is certainly on the high side but is it normal for the location and size of accommodation? What else is available in that area?

It's pointless comparing with another country with a lower cost of living and likely more choice.

We go to Spain a lot as a couple and a week's self catering package or separately booked equivalent is generally £1000 or so, so a bit cheaper but we paid far more than that in Iceland but didn't regard it as a waste of money because Iceland is more expensive than Spain.

onwardsup4 · 09/05/2025 06:59

I think that sounds lovely, yes you can probably get Spain all inclusive for the same price but is that what you want? Two very different holidays

Bjorkdidit · 09/05/2025 07:14

The 'package holiday in Spain' won't necessarily be all inclusive. It could be a very similar set up to what the OP describes and likely cheaper because France is generally more expensive than Spain, although some parts of Spain are more expensive, eg Marbella or most of Balearics.

It's not really comparing like with like to say the choice is between self catering in France or mass market AI in Spain.

reluctantbrit · 09/05/2025 07:19

Hollyhobbi · 09/05/2025 02:10

What countries are already on school holidays? I'm in Ireland which has more school holidays than anywhere else and the secondary schools don't close until the end of May.

Show quote history

You may have missed the "early July" bit in the OP's message.

Onelifeonly · 09/05/2025 07:22

If you want to go and can afford it, why not? It might not be cheap but it's not exorbitant and, as my dad would say, money is just a way to have what you want / need in your life.

Self catering means you save a lot on eating out, though you can eat out if you want to.

If I worry about costs like that, I often think how much it would be per month or even per week across the year. That makes it seem a lot more reasonable! £1700 ÷ 12 = £142.

BellissimoGecko · 09/05/2025 07:25

Bjorkdidit · 09/05/2025 06:55

£1400 for 2 or £1700 with flights is certainly on the high side but is it normal for the location and size of accommodation? What else is available in that area?

It's pointless comparing with another country with a lower cost of living and likely more choice.

We go to Spain a lot as a couple and a week's self catering package or separately booked equivalent is generally £1000 or so, so a bit cheaper but we paid far more than that in Iceland but didn't regard it as a waste of money because Iceland is more expensive than Spain.

£1000 for a villa with its own pool? Or for an apartment?

Changeissmall · 09/05/2025 07:27

Sounds great. You can pay that for a caravan in Cornwall.

Personally I much prefer self catering. Breakfast in peace. More space. No other people 👌

Bjorkdidit · 09/05/2025 07:34

BellissimoGecko · 09/05/2025 07:25

£1000 for a villa with its own pool? Or for an apartment?

Show quote history

You probably wouldn't get a villa with it's own pool but it doesn't sound like the OP is getting that anyway - it's a cottage in grounds so likely a shared pool. We've had similar in Lanzarote for that sort of price.

We generally go in June or September so prices slightly less, also fly midweek which is cheaper than at the weekend.

MN won't let me post links, but the Coloradamar bungalows in Playa Blanca Lanzarote are showing at £725 for the first week in July for a quiet bungalow complex with a shared pool, on the sea front.

Or the Villas Puerto Rubicon have a private pool for £1200 for that week, but at other times of year it could be little more than half that price.

Likely loads of choice in mainland Spain, along the coast too.

itsgettingweird · 09/05/2025 07:34

Based on prices you’ve given it looks like it’s just you and DH?

I’ve found SC cottages or caravans etc aren’t saline for money based on 2 travelling because you pay for the unit.

if there’s 5/6 of you and looking at 2-3 hotel rooms it can be value for money but you’re paying £200 a night SC based on 2 people and you could get hotel with HB for that.