All inclusive - what do you do?

[iniati]

We are considering an AI type holiday for the first time - we usually do self catering in a nice location, do a load of day trips etc.

The kids have reached the age where they really enjoy pools and water parks which is why we're thinking about it - up to now, they have been happy with the odd beach day.

I am a bit unsure about an AI holiday because I am not really sure what people usually do on them? I realise we could just use it as a base and do the sorts of things we usually do, but I think most people stay in the resort most of the time, I am just not clear on what they actually do? I love reading but I can do that at home so not sure it would feel that worthwhile to just read books all day. I would enjoy a swim for a couple of hours but then what?

Maybe it just isn't a good idea for us or we need to make sure to pick somewhere close to a town

I love AI. We typically have a day 'on’ and day 'off’ so we alternate lazing around in the resort - pools, spa, access to beach, eat, drink, read etc. Then the next day go up to town or do an excursion (usually a last minute getyourguide booking - snorkelling / boat trip / sightseeing) then back to hotel following day and repeat.

We only like AI with adults only. It just doesn’t suit us for with children. With adults, we sleep in, then lounge by the pool reading. Late afternoon we shower and dress for dinner. A nice meal and a walk. We are very low key and just want to relax, while everything is taken care of and we don’t have to think about our responsibilities.

we have replicated it at home, but it’s tricky to get into the right mindset.

We did AI once and there are pros and cons but it’s not my personal favourite. Pros are obviously no cooking, shopping etc. Cons for me are having to be up and dressed for breakfast (I like to be quite lazy in the morning!), all the other people at the buffet (and just generally) and the fact that you kind of share a room with your kids (although actually our set up was pretty good with sort of separate rooms). One week of AI is also about the price of two weeks self catering and I like to do a two week summer holiday.

If you want water parks and no driving, have you had a look at Eurocamp style holiday parks? We went to Norcenni in Italy last year - it’s huge with two water parks. You can get a train there from the airport and there are day trips to Florence etc. I’m sure there are other parks that are walking distance to a town as well.

We’ve done AI and half board and I preferred the half board, kids probably preferred the AI though.

I just like to be able to eat out as I get bored of the hotel food for every single meal, so a hotel near a town that allowed us to swap lunch and dinner around was perfect for us to have days out eating lunch out and then resort days where we had lunch at the hotel and then went out for a nice dinner in the evening. DH and I aren’t massive drinkers so we weren’t too bothered about the lack of free booze (just paid for wine with dinner and bought some supermarket wine and beer for the balcony once kids in bed). We did do a cost estimate and figured it was the best option for us. Self catering was a definite no from me.

The full AI was awesome for the kids being able to get drinks and ice creams independently during the day (age 8 and 10), but to be honest when we went half board it wasn’t a massive deal to just buy big waters in the supermarket to keep in the apartment fridge and take water bottles with us and one or 2 ice creams for the kids aren’t that expensive.

With AI you do feel a bit like you don’t want to eat out if you are out and about as you’ve already paid for the hotel food, and I think that’s a shame. I don’t think my kids cared at all though, they were perfectly happy with a buffet for every meal and endless lemonade.

A lot of that resonates with me. I will investigate Eurocamps, thank you for the tip

@Caterina99 I hear you especially on the ice creams. Our kids wouldn't usually have more than one a day anyway so that doesn't feel like a big deal to just buy

We tend to breakfast early, head out all morning before it's too hot.

Back to hotel for quick lunch, spend afternoon in the pool and chilling. Much prefer our own swim up room so vampire white DH can hide away in the room after 30 seconds sun exposure 😆 but obvs that's different when you have kids and a waterpark on site

Late afternoon, shower, dress up for evening, head for dinner, indulge in 3 courses with wine, take our time. Then either head out for a few drinks in a live music bar or find a nice spot in the hotel for a few drinks.

We usually eat out a few times for lunch as well though when we venture a bit further away.

That's the sort of holiday we usually do too, we might do 4 days in Paris sightseeing and then 2 days at Disney for the kids, or 3 days in Bilbao and 3 days in San Sebastian, even in San Sebastian we did a bit of sightseeing it's always a mix. My only experience of AI was in Cuba 25 years ago, it was fine, but big hotel hence loads of people and not an experience I'm really in a rush to repeat. Genuinely not sure AI is what you are looking for.

Kids go to kids club, and I like to read books. Day trips are usually possible too, depends on where youre going.

Before kids I couldn't think of anything worse and preferred independent travel. My DC are 11 and 9 and since Covid it's become an annual staple. I actually go home feeling refreshed and like I have had a proper rest. But there are so many AI resorts, you need to really research them. You get what you pay for in my experience. One AI resort we went to had house reef which was ideal for snorkelling off the beach and unlimited water activities so we all tried water skiing and banana boats (slow for the little ones), and more. The list was so long they did something new everyday. Also it gives kids freedom, they make friends by the pool and have fun. Kids clubs can be really good so one year mine really enjoyed nature walks and horse riding after breakfast and then the pool and beach all afternoon. There really can be a lot of variety including organised excursions in small groups outside the hotel. Also some do a wide variety of food and table service only, some are buffet, again depends on what you prefer. I love a good AI break. I don't drink so sometimes full board or even half board works out better value.

As much as I would love to go on an AI holiday I have no self control and would come back 2 stone heavier and with the hangover from hell in an attempt to get my money’s worth. Same reason I couldn’t go on a cruise. I imagine it would be like going to World Buffet for a fortnight but with better weather and a pool.

Same here. All sorts of wild visions 🤣🤣🤣

AI does not have to be a "resort" type place. There are plenty of smaller low rise nice hotels that are all inclusive.

We usually go AI becuase it's convenient to keep the children fed and hydrated all the time. Generally the hotels we pick have very little in the way of organised activities.

Just recently been to a hotel which was all inclusive but we chose half board (which suited us much better and we sound like you!). The half board food was actually fantastic, I can’t comment on AI but I saw the ‘snacks’ and they didn’t look special.

We went out 5 out of 7 days on local trips / for lunch / walks. The rest of the time we spent at the hotel doing pool / watersports and tennis and some of the activities. It worked perfectly. I was very glad I hadn’t chosen AI as we hardly drink and although I had a bill for the kids soft drinks at the end of the week it wasn’t a lot. We went to a supermarket and bought some Fanta and crisps etc mid way through the week which saved us a lot. Maybe look at half board? For us it was great value. Slightly annoying being in same restaurant each evening (although it was lovely) but a great value for us with two hungry teens! We also took bread / croissants at breakfast for snacks - lunch which everyone was doing. I would have felt trapped going AI in the hotel / location we went to. I realised on this trip although it sounds enticing it’s not for me. I’m sure my kids would love it but I’d be bored…

It really depends on what you like. Both me and DD love swimming and mucking about in the water . We could spend 7 hours in the pool easily so the day isn’t too hard to fill. One bonus of AI is that most resorts will have a bar/restaurant by the beach as well so if you spend the day there you can still have snacks/food/drinks for free. Add in playing with the random cats and kittens , the evening entertainment (which is so bad, it’s good ) , games , reading, chilling and a day trip or two…. The days are pretty full.

AI in Gran Canaria. We went on a couple of excursions the hotel put on, but otherwise we oscillated between the pool and the play area. It was amazing. I could see DS9 at the snack bar from the pool so he could fill his boots with whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and I could swim/read. Bliss.

My AI holiday usually goes
breakfast
pool/sunbathing/reading
lunch
walk, wander round shops, beach
back for a shower
dinner either in the hotel or we tend to eat out 3nights if we’re there for a week
walk drink or two either in the hotel or in a nice bar

I still do day trips, days away from the hotel
I like the convenience of food and drinks when I fancy but I also like to get out and explore what’s round about.
I usually o ly go for 7 days so I don’t feel too guilty if I choose to have a couple of lazier days at the pool

We like to book one close to the beach as we're sea lovers. Up, breakfast, then beach. We'll do maybe 3 hours there, then nip back up for lunch and a rest. After that, pool, other activity or relax. Chill before evening, eat, entertainment or beach/cliff/local area walk.

We normally want to do an excursion or two. In which case we'd have a big breakfast, probably grab some fruit/easily takeaway-able thing from the snack bar on the way out and have a light lunch. Get sandwiches or whatever. The ones we go to always have fairly extended hour snack bars so there's flexibility. Some will do a packed lunch.

A lot of AI resorts with a water park will be a bit further out as thats where the space is. If you wanted to be in a town, have a water park on site and have access to lots of excursions, MN will groan, but you could do worse than Benidorm.

We just got back from our first ever sort of AI ( Mark Warner). We went with another family with similar aged kids. I say sort of AI as drinks and lunch are extra. I ran every morning, read my first book his year ( shameful I know) and chilled/ chatted to people/ had a few afternoon beverages. The dc ( teens) sailed and paddle boarded and hung out with other teens. DH sailed a bit and cycled a bit.

we all really enjoyed it.

Surely you could go half board and eat no lunch. The breakfasts are so big, you would take a roll and youghurt for lunch.

I like going to the supermarket to get water and cola for the room.

Ww do half board in a resort with a town. We go out walking in the morning, stop for coffee at a cafe at lunchtime, and then spend the afternoon at the pool.

Apologies for the fat thumbs when typing; I meant to write “roads” not “toads” (though there probably are likely to be a load of toads on the roads alongside all the locals walking and cycling around without light clothing and lighting).

Perhaps not such a big issue in Europe where there are usually supermarkets nearby, but costs can easily mount up if the tap water isn’t potable and you have to buy it with every meal/during the day.

I don’t think we’ve ever done an August AI (don’t like baking hot southern Europe summers).

I was going to suggest Eurocamps as well. We went to one a couple years back and it was lovely. Not what you’re looking for but I know many have water parks. The cabin was great and the site was lovely and calm.

It's just full board, but with pretty much unlimited drink, snack food between meals, and ice cream.

Cheap AI places use local no-name spirits, the wine is on tap from a barrel, the snack food is at least partly buffet leftovers, and the ice cream is generic vanilla. At posher places you get Smirnoff vodka or Gordon's gin (but not Grey Goose or Hendricks), Schweppes tonic (but not Fever Tree), you can order a selection of bottled wines from the cheaper end of the list, snacks like burgers are cooked to order, and Heartbrand/Nestlé ice cream (but not local artisan gelato).

After that it's whatever the hotel wants to lay on in terms of activities, kids clubs, etc. Generally an AI place will have more going on than a full-board place because people will not be going out to the local bars during the day to spend €3 for an ice cream when it's free back at the hotel.

Good point re activities. There's AI resorts with lots on who also offer half board though, so that might be a good middle road.

Last time I picked an ai resort close to a town and we could take the bus in. Walk to the beach. Sit by the pool and read. Also hired a car for three days and drove about for some sightseeing.