Self catering or All Inclusive?

[RedTiger]

What's best with kids? The only time we've went abroad with kids is when DD was 18 months old and we were half board - Mum booked & paid for that holiday and that's what she preferred to do. I'm not really keen on half board again but would consider All Inclusive just for the fact that all the ice creams, snacks & drinks the kids will want through the day will be free, as well as DH's beer :rolleyes: Downside of AI is that you are stuck with the food they serve and if you don't like it you either have to go hungry or spend more money and eat out! I'd feel obliged to stay around the hotel for most of the holiday just because everything was already 'paid for' :oops: so if the hotel isn't up to much again its going to cost extra on top of the All Inclusive price tag we've already paid.

Self catering would be good because Ryan is hungry as soon as he wakes in the morning so he could be fed right away if we have cereal with us, and also means we'll have a fridge and cooking facilities. Downside I can see is we'll have to search out local restaurants for lunch & dinner and the drinks, ice creams etc for the kids every day will add up! And of course if we eat in the apartment I'll have to cook & wash dishes :scratchchin:

What do the more experienced holidaymakers amongst you do?

[sapphire]

If I had kids 'd personally go All inclusive, mainly because you don't have to restrict anything and you can relax without having to penny pinch and worry about saying no.
dont feel pressured to stay in the resort just enjoy the facilities to the max whilst your there :grin:

[sapphire]

mind you if its somewhere like spain it's cheap anyway so maybe SC would be better

(sorry if i've just confused you)

[RedTiger]

Don't worry i've been confusing myself all day with it :brainache: :lol: I still can't decide!

[Princess Fiona]

I always think All Inclusives are better with kids, epseically older kids as they can go up and ask for drinks and icecreams themselves. Save's a fortune on soft drinks too.

Our 2 holidays coming up are both all inclusive and we've made sure soft drinks and icecreams are included.

Spain is pretty cheap to eat out, so if one evening the kids don't like whats in the all inclusive it shouldn't cost you much to eat out.

I find that tbh as long as the breakfast and evening buffets are ok, you're pretty much set up. You'll find that the kids won't want to eat much during the day so you can probably get away with snacks round by the pool.

[RedTiger]

I'm wondering whether I should try to get somewhere similar to where we went on honeymoon - it was all inclusive but all the rooms were apartments with small kitchens. Would mean we could keep milk etc and feed Ryan when he gets up. Honestly he is a flaming nightmare - floods of tears if he doesn't get at least a bottle (yip, he still gets one!) right away.

Hmmm i'll need to get proper prices for AI & SC and see whether AI is much more expensive :scratchchin:

[Princess Fiona]

Oh yes i forgot to mention that we always make sure the room has a fridge now. Its essential as Lu still has 2 lots of milk a day. Also DH HAS to drink throughout the night and warm flat pop is just :sick:

Good luck, are you looking at Spain or elsewhere??

I'm getting excited about my hols now, we go Saturday!! :ellie:

[RedTiger]

I've been looking at Spain & Portugal (& the Canaries - does that come under Spain :oops:) my head is bursting with it all. If the hotel looks fab its usually quite far away from the main resort & doesn't have anything for kids, or I read a review on the internet about it and people have said it's full of chavs of something!!

[Princess Fiona]

We went here last year and it was absolutely BRILLIANT there WAS a kids club but our friends never used it. The ALL INCLUSIVE was great, the afternoon buffet wasn't fab but there was always something to eat iyswim.

Right across the road from the beach, took about 5 mins to walk across the road, 20 mins from the town centre and just around the corner from a strip of shops and restaurants.

http://www.palaspineda.com/

[RedTiger]

That looks very expensive! Did you book directly with the hotel or through a travel agent?

Where is it you're off to on Saturday?