Self Catering vs All inclusive

Hay_2

We've never been on an AI holiday so would appreciate any advice please.We want to get good value for money from our holiday and AI is looking tempting.We have 3 small children who will be 4,2 and 1 when we travel~the idea of snacks/icecream/drinks etc included in the price appeals!Plus SC we go out to eat each night and drinks add up....
Any tips on how to get the best value from an AI holiday?Or is it easier/cheaper to go self catering?

Nordictat2

I don't have kids personaly but I have friends that do and lately it seems they are going the self catering route so they can be in control of what they buy especially food wise.

magicmaria

I think All inclusive is fantastic - we have 3 kids 15 13 8 and have no worries about spending loads on drinks/snacks they just help themselves all day long - if we had to go self catering it would cost a fortune in food/drinks and then you also have to spend time shopping and cooking - we do eat out few times though to experience other places

saver_sam

We've done both and now prefer to only look at holidays if they are AI. We have one daughter aged 4 and she likes the idea that she can get something to drink or eat when she likes. Some AI places also include children clubs which are great for the kids to make new friends. We also like the idea of not having to shop or find somewhere to eat of an evening. And its a great way to try the local booze!

xzibit

SC holidays look like a bargain don't they!! I have been on both SC and AI, and AI is cheaper in the long run, unless you want to eat out every meal time.

If you are happy eating at the hotel it works out much cheaper, especially if you have kids I'd imagine. All those ice creams, snacks, drinks, buying water, food adds up, plus you have to take the time to prepare the meals.

It depends on the individual though, some people like to cook out there.

The cheapest option, is what I did once, and went SC, but took 8p packets of pasta and sauce from Asda and ate those every meal time. Being young I can cope with that, with a possible Maccy D's thrown in for variety!

Becles

I agree with the AI points above.

The other good thing about AI with children is that they are willing to try all sorts of foods they might not try at home or if you went out for a meal. You can just put a small spoonful of new foods on their plate "to see if they like it" and they can always go back for more if they do.

They might surprise you too! Due to AI food sampling, one of my sons eats all sorts of fishy/seafood things, that I can't stomach

kazprincess

Definetly prefer AI holidays! Been on both and AI is just easier and cheaper than buying and cooking your good everyday! I want to go on hoilday to relax - not wanting to cook and make meals!

Just check out reviews on the food in that certain hotel on tripavisor.com. I wont stay in a AI hotel if the food seems bad!
Also alchol is included in the all inclusive - so i probably save £££££ on just that!

black-saturn

I agree. I've been on loads of SC holidays and always ended up spending loads on food so it works out cheaper in the long run to go AI. Plus you don't really want to have to do cooking and washing up on holiday do you? I will be going AI in the future.

Ali_UK

Whilst I agree that AI can be an excellent way to budget you need to seriously consider the quality of food that you'll be getting. Being stuck at an AI for one or two weeks where the food is bland and repetitive and not having any budget for eating out is going to make for a very miserable holiday indeed!

Definitely check tripadvisor and holidaytruths type websites to see what previous people have said about the food - and also check carefully the hours of availability - in some places the AI drinks only go from 10am to 10pm - not good if you're a night bird! Often the drinks are cheaper brands - i.e. cola, cheap bacardi/vodka etc which to be honest I don't like. Some places only have ice-cream or snacks between 3-4pm...and some have everything all day every day so there really is a huge variety.

We have done AI in Mexico twice and have been very lucky with the food - but fortunately we also had a few lunches and dinners out which breaks up the monotony of eating in the same place several times a day. I've also done AI in Dom Rep where I got so fed up of eating rice, beans and fish!! In places like Cuba AI can often be the only way as the resorts aren't geared up for self catering.

Whatever you chose I hope it goes well (come back and tell us!) and hope you have a great holiday!

angelfire

We've done both and prefer A/I - especially in the Dominican. As long as you get a decent hotel you can't go wrong with A/I though. Before booking always check out the reviews....

davidlizard

Another flipside of AI is the negative effect to the local community, especially if the hotel is in a less privaleged part of the world.

As the guests of the hotel are therefore less likely to head off into local restaurants etc as they have already paid for their meals, their money tends to stay in the hotel and therefore into the pockets of its (often) western owners, with very little of the tourists income directed into the local community which largely have become dependent on tourism.

A case in point is in Sri Lanka. The number of hotels offering AI deals has increased - the number of local restaurants and bars has decreased, with employment opportunities for the locals has reduced. The money goes straight out of the country - with very little benefit to the locals where it really is needed. This is all very sad as once can eat out and buy drinks very cheaply anyway.

I guess a lot of it is down to convenience and location. If the hotels in the middle of nowhere, then one may as well go AI.