Top Tips For The Perfect Self Catering Holiday

As a provider of Irish holiday cottages Imagine Ireland has helped thousands of customers have enjoyable and stress free holidays in Ireland.  Over the years we’ve collected lots of knowledge and know how, from our customers and most importantly as busy mums and dads taking the family away on holiday.   So, here are our top tips for finding and having the perfect self catering holiday, whether you’re staying in a holiday cottage in Dingle or a gite in France.

You’ve probably already decided that self catering is for you – the freedom to do what you want, when you want to, in your very own home from home.  So what’s next? The first and most important decision that most people make is where they want to stay – the holiday destination.

Location, Location, Location
Our tip is to decide what you and your family want to do on holiday and the type of holiday you want to have.  You might be looking for peace and quiet, with a relaxed approach to each day.  Or you might want lots of things to see, do and experience.  Do you want beaches or mountains…or both?  Do you want cities and shops?  How far do you want to travel – do you want ferry ports and airports on the door step or is the journey part of the holiday? Just spending a few minutes thinking about what you want from your holiday will really help you focus your holiday destination search. Many self catering holiday cottage companies provide helpful information on their websites, like Imagine Ireland’s Tourist Information section that gives you the low down on what to see and do in Ireland and the Travel section with ferry and car hire services.

Choosing Your Home from Home
It’s important to decide what you want from your holiday cottage – a comfortable and practical holiday base or a character property that’s just a bit different. Look at who’s coming with you on your holiday – just the two of you, you and the kids or a group of friends – and decide what you need from your holiday home.  Are you happy to share a bedroom with friends or do you all need your own space?  Do you need a big kitchen and dining table because you love eating together?  Do you need lots of bathrooms to wash down the kids after a muddy day out on the bikes?  Is it the view that’s really important? Can dogs come too? A picture paints a thousand words so most people will initially choose a holiday home based on what it looks like, but it pays to read the details and take a closer look at the internal shots. Check out things like distance to the beach, whether there are shops or a pub nearby.  If there are customers testimonials or reviews take a look.

What to Pack
Packing is always the tricky part of the holiday. On a self catering holiday you’re probably driving so there’s a great temptation to pack everything plus the sink.  But you should approach your packing as if you’ve got the same weight restrictions as a fly / hotel holiday.  Make a list and lay things out the week before hand. Think about what you’ll be doing – walking, sunbathing, sight seeing – and work out what special clothes you need for activities. Add in something nice to wear in the evening for those meals out. Don’t go overboard on basics like T-shirts, on a self catering holiday you can easily do a quick wash n dry; and it helps to stop the horror of the huge post holiday wash. Check out what’s provided – most holiday cottages provide towels and bed linen – it could save you space. Remember to pack things like sun cream and a small basic first aid kit for those minor emergencies.  You might save money by taking all your own food but remember the local shops.  If you love cooking and are planning on some special meals pack your ‘must have’ ingredients like special herbs and spices. If you’ve space take your own wine and beer, it’ll save money and you’ll have your favourite tipple to hand. And don’t forget the kids. While many cottages have TV’s, DVDs and game consoles it’s a great idea to pack the family’s favourite games and if you’ve time pop in some pre-prepared quizzes, treasure hunts and party games.  And don’t forget your gadgets…phone, camera, cam-corder and of course your gadget charger; there are great multi chargers available where one charger does it all!

And finally, check before you go
A couple of days before you travel just call the holiday cottage owner to make sure that you know where you’re going, how you’ll get the key and whether they’ll be there to explain how things work.  Hopefully our top tips will have helped you plan your self catering holiday and we look forward to welcoming you to Ireland.

View our Self Catering Cottages in Ireland