All-Inclusive vs Self-Catering: Which Is Better Value for Families?
A detailed cost breakdown and honest comparison for family holidays
All-inclusive sounds expensive until you calculate what you actually spend on food and drinks during a week away. Self-catering sounds cheap until you factor in supermarket runs, eating out, and the mental load of meal planning on holiday. This guide provides a realistic cost comparison and helps you decide which approach suits your family.
The Quick Answer
The right choice depends on your family and trip type:
- All-inclusive wins - Beach holidays, fussy eaters who need variety, families who want zero planning, hot destinations where you want poolside drinks.
- Self-catering wins - City breaks, road trips, adventurous eaters wanting local food, longer stays of 2+ weeks, tight budgets with disciplined cooking.
- Either works - Short breaks, families with a mix of preferences, shoulder season trips.
Full Comparison
All-Inclusive
Pros
- One upfront cost - no budget surprises
- Unlimited food and drinks included
- Multiple restaurants reduce fussy eater stress
- Snacks available all day for hungry children
- Ice creams, poolside drinks without constant payments
- Often includes activities and entertainment
- No shopping, cooking, or washing up
- Complete relaxation for parents
Cons
- Higher upfront cost can stretch budget
- Quality varies wildly between resorts
- May feel trapped in the resort
- Food can be repetitive after a week
- Drinks quality often lower than paid bars
- Waste if family does not eat or drink much
- Miss authentic local food experiences
- Premium brands usually cost extra anyway
Best for: Beach holidays, families with children 3-12, those wanting total relaxation, resorts in hot destinations
Self-Catering
Pros
- Lower upfront accommodation cost
- Complete flexibility on meal times
- Cook familiar food for fussy eaters
- Explore local restaurants and markets
- Kitchen for baby bottles and special diets
- No set meal times to work around
- More authentic travel experience
- Can be much cheaper if you actually cook
Cons
- Costs add up if eating out frequently
- Someone still has to cook on holiday
- Supermarket runs eat into holiday time
- Need to find and navigate local shops
- Breakfast supplies, snacks, drinks all extra
- No break from normal meal routine
- Can spend more than all-inclusive if not careful
Best for: City breaks, road trips, longer stays, families who enjoy cooking, those wanting local experiences
Realistic Cost Breakdown
Let us compare a week in Spain for a family of four (2 adults, 2 children):
All-Inclusive Costs
- Accommodation with all meals: 2,200 GBP (typical mid-range resort)
- Airport transfers: Often included or 50-80 GBP
- Excursions/day trips: 150-300 GBP
- Premium drinks/brands: 50-100 GBP
- Ice creams and snacks outside resort: 30-50 GBP
- Total: approximately 2,400-2,700 GBP
Self-Catering Costs (Realistic)
- Villa or apartment: 1,000-1,400 GBP
- Groceries for week (breakfast, some lunches, snacks): 200-300 GBP
- Eating out dinner x 5: 300-500 GBP
- Eating out lunch x 3: 100-150 GBP
- Beach/pool snacks and drinks: 100-150 GBP
- Car hire (often needed): 200-300 GBP
- Ice creams, coffees, impulse buys: 50-100 GBP
- Total: approximately 1,950-2,900 GBP
Money-Saving Tip
Self-catering is only cheaper if you actually cook. Most families underestimate how often they eat out on holiday. Be honest with yourself about your likely behaviour.
Hidden Factors That Change the Equation
The Drinks Factor
If your family drinks alcohol, all-inclusive often wins outright:
- A beer at a Spanish beach bar: 3-5 GBP
- A cocktail at a restaurant: 8-12 GBP
- Wine with dinner: 15-30 GBP per bottle
- At 2-3 drinks per adult per day, that is 100-200 GBP per week in drinks alone
The Kids Snack Factor
Children want ice cream. Constantly. They want snacks by the pool. Drinks when hot. These add up:
- Ice cream x 2 per day: 6-10 GBP daily
- Poolside snacks and drinks: 10-20 GBP daily
- Over a week: 112-210 GBP just on children wanting things
All-inclusive means saying yes to every ice cream request without reaching for your wallet. The parenting ease has genuine value.
The Mental Load Factor
Self-catering means someone still has to:
- Plan meals and make shopping lists
- Navigate unfamiliar supermarkets
- Cook and wash up (on holiday)
- Decide where to eat every meal
- Research restaurants and make bookings
- Handle picky eater negotiations at new restaurants
This mental load usually falls on one parent. All-inclusive eliminates it entirely. That has real value for family harmony.
All-Inclusive Quality Guide
Not all all-inclusive resorts are equal. Here is what to check:
- Number of restaurants - Minimum 3 for variety. 5+ is ideal for a week.
- Booking requirements - Some make you book a la carte restaurants. Check how restrictive.
- Drink brands - Check what is included. Some only include local brands.
- Snack availability - Ideally 24/7 snacks, not just meal times.
- Kids club food - Does kids club offer snacks, or do children need to come to main restaurant?
- Recent reviews - Food quality can change. Check reviews from last 6 months.
Family Tip
Read TripAdvisor reviews specifically filtering for families. A couple might love a resort that families find lacking in child-friendly food options.
The Hybrid Option
Many resorts offer half-board (breakfast and dinner included). This gives:
- Freedom to explore for lunch
- No breakfast stress with children
- Dinner sorted after a tiring day
- Lower cost than full all-inclusive
- Best of both worlds for many families
Our Verdict
For a typical week-long beach holiday with children under 12, all-inclusive offers better value than most families expect. The constant snack and drink requests, combined with eating out costs, often equal or exceed the all-inclusive premium.
Self-catering makes sense for city breaks, road trips, and families who genuinely enjoy cooking local ingredients. It also works well for longer stays where the all-inclusive cost compounds.
Tip
Be honest about how your family actually behaves on holiday. If you are likely to eat out most nights and buy ice creams daily, all-inclusive may save money AND stress.
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