Self catering holidays in country cottages, apartments and pine lodges

A self-catering holiday is the best way of affording a summer holiday for many families. Essentially, self-catering simply means 'catering for oneself' or preparing own meals rather than eating out. For most people this also means a cottage holiday.

The cheapest form of self-catering is camping which is popular with children, especially if the idea is a bit if a novelty not backed up by experience. Once children have been allocated necessary tasks such as fetching water, washing dishes in a washing up bowl and have discovered the difficulties in working outside, they may lose some of that enthusiasm.

A caravan offers additional amenities albeit in a confined space but the best way of self-catering is by renting a country cottage, apartment or house which provides all the creature comforts one would expect at home. The cost of the holiday inevitably rises and it's a trade off between comfort and ease and outlay. We all manage as best we can and sometimes the decision is made purely on the budget available. However, if your budget stretches to a self-catering holiday in a rented cottage or house, you may appreciate the little extras such as private or even enclosed garden, the space for children to play, a decent sized TV and more, depending on what you can afford.

There is a wide range of cottage accommodation available, from basic rural cottages or seaside chalets to enormous luxurious mansions. Shop around because with so many holiday cottages belonging to private owners, price does not always reflect quality. The tourist board rating system assist in grading cottages between one and five star which may be useful.

Use the Cottage Search facility to find the ideal country cottage, log cabin holiday, farm holidays, seaside cottages or whatever else sounds like the type of self-catering break you would like.