It’s looking very likely that the first type of holiday that Brits will be allowed to take after the Coronavirus lockdown is eased, are private staycation holidays. Of course, nobody knows for sure if or when this may be, but with self-catering cottages and apartments like our own, you minimise any contact with others and social distancing measures can be kept in place.

Why Should You Choose A Self-Catering Holiday?

It may well be the case that the first holiday you can take post-Coronavirus will be a self-catering break. This isn’t to say that a UK self-catering holiday isn’t the same as a regular getaway though.

In fact, in many ways, it might even be better.

With a self-catering cottage or apartment, you’re granted total flexibility and control over your own holiday – you can rise and sleep when you want, eat (pretty much) whatever you want and enjoy the pace of your own itinerary. These are just a few of the many reasons that our guests flock to Combermere time and time again to enjoy a minibreak at our cottages.

Our holiday accommodation also comes with board games in every cottage, bicycles that you can use to explore the grounds, walking boots and tennis courts – there’s much to enjoy about this type of staycation.

If you’re yet to experience a self-catering staycation, then perhaps now might be the perfect time to start considering one, and planning ahead.

Self-Catering Holiday Checklist: What Should You Take?

With a self-catering holiday, you’re going to need to be a little more prepared than usual. These types of getaways come with a plethora of benefits, but to enjoy your minibreak properly, forward planning is key.

On a self-catering holiday, you’ll make your own fun – as well as be in control of your own activities and meals. Spend the spare time you have now planning for the future, and when the time comes when accommodation providers such as ourselves can open our doors to the public once more, you’ll be pretty much ready to book and go.

Here’s what we suggest you add to your self-catering holiday checklist, and we’ve also made a printable version that you can access here if you want to print off and start preparing right away (you can never be too keen, after all).

Jump to…

• Essentials
• Meals
• Entertainment

Essentials

When trying to remember everything you want to take with you on your getaway, you might even forget the little things. Here’s a list of the important essentials to take with you on your self-catering break.

• Booking details & documents
• An itinerary of things to do (that adheres to whatever rules are in place at the time, of course)
• Mobile phones
• Mobile phone chargers
• Tablet or laptops
• Tablet or laptop chargers
• Clothing & kids clothing
• Walking boots and wellies (a lot of our cottage walks are around the woods)
• Umbrella

Meals

One of the best things about self-catering holidays is the freedom to choose your own meals. Our cottages are fully equipped with all the essential appliances so you can cook all of your favourite recipes with your family and/or your friends. Did you know that you can order an online shop directly to our cottages so that it’s ready for you to unpack when you arrive?

Here are some key food items we’d suggest adding to your list.  And remember when you book a holiday cottage at Combermere Abbey, you can order a lovely breakfast hamper full of local goodies as well as a welcome tray of teas, coffees and biscuits.

• Cereal
• Meat items – poultry, beef, pork (or vegetarian alternatives…)
• Fresh vegetables
• Potatoes
• Seasoning and spices (taking these in sachets might be easier)
• Accompaniments– ketchup, BBQ sauce, gravy etc…
• Frozen food, especially for the kids
• Baby food pouches
• Tea and coffee
• Miniature jams and spreads
• Rice and pasta
• Biscuits
• Dog food (remember our self-catering cottages are dog friendly)

Entertainment

It’s a good idea to plan some things to do on your self-catering holiday, though you truly make your own fun on these kinds of breaks. There’s often plenty to see and do in the great outdoors, but the weather may not always be on your side. In any case, it’s a good idea to bring with you some means of entertainment. You can make your self-catering cottage or apartment so cosy that you might never want to leave.

• Board games (our cottages include a number of board games, but you can never have too many)
• DVDs/CDs
• Playing cards
• Books and magazines
• Local area guides
• Pens, pencils and paper
• Children’s toys
• Challenge sheets to entertain the children (e.g. challenges to make a den in the woods)

Download Our Checklist

Remember you can find and download this list by clicking this link.

We’re not open for business just yet, but as soon as we know it’s safe to do so we can’t wait to open the doors to our self-catering holiday cottages to you once more. Keep an eye out on our social media for when you can book a stay with us again.

Remember to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook to see what we’re up to.

Special thank you for the fantastic photography: Doug Krier 💕