Last Easter was fantastic. It was the first year I decided to take the family away at that time of year. We normally have one summer holiday but the children have now reached the age where they prefer to spend time with their mates than with us so I thought an Easter holiday would work better. We decided to go self-catering in Derbyshire and I was blown away.
There are so many types of holidays, we have camped in tents, stayed in caravans and apartments and sometimes we have had all inclusive holidays in hotels with everything you need. Last year we finally tried self-catering and I have to say I loved the flexibility it provided me. I didn’t feel like I needed to be back at our accommodation at a set time, we had the option to eat as and where we pleased if we were out and about. Finally, if I did decide to cook (about four nights out of the seven I did cook) I didn’t have to do it on an open fire or a disposable barbeque. I had everything I needed in a fully functional kitchen. It was a brilliant way to go on holiday and it is something I will be doing again.
Choosing Where to Stay
There was a lot of choice when it came to self-catering. We decided to go for a cottage over the holiday parks and it was such a good choice. The accommodation really was divine. We arrived to a picture card cottage set in the most glorious scenery. We had unobstructed views and we were even able to bring our dog!
Our children were even impressed even though they thought they might find it a bit boring – being teenagers this is usually the case when you present them with the countryside. However, with the stresses they are both under at school and with the social pressures kids seem to suffer with these days they both really seemed to relax, which was wonderful. We did have access to the Internet but we only allowed them to bring one laptop and we surprised that it hardly got a look in during the entire week. They took the time to simply enjoy spending time with us (shocking but true), with each other and even went off to explore the area and take the dog for walks. I really believe it was exactly what they needed, some good old rest and relaxation.
Action Packed Part of the Country
The area has plenty on offer so we spent a lot of time exploring Derbyshire. We took a day to explore Matlock Bath which was full with brilliant shops, a gorgeous river with boat rides to enjoy and there is a theme park there. My husband and I spent time looking for antiques in the quaint antique shops while our two kids went off to Gulliver’s Kingdom for the afternoon. It was a great day and we all slept well that night I can tell you.
There are plenty of theme parks nearby so if you have children that get bored easily or animal mad family members you will find plenty of choice. The countryside itself is brilliant to sit back and enjoy with a glass of wine in the evenings or if you love walking like we do then you will be in your element.
Overall I was won over by our self-catering experience. The location was spot on, the cottage was breath-taking and the freedom self-catering gives you was just perfect. I have actually booked my husband and I another holiday there in September and plan to take the kids back next Easter too.
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About the Writer
Frankie Hughes loves holidaying in the UK. Self-catering Derbyshire holidays are one of the options that are available to those looking for rest and relaxation, just like Frankie.
