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Planning a self-catering trip for the first time?

The process can feel daunting if it's something you've not done before.

Instead of a 24-hour front desk to help with any query and all of your meals provided, you’ll be the one cooking, cleaning and finding the nearest place to buy a corkscrew if the one in the drawer is broken.

So before you head to your place of stay, it's important to gather all the information you need for a fun trip.

To make this easier, our sister site 2Chill has rounded up more handy tips for those who are newbies at self-catering trips.

From questions you need to know, to what you need to pack, here's all you need to know…

For your first cottage-based break you want to ensure yourself of a mix of home comforts without having to pack everything but the kitchen sink.

However, reading the property listing carefully can alert you to some potential snags that you wouldn’t expect to find in your typical resort.

And if you want to be sure, contact your booking website or Airbnb host in advance to check what essentials are available or will need to go in your luggage.

Kitchen

You may be planning to eat all of your meals out, but you have the flexibility to cook at home if you want to.

Having a home favourite to look forward to after a long day exploring a new area can be a comforting thought to.

Look carefully at the pictures provided – can you see an oven and hob in the kitchen? How big is the fridge? Is there a freezer for ice cubes or will you need to make do with lukewarm cocktails during your stay?

The listing should specify cooking facilities, but don’t be surprised if some smaller places only offer a toaster and a microwave. You might not fancy cooking a Sunday roast during your stay, but an oven can be helpful for making easy pizza, re-heating pastry without it going soggy or roasting some vegetables for a quick and hearty soup.

Pots and pans can be a bit hit and miss. There will certainly be cookware, but don’t expect a pristine frying pan with the non-stick surface intact. While there shouldn’t be any lingering burnt-on food, over-enthused scrubbing could leave pans gouged and pitted. And don’t expect there to be a dishwasher – you may be rolling up your sleeves, so packing a few extra tea towels wouldn’t go amiss.

Most cottages should have a small stash of salt, pepper and cooking oil – often left behind by previous visitors – but if something is essential for your meal plans then decant it into smaller containers and bring it with you. Your own tea bags, favourite coffee and a few packs of biscuits is another easy way to make your home-away-from home more, well, homely!

If you are planning to cook, it’s worth packing a good knife rather than relying on the usually blunt offering in the drawers, a potato peeler (which can double as a grater for artful shards of cheese), a bottle opener and plastic boxes for any leftovers.

And don’t expect plates and glassware to match – breakages are common and replacements may not be from the same set. If you break something, leave a note or contact your host to explain so they can let you know if there is a charge rather than a surprise later addition to your credit card. It’s also worth taking photos of any major damage to the property before you unpack and sending them to the host so you don’t risk getting the blame.

Bed and bath

Towels and linen will almost always be provided, but don’t assume – again read the website listing to check for any “please bring your own” requests. The last thing you need is an urgent trip to the nearest supermarket or high street to buy a duvet set or a bath towel.

While some high-end hotels offer a pillow menu with firmness and fillings to suit every need, anyone with allergies to goose or duck down may also want to bring their own pillow to their cottage because what can be seen as a luxurious provision for many may leave you with itchy eyes and unable to sleep.

How does the heating work and is there automatic hot water? Older properties may still have a cylinder or even an immersion heater that you’ll have to plan around.

And don’t assume a self-catering cottage has a bath, or a shower. It may be a bath with a shower-head attached to the taps instead, or perhaps to save space it’s just a shower, which might make the kids’ bath-time less relaxing. Again the photos on the site listing can help you to avoid any disappointment.

Shampoo, conditioner and soap is another preference item that you might want to pack for familiarity; although there might be some provided, without daily room service don’t expect these to be replenished during your stay.

Entertainment

It would have to be a very remote cottage not to offer a TV these days, but don’t expect it to come loaded with Sky or Netflix or Disney+ – it may not even be compatible with those systems or be internet-enabled and in some areas the signal quality may only leave you with channels 1-5.

There are two ways to tackle this – skip the box for the week and embrace the view from your cottage window, or take some of those must-read books you’ve never quite got around to and curl up with one of those in the evening instead. The point of a holiday is to get out of your usual routine, even if it leaves you with lots of catch-up telly on your return. If they do have Netflix, make sure you know your own password in case you need to log in – and remember to log out when you leave or someone else might delete your watchlist.

But if you have some must-sees you don’t want to risk being spoiled for, take a laptop or watch on your phone – they may be tiny screens, but they’ll ensure you won’t miss out.

That leads to wifi – again, it’s rare for a cottage not to have it included in the price, but this may not be at speeds you’re used to and if you’ve got three children all trying to stream their favourite show or YouTube channel, you could be hearing more grumps than gratitude for taking them away.

You could bring a wifi dongle for that extra boost, but be aware that some of the signal problems could be because you’re staying in a converted barn or an old stone cottage where the thick walls are never going to be tech-friendly.

Instead, many sites will have a stack of board games and jigsaws for some old-school entertainment, as well as a bookcase of paperbacks discarded by former guests. To be safe, why not pack the Jenga blocks or a deck of cards and download some instructions to a few family-friendly games like Go Fish, Crazy 8s, Hearts or Rummy?

Finally, do your research

If you’re staying in a new area, you might have checked out the local attractions and cafes in advance, but don’t forget the practical aspects you might need in an emergency or just to make your stay a little more pleasant.

• How close is the nearest hospital or A&E?
• Do you have a number for an emergency dentist?
• Where can you park – if there’s no off-street parking, will you need to pay to keep your car close to the cottage?
• Will you be able to unload the car and reload it outside your accommodation, or will there be some carrying?
• If you’re staying in an apartment, is there a lift and how many flights up is it?
• Are there any access issues like narrow or steep stairs and low beams?
• Is there a supermarket nearby for groceries and somewhere to get milk if you run out before breakfast?
• If you have specific dietary needs, do local shops and restaurants cater for you?
• What’s nearby? Your peaceful week could be less enjoyable if your cottage is next to a noisy pub or a workshop. Pop the address into Google StreetView to check out the neighbourhood.
• Take your own first aid kit with any prescription medicine needed, plasters, antiseptic cream and pain relief you’d usually have at home.
• When you arrive at your accommodation check out where the fuse box and light switches are so you’re not scrambling for a light in the dark in a strange room. Take your own torch just in case, or keep your phone handy.
• Have the number of your host or agency on hand to report any problems straight away or to ask for advice if you’re struggling to turn the hob on or get the door to unlock.
• If you’ve booked through Airbnb, remember not all hosts are professionals – it might be their own home vacated for you, so don’t expect the sort of response a company would provide.
• And if you don’t think the cottage is what you were promised – if it’s dirty or unsafe – contact the host immediately to look at remedies. They might not be able to magic up the extra bedroom you thought you were getting, but you could have recourse to a discount or refund if you were misled.

• 2Chill

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