A list of self-catering holiday cottages, houses and other rentals in Derbyshire is shown below. Please click on any photographs to display the details of each cottage or house.
Renting holiday cottage and looking after your family as you might at home might not sound as relaxing as a catered-for holiday but it does have its advantages. The biggest advantage for any family is that you can stock your store cupboard and refrigerator full of good things to eat and drink and then be able to help yourself whenever you wish. We all like to indulge a bit on holiday.
You could recreate the snack bar idea with frozen pizzas, fries, pastries and savouries, have a selection of drinks and nibbles. Be lazy some days and order a take-away, or if you’re on a budget organise a rota so that everyone does their share. Children might really enjoy preparing breakfast and serving it to you in bed. There is that bit more time on holiday to enjoy any cooking and even shopping. Who doesn’t like pottering around a market or shops in a new town?
If you rent a cottage in the country, there may well be a farm shop or two that sells local eggs, meats and organic bread. Some of the better ones offer ready cooked meals. Many of our pleasures during a holiday derive as much from eating and drinking as beautiful scenery and enjoyable activities.
Just because you’re self-catering does not rule out a good meal at a Derbyshire restaurant or pub. It gives you the opportunity to sample the cuisine of another area. There may be micro breweries with unique beer, or cider.
There will not be a maid service to make beds or clean up after you in your Derbyshire holiday home, that will still have to be done. Again, give the children some responsibility to help out; it’s training for life. Tasks such as preparing a picnic to take out for the day can be enjoyable bonding exercises, with one person buttering bread, another filling the sandwiches and another packing. A bit of healthy banter adds to the fun.
You may just find that a self-catering break in Derbyshire is actually much more fun than a hotel stay. You will not need to keep the kids quiet, you can send them out to play safely in an enclosed garden if you book a cottage that has a garden and it will save you a fortune in snacks, beverages and ice cream.