Villas / Self Catering Practicalities?

[quinda]

I was wondering how people dealt with the practicalities of self catering.

I know I hate playing 'dodge the maid' - I hate it when they come in to clean your room and you're still in there for whatever reason, and I always forget to put up the do not disturb sign.

I don't mind having to clean up after myself if I stayed in a rented Villa, the one thing that could be a problem though is buying food.

Last time I was in the USA I was lucky, I stayed opposite both a Starbucks and a Ralphs supermarket, so it was easy to grab a coffee and croissant for breakfast, and stock up on snacks for evenings from Ralphs.

I'm assuming not everywhere has a supermarket next door though.

So what do you do usually if you're staying in self catering? Just eat out for every meal?

[spondishy]

That's the beauty of staying in a villa. You can eat in or out. It's totally up to you. My last two visits have involved me staying in a villa on highway 27 for at least part of my vacation.

There was a big Walmart just down the road so we did the shopping there. Even if you just want juice or whatever, at least you have a full-size fridge at a villa.

[quinda]

Thanks for your response - thats exactly what I was thinking

I was mostly worried about a long trip to the nearest store - when you have to make long journeys it starts to feel just like being at home, but if you can just nip to the shop outside its less hassle

[45ish]

Well I guess you could stock up on some frozen dinners in your fridge and nuke them when you're hungry if dining is not going to be a focal point of that day's adventure.

For the day's that you have planned out for dinner you can choose a nice restaurant and maybe go a little overboard in your selections because you've definately saved a few pennies on using the frozen dinners.

Get some packaged food like pop tarts or cereal for your breakfast urges, and buy a can of coffee to make your own coffee in your little kitchenette area.

I like the idea of having a little kitchen area in my room when I travel.

[bustour]

These are some really good ideas 45ish. Some people might not like the idea of eating in your hotel and trying to save some money this way, but I'm definitely into saving wherever I can.
Besides, it's not just about the money. Sometimes after a long day of being around thousands of people, it's nice to just chill out in the room for a bit and eat some "homemade" food.

[quinda]

Nice ideas 45ish!

I was mostly thinking of dining out for lunch every day, and possibly dinner, but I wanted breakfast / drinks / evening snacks (and the occasional dinner) in the Villa - having to go out for anything other than a coffee or whatever liquid you can fit in a small hotel fridge gets annoying after a while.

[OrlandoTouristAttractions]

Our villa has a Walmart really close by, so when you run out of milk, etc you don't have to go on a massive trek. If you want details pm me, as I'm not sure if I am allowed to put a link? When we go we tend to eat out a lot, but it's also nice to be able to stay in and get a takeaway or rustle up a meal. With young children it is fantastic as you have a microwave for any bottles, etc and a huge fridge/freezer for keeping ice lollies in!

When there is a few of you it is nice to be able to get up when you want and grab breakfast, without having to wait for snoozers.