that would depend if you want to go out, or stay in the hotel for 30 days

......never been a fan of AI in these sort of places....so much to do , eating out is cheap.... drinks are cheap..... i personally cant understand why anyone would want to go AI

ahh thanks for your rapid response we would like entertainmenment most nights....... but now you say eating out is easy and cheaper? tell more about the local cuisine? and prices of alcholic drinks (wine and beer) ..... muchly appriciated
anniel

anniel2
hi, i've not been to tenerife yet but am booked for next august staying in pdla.
i have stayed in many a/i hotels in the past and can guarantee staying in one for 30 days is a bad idea as you will be sick to death of the food after 7 if not before.
when we took our 3 chidren on holiday 10/14 days, a/i was good value if you pick a good one(if you don't do your research you could end up having to eat out a lot as the a/i drinks/food can be bad).
now we only have one daughter who comes with us(others grown up) it works out no more expensive for us to go s/c, and you can see more of the place you visit plus eat what you want, where you want and when you want.

i have done some research on tenerife pdla and los cristianos and it seems cheap to eat and you can get a pint for 1euro in some places.
have a look on the forums on here and tripadvisor for which area you plan to stay in to get a idea of prices.

we went to zante last august stayed s/c and i found drinks to be expensive, food reasonable and we spent slightly less for the s/c holiday including spends than we did on our previous a/i holiday.

do your reserach and work out whats best for you
if your a couple or have 1 child i,d say s/c but if you have a big family(i'm assuming not as you want to go in jan for 30 days)i'd consider a/i
regards tracey

Absolutely go self catering, we were in tenerife this easter and actually found the prices of drinks and food cheaper than 3 years ago ! . lots of places offer the menu of the day for 7 euros, 3 courses, a pint of local ranged from just 95 cents in the day to 2.50 at night .
You have so much more freedom going self catering and if you are going for 30 days ( lucky you !) a long let private rental would be the best way to go as you have a washing machine, usually sky t.v, a home from home really, its a while since we've stayed in a hotel in tenerife as private apartments are much nicer and cheaper.
Have a look on 'ownersdirect' or holidaylettings websites to see whats on offer .
hope this helps

thanks for your honest input tracey... a lot to consider

I would say self catering too. 30 days is a looong time
And there is so much to do and see outside and food is not expensive

Not been to tenerife, only Lanzarote and Gran Canaria however, I think 30 days is a very long time to fund all your eating and drinking outside of a hotel anywhere.

Also there may be other winter 'long stayers' in AI's that you can make friends with, i would imagine that is much less likely in SC apartments. on the plus side though if you go SC you will have a kitchen (hopefully) so you could do a bit of your own food, although not sure how cheap Spanish supermarkets are nowadays and how well equiped lots of SC places are, some can be a bit pathetic and you couldn't cook a full meal with the facilities on offer.

In a self catering establishment there will probably be lots more coming and going with folk only staying for the standard 7 or 14 nights, so maybe it depends on if you are happy with just your own company for that length of time or if you want to chum up with people, I think there will be more of a community feel in an AI and you may be able to meet people at the AI evening entertainment, which a SC place probably wont have.

Just because you go AI doesn't mean you cant go out and about on some of the days, do day trips etc and skip lunch and take a picnic somewhere if you get the right kind of weather.

Hi Annie 2. I agree with doepsme. I am a great believer in AI. When our family were little we always went SC but now older and retired we definately prefer AI.After a lovely breakfast which I don't have to cook , we go out walking or on a day trip. If we feel like going back to the hotel for lunch, and no one is forcing us to, we can have a lunch with free drinks. In the evening I like to get dressed up in my glad rags and have a leisurely dinner again with free wine and free soft drink for my husband. Out at night if weather fine, but if raining we just sit in the lounge, entertainment free plus drinks, and if we want to we can make friends with other couples in the hotel. Some people seem to think that if you go AI that you spend all your time in the hotel, well. that is your choice but we never miss out on any good entertainment in resort. If at all possible I would suggest going 4* and swotting up on the hotel on Holiday Truths and that way you should be able to get a place with plenty choices of good food. I find that we can then have a peaceful night's rest without the slamming doors and young folk shouting as they come in after their night out in the middle of the night. To me there is no comparison between doing your own thing and being treated as a guest and you don't have to be checking how much cash you are spending on drinks even if you are a keen drinker.