Booking holidays - advice for a newbie

[thetawaves]

When searching for holiday bargains, where do you look first - teletext, internet, travel agents or somewhere else? Do you prefer to book hotels and flights separately or together? Can anyone recommend any good websites for booking a reasonably-priced holiday abroad? Are these budget/comparison sites (e.g. travel supermarket) really any good?

 

I want to go abroad with friends in early June, self-catered, to somewhere reasonably-priced, with sun, sea and sand and decent nightlife (but nowhere 18-30s style, e.g. Magaluf). I've been searching online for holidays but my head is spinning with all the options available so I just wondered how other forummers went about booking their summer holidays.

[Happydays!]

On the beach is a good website - may also be worth booking yr flights and accomodation seperately - travel supermarket compares all flights and will give you the cheapest flights from all the no frills and charter airlines.

[princessL83]

You could try Direct Holidays if you want to book the whole package. I booked a last minute holiday with them last year- 1 week 4* self catering to Ibiza £149 each.

 

If you want to check what the accomodation offered on the websites is like you could try http://www.tripadvisor.com and see what people who have stayed there before have to say about it.

[Amanda1]

Just saved a bit by booking with http://www.flydeals.co.uk

 

Still had hols left for school hol periods which a lot of other operators didn't!

[thetawaves]

Thanks, guys! Will continue searching...

[newvanandman]

Been good to us.

 

http://www.voyagertraveldirect.co.uk/quoteresult.aspx?source=vtdmichael&reference=CHB-985717

[happylady]

I always check out Trip Advisor. It gives reviews on accommodation and I've never been let down by it yet.

[Mel's Mum]

I've just got a good deal on http://www.freedomdirect.co.uk for Tenerife in Easter hols. Just short of a grand for 2 adults, 2 children in a good centrally located complex. I'd also recommend http://www.holidays-uncovered.com for reading other people's reviews once you have chosen a resort/complex.

[merrydown]

You might find this link helpful for finding some good tips for booking a package holiday.

 

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-holiday-haggling-guide

 

I have usually managed to find a good package deal for our holidays but decided to try DIY for 2008 to see if it did work out any cheaper. I booked last June for flights to Turkey this July for 18 nights, a nice bed and breakfast hotel with good reviews and airport transfers to and from our resort. The total cost for me, my hubby and sixteen year old son was £480. The cheapest package deal that I could find for the same hotel, same date (but for 14 nights not 18 ) would have cost £939.