To be sick and tired of holiday planning websites?

[smileyinmummy2011]

Tryed Expedia, First Choice, Thomsons and Vacation Planning hoping it would be fairly quick and easy but not one of them is allowing me to book a seperate room for me and my husband and another two rooms for my kids. There has to be an adult in the room with the children. It's driving me crazy, stressful holiday planning right now and christmas and new year is only just over.

You could try Holiday lettings and hire out an apartment/cottage/villa etc....they are really reasonable too...lots of choice! Freedom to choose what ever room scenario you want too..

I feel your pain, they are all rubbish if you don't want to share a room or want anything that is not bog standard.

Do what I did, ring up one of the posh travel agents, get an idea of what would really suit you then sort it out yourself on the internet or emailing the hotels direct for the price of 3* with Thomsons

I know what you mean.I'm trying to book a holiday and want to go from our local airport.Went onto the airport website,resort is on their list of destinations,click on it,yes it's lovely,these are the attractions blah blah,click on flights-none available.WHY ADVERTISE THAT YOU FLY THERE THEN!

I feel slightly better after that outburst.

I'm a travel agent, I do totally understand your suggestion that you get the travel agent to do the donkey work so you can get same holiday cheaper on the net at home.
However I am self employed and work from home around my DC's but I do try desperately to get my clients the best price I can!!
Please, tell me how I could get you to book with me? Genuine question! Hope you don't mind me asking!

how many kids have you got?

Oh sorry CVK I do feel guilty about using travel agents to get information but then booking elsewhere, but found the cost difference to be £1000 between qhat they quoted and what I could get the holiday for on the internet. If it wasn't a huge price differential I probably would go with a travel agent for the security and peace of mind.

But if you book the rooms and then stay in different rooms when you get there, who's to know? One room for "you and DD" with a double, another for "DH and DS" as a twin or whatever and then make your own arrangements when you get there. Or am I being dense?

Yes. You don't actually have to use the room combinations you say. If you key in one adult in each room you will be able to book and sort the logisitics out when you get there. I always use Expedia (sorry independent travel agents!) because they are the only ones that show rooms for a family of five, plus you get Nectar points.

There are other / easier / readily and really available accommodation only websites :) you just have to be in the know where they are! :)

But yes, put one adult and one child in each room to get the price. However you probably won't get free child places on a tour operator website doing this, and the operator may charge you the price for 4 adults.

Just please be aware that expedia may not show what is available in "true-time", it often takes you thru to booking/credit card details and then you discover the accommodation may be on request.

AGREE use holiday lettings (hire my house !!!) and then get el cheapo flight

AGREE use holiday lettings (hire my house !!!) and then get el cheapo flight

Porcamiseria where's your house! :)

Understand what your saying about saying that we want two rooms who for dh and ds and one for me and dd and they actually said they dont mind sharing a room with seperate bed -even though they are now teen- becuase of an on-suit ect. but i'm not sure if they will give us two rooms with two singe beds or one room with a double and one rooms with tw sigle beds. if that actually makes any sense????
hahaha at porcamiseria, where actually is your house? Because if it saves me money i actually would consider it eight now, haha.
merlotmonster- was kind of hoping for a hotel so the kids could socialise but might consider it, but then i again i really could never be bothered with the self catering on hols ! !
bubbeOseven- i am currently pregnant with my third who is due MAY but she isn't coming on holiday with us, she is having a week at my mam and Dad's so it's just two for the week.

we have had some unusual travel setups in the past too, and since we generally book online it CAN be a pain! I sympathise.

however, i've always found that by booking directly with the hotel it cuts out any confusion (and often you get better rates direct by going through them - i assume you've checked their rates versus any packages or deals - always good to check before you go ahead!), and i generally try to avoid websites like you've mentioned when it comes to arranging anything other than the bog standard double rooms or family rooms.

Had a particularly bad incident with First Choice's website and a naming error that was the result of the online form, whcih caused lots of issues at checkin (their website form error, which they acknowledged was a technical issue with the site, not a user error).