To never ever in my whole life want to go on a package holiday AGAIN !!!!!

[medmadness]

Before i start i'm fully prepared to admit my own stupidity in having even gone on this holiday.
we have just got back from a week in majorca in one of the more family orientated resorts,we had our main holiday earlier in the year and this was just a cheap and cheerful week to break up the school holidays a little.
Before we even took off we had to put up with youths swearing on the plane,badly behaved children climbing over seats and shouting and screaming whilst their parents remained seemingly oblivious.
Upon landing i realised benidorm is not a fictional tv comedy! I knew i wasnt going to get culture and the 'real' spain but did not expect to be in england still,surrounded by vicky polland and family.
I cant believe that people come to these places happily year after year as there were some 'normal' families there amongst the 'get here' brigade(if i had a pound for everytime i heard a parent shout this).
Before this holiday i hadnt been on a package holiday since 1996 and i can honestly say if i went again in the next 15 years it would be too bloody soon!

We stopped the package holiday years ago for the same reasons as yourself.

Instead we go for a camping holiday - we book direct with a campsite then book our own flights. Some campsites are very near airports so you don't need to hire a car, just book taxis.

BTW, YANBU

Actually, our last package holiday was in Majorca too.

Cheap & Cheerful says it all really.
Think that was your mistake.
I think package holidays are fine, but really need to do homework on Trip Advisor or recommendations from friends.

YANBU - we have gone on some good package deals, but then they have been evened out by some pretty horrific all-inclusive packages that put the 'hole into holiday ...

we did look at the reviews on trip advisor and they were very good so god knows who wrote them.

I agree with Bearcat

We use a package to reduce risk factor ... the flight can be a pain but we try to fly at night as there are usually fewer children

We do not do hotel/apartment/resort though ... we do villa

Incidentally, we looked at the price of a package holiday in 2009. The average for 2 adults and 3 children was ?3500.
Our camping holiday worked out at: Mobile home at campsite ?700, Ryanair flights ?900 and car hire ?320, total ?1920 - a saving of ?1580! And there was a Lidl nearby so groceries were much cheaper than in a package holiday destination. Win win all around.

YANBU I don't and won't do package holidays for all the reasons you describe. I think given you went to Majorca though it may have been to be expected

Not all package holidays are like this

We went away for two weeks with Thomson to Kefalonia and it was gorgeous - peaceful plane journey, beautiful accommodation and completely hassle-free for us. I think you have to pick your resort/accommodation carefully.

Whereabouts did you go? We are meant to be going to a complex in Alcudia next year..

Thing is, if you go all inclusive for instance it often works out cheaper than going somewhere and forking out for food and drink non stop. You do get the chavvy/rowdy/common people but everyone needs a holiday and people spend what they can afford on it, naturally attracting the people who tend to behave more antisocial. We have to do it sometimes, we couldnt afford a holiday otherwise. If we had the money to surround ourselves with people of a better class we probably would, but our young kids just want somewhere with food, drink a pool and a disco, so if they are happy we are happy.

YABU, to judge package holidays on your experience of Benidorm.

Marmaris is the same, they are drinking holidays.

I have been on package holidays to Egypt, Gran Canaria and Cyprus, two chosen for snorkelling, one for winter sun, it was a completely different atmosphere than what i have found in Turkey and some parts of spain (not all of spain).

You have to read what they liked or didn't like, on trip advisor, if the complaints are because the bar was shut by 2am, or because of a lack of chicken nuggets, then you know to ignore them.

I feel your pain! We book our own flights and stay in a villa . Book our flights on a credit card and villa with atol& abta bonded company so we have some comeback.
Our friends (2 adults 2 children )went on a package holiday to Mallorca , spent £££s on fruit shoots and ice creams round the pool whilst dancing to someone called nick nack knickers dressed in bad 70s outfits and someone dressed as a giant dog to entertain !

The accommodation was new and clean ,they stayed in a one bedroomed apt which was nice enough but corridors etc very noisy .
They didn't move from the hotel poolside for the entire 2 weeks.
We stayed on the island at the same time and had a holiday a million miles away from theirs , brand new large villa and private pool , visiting picturesque villages and beaches during the day and enjoying nice meals over looking marinas in the evening.

Our friends holiday cost about £1k more than ours!! How can that be???

Don't get me wrong everyone likes different things and our friends loved the holiday they had-kids had a ball etc but for us I just don't understand how people pay £1000's for that type of experience?

Mallorca is an absolutely beautiful island if you visit places such as soller, deia ,puerta portals etc -just stay away from magaluf and palma nova and the Like!

Having said all that I do understand that more people are booking all inclusive and half board package deals as food costs in Europe have increased so much over the last few years-I think you have to be very careful and pick out nice areas and littler hotel resorts.

Bimbo- are you going to the holiday village in Alcudia, it's lovely, foods great and spotless.

Its called the MAC complex Birds

I try to avoid other people on holiday and other english people especially. If I hear another engish voice i feel a bit :(.

House swapped with family in southern Spain lovely house own pool near beach use of car cost of flight only. Fantastic - and absolutely no chavs

Bimbo, do you know which hotel? Marte, Saturno or Jupiter?

We went there in 2006...

we tend to jump on a flight as my DH works for an airline and so we don't really do packages. we are never quite sure if we will get on so we tend to be quite flexible. we tend to go the USA as the money goes further and then book hotels as we go.

I sympathise with you. YANBU

We did HV Tunisia this year and loved it...just kept away from the 'Benidorm' crowd. You'll get them wherever you go, you just need to learn to tune them out.

I won't do a villa holiday, it wouldn't be a holiday for me if I did. We do AI packages so that I get some time off too (plus the fact that DH drinks his own bodyweight in beer every holiday we'd be bankrupt by the end of the first week if it wasn't included.)

quote - Thing is, if you go all inclusive for instance it often works out cheaper than going somewhere and forking out for food and drink non stop. You do get the chavvy/rowdy/common people but everyone needs a holiday and people spend what they can afford on it, naturally attracting the people who tend to behave more antisocial.

bimbo Did you mean to be quite so rude? Not all 'poorer' people are ASBO candidates.

I think you usually get what you pay for...

I never said any such thing! But the people who tend to be more yobbish ARE the ones with the least money