To go on a package holiday?

[BoobleBeep]

I mean flights, transfers & food?

Have never had a package holiday before but never wanted one as when I go to a country I like to eat the food and not stay in a compound.... Fast forward and I now have 3 DC's and want a bit of sun without the stress of travelling, transfers & fussy eating/cooking.

I'm not keen on a high rise apartment block but something that makes life easie ron holiday!

AIBU???!!!

we have gone with First Choice in a Holiday Village.

Went on our first ever all inclusive holiday through First Choice to Cayo Levantado (Dominican Republic) recently. Some of the rep stuff was cheesy etc. but all in all it was value for money and we had a ball.

I took my DS to the First Choice Holiday Village in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote this August just gone (am a single parent, so it was just the two of us). It was brilliant tbh. Gorgeous beach on the doorstep, choice of restaurants, several pools, spacious apartments in low-rise two storey buildings, kids clubs, lovely 20 min walk/5 min cab ride into the local town (Play Blanca), short-ish flight (about 4 hours) and quick transfer (less than 30 mins). We went out and about quite a bit, visited local markets and had an excursion to the volcanoes. I honestly couldn't fault it and would book to go back in a heartbeat (if money wasn't so tight right now!). It makes me feel all emotional and wistful just thinking about it actually and I wish I was there right now.

Lanzarote is fabulous. Playa Blanca is the more expensive part of the island though Kitty. We stay in Matagorda, which is just as nice, (lots more to do), and right next to Puerto Del Carmen for a bit more to see and wander around.

Very child friendly, huge clean beach, loads of great restaurants and family bars that are run by families themselves, so you would never feel uncomfortable as a parent on your own, and you can get some great bargains if you book separate flights and accomodation yourself.

Thanks Squeaky. We were AI so it didn't cost much once there. I was actually looking to book flights and an apartment separately to Fuerteventura and was all set to book then fell ill. By the time I was better the flights had gone up by several hundred pounds, so didn't bother.

I'd love to go back to Lanz though and would definitely look at doing flights/apartment/possibly car hire separately. How long does it take to walk from Matagorda into PDC? Which hotel/apartment do you normally stay? Do you find self catering expensive?

You sound rather snobby. Wish I could afford a lowly package

Package holidays are fantastic. Everything arranged for you plus financial protection. I find that those who sneer at package holidays are the same ones who write to the travel pages of the weekend papers bleating at their lack of compensation when everything goes tits up.

Kitty, it is pedestrianised all along the coast from matagorda into pdc, and takes about twenty minutes, or the bus goes right through and that cost a euro. We usually stroll there then bus back. We have stayed at las gaviotas which was great, and stayed at costa sal which was brilliant. Two huge pools and a kids pool, both heated, and two minutes walk from matagordas centre. Couldn't fault it at all, and the apartments were huge, and spotless.

Thanks Squeaky, not sure I can afford a holiday next year but will definitely look into it for next time we go away.

I went on my first one last year to Egypt with dd. As it was just me and dd I wanted the protection of having a rep o run to if something wentwrong, etc. It was all inclusive and food was fine. We ignored the reps and did our own thing with regards to going out and about and doing things. Only downside was getting punched by scouse chavs at the pool one day.

I also know someone who booked a package holiday and only used the flight part of it. The package was cheaper than booking flights separately. So they booked the package holiday and also different accommodation. Got to Spain and found the rep at the airport and said don't worry but were not coming on the bus and won't be at the hotel. They got a hire car and went off to their villa.

agree that you sound snobby - fancy having to lower yourself to go on a package holiday - what a drama.

Punched by Scouse Chavs by the pool?
Please let me know more Viva.
You can't make a statement like that and not elaborate.

I also know someone who booked a package holiday and only used the flight part of it. The package was cheaper than booking flights separately. So they booked the package holiday and also different accommodation

We have done that too.. it saved a few hundred quid.

The only thing I dont trust is "accomodation on arrival".. it might be cheap, but you run the risk of ending up in a hell hole... as we did the second time we went to Lanzarote. Some grotty high rise hotel in Costa Teguise..

What an odd thing to ask, ofcourse YANBU. Not all package holidays are for chavs and poor people you know dahling.

My scouse Chav story has been on MN before but will give a synopsis.

I was relaxing on sun lounger by pool while 8yo dd played with other kids in pool. Next thing in hear some adults screaming angrily, look up and two fat women are screaming at a young girl who dd had got friendly with.

So i race over and as I get there dd is telling the scary women that it wasn't the other girl but it was her. Turned out the kids had been playing and splashing each other. Dd had used a water pistol not as a pistol but to get a good spray of water. Dd had accidentally hit a 4yo boy in the face with it and there was a small scratch near his eye. Kid wasn't even crying.

Dd was upset and saying she was sorry and that it was an accident. I grabbed dd and also said sorry. Chavs (4 of them now) said that wasn't good enough. I said well I can't do or say anything else and started walking away. At that point they started screaming abuse saying that dd was a slag and a fucking bitch, etc.

I turned round and confronted the main one who was at least twice the size of me. I probably didn't help my sticking my face right in hers and shouting that she does not talk about my dd like that. I them got thumped several times in the chest. I didn't hit her back as I thought they'd all pile in then and kill me but I didn't back down either which I'm quite proud of. I made sure it was them that walked away rather than me. I calmly taunted her with a few choice insults.

It probably wasn't my finest hour. I probably should have waked away but I didn't want dd to think I wouldn't stand up for her when someone was saying stuff like that.

We went all inclusive through First Choice to Ibiza this year. It cost £1000 for all of us in September (didn't pay for DS2 as he is under 2) To book the hotel and flights seperately would have cost more, and it isn't especially cheap to eat out - think pub prices at best, plus snacks in the supermarkets are fairly expensive too. We had a fantastic holiday. But then, we also go to Haven caravan parks for our other holiday, which are also seen as hell holes by some!

If you have children, an all inclusive package is a godsend - not only are you not constantly paying out for food / drinks - but you don't have the stress of ordering food that goes uneaten / picked at and having to spend again on something else or snacks later. The food was buffet style, and both DS's tried loads of different things - they both loved squid salad! - with basics of chips, pasta and pizza as failsafes. We still had days out, and had lunch out - it still works out a better deal. YOu don't have to hassle with transfers, and in Ibiza airport on theway home, when I was very ill, I was extremely glad of the First Choice rep - they provide a free doctor service in the airport, and it turned out I needed medication - I wouldn't have been able to fly home without this.

Lots of guests at our hotel had booked independently, so it isn't as if it's all one compound of package guests, although in some hotels you will find that they only have first choice or thompson guests, for example. But then, the benefit is that those hotels often have a bit more in the way of activities / clubs for children.

Perhaps you could consider a half board holiday. Your breakfast and dinner are included and then you have the day free to explore the country , eat at different places for lunch or stay at the hotel and use all the facilities. We did that last year when we stayed on a Croatian island. Al inclusive holidays are lovely if you want to chill and just do the odd day out. In my experience the Caribbean is pretty hard to beat.

What web sites would people recommend for good value packages?

We too used to do all the bits ourselves, but with 2 toddlers and a 3rd about to arrive, its not going to be cheap to do it that way. Also, when we did it it was when you got ryanair flights for 20p return, so you could splash out on good accom and car hire. But those days of super cheap flights are long gone, so packages stack up better now.

Also, if you package it, do you still get a free flight for under twos?