To ask how you plan a holiday

[Squiffy01]

I know it isn't really an unreasonable topic but I need help. I have never been good at planning holidays so could I ask how you go about it.
Do you look for deals. Decide on Destination first then look for a deal?
How do you choose where to go when there are so many options?!

Currently trying to plan our honeymoon, we only have a week - last week of July. Could get a flight out 21st in the evening as I finish work early that day and back the Sunday. All the places we can think of are just too far to do in a week. We were look at safari but think we need more time to do it properly.

So anyone want to plan us a trip we are not the type to just sit on the beach and relax all day. There needs to be stuff to do. Somewhere exciting.
Please help.
Is theee anyone that used to be rubbish at planning and is now good? If so what should I be looking at doing to improve my holiday planning skills?

I'd go for Italy.

Has great cities, lovely beaches, unbeatable scenery, great history, great food, short flight time and reasonably priced (but not cheap).

Top choice would probably be Sorrento. Explore the Amalfi Coast, visit Capri (have a night of amazing luxury there if you can afford it!), go to Pompeii. Fabulous.

Or somewhere around Lake Garda. Can have a day trip to Venice (although it is quite far), get up in the mountains, lovely beaches.

Greece is also lovely and a bit cheaper. Longer flight time, but still completely doable for a week.

My method for holiday booking is as follows:

• think of all the places that I want to go that are likely to be doable (time and money wise) for the time I have.

-google image all of them and see which two or three or four jump out.

-google each of them/look on tripadvisor to see what they have to offer. Narrow it down to two.

-look on somewhere like Thomson, to see what it would cost for flights/transfers/hotel and what trips they offer from each base.

-look to do it independently for less than it costs for the package. Use their planned trips as a starting point for looking at what's available/doable in the area. Also, use the tripadvisor 'things to do' bit to help with this.

-um and ahh for about two weeks. Panic because I haven't got anything booked yet. Book something. Have a fab time!

-I'm not averse to booking the package if it's the best deal. Have had some wonderful package holidays, which haven't been at all 'packagey', it's more about the destination and which hotel you choose as to whether it feels 'packaged' imo.

Thanks for the responses.
I think we have decided on Greece,
As the other suggestions in Europe we have either been to or have booked them in for the future already.

Choosing a destination is absolutely no help to me though as although we want to do Athens at one point have no idea how to get to the islands. Should we book with a company and do a sailing trip or is it easy enough to book random things or fly?

I've stayed on Crete, Zakynthos and Kos and we booked day boat trips e.g.to Athens. This was in the 90s though!

If you want to do Athens as well then you book flights to and from Athens and when you're in Athens you get a ferry to the islands. As others have said you can get to Santorini easily on the ferry and the other islands between Athens and there are also lively - Paxis etc.

*Paxos

*lovely
Ffs autocorrect

I am a pro holiday planner. I usually have half a dozen possible holiday itineraries mapped at any one time (we don't go on them - I'm just a fantasist)

Not the point but I want to be your friend Gennz. That's me exactly!

Have you considered Croatia? Dubrovnik or further north on the Istrian Peninsula. You could even do Venice for a few nights flying in to Marco Polo and then head on to Trieste or Croatia for a few days on the beach

Other than " on the beach" what other sites would people recommend?

Elounda in Greece is lovely. Try Thomsons Sensimar hotels if you want adult only.

Seeing as you have only got a week I would do a two centre Athens and one of the islands. I would fly between them and then do a day sailing trip from the island.

Olympic holidays offer 2 centre breaks to Greece - you call them up and they'll suggest an itinerary. I think they're pretty reasonable. Be aware Greece accommodation can be on the basic side (of course depends on your budget and wants/needs)

Athens plus Greek island is a great choice. Or Athens plus Halkidiki - which is the mainland coast but similar island feel. Lovely, relaxing and romantic. Pick a quiet island, or a quiet part of a large island, to avoid the hordes.

In Athens, the Plaka area is pretty but touristy, it would still be my pick though for the atmosphere and ancient windy streets (just stay away from tourist trap restaurants).

Since you're not confident about holiday research, and the ferries can be a bit complicated, (and you're also planning a wedding!!) in your shoes I'd probably use a travel agent. Maybe a Greek specialist holiday company - like Greeka, Olympic Holidays, Hidden Greece, Simple Greece etc. Or a bigger company like Kuoni, Sovereign. Disclaimer, I haven't used thesecompanies since tend to book independently.

I normally look at time available, look at local airport to see where gas cheap flights on that date, then find accommodation on booking.com or similar.
If you fancy Greece, Thessaloniki is a beautiful city with lots to do. There are coastal resorts nearby. It's mainland.

Hahah Borders glad I'm not the only one! I wasted a few hours plotting a week in Japan that realistically won't happen until 2019

(By borders do you mean terrier?! We have one and that ARE the best)

Borders Me too, although its more like 20 different holidays.