Do you independently book your holiday?? Please show me how (-:

[mosschops30]

We have always done packages with Thomson or similar.
Loads of people we met on hols this year had booked everything separately and got a better deal, with often a better package (one family had paid the same AI as we had SC).

Can you please tell me who you use, who is reliable, what sort of risk am I taking, and is it better to book sooner or later, or bk flights now and hotels later?

Any advice or recommendations would be great thanks

(we are looking to go to Majorca probably Puerto Pollensa or Cala Dor)

On The Beach lets you choose flights and hotels separately. We've booked separately through Expedia too.

Just be careful about things like transfers when you book like this.

If your return flight is delayed, by (for example) an ash cloud, the tour company is responsible for you, while with a self-book you may need to pay for rooms (if you can find them!) and claim it back later. This may tax your credit card.

If you want to go to places like those you have mentioned, packages generally work out cheaper and easier. It's off the beaten track that's best done independently as companies charge large premiums for that.

Thomson (etc) - book accomodation only direct with them
Skyscanner - book flights with their website
Holiday Taxis - book transfers with them.

When I was travel agent we split up a "package holiday" into a "dynamic package" - just be aware you won't be covered like an atol bonded tour operator if your accommodation is overbooked!

Oh that doesnt sound too positive.

Its deffo not cheaper with the packages Ive looked at, much more expensive.

What are booking.com and travel republic like?

I often wonder this too Mosschops. I can find accommodation cheap enough and then its trying to find the flights. Sometimes the only available flights are with companies like Thomson and they are extortionate because you are only booking flights and not accommodation.

Ok a package is safer because its bonded by either abta or atol so you are covered if anything goes wrong.

If you book it seperate you are not covered so if the holiday firm goes bust you may struggle to get your money back yes if you pay on credit card you can claim it back through the caa but it takes up to 2 years to get it back. If the holiday firm goes bust and its booked at a travel agent you can simply swap the holiday over no need to claim the money back.

I know its cheaper usually to book it seperate but its usually not worth it how many times on the news have we seen holiday firms go bust lately the travel industry is very fragile atm.

I am a travel agent so i am very biased but the best advice is to get a quote from the web on a reputable site for example thomson/ thomas cook/ cosmos/ olympic and bring it into a travel agents and see if they can match the price.

We have lots of people come into our office who have been stung booking it all seperate for example the hotel cancels your booking because its over booked you will then not be able to cancel your flight and get your money back because its all booked seperate and its not the airlines fault that your accomdation was over booked.

I can see why people do it because its usually cheaper but you will be suprised how many people book online something goes wrong and then they come into a travel agents to moan or use us as a information service to try and sort it out .

Good luck op and if you want me to try and find you a holiday give me a shout. Hope that helps.

Be carefull about using on the beach they say they are abta/atol bonded but they are on certain holidays and not others.

"much more expensive."

Than what? A tour operator is about de-risking. They're carrying the exchange rate risk. They're carrying the hotel and airline failure risk. They're carrying their own risk of failure, by way of an ATOL bond.

You can, indeed, book it cheaper. And if it goes right, you'll be fine. If it goes wrong, it may be a less positive experience. Everyone has their own risk appetite. If you're on holiday on a self-booked holiday and the airline system grinds to a halt because of a strike or a natural disaster, you'll need to sort the mess out yourself and claim back from the airline / your insurer / someone later. You'll need to be able to front the money, and deal with the mess at the time, which may be entertaining with children in tow. A tour operator picks up the pieces for you. That risk may be worth the difference in price, it may not be. It's a very personal decision.

I don't book packages, partly because they don't do the sort of holidays I want and partly because I am prepared to carry the risk myself. But we were within a few days of being stuck in Japan forthe duration of the ashcloud affair, and that might have made some some entertainment.

Oh, and laughalot makes a good point about cancellation. You book your plane and your hotel separately and one of them goes wrong. Your move.

I know and thats why weve always done packages.

laughalot would you mind having a look for me please, we want to go to:
Majorca in July/August next year (school hols).

Puerto Pollensa or Cala Dor.
We usually go SC but would be tempted into HB or AI for a good price.
Flying from Cardiff
4 or 3 plus at the least
Budget about 2.5k (we paid 2k this year for 4* SC)
2 adults and 3 kids (15, 6 and 1) although sometimes Ive found it cheaper to book for 3 adults and 2 children

I just cant seem to find anything under 3k

Moss iv just poted on the other thread where you have asked me to find you a holiday if you send me a message i need this info :

How many adults
How many children
Dates
Airports to fly from - pref 3 choices
Board basis - all incusive/ half board/
self catering ect
Place where you fancy going or where you dont fancy
Budget give the highest amount you are willing to spend then anything that is less is a bonus.
Specify if you want kids clubs ect.

You can send me a message by the new mumsnet contact thing have you seen it at the top of the page ?

HA HA cross posts, im in work tomorrow so ill look then and let you know if thats ok.

thats great thanks so much, have sent all the info to your inbox too

Have you tried Easyjet from Bristol? If it were me I'd be looking at Easyjet flights and someone like owners direct for a villa for all of you. We went to Spain this August to a villa with it's own pool and car hire included for £800 fort the week plus the flights which were about £650 for 4.

Sorry the link was wrong - try this - owners direct

thanks runout but we're not really into the whole villa thing, with 3 kids, we like a massive pool, lots of friend making opportunities and a good evening entertainment team

Hi, for last few hols we've always gone easyjet who you can either book everything with (much cheaper than regular packages) or just flights. We usually book flights with easyjet then either apartment with someone like travel republic or private one with owners direct or holiday lettings. We always hire car so don't need transfers etc and also buy travel insurance as soon as booked flights in case things go wrong.
But, we are pretty good at dealing with things if it goes pear shaped and prob have to be like that if doing independant. eg our own mistake last year forgot to take driving licence with us realised in queue for car hire desk, we called DVLA, details were faxed, got car.
Another reason we always go independant, think you can get more choice of different places rather than just the usual tour operator ones. Main reason def price though, if it was just a bit dearer then we'd like safety of package hols but we find its such a big difference in price

Ah ok - I like to go on holiday and avoid other people's children and hide from any entertainment teams!! Good job we don't all like the same things!

You could still get an apartment on a complex with stuff going on through an independent website though, or try dealing with the hotels direct?

Im just not convinced that doing it yourself is all that different.
This year dh was ill the night before we left, I rang Thomson and they said they couldnt get us home for the next 5 days, and only then to Belfast, we live in Cardiff!!
They advised me to get in touch with our insurance company which we did.
So how would this be different if everything was messed up independently?

I went once with Thomson and it was the only time we have ever been delayed, they were useless, they carted us all from Salou airport to Barcelona via coach, handed us a sandwich and a drink when we got there and then disappeared. We found out our flight had been delayed by 14 hours via someone in the UK who checked it on Teletext ffs!

I would never do a package again, much rather do it all under my own steam, always do, usually through Expedia if outside Europe. In Europe, Easy Jet Flight, look up hotels/apartments/villa in the area, book car at airport, book insurance on line etc. Can all be done in a couple of hours if you have a general idea of what you want. I have used Owners Direct as well and had a great experience with them. Best apartment we ever stayed in.

Exactly, on package hol reps are usually there to sell you trips etc and found, in past when used to go on package hols, they have very little useful local knowledge, often hotel/apartment staff are much better.
Just remembered, we were on a package hol in Corfu years ago, can't remember who with, but mirror in apartment fell off our wall in the middle of the night & smashed, we were sleeping, nowhere near it. Next day, after maid came, the apartment receptionist put note through door saying we would have to pay for it, spoke to rep, he advised us to pay
So, didn't take his advice obviously, explained to reception, they understood and said 'no problem, sorry for trouble'. Rep=useless

But runoutofideas was in a villa, apartments are usually cheaper & often have to share rooms/sleep on sofabed. Ofen look at packages '1bed apartment' based on 4!!adults sharing! they are having a laugh

Often