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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

AI First Timer - what do I need to know?

13 replies

Masalamama · 24/05/2013 21:50

We are barely away from our first all inclusive holiday. DD is 4 and DS 2.5. Crapping meself about what lies ahead. Any tips/suggestions/warnings etc etc. If it helps, we going to the Luabay Costa Los Gigantes in Tenerife, which operates as a First Choice holiday village over summer... Thanks!

OP posts:

quoteunquote · 26/05/2013 18:38

really good sun suits and big hats,to avoid sun burn.

whitecloud · 06/06/2013 18:42

Has anyone been to Naples and Rome, Italy recently? I keep reading horror stories about pickpockets and rip off prices. Does anyone have any tips? Thanks.

Trills · 06/06/2013 19:06

There isn't really a lot that you need to know - the joy of AI is that everything should be taken care of for you.

Some places supply towels for by the pool and on the beach, others don't - so check that. In some of them the towels are just free, in others you'll be expected to put down a small deposit for a "towel token", but you can get a fresh towel as often as you choose. Generally you're not supposed to use the bathroom towels at the pool.

One place I went to had a cup system where you had to return your plastic cup to get a fresh drink (stopped there being hundreds of empty cups all over the place), but I think that's generally only the cheaper places.

Hi whitecloud - if you look near the top of the page you will see something that says "Start a new thread in this topic" - if you start a new thread with a title saying "Naples and Rome" you might get more responses to your particular question.

diabolo · 06/06/2013 19:50

My only suggestion would be to try and use/visit some of the local bars and restaurants if you can. Unfortunately, AI is killing many Med and Canaries resorts, making them a shadow of their former selves.

I visited Los Gigantes 15 years ago, it was a thriving busy beautiful little place, but the AI hotels have taken much of the trade away from the local amenities, meaning many of them going under.

I know AI is an attractive option price-wise, but if you can put any money back into the local community rather than in First Choice's pocket, please try if you can.

Trills · 06/06/2013 19:52

For me the nice thing about AI was that it was only a little bit more expensive than B&B, so we could "get our moneys worth" just by having breakfast and drinks throughout the day, and it wasn't too expensive to eat out for some evenings, or go and have a beer in a bar some afternoons.

Fluffy1234 · 06/06/2013 20:49

Definetely take clothes with an elasticated waste for the second half of the holiday!

whitecloud · 08/06/2013 11:39

Has anyone been to Naples and Rome recently? Any travel tips and tips on what to do when there would be very welcome. Thank you in advance.

mrsspongebob · 08/06/2013 17:17

I was at that holiday village last year. It should be running as holiday village now.

Breakfast and lunch are good. Dinner is a bit of a canteen but generally ok. Wine is disgusting. Get some in duty free if you are a wine drinker or leave the hotel and turn left, head down the hill a little bit and there is a supermarket where they have a good selection.

Food at the quiet pool isn't great. Chicken nuggets and hot dogs but once on a while it is ok.

Rooms are good. All suites. You can't really go wrong although try and get out into the town for a walk and something different. It is a really, really steep hill though.

It is about and hour in a taxi to the hotel. We didn't wait on the bus around the houses.

mrsspongebob · 08/06/2013 17:19

Rome is Rome. Stunning but always really busy. The open top bus is good and you see all the main sites.

mrsspongebob · 08/06/2013 17:26

Towels are available.

PlentyOfFreeTime · 19/06/2013 23:02

Stayed AI in Spain with children a few years ago where they could help themselves to ice cream and burgers all day long. They had their own plastic card which they showed when ordering drinks.

DS (aged about 12) went to the bar and asked for a Coke. He gave it to me saying it tasted 'funny'. I tried it and realised it had rum in it. Was very

At another (very small) AI hotel in Italy guests were allowed to help themselves to drinks. Discovered that DS1 (15 at the time) had helped himself to 5 pints of lager and then conked out in our room.

I have noticed that some guests tend to get rat-assed every night because it's free, so the hotels are very noisy.

So, mixed feelings about AI.

Original poster

Masalamama · 10/08/2013 18:55

Ooh thanks everyone. We survived. I am not sure it was for us, but I can see the allure. Very easy with great food, always available and quite family oriented so no bad behaviour etc. I'd recommend the resort if you're thinking AI.

OP posts:

Phoebe47 · 17/08/2013 15:06

DH and I went AI in Corfu a few years ago. It was very good and we had excellent meals. The kids loved it (3 aged 7, 9 and 11 at the time). The free ice creams and ice lollies went down a treat and there was a lunch time barbecue each day which we enjoyed as a change from the restaurant. We did eat away from the hotel on every other evening as we enjoy trying different restaurants and it is good to put something into the local economy as trills says.

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