Build your own package - Costa Brava

[drspouse]

We would really prefer a package for next summer, normally we book a lovely villa or old town apartment (Nice has been our favourite) but we have been burned with travel restrictions changing and owners refusing to refund.
The main operators are Tui, Thomas Cook and Jet2 but they all have massive hotels and apartment blocks and our DS really struggles with crowds, and we'd prefer a less busy resort and a villa where we can possibly have 3 bedrooms so the DCs don't give us angst!
Is it possible to create your own villa package?

Try onthebeach.com. I haven't looked at Costa Brava but we've booked Portugal and there were several places with not too many apartments. You'd be paying alot more for villas but I found onthebeach.com much cheaper than Tui (we saved £2,000).

Thanks - we are really not resort people - what's the least resort-y resort?

Have a look at villa plus

@justaweeone

Have a look at villa plus

I did look but they just do villas I think. No packages.

I thought it was classed as a package as you used to also book your flights with then and it was abta protected. James villas also used to be the same. Also I think British Airways also do villa holidays

Have you looked at Jet2villas?

Packages of Jet2 flights, hire car and a villa (the clue is in the name .

I'd be wary of their hire car provision (I'm very picky about where I hire cars from in Spain in particular because of all the excess bollocks, but if you want a package, it's a compromise you'll have to put up with).

I'm not sure we want a car - the issue is cancellation of the villas, because if you book with the owner and then we aren't allowed to go to Spain, we don't get our money back.
Jet 2 Villas and BA have all the same tower blocks/hotels, as far as I can see.

Correction - Villa Plus do packages but not Costa Brava.

I think booking.com and lastminute.com can make a package although I think you need to double check the cancellation policy as it’s not always the same depending on what you book.

The last one I priced up looked like it would refund the accommodation but not the flights. You need to play around a bit, but it’s good because you can create a package with flats/villas, not just big hotels. My DC has ASD so I’m pretty cautious about where we stay.

I think Tossa de Mar would suit your criteria.

…but I’m not sure about transfers. I assume you would need to sort your own transport.

We've booked accommodation through VRBO which allows you to cancel on some properties up to two weeks before travel - you can filter the cancellation policies on your search .

We did this for the Costa Blanca, booked an apartment direct with a friend who owns it & then booked our own flights, we saved about £400 by doing it ourselves, because we picked flights that weren't at a popular time of day & flew midweek instead of at the beginning or end of the week.

You need travel counsellors. I'm not a package person but like you am wary with
Post covid travel. My local one is fab. Cost wise they work out reasonable compared to booking it yourself. You can tell them what you want and they will prepare a bespoke package. They were less than Tui for tenerife specific hotels I wanted. My friends all use them and have lots of good reviews.

@shinynewapple22

We've booked accommodation through VRBO which allows you to cancel on some properties up to two weeks before travel - you can filter the cancellation policies on your search .

That's the problem, if we are stopped from travelling two days before, like France just did, we'll be stuffed.

@MangosteenSoda that's v helpful thanks.

Have a look at Solmar villas

Solmar don't have much in Costa Brava.
Lastminute.com seem to have quite a few, I will have to check on their cancellation policy.

Ooh I'm confused now.
Lovely villas on lastminute.com
You can book them on their own.
You can book them with a flight from London.
You can book flights from Manchester
But you can't book a package from Manchester!

OK, this is driving me bananas.
A few villas are available with packages from NW airports but they are all not very nice looking.
Lots of nice villas available with flights from London.
Changing the dates doesn't help, changing the NW airport doesn't help, and they are all also available on their own AND the flights are available.

Also, the refund history from lastminute.com doesn't inspire me!
Same is happening on booking.com as well, and other aggregator sites (Tripadvisor, Loveholidays etc.) only have massive apartment blocks, no villas.

heeelllp!

I used on the beach to go to Tossa de mar a few years ago. Not a huge resort.

I don't know if they do villas but worth looking at.

If not Expedia and tie age etc can build packages but you are also booing separately with the third parties iyswim?

@drspouse

OK, this is driving me bananas. A few villas are available with packages from NW airports but they are all not very nice looking. Lots of nice villas available with flights from London. Changing the dates doesn't help, changing the NW airport doesn't help, and they are all also available on their own AND the flights are available.

Also, the refund history from lastminute.com doesn't inspire me!
Same is happening on booking.com as well, and other aggregator sites (Tripadvisor, Loveholidays etc.) only have massive apartment blocks, no villas.

heeelllp!

Try an independent travel agent. I have one I use who is absolutely brilliant. When Covid hit she almost killed herself of working 24hrs to sort everyone out. She will also help with guidelines etc and tell you if they change and help you sort the whole thing out I have never paid more than the brochure price with her and she sometimes has discounts available too. I promise it’s not me - I just think she’s great Happy to give her details in a PM if required

Good idea Hopping