Complete beginners help please!!

[iHW]

Hello everyone,

I have just got my first adult passport, I'm 30 and my partner is 29. We've never travelled abroad.

We'd love to book somewhere to go this October/November.

However we have no idea where to even start.

How do transfers and things work?

Best website to book on or is travel agent easier?

Is all inclusive a good shout for a first time get away ideally we just want to chill.

It seems a bit of a minefield and I don't want to book up and get things wrong 🙈

So many questions - it all depends on where you want to go/ what your budget is? I would definitely speak to a real life travel agent, who does this for a living.

Maybe have a few ideas first on what countries you would like to visit.

There are people who can do this for you. Travel planners who earn commission from companies. It really helps takes the worry out of everything.

You're safest to do a package first time, that means the flights, transfers and accommodation will all be included. 'All Inclusive' means all food and drink is included in the price, so if that appeals then do that. Travel planners are really for more complicated trips, I really don't think you'd need one for a standard first time abroad package. But go to a TUI or Hays shop and they can book the holiday for you. Then you'll be sure everything has been done right and you haven't missed anything. You will need travel insurance, look at Money Supermarket for that.

I would book a package with Jet2 for ease tbh. 22kg hold luggage is included. if you've not been to these holiday types before then although others do it, I think with no experience you would find it hard only to do hand luggage for any longer than a couple of nights.
Re transfers, they are usually included for beach hols (not on city breaks usually). After picking up your luggage, go out of the baggage hall and there will be a Jet2 person to direct you to a coach. You can choose a taxi transfer too.

AI has its advantages. Prices vary a good deal though and it depends on what your food tastes are like. I've been on less pricey AI's and one that was panned on trip advisor and always had something I enjoyed. Some have good choices - ime iberostar hotels have been good with plenty of choice.

Many people on MN seem sniffy about packages but there is a vast range of options and I think the ease of it would suit you.

Whatever you book, get travel insurance straight away.

I use TUI for packages. I wouldn’t want to book separate as if one part of journey goes wrong it would balls the rest up. A package gets your there!

Once you've got your holiday booked, check to see if your debit/credit cards provide fee-free foreign exchange transactions. If they don't, look at the options on the Money Saving Expert site, where you'll also find travel insurance suggestions (if this isn't included in your holiday booking).
Have a great trip!

What an adventure!
I would suggest a big hotel on HB. All inclusive tends to mean you don't venture out much and it's nice to visit local bars and restaurants. HB gives you flexibility. Definitely a package and JET2 are great IMO.
Choose carefully in Oct/ Nov if you want guaranteed sunshine. Tour operators sell holidays in mainland Europe but you might get poor weather. I recommend the Canaries. 4 hour flight, lots of lovely islands and resorts and perfect weather in November.

I always use TUI/First Choice
You can filter your search by airport/destination/rating/board and reviews
Don't book anything without reading trip advisor reviews, check what's around locally if you want to leave your hotel
We do AI because the kids are like animals
You might want to venture out for meals so B&B or half board though TBH DH did half board on a holiday to Portugal and diner a fortune on drinks and lunches so AI makes sense.
Filter to adult only if you don't fancy other people kids around and the entertainment will be more suitable for you.
Decide if you want to go long haul. The flights are brutal so maybe save those until another time.

Look at the hotel facilities. Does it have its own beach or it us close to one.
We booked a hotel years back where the beach was a long walk which was a pain with young kids.

Jet2 are fantastic for packages. Also if you ring them up they'll give you advice on where to go, book it for you if you want and add any current discounts.
You can also pay it monthly which helps with budgeting.
Something I would caution about as you've not been abroad before is if you're traveling July/Aug check the temperatures. We find most of Europe far too hot then. If you've not got DCs June or September are good months to go abroad - cheaper too.

Sorry I see you said October/November. So bear in mind mainland Europe will not be as warm then and school holidays push prices up mid October onwards for a fortnight.
Canaries are warm year round. I like Costa Adeje in Tenerife or We stayed at Seaside Los Jameos in Lanzarote last October and that was a lovely hotel with great food.

Go to a travel agent and book a package with a reputable company like Jet 2 or Tui. Also take out travel insurance straight away. I’d recommend the Canary Islands in the autumn. For what you say you want look at Tui Blue Suite Princess holidays. We went to Gran Canaria last year. They pick you up from the airport. The hotel is ALL inclusive and adults only.

For your first time I think pop into somewhere like TUI and sit down with a travel agent who can book everything for you! They will answer all your questions and that way you know it's all been booked properly ☺️

What sort of holiday do you want sights or beaches.
When I first travelled there was no real internet or emails and either rough guides or lonely planet books ( which are still excellent).
The smart thing is to book flights and hotel together as that is a package and you have far more protection against things going wrong if you do that.
There are many excellent ways to research and book transfers and excursions Get your guide and viator are just two. I have always arranged my own transfers depending on location cities I tend ti use Mass transit options - trains, metro or tram.
In October southern Europe is still warm and much quieter than in the summer. If you want beaches the canaries are still very warm.
As you are going at a quieter time you have time to research.
Another option is train there are any European cities that have direct trains from St Pancreas or a change in Paris or Belgium. The plus is you get to see the countryside as you travel. Again you can do two centres in Europe using the train as the service is cheaper and more reliable than the UK.
So many possibilities first things is sights or beach and then go from there.

Check who flies from your nearest airport, to where and how often. BA has some short break offers on their website at the moment. If you don't want to piece together your own holiday a package usually includes flights with luggage allowance, accommodation, transfers, services of a rep who can offer excursions etc. A package is often the safest way to protect yourself in case of an airline going bust or issues with the holiday, look out for ABTA and ATOL accredited providers. Buying components separately may not give you the same come back if things go wrong. Make sure you have travel insurance and a GHIC card for heath cover within EU.

AI can work if you are on a budget but also does not encourage you to explore the area. Bear in mind October and November are quieter in European resorts and less warm and some hotels will close. Some long haul destinations require a visa and specific vaccinations for which you pay.

1. Go and see a travel agent. Chat through the options. You don't have to book that day, you can just go and talk to someone. Get them to give you a brochure to take away with you, so you can browse it at your leisure.

2. Once you've got an idea of what is available within your budget, I'd book a package, as others have recommended.

This will include three things, typically - your flight, your transfer (which is a bus or taxi that gets you from the airport to your hotel/apartment and back again at the end of your holiday), and your accommodation.

Accommodation can be room only (no food included), bed and breakfast (room + breakfast), half-board (room, breakfast and usually dinner, but sometimes lunch), full board (room + all three meals) or all inclusive (room, all meals, all drinks, inc. alcoholic drinks). The more you include in your package, the less money you'll have to take with you and the more you'll have an exact idea of the complete cost of your holiday. However, if you go full board or AI you won't get to explore the resort and eat out in the restaurants. For this reason, we usually go for B&B, as we like to eat out, but it's up to you. If you just want to lie on a beach and aren't bothered about exploring then maybe FB or AI will suit you better.

One point about Oct/Nov - it's quite late in the season for Europe. October is find if you head quite far south, but November can be cool/rainy in the Mediterranean. Southern Spain should be warm though, Cyprus or the Canary Islands are good in October, but remember that the last week of October is half-term for British schools, so that week tends to be more expensive/busy.

I've just booked my first holiday abroad since I used to go with my parents. I'm going solo so chose to book through a local travel agent with Jet2. Lots of people told me it was more expensive than booking it myself and it is (but not by loads) but to me it's worth it purely for the sense of security it gives me that I have a point of contact if anything goes wrong and I didn't have to do loads or research.

I wrote a list of things I wanted/did not want and sorted them into must have and/nice to have. I wanted a city break so I had things like I didn't care about a beach or pool but I wanted a balcony. I wanted self catering or room only but not AI. I wouldn't be able to cope in 40 degree heat etc.

I also agree with booking insurance immediately, I did it though the Post Office and it was about £20 for the cheapest cover for me.