Package vs flight and hotel

[Bratzoverbarbie]

I've read loads about how it's cheaper to book flights and hotels directly but I must be missing something, I know prices have gone up but I can't seem to find the difference in the 2.

I'm looking for a holiday for 4 next August.

Only requirements are Europe, not Italy. Sun and sand, child-friendly, preferably somewhere with a waterpark we can go to.

Think Tenerife/Siam Park.

The only quotes I can get are £3k-£3.7k

Is that normal? I'm happy to pay if it is because I'll spread the cost but I was hoping that by booking flights and hotel directly it would be cheaper.

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I'm a teacher so can only go on holiday during school holidays and I have NEVER found doing it separately cheaper, it's always cheaper doing a package. I always cost it out.

Maybe when I'm retired and can travel during term time I might get cheap flights & it will work out cheaper but not now.

One thing to bear in mind is that if your flight is disrupted, if you have booked a package, the company has a duty to look after you.

I normally book our city breaks as a package through BA. The year before lockdown, we went to Bologna and on the day we were due to fly back, the flight was cancelled (If I remember correctly, it was due to an IT problem that affected many flights).

As the next flights to London were booked for a couple of days, BA had to extend our hotel booking, plus we were able to get the cost of all of our meals refunded.

I’ve always got reasonably cheap packages by getting free child prices. Jet2 release them throughout the year

Op, I have always been a fan of doing it all separately as I find it works out cheaper. Never again. Should have flown back home from holiday today. Flight got cancelled. No help at all from the airline as we hadn't booked it as a package. Nightmare. Had to find a hotel ourselves and fight for a taxi to get here. Those who had booked a package were well looked after. It has been very stressful.

3-4k for a week in August is cheap

I don't think there's much of a difference anymore. You can go through online agents like love holidays where there is a lot of flexibility on flights and hotels. Plus, as other posters have said, you're much more protected if something goes wrong.

It used to be worth going separately, but unless you get Easyjet flights as soon as they are released flights are expensive these days.

If it's a standard beach holiday it's generally not much more expensive to book a package and means your transfers are included.

@UsedtogodownNevins thank you. I think this is what I needed to hear. I hope you managed to enjoy the rest of your holiday x

@BG2015 I'm looking forward to when I can book holidays during term time!

I appreciate all of your replies. Looks like a package holiday it is!

Sometimes it’s cheaper sometimes it’s not!

We did two weeks at a B & B in Greece this yr - was all ready to book separately and then noticed Olympic Holidays had it for £500 cheaper as a package.

I've never found there to be much difference during school holidays, however at other times there can be. We have just booked a week in Tenerife next March and the difference between doing a TUI/Jet2 package vs Ryanair and our own apartment was huge. The flights alone were about £300pp cheaper.