Booking a holiday...Best way to do this cheaply!

[Firefly993]

For various reasons mostly financial, I haven't been on holiday abroad for 20 years. I'm talking booking through teletext🤣
What is the best way to book, through a package site like Tui or individually book an apartment and flight? I'm looking at Tenerife/ Lanzarote February half term.
Also where is best place to book accommodation directly through hotel or air bnb type thing?
Feel free to talk to me like a small child, I feel clueless and I'm going around in circles.

Decide on the details first.
Use google and tripadviser reviews.
Country, resort, hotel and departure airport.
Then look on Jet2 and Tui and price it up.
Then look directly on the hotel website and on airline websites.
Be sure you are comparing like for like and know what is important.
For me I must have a flight from local airport at a civilised time and my hotel must be 4*+ and my room choice must have a sea view.

Holidays and cheap don't go together anymore. I remember going for £99 through last minute.com for a week allocated on arrival. It was great, ended up in Cala D'Or.

I use Tui now. Just easier.

You won't find the Canaries cheap in February half term unfortunately. Can you do term time at all? Or even a couple of days of term time can still make a significant difference. Since Covid i like the atol protection of package holidays, I'd only use with Jet 2 or Tui though. You could look at flights and hotel/apartments separately too. If your booking flights with budget airline(easy jet, ryanair) remember to add the cost of luggage too.

Pre-Covid, we used to book flights & hotels separately.
We lost a lot of money in 2020 because of this, so now we make sure we are covered by the package holiday regulations.

As well as Jet2 & Tui, look at Easyjet holidays & BA holidays.
I've used all 4, 3 are OK. Wouldn't touch Tui again.
They often have the same hotels, but the price can vary substantially.

As above, check what is included in the price, e.g. transfers, luggage allowance