we have done diy twice in may, this year we paid £700 for accomodation flights insurance and car hire, we went with jet 2 from leeds we are also going in 2 weeks time cost the same price but flying from robin hoods new airport the trick is to wait until jet2 easyjet or bmybaby bring out the summer flights for next year usually about november to december the best day to book is the day they are released as they go up day by day just let me know if you need help with accomodation sites. or where you want to go in mallorca as we love this country.

Julie - Hi, thanks for that. After posting my original query, had a look at the "cheap flights", for Jet 2 going to palma, but when I typed in all my details, it c ame up as "Sorry these flight are not available until 30 October. So probably looks as though I will have to wait till then.

We have never been to majorca before, and fancy trying Palma Nova, as it's recommended for families, alcudia sounds nice too, but as we are only staying for a week, we only really want a short transfer.

Have looked on direct hols website and seen a holiday half board for 24th May, half board £706, (Cant remember which hotel it was, will have to go back and have a look), it's quite a good price, and was wondering, if I was to get seperate flights, and accomodation, would it be more expensive? I really don't know what to do whether to book that holiday, or wait until new flights come out with jet 2, and hope the flights and accomodation work out cheaper.

I hope no-one thinks I'm being a tight , but we have already booked our main hol to tenerife for the July, and I thought if I could put a really cheap hol together for may the hubby would go along with it!!!!! BBB.

Hi

My advice is to wait and hang it out. £700+ for half board to Teneriffe is a bit steep, even if it is for 2 adults and one child, you may as well go AI for that.

Wait until the flights come out on the 1st day, the chances are the accommodation will be cheaper when you book the flight. Plus there are so many sites for accommodation that this wont be an issue.

Main focus is to find the cheap flight. Hang in there. I guarantee you will be able to find a cheaper DIY holiday.

Cheers for that roundasapound. It's a week in majorca we are after. Will take your advice, and hang on until flights come out in october, (Just hope once I have booked flight, can get some accomodation!! ) Just my luck to book flights, and not be able to get accomodation . Thanks again. BBB.

No probs BBB

http://www.wintersunshineholidays.com

http://www.medhotels.com (you can arrange cheap transfer with them)

http://www.alpharooms.com

http://www.broadwaytravel.com

have a look at some of these. There are so many accommodation websites as well.

Good luck. I'll be on my 3rd DIY hol in October this year and I would not be paying £700+ for a holiday in Europe..lol For that money just go to Sharm El Sheik.

i always book flights first and have alwats found accomodation their are 5 of us so their arnt many around if thir is 2 of you you will have thousands of choices.

I agree wait for the cheap flights to come out. We booked ours with Easyjet for 50 pounds each for this October and found accommodation with Winter Sunshine Holidays for 140 pound. Total cost of the Holiday 240 pounds for the two of us. The complex we are staying at is also with JMC at nearly 300 pounds each, quite a saving.

Don`t know wether this will help but I write down the accomodation prices and dates first then I know what I`ve got left to spend on flights as I`ve found that sometimes it`s not worth doing diy. You could also write down packages as well to compare.

I then make sure I`ve registered with the low cost airlines and then sit and wait.

Last year they went on sale in November I suspect they may be a bit earlier this year as winter went on sale earlier.

I waited for Thomsonsfly to go on sale last week and when I got the email they already gone on sale and the prices had rocketed, so didn`t get what I wanted.

Most of the accomadation is on sale now.

Good Luck

Christine W

Hi, thanks for all replies, will price accomodation up, then when jet 2 flights come out in Oct, I'll add transfers on top, and see if it does work out cheaper than the £700 H/B for the 2 adults, 1 child. Thanks again for advice, and if anyone does come accross any cheap flights for that week in may, would you please let me know? (Cheeky I know!!!!) BBB

£700 for 3 people ( bear in mind the flight price for a 12 year old will most probably be the same as an adult ) for half board during school holidays to Majorca doesnt seem that bad.

£233.00 per person.

If say you get a reasonable flight price £150 ( bear in mind school holidays and you are looking at Leeds and Manchester ). For any significant savings you will need then to buy the accommodation for the week for the 3 of you for about £150.00.

Does the package include transfers ? if so then you have another £35-£40 of cost saving there ( if you go to Palma Nova much more if you go to Alcudia ).

I have used package and DIY ( this year DIY ) and the savings can be great but on this one I cant see unless the prices for the flights are down at the £120.00 level that there is either going to be a great saving or any savings at all. If the holiday with Direct is the holiday of your choice, you like the hotel in the place that you want then I would consider booking it, as you get the peace of mind that your holiday is booked. What I would then do is compare the DIY price when the flights come out in October, if the savings are great then consider this route next time.

Some people will say for the 3 people they have paid much less but was this in the school holidays and from a nothern airport. Stansted have some great deals to Majorca with Air Berlin bt I dont think the bargain basement rates have always been available for MAN and LBA although i am sure some people will correct me.

Good luck and enjoy your holiday whichever way you choose.

Kind Regards
Stewart

As previous posts have said Jet2 from leeds/bradford and thomsonfly from doncaster are probably the best bet (have used jet2 several times and always good, trying doncaster this year).

Even if the DIY is about the same price as a package consider whether the standards will be the same, I've always found accomodation as part of a package to be a bit naff whereas the apartments and villas I've booked independently have all been fantastic. Ownersdirect.co.uk and holiday-rentals.co.uk have been good for us in the past.

Transfers, we always hire a car as it's not much more expensive if at all and you've got the freadom to explore while you are there. Have used Carjet.com several times and every time they've been excellent - halfway to our destination while most package holidaymakers are stuck on a coach in the airport car park!

Hope that helps

Stewart- thanks for that, I have been humming and arring, for last week to what to do, and you are right, when you look at it as £233 per person, it doesn't sound too expensive. This is for a flight which is on the 23rd May, so will be looking at taking our son out for 4 days, as the flight which goes out on the 27th goes up about £400, which we definately could not afford. As our son starts middle school this time I was determined not to take him out of school in the holidays (we booked our main holiday to tenerife in 6 weeks hols- which has set us back £1,632), and just wanted a cheap week away (Yes I'm a greedy so and so!!!). I managed to pursuade my partner that we should have another cheap week away. His response was "Can't you just be happy with one holiday?". Anyway after a bit of gentle pursuasion he said "ok then, as long as you find a cheap deal which doesn't cost over £500", but as you said stuart if I tell him £233 each isn't expensive, he may bump the budget up!!! Thanks for you reply stuart, and have a good weekend. BBB.

Hi - goingonholiday. We both must have posted at the same time, thanks for your reply, Think I will book the hol I have seen to palma nova through TA, (£700- 2adults, one child half board), as stuart says it works out at £233 per person, and with it been the school hols flights could be quite expensive then.

Must agree, it must be lovely just to get into a waiting taxi, rather than wait for all passengers to get on coach, then drop them off at their various hotels/apartments. Thanks again. BBB