I have finally got my first DIY all booked.
This is what I posted in March.

We arrived home this week and it all went extremely well.
No complaints at all about Ryanair flights.
Hotel bookings with Travel Republic were just fine.
Transfers with Transferstore no real problems (just a short delay in picking us up at the airport), but pick up from Hotel just 2mins late!!
We were quite happy with our first DIY but admitedly were rather apprehensive about each stage.
Sue

Lincolnsue

Congrats and welcome home.

Glad that everything went OK for you and yours. I assume that now you have got one under your belt, like the rest of us you will have been bitten by the DIY bug and be looking to book your next trip?

I think doing DIY makes it feel more adventurous than taking a safe package. I prefer doing it because you get exactly what you want and I like the private transfers rather than getting on a coach and having to wait in the heat for the last person to get on it. We also always get a 2 bedroom apartment or private apartment/villa rather than pay the tour op supplements for the same. Sometimes tour ops can only offer 1 bed aparts and we are are well past the days of the kids kipping on the sofa beds in the living area.

Always take the phone number of the transfer company and hotel with you in case they dont turn up and you need to call them.

Hello luddendenturk
Yes I had booked our next holiday before we went away.
This time it is with Thomson, not a package but through their 'Build your Own' and the hotel, flight and transfer came to £200 less than the package deal.This is to Cala Bona, Majorca in October, to the Hotel Talyot where we have stayed before.
Sue

Hi Lincolnsue - congratulations on your first DIY. Nerve racking isn't it? The first time I did it - being the worlds worst worrier - I just knew that the flight wouldn't arrive - it did! I knew that the transfer wouldn't be waiting for us -it was! I knew that the hotel wouldn't be expecting us - it was!
At the end of our break, I just knew that our transfer would arrive and it did - as did the flight I'd expected! It gave me a lovely feeling of satisfaction and combined with the £1,700 saving (for our 6 months break) I felt a very very happy bunny! I have saved many thousands since then, as I know many of the other HT members have. May you and all HT have many more successful DIY holidays. Jenny x

Hola!

Just returned last night, from our very first DIY holiday.

Flights with Ryanair - no problems at all, arriving at destination and return on time.
Transfers booked through Resorthoppa, again no problem, bus waiting for us at airport, and were 2nd drop off.
Apartments booked through Thomsondirect, again brilliant, very clean, staff friendly and entertainment good.

Would definitely recommend prioirty booking though with Ryanair, specially if you have children. Cost us £16 for four of us, for both ways. We experienced families getting on the plane without priority booking and having to sit separately. My hubby had two young girls sat next to him and as soon as the seat belt sign was off, a third decided to come and join them, ie 4 people on 3 seats. Parents? - no problems with them, they were sat peacefully together a few seats back , not a care in the world!!! Soon put a stop to that once the kids started messing about and we asked her to return to her seat!!!! Parents looked gone out at us!!!

Would defintely DIY again, saved us alot of money and a big thanks to all on here that helped and recommended.

Elaine

When planning a Diy holiday what do you book first the flight or hotel? I'm a bit confused- What if I book the flight first and then I find out the hotel hasn't any vacancies or vice versa, I book the hotel and then the flight is full for the date I require. Eventhough I'd try and book both on the same day, this could still be a problem. What's the best way to go about it? Any advice welcome. Thanks

There is a sticky topic at the top of this forum with some useful advice and information.

I think it is recommended that you book the flights first as you will always manage to get accommodation somewhere.

We always book Vegas this way and the only thing you have to watch there is that most hotels won't take a Saturday arrival.

However we have just booked Benidorm for Xmas and booked the flights with FlyGlobespan going out on the 23rd. Then I booked the accommodation with Travel Republic as they were the cheapest I could find for any of the hotels we wanted.

We will book the transfers with Shuttle Direct nearer the time incase the flight times change.

luci