We usually book a package in advance as we like to go for 1 month and it's almost impossible getting a flight only for 4 weeks direct Gatwick to Goa.

We need exact travel dates and we also travel from Scotland so need to book in advance. I've dumped the accomodation after a week or two because I don't like that package holiday feel.

Prices

4 week flight MyTravel booked in advance £575
4 week holiday MyTravel 2 star (oh yeah!) booked in advance £629

So our 4 week stay in Candolim cost £54!

I don't like travelling with MyTravel personally but not much of a choice.

Prices seem to be a lot cheaper for 2 weeks. Even so much so that I suppose if we had waited we could have booked 2 last minute holidays for less than £629 and used out on one back on the other.

We used to go package but with the increased competition we find it better to go d.i.y. We booked scheduled flights six months ago with Jet Airways, H/row./Mumbai/Goa with good flight times, leg room, free drinks etc. for £475. Our accomodation is about £9 daily for the room so we find it better yhat way, more so if you have good accomodation lined up and booked in advance as well We just coudnt stand having to fork out an extra £60 to Monarch for the pleasure of getting an emergency exit seat & getting ripped off for trolly service on top of that Alan

Hey Maz

Ive done DIY this time and also when i went in April. The time before that we booked a package but it was awful so moved to Bernard Simao which is where im staying this time.

I got my flight for £569 for 4 weeks and accomodation is around £200 for the 4 weeks. Unfortunatly flight is with Monarch! but hey it gets me to Goa i suppose!

I know this is totally but how much money would you take for a 4 weeks stay?

keira
-x-

hi keira,i booked the bernard simao for 4 weeks from 15th jan but cancelled after i saw it in nov, id booked 4 rooms. on your post i saw that you were paying £200 approx for one month, that would be a fair price for what it is .however he was going to charge my party 1,800 per night each which works out a hell of a lot more than you are paying, i have lost £450 deposit. ive booked a 3* hotel for only 300 rupees more per night. i would like to warn other HTs of this scam. i went to another guest house last year and was paying 800 more per night than the couple next door. its not fair,and its not right.

hi eastender, i have replied on the other post 'different people different prices' about why i get it abit cheaper at Bernard Simao!

keira -x-

I usually go DIY cos
1 We like smaller places that are often not in the brochures
2 We prefer a 2 bedrommed apartment so our 6 year old sleeps in his own room but with a package the under occupancy charges are HUGE
3Usually find that the standard of accomodation is better and the service
I would not say it works out a lot cheaper than some packages but the payoff is we get our own room and a large apartment in a resort we want to be in

Well I have 3 holidays booked this year all DIY. I would book a package still if I could get a good price. The last holiday I booked cost us for a week in October to Olu Deniz £171 each, but will have to pay transfers as well on top of this.

I am really keen to try DIY however, when I have tried to price things I never seem to be able to beat the deal I get with the likes of Portland and Eclipse for comparable hotels/apartments. These are family holidays for 2 plus 2, in the school hols. On DIY I can't work out who it's safe to book with and which airlines are best . It's like there is too much choice for me to cope with and I worry about messing up everyones holiday, so I stick with what I know.

I wonder if because the Tour Ops bulk buy hotel rooms, is this what keeps the costs competative in July and Aug and around Bank Holidays? Also flights to places like Greece and Turkey seem expensive and then you have to organise and pay for your own transfers on top.

When we can get back to holidaying in June and Sept I shall be back on here for advice on DIY. Do others find DIY works for them in the school holidays?

I think d.i.y only works in July/August if you go self-catering and travel on a budget airline,which means you are probaly limited to Spain or Portugal,this year we booked an apartment in Benalmedina and got decent Saturday daytime flights to Malaga,all of which came in for about a thousand pounds for a fortnight.Maybe if you see a hotel you like in the brochure and then try to contact them direct,you might save but I honestly think that by the time you've added flights,transfers etc the saving is negligable especially if you get a free kids place.The motto seems to be "self catering in an apartment fine,half board in a hotel no".

hi Hope
I think you are right. One year I might give it ago to the Algarve with one of the budget airlines and book an apartment privately this is probably one of the few ways to beat the Ops in the schools hols. As soon as I look at flights further afield the flights alone are often 1000pounds for 4 of us . Also we like the extra facilities you sometimes get with a nice hotel. Looks like you got a good one to Spain though.

Hiya

We agree with Fionay.

It depends on personal circumstances whether you opt to DIY or go package.

Personally we are not keen on the idea of Reps.

It's our holiday.

We have experience of living & working in resort in the past.

Part of our holiday is the adventure of the transfer, finding your way in a foreign country, sometimes having to communicate with locals for directions.

It's such a great feeling to finally arrive at your destination (hopefully without getting too lost).

As for flights, prices depend on the time of year you wish to travel, how flexible you are with dates / times / airports and when you book. Get in early for some great deals - not only with budget airlines but even with national carriers such as BA.

We are off to Cyprus in June - 4 Seats for £600 incl taxes.

As Fiona stated choosing your own accommodation can be tailored to your needs

- close to the beach
- quiet location
- private pool
- town centre

Flexible is the key word but I do realise that dates are limited due to the school holidays.

Book early

Good luck

Have a great holiday

Liakada

I cannot see the point in diy as the TA can taylor make your holidays nowadays. cheap flights and hotels and you are still protected by their Abta / Atol license

Personally, i would go somewhere first then check out diy for next time. Always have insurance.

As you take an evening stroll, make a note of some nice places you would like to stay in next time, then when you get back, look them up on the net!!!!

I would say you would save approx 1/3 of package prices????

Like most people, my decision about whether to book DIY or a package deal is purely down to price. ATOL protection, holiday reps and coach transfers rarely figure in our decision about which to choose as we ensure we have good travel insurance and always hire a car from the destination airport for the whole holiday anyway so do our own thing most days and never go on the T/O organised trips.

We nearly always book DIY in the school summer holidays as it's invariably cheaper than package deals at that time of year, especially if the destination is served by the no-frills airlines. However, I always book a package deal for our annual October half term holiday in the Balearics as there are some very cheap T/O package deals to the islands then and I can always get a genuine free child place too. If we aren't too fussy about our destination at other times of year, I tend to book late T/O package deals a few weeks before departure which are often terrific value.

Travel insurance is essential on all holidays but not necessarily more important for DIY. Travel insurance won't protect you or bring you home if the airline fails. It won't cover you if the hotel is overbooked and you don't have a room.

Try a Travel Agent with their own ATOL - as kmba says - it will be cheaper than a package (apart from silly prices on last minute deals which go to places no-one wants!!) and you're still protected. ABTA doesn't protect you by the way, it is an association for Travel Agents.

Thanks everyone you have given me some food for thought, Im off on thursday and cant wait. I will price up DIY when i get back for my next hols.

Hope everyone has a great holiday

We too have done both. We've had some great DIY prices on city breaks, especially if you book as soon as the seats go on sale. Tried to go DIY to Kefalonia a couple of years ago as we had some accomodation recommended to us, but it was miles more expensive - we got 2 weeks SC on a package for approx £650, if we'd gone DIY it would have been well over £1000.

If you compare DIY to most package holidays you will find that, if you know where to look for your flights, it will be much more economical. The other major advantage of DIY is that you are dealing directly with the owner of the apartment who will go out of the way to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible so that he has got a good chance of your repeat business. Without harping on you will also see pictures of the apartment, complex, surrounding area before you go which should help you to make your decision. DIY everytime but then I would say that I am an owner.

Happy Holidays folks.

We have to go DIY now, as we have 3 kids and have to go during the school holidays. If we booked a package, firstly there are not many hotels that have rooms big enough for 5 (the kids are still too young to go into their own room - 8, 5 and 2) and if we were to book even the most basic 2 bedroom apartment we end up paying huge under-occupancy supplements, in some cases this can add over a £1000 to the cost.

LAst year we went to Sicily - flights were £400, fantastic apartment, with 2 bedrooms, large lounge, dining room and full kitchen (not just a hob with 2 rings!), and swimming pool with fabulous view across the bay of Cefalu - £750, via http://www.homelidays.com and car hire £350 - a total of £1500. When you look at hotels in Sicily, most of them are around £1000 per person (and that's not including the car!).

This year we are going to the south of France - flights £400 with BA, apartment in Nice £800 and car hire £250 - a total of £1450 - compare that to French Life, Cresta, Britanny Ferries etc.

Definitely worth going DIY for us.

Sue