Lowcost holidays do them and they added transfers, got a price of 1700 for 2 weeks flying from manchester, only thing doesnt say what block.

thanks julie.....forgot to say 7 nights...10 at most. Taking my boys out ...its my 60th and dont want to have a party....7 nights is perfect as its just chilling out and eating out holiday...bit worried about lowcost ....some bad stuff posted in the past...scared transfers might not turn up on time ect....tweetie

ps...great price...cheapest Im finding flights is £1067 return for 4 of us. I need get on to it as left things late. I dont know the other hotels....the marianthi is high up enough to get some lovely breezes and good views...worried I pick a hotel that is low and no wind....

matching flights and accom up is the easy bit, at a quiet time find the two sites, open two windows, get each to the credit card stage at the same time. That's a bit of a simplification but .....

...the really hard part is finding insurance to cover it. If a flight is cancelled and you have simple flight only tickets the airline is NOT responsible for any other costs, they just refund the flight cost. If you get a message the week before departure that the accomodation is double booked/ burnt down etc and can't be changed to anything else, whoever you paid isn't responsible for the unusable flights. In some circumstances that may be a simplification, but liability would probably be in a foreign legal system so extremely hard to fight for compensation.

Basically start by finding insurance that covers what you want to do.

hi steve8482.....thanks for info...didnt consider insurance as thought yearly travel insurance from bank would cover it...

The hotel site has facility to make reservations and book ....but doesnt seem to have available dates chart....might have to enquire via phone about dates ....thats scary bit for me incase I booked flight and no rooms or rooms and no flights to match....and so cant do by having both on screen to go same time

Have Diy'd before, but was easy as option to book seats on coach and then cancel without penalty if flights booked later....have also did short break , booked hotel then booked flights to match....was Salou and ryanair had daily flights in and out....hard ones to mess up.....

Something I have noticed is you find a real bargain for a flight going out but when you continue and try book flight back the prices are 3 times more expensive....do the airlines do this on purpose.

Dont know what scares me most...DIYing or going with one of the less well known operators . Sites like jet2 holidays and lowcost have really good prices, but not sure am happy booking with them. Especially in this climate when even the big operators are not having it easy. Too many companies ect ceasing trading these last few years for comfort.....tweetie

Tweetie - they are available through Travel Republic. Going out 18th August from Manchester returning 25th. £370 per person. SC.
I have used TR on many many occasions and never had a problem with them.

I haven't checked for those airports, but Thomsons do those apartments.

Jet2Holidays are a well established company. We had a package with them last year and they were really good. 22kgs hold baggage and 10kgs hand baggage. The plane looked new and was spotless with good leg room.

luci

hi Lucie....jet 2 looked really good....but didnt know anything about them....and they show picture of the block farthest from the pool....and when I put in 1 room for 4 people....which should bring up a 2 bedroom apartment (like we had last time above the pool) it comes up with price ect for

1 x One Bedroom Apartment .... ??? no good for 4 adults

When I change it to 2 rooms needed it comes up with

1 x One Bedroom Apartment
1 x Studio for up to 2 ......and £30 extra per person

We booked with thomsons last time...son did it along side thier wedding booking....but when I tried this time it wasnt coming up on the list.....just tried again and same result...

hi Denni53....thanks for finding that one....I am flexable on dates ...just needs be when youngest not in college....my 60th is end of july...but seems more expensive to go then...so just going to be happy getting a week to chill , eat nice evening meals in the open ...

I got directed at one point to reviews on the dreaded TA site....loads of problems about people turning up at the marianthi and them not expecting them...some landing up in other hotels...one of the them was booked via travel republic, and they dont seem to good about sorting probs like that out...no reps to help ect. Wouldnt like to be in that position. It wasnt just travel republic ...it seemed like any one.....suggested marianthi not managing thier bookings properly.....probs seemed to be last year...tweetie

I've just checked the latest version of the Nationwide's policy and they specifically exclude cancellation costs caused by "Failure of the tour operator or any provider of transport or accommodation to fulfil the journey booking". You need to look for a policy that shouts about DIY booking cover and then read it very carefully.

But this problem is not limited to DIY as most think of it, it also applies to what many people think are packages. If you buy from one of the agents that custom build flight + accomodation and everything is priced seperately then you don't have Package Holiday protection in law and somewhere in their small print there WILL be a phrase that says they act as your agent booking your request (so it's not their fault if one part fails to deliver later). I think TR fall into this group.

A protected Package Holiday is one where the deal is advertised at an inclusive price and you are never told the basic price of the flight or room, you start with one price for a usable holiday - there may be supplements to upgrade rooms, fly at weekends etc. but the core package is never broken down. In that case if any part of the core is cancelled the tour operator has to refund the whole holiday, which is why they often cost a little more to start with and the range is more limited. This is what most people used to book and unfortunately the insurance industry is about 10 years behind the times!

hi steve8482...thanks again....its like being between a rock and a hard place....Ive found one for 11th july with lowcost holidays....where you pay for operator failure cover...its just over £1400 for everything.including transfers.... and its flying jet2....which Lucie says was good.....and its the 2 bed room apartments I want....

After what Ive read recently am worried...always thought booking with my visa kept me safe...but been put straight on that one....as only works if booked direct with a tour operator...not a middleman.

...dont know what to do now....lowcost holidays or DIY....could cost more DIY...tweetie

Good operator failure cover is a useful add-on to an ordinary insurance policy and would solve the problem. But read the policy first, you need cover for more than simple failure (ie bankruptcy) - what if the airline doesn't go bust but simply decides to change the timetable and alters the flight to something you can't use with the appartment booking? Or what if the appartment is double booked and the owner offers you something different or a refund?

And we have a thread on lowcost -you'd better read that as well!!! Expect them to act "your agents" in the contract.

hi steve....I checked out jet 2 flights for same time....and available....so nearest to a DIY I can sort at the moment is this

Book flight with jet 2 direct with my card....flight and all fees...............................£1018.84

Book hotel for £256.00 plus transferes by shuttle £210 with lowcost with card .......£ 466.oo

Total for 4 people x 7 days.............................................................................£1484.84

Dont know if lowcost charge a fee .

The transfer bit is making me think.....the best way to be sure of not loosing money is to just get as needed from airport to pefkos and back to airport.....but would I be sure of getting them OK ...

Or not take shuttle on offer from lowcost and book seperate....how reliable would it be

Would these last 2 options be more expensive than lowcost

The only way I could improve on booking apartment would be to ring them or try reserving online....pay hotel with card

Any suggestions......tweetie

point of interest....checking put lowcost on complaints forum...to see how things looked last year ....adverts show up on the space between posts..one from travel republic...sale on..the marianthi...flights from £98 rooms from £7pppn....so clicked on it....right photo of block I want....and list of all different room type to choose from ...with or without BB.....went through it all...just to see....everything I wanted on offer.....but though airline failure on list in costing there was 0.00 for it...so was it free or not included...then this at end

Cost of all bookings £1,320.06
Total Payable Now £1,115.26
Balance Due Date 18-Apr-2012

Also bags charged for £40 each.....and online check in was charged at £40.....but when I out of curiosity I changed the option to airport check in it said airport check in with bags £80

brilliant price but why so much to pay now....and how safe would I be booking it...tweetie

Have messaged the Marianthi via thier site now. Maybe I can book direct with them . Have requested dates the room I want is available, and prices.

If get to use this option what is the acceptable way to pay for room when booked this way...tweetie