Can't help much, but you can either go to your high street travel agent and be safe. Try one of the online travel agents and take a bit of a risk or try teletext on TV.

I don't think you can go wrong with a holiday in Majorca though. I love the place.

I do DIY now so I can get exactly what I want. I have great fun looking for the best deal booking flight and hotel seperate. I always look at hotel reviews before making my choice. We have not been disappointed yet! Can't blame travel agent when you have done it yourself, the savings can be amazing. My tip would be make sure that the companies have abta orn or atol numbers and pay by credit card. If all else fails and you can't do it yourself go on the high street and hope for the best.

The thing is that when you book via your high street travel agent, you know what you are getting from the start. The flight times are given to you and you know that you will have a rep once you get where your going. Also you know that every thing you need gets sent to you about two weeks before you fly.

I don't know how these DIY holidays work where you have to book the flight your self. Still, the savings must be worth it.

I book my flight thru well known companies Xcel or Thomson tickets arrive about 2 weeks before to home. It is your responibility to ring the tel number given to confirm return flight . Everything else is the same . I find with a package the nice flight times are not to where I want to stay so DIY gets me exactly what I want. Majorca is a ideal place to go as it is geared up to people doing it themselves. Recently more hotels advertise private booking and will help with tranfers and flights if required. Hours of fun on the internet and savings

Hi

I know it seems daunting booking DIY but once you try it is quite simple really. I think it does help to know the resort you are staying when booking accommodation but even with a package - you are having to rely on brochure descriptions if you have never been there before.

I think reading these boards, the most difficult thing for most people seems to be booking transfers but I think this is more a case of too much choice (so many firms are trying to cash in on the boom in independent travel).

Also booking a package does not always seem to guarantee that you get what you pay for. There are so many threads detailing changes in flight time, hotels etc in package holidays booked in some cases many months before.

I would give it a try, you really can save a lot of money and if you run into problems, there are always people on these boards to advise you

and you know that you will have a rep once you get where your going

I'm sorry but this really doesn't apply anymore.

I have no axe to grind with Holiday Reps, but the Holiday Companies really have been cutting back both on numbers and on the quality of Rep they employ, and I hear on a daily basis of complaints about Holiday Reps and the "Helplines" they supposedly operate. Of course they are there when you first arrive, so they can sell you all the excursions, but try getting one when you need one.....

This isn't really off - topic, I had a customer with Thomas Cook who'd been booked into the Antillas Sol. Her elderly mother was disabled. When they arrived they were moved into the adjoining Sol Barbados - no problem. However the Barbados has no disabled facilities (found that hard to believe, but that's what she said) so they went to see the TC rep - "Not there - back at 7.15pm" so she went to see the Hotel Reception - go and see your rep. She left it till the following day, still no-one there - this went on FOR NINE DAYS!!! When she spoke to me she was looking for a cheap flight home, because her mother was distraught both with the lack of facilities and the Yabba Dabba Doo every morning (The Barabados is a Flintstone Theme Hotel) and the screaming kids running around what is effectively a family hotel, whilst they are a lady in her 40's and her elderly mother. They had rung the TC 24 hour help line and been left holding on for 20 minutes, before hanging up.

Sol Hotels are my favourite, and we love the Antillas, but these people were badly let down, and I personally would never use a Holiday Company again.

Try DIY and you'll never travel any other way again.

Cheers

Adam

Hi all and hi Adam
The Sol Antillas is a fantastic hotel and is ideal for the disabled as there are rooms ground floor.
I totally agree about the Barbados its full of children. I looked around it when I was at the Sol Antillas in April and the Barbados was like Bedlam.
I have got children of my own, although they are a bit old for the Flintstones!!
I was at the Antillas for a break on my own, and I am glad to say I was in this hotel. I did book the hotel direct with the Sol company. So I knew where I was staying.
Its a shame the company put this lady in the Barbados, its just not the right place for disabled or elderly people. It certainly wasn't the place for me, and I'm in my forties.

Dawn
PS Adam have you had any more US servicemen in your bar lately?!!
Can't wait to see my photo with you and Steph at your bar.

There are many excellent websites offering private rentals.

Try http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk or INVALID URL
both of which have a wide cross-section of apartments ranging in standard from 'bargain basement' to 'win the lottery'.

One word of advice - do be honest about how many of you there are. I've heard of people being asked to leave because they tried to pack too many people in too small a place. It's not uncommon for some owners - and tour companies - to offer a one-bedroomed apartment for up to 4 people! That's managable if you're a family with a couple of youngsters. But for four adults? Trust me, sleeping on a bed-settee for a week and sharing one bathroom between four is hardly conducive to a relaxing holiday.