Hi all, next year I am lucky enough to be treated to a holiday in Jamaica by my son, (to celebrate the big 50) who is coming with me too. However this year I am looking to go away for a week on my own, first time for a long time too, in late July/August. I have had a brief look about mainly on the usual sites Thomson Thomas Cook, and to be honest for just me the prices are horrendus. I have looked at OTB, but after reading the separate threads on here I don't want to go down that road, and to be honest I feel better with someone I know and trust.
Does anyone know destinations/companies that I might look at that will offer me a reasonable weeks holiday that does not break the bank.
Thanks
You may to better to book a flight and accomodation separately, otherwise you will get caught with single supplements. If you use Alpharooms or similar they will just charge one price for the hotel room/apartment so you wont have to pay any extrat for sole use.
Hi Kedi
Thanks for that, Alpha Rooms not heard of them, are they protected, as I said bit nervous of DIY hols, worried about spending money and losing it.
Thanks
Thanks for that, Alpha Rooms not heard of them, are they protected, as I said bit nervous of DIY hols, worried about spending money and losing it.
Thanks
Try http://www.hrs.com for rooms in Europe. They have a wide range and in most cases you pay at the hotel so don't have to put any money up front. You will pay in local currency and any quotes in Sterling are simply current exchange rate for comparison so may vary a little.
Thanks Steve 8482 I will have a look at that too - it's been a while since I have travelled solo, and most places I look at on the package deals put huge single suppliments on, it makes the holiday too expensive. I looked at cruises but again for solo travellers either I have stay in a cabin that I don't really want to or pay almost double for one that I do.
You could always book a hotel direct too. We do that when we go to Turkey and then we don't have to pay until we get there. They will only charge per room as well.
Even if there are 'no supplements' it's still going to be more pricey because obviously if there are two of you going the room cost is halved between you.
I met a guy last year who got a really good deal with Travel Republic - you could give them a try. He paid less than £450 for two weeks in Oludeniz, Turkey.
Bear in mind that flights are not cheap unless booked way in advance so the flight cost can prove prohibitive even if the hotel doesn't. I had to pay £250 for Turkey last year even though it was booked 8 months in advance.
I met a guy last year who got a really good deal with Travel Republic - you could give them a try. He paid less than £450 for two weeks in Oludeniz, Turkey.
Bear in mind that flights are not cheap unless booked way in advance so the flight cost can prove prohibitive even if the hotel doesn't. I had to pay £250 for Turkey last year even though it was booked 8 months in advance.
Or alternatively, have a look at destinations that tend not to attract large single supplements. I've found Tunisia ideal for that - most TOs offer packages with either very low supplements or even no supplement at all for sole use of a twin/double. However, I think that there are very few places that you'll get a good deal for during late July/August - that puts you squarely in the school holiday period when you can expect flights to be at their most expensive and hotels rarely needing to discount room prices in order to fill them.
SM
SM
If you are flexible on where you are prepared to go. Places like Spain, Majorca, Algarve, Ibiza, Minorca will probably still have reasonably priced flights as they are close to the UK and many carriers go there.
You could book a flight direct with the airline and a room through someone like Thomson if you want a big name or http://www.hotels.com I believe with the later company you just pay for the first night in the hotel and the remaining 6 nights when you check out of the hotel. I would make sure I paid everything by creditcard and had good travel insurance.
That way you don't have to use an intermediary company for the booking, like onthebeach, travel republic, hotelopia etc if you are worried about these type of companys who book dynamic packages going under during the recession.
Hope it works out
Doe
You could book a flight direct with the airline and a room through someone like Thomson if you want a big name or http://www.hotels.com I believe with the later company you just pay for the first night in the hotel and the remaining 6 nights when you check out of the hotel. I would make sure I paid everything by creditcard and had good travel insurance.
That way you don't have to use an intermediary company for the booking, like onthebeach, travel republic, hotelopia etc if you are worried about these type of companys who book dynamic packages going under during the recession.
Hope it works out
Doe
Thanks everyone, for all your suggestions, I will have to put my thinking cap on, and try some options, it's seems if I book a room separate and the flight then that may be best for me. Can't pay by credit card, don't use them I'm afraid, so don't know if I would get the same protection from debit cards.
I just wish some of the bigger named companies would appreciate the fact that in this day and age, some of us ladies and gents find outselves single for whatever reason, and we don't actually want to sit at home year after year we want to have a holiday too, and probably more now. (sorry folks bit of a moan)
Huge thanks to everyone that has come up with suggestions, I will be brave and bite the bullet and do something.
xxxxx
I just wish some of the bigger named companies would appreciate the fact that in this day and age, some of us ladies and gents find outselves single for whatever reason, and we don't actually want to sit at home year after year we want to have a holiday too, and probably more now. (sorry folks bit of a moan)
Huge thanks to everyone that has come up with suggestions, I will be brave and bite the bullet and do something.
xxxxx
Hi I have just had a look at Alpha Rooms attached to HT - I just gave them a quick ring as I could not get past the first page to get a quote for package, no matter how I tried to insert London Gatwick or Gatwick or London?? Anyway they have a great way to get rid of queries, it's a press button thing depending upon your query as mine did not fit any of the specific queries, it said press 6 for all other queries - so I pressed 6 and it cut me off. I tried this three times lol - great way to get rid problems/queries, must try that approach at my own place of work.
So will probably give them a miss.
So will probably give them a miss.
Travel Republic and Low Cost Holidays do accomodation only too.
You are right, the major tour comapies really should do more to cater for solo travellers, there are a lot of people who travel alone and it shouldn't be so expensive.
You are right, the major tour comapies really should do more to cater for solo travellers, there are a lot of people who travel alone and it shouldn't be so expensive.
Miss Pink
If you dont have a credit card, but your debit card is a Visa Debit card, that can afford you some protection. People have had success claiming back form Visa Debit its other debit cards that dont seem to offer any protection at all.
Doe
If you dont have a credit card, but your debit card is a Visa Debit card, that can afford you some protection. People have had success claiming back form Visa Debit its other debit cards that dont seem to offer any protection at all.
Doe
doepsmc
I have a visa debit, so that's good news, crikey I feel inthe dark ages not having a credit card, never felt the need, was brought up with old school of thought if you can't afford to pay for it right away then you can't afford it - well it works for me anyway.
I had a look at booking.com I have used them before for UK hotels, didn't realise you could do abroad, so will look at my options.
Thanks again to everyone.
I have a visa debit, so that's good news, crikey I feel inthe dark ages not having a credit card, never felt the need, was brought up with old school of thought if you can't afford to pay for it right away then you can't afford it - well it works for me anyway.
I had a look at booking.com I have used them before for UK hotels, didn't realise you could do abroad, so will look at my options.
Thanks again to everyone.
There's nothing wrong with not having a credit card - as long as you don't run into somewhere that only takes Mastercard! There are still some on the continent so make sure you know where the cashpoints are.
Good point, I try to take what I need in cash/foreign currency and use debit card for getting cash only.
MissPink I don't have a credit card and never have had one, not had a problem up to yet.
Even if you run into some expensive problem you can always ring someone at home and have them pay some money into your current account so that you can draw on that.
Even if you run into some expensive problem you can always ring someone at home and have them pay some money into your current account so that you can draw on that.
Sandc never thought of that, maybe they could do it all year round for me 
Hi all
Thanks all for comments, was getting to grips of first solo holiday for while and searching the net for reasonable price break and having had a quote
for my garden to be done, can't manage on my own properly, it was considerably more than I bargained for - so no holiday for Miss Pink this year - I still have next years - but it seems so far away.
Thanks to you all who offerered suggestions.
Thanks all for comments, was getting to grips of first solo holiday for while and searching the net for reasonable price break and having had a quote
for my garden to be done, can't manage on my own properly, it was considerably more than I bargained for - so no holiday for Miss Pink this year - I still have next years - but it seems so far away.Thanks to you all who offerered suggestions.
miss pink,
it is still possible to get a cheap break, but you need to first of all find a cheap flight.
the accommodation prices are about the same for every company , but if you can get a cheap flight the world is your lobster.
have a look here for airlines to your destination, and you may be surprised as to what you may still be able to get.
link this to travel republic/alpharooms/findmeaccom and you may still get a break.
it is still possible to get a cheap break, but you need to first of all find a cheap flight.
the accommodation prices are about the same for every company , but if you can get a cheap flight the world is your lobster.
have a look here for airlines to your destination, and you may be surprised as to what you may still be able to get.
link this to travel republic/alpharooms/findmeaccom and you may still get a break.
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