It struck me recently, after helping someone plan their holiday, that many folks are a bit reluctant to go beyond the packages that the main TOs offer. This can be fear of what might happen if things go wrong or just not knowing the best way to go about it. It struck me that I, along with so many on this forum, have acquired a fair amount of knowledge of holiday planning without perhaps realising it. So why not pool all the knowledge in one thread?
First of all, when beginning to plan, keep an open mind as to ways of booking. Research all methods of booking – don’t assume that going completely DIY is going to be cheaper.
The joy of taking control of your holiday is that you don’t have to be stuck with hotels or departure dates or holiday lengths that are not exactly what you want. So decide where you want to go. This is the fun part for me. I end up all over the world during my planning. I pick a few destinations and then research flight prices. At this point I can usually discount at least one destination as I just can’t begin to afford it. Once I have the possible flights I then research the hotels. First thing to do is find out if the airline also does hotels. If you book both together you can often find you have a real bargain. I have just booked a hotel along with my BA flights, that has a daily price way below what I can find elsewhere.
Hotels- don’t ever book a holiday without checking reviews of the hotel. Discount the ones that seem over the top, either good or bad, and look at what the majority say.
There are so many hotel booking websites available nowadays. As well as the usual ones, look at ones based in the country you are going to. It may seem strange but it’s definitely true, that sometimes booking directly with a hotel is actually the cheapest option!!
Once you have your ideal flights and hotel- don’t book it before finding if you can beat the price elsewhere. I really got into holiday research about 14 years ago when looking to go on a holiday of a lifetime. We were looking to go to Hong Kong, Bangkok and a beach resort. I found that a little bit of my own research and I took the price down by £1000!
Tour operators- go to them with what you want to do and ask them to quote. Do this with several operators. When you get the cheapest quote, go back to the other operators and ask them to beat it. Its amazing how much they can change. If they can beat your DIY price
or even be just a little above, then take it( after you have finished researching all possibilities).
Take your quote to a travel agent- local or online. I have in the past got the best quote this way.
Try websites such as expedia, travelsupermarket, ebookers. These are useful sites for booking a complete holiday and also just for flights or hotels.
Have insurance in place. If you have flight connections, it’s better to be bored for a few hours in the airport than to take the minimum connection time and risk losing your flights. Assume that your first flight might be delayed an hour or so. Research how to get from the airport to your hotel. Make sure that your flights haven’t changed whilst you are on holiday- just check the day before, when you can usually check in online anyway.
It is your responsibility to check for any visa requirements and any vaccinations or health advice.
If you are going long haul please make check the weather. You don’t want to end up going during monsoon season!
Remember you can use cashback sites to save even more. My advice would be to look at those once you know where you can book. Take the cashback as a bonus rather than base which company you are going to use on whether they are on the cashback site.
Be aware of what exactly you are booking and what is covered if anything goes wrong. Fwh has a brilliant post here
Useful links-
Look at our tour operators and travel agent forum for ideas.
Flights- look at our forum for ideas
Investigate individual hotel websites
The above should cover quite a few but some I have useful are-
http://www.expedia.co.uk
http://www.travelsupermarket.com
http://uk.hotels.com/
http://www.booking.com
http://www.hotels4u.com/
INVALID URL great for tailoring your holiday. They can even add a hotel you want that they don’t actually have on their site)
If you use travelsupermarket you can soon build up a list of companies that you can add to your favourites. For each country there will be a range of local specialist companies.
Any other links to threads here you find useful or booking sites that you use please add them. I can add to the ones above.
I could write a lot more but there is probably enough here to start with! I am hoping that other HTers can add to the thread with any tips and advice that may help folks with their first steps into holiday planning.
We use booking.com a lot. They have a very wide range ofaccomodation from budget right up to very swish and in lots of locations. Prices are also good and most have a free cancellation clause.
When researching flights i use http://www.skyscanner.net
for hotels it is http://www.booking.com , http://www.alpharooms.co.uk http://www.sunshine.co.uk
for hotels it is http://www.booking.com , http://www.alpharooms.co.uk http://www.sunshine.co.uk
Unless you specifically want the benefit of Atol protection, book direct and cut out the middleman wherever possible. If you use a middleman research them, and understand how they trade. Make sure you have the correct insurance cover for independent travel. If booking independently, always book flights direct with the airline.
If you don't want a ready made tour operator package look at getting a TA to book you a dynamic package, also known as tailor made (not to be confused with a dynamic bundle, which is what most companies sell ie separate contracts with suppliers and covered by flight plus).
A good independent travel agent will package a holiday for you, which will be a true package, covered by the package regs. That way you can get the best of both worlds. You get flexibility to choose the elements you want, on the dates you want, but still benefit from Atol and package regs protection.
If you don't want a ready made tour operator package look at getting a TA to book you a dynamic package, also known as tailor made (not to be confused with a dynamic bundle, which is what most companies sell ie separate contracts with suppliers and covered by flight plus).
A good independent travel agent will package a holiday for you, which will be a true package, covered by the package regs. That way you can get the best of both worlds. You get flexibility to choose the elements you want, on the dates you want, but still benefit from Atol and package regs protection.
I am also great believer in cutting out the middle man.
I would never book a full holiday with an OTA like travel republic or onthebeach to me the more layers and people involved the more things that can go wrong - the more miscommunication that can happen, not to mention horrendous amendment fees if you have to change anything.
I either book with someone like Thomson or Thomas Cook to get the protection it affords whilst fully understanding the limitations on choice and duration.
Alternatively if DIY, would always book flight direct with the airline, the accommodation direct and sort out my own car hire or private transfer - then if it goes wrong I've only got myself to blame.
I also only book with people who take credit cards.
I would never book a full holiday with an OTA like travel republic or onthebeach to me the more layers and people involved the more things that can go wrong - the more miscommunication that can happen, not to mention horrendous amendment fees if you have to change anything.
I either book with someone like Thomson or Thomas Cook to get the protection it affords whilst fully understanding the limitations on choice and duration.
Alternatively if DIY, would always book flight direct with the airline, the accommodation direct and sort out my own car hire or private transfer - then if it goes wrong I've only got myself to blame.
I also only book with people who take credit cards.
I have yet to find a DIY holiday that is cheaper than a Thomson or Thomas Cook package.
Last may I went on a 2 week package with Thomson for £269.The flight alone on the same day was £490.
Maybe its because we book around 4-6 weeks before departure.
I look on their website and I ask the travel agent to match it which they almost always do.
I now stick with Thomson as last time I travelled with Thomas Cook I had to sit sideways as there was so little leg room.
Last may I went on a 2 week package with Thomson for £269.The flight alone on the same day was £490.
Maybe its because we book around 4-6 weeks before departure.
I look on their website and I ask the travel agent to match it which they almost always do.
I now stick with Thomson as last time I travelled with Thomas Cook I had to sit sideways as there was so little leg room.
Largely I agree with JT -for long haul holidays it is nigh on impossible to beat Thos Cook/Thomson prices -spent a LOT of time a few years ago pricing up holidays to Kenya and couldn't get near their overall price and then did the same last year when looking for Caribbean hols.
We have DIY'd "self catering"holidays to Europe mainly because the flights are so competitive because of the presence of the likes of EasyJet.
We have DIY'd "self catering"holidays to Europe mainly because the flights are so competitive because of the presence of the likes of EasyJet.
I book our flights direct with the budget airlines, then my accommodation either direct or through some like Booking.com where I pay on departure.
I'd love to be able to book 4-6 weeks before like Jay but I'm so picky about our view etc I wouldn't dare leave it to chance.
I'd love to be able to book 4-6 weeks before like Jay but I'm so picky about our view etc I wouldn't dare leave it to chance.
I like to plan ahead , I already have this year done ( 4 holidays ) with just accommodation to book for the second part of our November holiday , I'm already starting to think of places to go to next year , we always book around the same weeks each year as they fit in very well with our employers and are easy to book , even if I don't know the exact flight day the wife will book a block of days to give us some options , I can start my holidays on any day of the week , I know some employers insist on booking week(s) only which is annoying if you want to fly Thursday to Thursday , which is probably why flying at the weekend usually costs more .
Also my wife's employer has perks or discounts available with certain companies/ websites which I use sometimes for travel or hotels , it's worth checking if your employer has any tie ups which can give staff discounts .
I usually book places that will have temps of at least 26- 30 C for that time of year , so in March and November we will definitely travel long haul our June and September holidays can be short haul , if travelling long haul I really want upgraded travel especially as you will experience time difference of 4 hours + I feel the good of a holiday is almost undone by being cramped in economy on a overnight flight . I solely use BA for all my air travel and collect their points to subsidise my long haul travel plans , I typically earn around 170 to 180 k points a year , and this year I have spent 50k on upgrading to St Lucia in March and 120k points to Dubai in November , and this gets me Club World to St Lucia and First to Dubai return for a cash outlay of £ 1450 per person , not a great deal more than buying a typical economy ticket to both destinations , full price cost for these flights would be around £5500 per person .
I also sign up to hotel loyalty schemes , I've used Hilton quite a bit and have recently started using Sofitel a bit more , I've always been upgraded on arrival even though I don't expect it , I was looking recently on booking a room at Sofitel in Dubai for 5 nights , I eventually booked a suite which cost around £30 a night more than a " basic" room but I get lounge access with drinks etc throughout the day , private transfers included from the airport , in room checkin , no waiting around , and a ridiculous big room to stay in for just £150 , it pays for itself and I have a more comfortable stay . You can only find these deals yourself by exploring every avenue , I just don't feel a mainstream agent will do this legwork for you , perhaps unfairly I just get the impression that they are stack it high and sell it cheap ( or not so cheap ) I'm happier being in charge of my own plans and getting what I have actually booked , and more if its on offer !!
My tip is to think big , look big and see just what you can get .
Also my wife's employer has perks or discounts available with certain companies/ websites which I use sometimes for travel or hotels , it's worth checking if your employer has any tie ups which can give staff discounts .
I usually book places that will have temps of at least 26- 30 C for that time of year , so in March and November we will definitely travel long haul our June and September holidays can be short haul , if travelling long haul I really want upgraded travel especially as you will experience time difference of 4 hours + I feel the good of a holiday is almost undone by being cramped in economy on a overnight flight . I solely use BA for all my air travel and collect their points to subsidise my long haul travel plans , I typically earn around 170 to 180 k points a year , and this year I have spent 50k on upgrading to St Lucia in March and 120k points to Dubai in November , and this gets me Club World to St Lucia and First to Dubai return for a cash outlay of £ 1450 per person , not a great deal more than buying a typical economy ticket to both destinations , full price cost for these flights would be around £5500 per person .
I also sign up to hotel loyalty schemes , I've used Hilton quite a bit and have recently started using Sofitel a bit more , I've always been upgraded on arrival even though I don't expect it , I was looking recently on booking a room at Sofitel in Dubai for 5 nights , I eventually booked a suite which cost around £30 a night more than a " basic" room but I get lounge access with drinks etc throughout the day , private transfers included from the airport , in room checkin , no waiting around , and a ridiculous big room to stay in for just £150 , it pays for itself and I have a more comfortable stay . You can only find these deals yourself by exploring every avenue , I just don't feel a mainstream agent will do this legwork for you , perhaps unfairly I just get the impression that they are stack it high and sell it cheap ( or not so cheap ) I'm happier being in charge of my own plans and getting what I have actually booked , and more if its on offer !!
My tip is to think big , look big and see just what you can get .
andy66 -I would love to be able to plan as you do but to be fair I suspect your budget is a bit more than mine!!
Mine too Dave. One flight to Dubai covers our total holiday cost
yes but you will find andy often does the same as I do- use airmiles 
BA miles are particularly easy to gather, if you shop in Tesco and use a BA amex to pay for it. But that is probably a different thread....
BA miles are particularly easy to gather, if you shop in Tesco and use a BA amex to pay for it. But that is probably a different thread....
I am getting nearer and nearer to home since Worldwide insurance became very expensive because of pre existing medical conditions and age.
It doesnt bother us as we have been all to many parts of the world for holidays in the past We mainly visited Egypt,Turkey and Tunisia the past few years but last year we added Austria and Malta to these countries,as well as 3 UK coach trips.
We are returning to Spain in 3 weeks and then will be looking for somewhere in either Portugal or the Canaries for May.
I just look on line to see whats available and book it.
I used to have to plan ahead when we were working but we retired early so can please ourselves when we go.
It doesnt bother us as we have been all to many parts of the world for holidays in the past We mainly visited Egypt,Turkey and Tunisia the past few years but last year we added Austria and Malta to these countries,as well as 3 UK coach trips.
We are returning to Spain in 3 weeks and then will be looking for somewhere in either Portugal or the Canaries for May.
I just look on line to see whats available and book it.
I used to have to plan ahead when we were working but we retired early so can please ourselves when we go.
we definitely need "like" buttons here
I think it's only natural to assume we all have different budgets for holidays , I'm sure we all have differing costs of living and circumstances too , we happen to be DINKs, double income no kids , so perhaps I spend the same as a couple with 2/3 kids would on a holiday on just us 2 adults , my examples were to show that you could get premium travel for a cost that is realistic , and I can't afford the full normal prices whilst I'm sure there are people who can . But I think the principles still remain , while budgets can differ .
1.thinking a year ahead , prices can be low when flights are " just " released
2.finding " cheap " weeks that historical stay low , obviously not school holidays and bank holidays , but weeks just before or after .
3.knowing when your employer will let you book time off
4.does your employer have tie ups offering discounts
5.knowing what the weather will be like at that time , as us Brits are obsessed with weather !!
6.collecting points / miles etc that can be used for discounted travel , work out in advance how many you could typically earn on everyday spending and what reward that could lead to , spend points/ rewards wisely to get the most out of them .
7. Sign up to loyalty schemes , most are free
8. Look at different room prices and see if you get benefits that outweigh the extra cost .
At this moment we can afford and enjoy the plans we have , maybe in the future things will change , who knows the point made by Jay Trip is very relevant and is still planning because the extra cost of insurance has to be taken into account also do what you can while you can because you will still have the memories and experiences . Also I look at things that have happened to my close family and that influences many of my decisions and how I want to live my life .
Fiona , you are right Tesco and Amex " pay " for my upgraded travel otherwise I'd be slumming it in WT+ at best 
1.thinking a year ahead , prices can be low when flights are " just " released
2.finding " cheap " weeks that historical stay low , obviously not school holidays and bank holidays , but weeks just before or after .
3.knowing when your employer will let you book time off
4.does your employer have tie ups offering discounts
5.knowing what the weather will be like at that time , as us Brits are obsessed with weather !!
6.collecting points / miles etc that can be used for discounted travel , work out in advance how many you could typically earn on everyday spending and what reward that could lead to , spend points/ rewards wisely to get the most out of them .
7. Sign up to loyalty schemes , most are free
8. Look at different room prices and see if you get benefits that outweigh the extra cost .
At this moment we can afford and enjoy the plans we have , maybe in the future things will change , who knows the point made by Jay Trip is very relevant and is still planning because the extra cost of insurance has to be taken into account also do what you can while you can because you will still have the memories and experiences . Also I look at things that have happened to my close family and that influences many of my decisions and how I want to live my life .
Fiona , you are right Tesco and Amex " pay " for my upgraded travel otherwise I'd be slumming it in WT+ at best
My eldest grandson has been travelling to Japan regularly for the past couple of years and finds he can save a lot on flights by going via Amsterdam or similar rather than direct from London.
I think I have read about that, it's something to do with tax in the other airports being less for long haul flights. So you take a short haul flight to a European City and only pay lower Tax out of the UK and then lower tax from Amsterdam or wherever. That's a brilliant tip. Apparently another place is works is to fly from Dublin. So London to Dublin and then on to your long haul destination.
It's not something I would do now, but as a younger person I would have been well up for that and looked on it as an extension of the holiday if I was going to the US or another long haul destination.
It's not something I would do now, but as a younger person I would have been well up for that and looked on it as an extension of the holiday if I was going to the US or another long haul destination.
Indirect flights are less expensive than direct. Also leaving the UK on a longhaul flight incurs a higher rate of APD than shorter flights.
Current rates in economy are : Band A up to 2000 miles is £26 compared, with Band B 2001-4000 miles £134, Band C, 4001-6000 miles £166, and Band D £188. They all rise in April apart from Band A. Classes other than economy incur double those rates.
Quite a saving can be made by flying via Germany, Holland, France etc. Dublin's APD is a lot lower than in the UK anyway, and there was plans to scrap if from April, but I don't know if that's definite.
Current rates in economy are : Band A up to 2000 miles is £26 compared, with Band B 2001-4000 miles £134, Band C, 4001-6000 miles £166, and Band D £188. They all rise in April apart from Band A. Classes other than economy incur double those rates.
Quite a saving can be made by flying via Germany, Holland, France etc. Dublin's APD is a lot lower than in the UK anyway, and there was plans to scrap if from April, but I don't know if that's definite.
I have looked at this , flying Ex EU and a lot of business people do this , as Sunaddict days you could book an indirect flight from an UK airport to an EU one , AMS Amsterdam seems to be the most popular an then onwards to your final destination . The example I tried was with BA from LHR to BKK travelling in club , it was cheaper to fly AMS to BKK , my routing and pricing was LGW to AMS on say day 1 , stay overnight in AMS , then early flight from AMS to LHR , connecting flight from LHR to BKK , have holiday then BKK to LHR , a quick rest then LHR to AMS , stay overnight then AMS to LGW the following day , The flights from LGW to AMS return were about £100 pp , 2 nights hotel say about £250 , and the saving was still around £1000 , this was just flying with one airline and gaining more points and Tier points which might be useful if you need them , if you have no particular loyalty to one airline and want to travel long haul then an indirect flight can save the dreaded APD , my example shows that flying with the SAME carrier and covering more miles and creating a bigger carbon footprint actually costs less !!! It might be a bit of faffing around and seem a bit crazy , but then it might be the APD rates in the UK are crazy 
I've also read elsewhere that if Scotland gains independence they will abolish/ reduce APD ???
I've also read elsewhere that if Scotland gains independence they will abolish/ reduce APD ???
The later would be great, imagine London then a night somewhere lovely in Scotland (can you do two nights or does that breach something ) then on to your long haul destination - two holidays in one.
Post a Reply
Please sign in or register an account to reply to this post.
Similar Topics
-
Holiday Planning
Posted by Rachels79 in General Holiday Enquiries, Hints and Tips
-
Planning My Holiday
Posted by MandiNKel in Cyprus Discussion Forums
-
Planning first holiday to Goa
Posted by Helen T in Goa Discussion Forum
- Planning your holiday
-
holiday planning
Posted by pete1233333 in Goa Discussion Forum