Hi, I book most of my client's flights and hotels separately, yes 9 times out of 10 it works out cheaper, especially if you're willing to have 3-4 people in a room. Don't know about all travel companies but we have an insurance in place now to cover diy holidays just in case the flight/accommodatin provider goes bust.

Ive just booked to go back to Sharm for the third time and although I have booked with First Choice because I wanted the Red Sea Holiday Village, another hotel I was considering which seems to have a serious amount of slides is the Sunrise Tirania Aqua Park. Difficult to explain where it is if you dont know Sharm but its a bit isolated (lots of hotels are, many people just stay put, or go on organised trips).

I was getting a fairly good price for this by doing a kind of DIY via Travel Republic. Going on their site and selecting flights and then clicking through all their hotel options. It isn't classed as a package as it says that quite clearly on their site.

The downside of bookling DIY to Sharm is the flights are so dear, its hard to beat the price that a package offers. If it comes to the point where there is only 100 pounds in it, I would go with the package holiday as you get the protection of the package tour regulations. Different though if you can save 400 or 500 hundred, then it's probably worth the risk.

I agree with Doe- the flights to egypt are expensive and so are the good 5* hotels. I think if you go to the cheaper hotels there are savings to be made, but for us it was actually cheaper to book a package. We are going to the Grand Azure, but shopped around between tour ops and found the savings that way.

Pam

It's very simple to do DIY to Egypt ,particularly sharm that is only 10 mins from the airport . The key to any saving as you will know if you have done it all before is to get the flight cheap ,which isnt terribly easy during the school holidays. Flight prices to sharm are going through the roof at the moment . If you can hold out to a few months before you may have some luck with easyjet but you would need to be ready and waiting the day the flights come out . I managed previously to get cheaper flights with XL but as we all know they are no more to be . This year I have got it cheaper by booking a package early and for next year managed to get some reasonably priced flights with Thomas cook (booked via travel republic) and at the moment have good prices for booking early direct with http://www.hilton.co.uk . If I can secure these prices I will save around £800 + for our family of 5. TBH it's the same as we are paying this year but next years prices are horrendous at the moment and I cant see them coming down in the near future so I would be more than happy to pay the same as this year.

lyn

Hi I always book flights and all this years booked early and got them for £150 each for 2 weeks. Sometimes it works out cheaper getting a package. Try looking at Aquablu in Hadaba which is part of Alf Lela or Park Inn in Nabq - the one mentioned above I dont think is open yet. If you want links to the sites with pics pm me.
Hotel prices have shot up in Sharm.

Water slides at Sunrise Tirana look great!!!

Rambo13 wrote:

Water slides at Sunrise Tirana look great!!!

I thought that. LOL. But have booked holiday village which also has slides but nowhere near as many. (perhaps I can go to the Tirana next year )

Sunrise Tirana is open as I have been on another site and it has lots of reviews. Trouble is they are all in German lol. But under the bit where they give marks, they are giving everything 4's and 5's.

Thank you all so much for your replies - it is always very interesting to hear about other people's real experiences.
My friend has done most of the costings so far but I will contact our local travel agent as well to see what they have to offer. I will certainly check out the hotels with slides that have been recommended. I want to stay in a good hotel so don't wish to go too cheap and end up not enjoying the stay.
Thank you again.