Package Holiday Questions

CrazySka

Ok heres the story, i ve been on a good few foriegn holidays, summer jopbs abroad etc, but ive never actually been on a full package holiday, in the past i just got flights and saw what happened when i got there. This year though myself and the gf want to go on a nice holiday where everything sorted in advance.

Heres what were looking for, somewhere relatively calm ie no gangs of british under 20 tourists, no drunk kids puking and shouting, but somewhere with a decent nightlife all the same, somewhere sunny, with all the kind of tours that go with package holidays(waterparks etc). anyone been anywhere like this??

Thinking of going for a cancellation or last minute deal, are they easy to get, how much can you save?

Any places to avoid? Bad experiences with package companies etc?

If anyone can answer these or even one of these it d be great, cheers.

Pighead

Pighead went to the Greek island of Zakynthos last year and had a great time. Resort we went to(kalamaki) was pretty quiet but theres a lively area about 15 mins up the road.

Glorious sunshine and loads of decent day trips(Including a day trip to athens which was pretty interesting, and a trip to shipwreck island which was magical and wonderous)

CrazySka

Cheers Pighead, id never really considered greece actually, will look into it. What was the heat like?

Pighead

It was generally around the 30 degree mark John. I thought it would be too hot for my fragile body but It was grand.

CrazySka

Cheers Pigmeister, i shall check it out.

Anyone any info on cancellations/late deals?

BC

What time of year are you going?

Late deals can work out quite cheap, however you have basically no choice about the holiday, where to go/ where to stay etc. So if you specifically want to avoid certain types of places then its probably not the way to go.

I've been to Lanzarote which i really liked, although it wasn't there during the summer time. Furtenventura is supposed to be quite nice and fairly quiet.

CrazySka

Cheers BC,Planning on going in mid July, Maybe a late deal isnt the way to go but if i made a list of the places that sounded okay and waited for them to come up, what ya reckon? suppose i could still end up in some hotel full of familys, screaming kids and the like

mikedragon32

Lastminute.ie are great for cancellations and stuff. If you're not stuck on going to any particular place, there's great deals to be had. I got a great deal a couple of years ago, had a villa to myself for a week for only 330 incl flights. You should do even better than that just going for an apartment.

Only problem with mid-july is that it's peak-season, so most resorts/complexes will be overrun with kids.

CrazySka

Cheers mike, suppose we'll just have to resign ourselves to the likelihood that wherever we go theres gonna be at least some irritating people(drunks, gangs of teenagers, crying kids).
Maybe a last minute deal isnt the way to go after all, think wed have more of a chance of getting the place we want through an ordinary package deal?

kopite10

Would just like to agree with Pighead. I went to Zakynthos last year or as the brits call it Zante and It was lovely. I was in the resort of Argassi and it would be more livelier than Kalamaki but less livelier than Laganas, which is basically an Ibiza type resort with brits everywhere. But Beautiful island, reccommend it. Enjoy

mikedragon32

No worries John.

Problem is that looking to book this close to departure means that you may well get the resort you want, but you'd have to ask why the place you get wasn't booked out already. Therefore why pay the brochure price (plus some tour operators charge €25 for late booking).

Better to take a chance on a cancellation. Afterall, most resorts are the same, wherever you go. Most are full of screaming kids/drunk teenagers/english/timeshare pests/hawkers etc. It's only if you're planning to explore further afield that there's much difference. Resorts that don't fit this profile are usually expensive and also don't have much by way of nightlife (hence why they're quiet).

Griffen

You should look into Portugal, was in praia de rocha twice, its beautiful.

Fab restaurants, strip of irish bars good craic but not full of teenagers.

Beautiful beaches and man mad marina which is very pretty.

FoxyChild

I'd recommend Kusadasi in Turkey. That was the best sun holiday I've ever been on. Went last year and myself and my friends booked it bout 2 weeks before we went. For a new four star hotel (only for Irish tourists) b&b, two weeks, the whole thing just cost €800 odd. Great nightlife. Very cheap. Great daytrips you can go on.

okidoki987

(plus some tour operators charge €25 for late booking

That's taking the mick :eek: