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Package Vs DIY

  • 29-07-2008 11:18PM
    #1
    PurpleBerry
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,006 ✭✭✭


    I hope to go on a week long holiday later this year to Ibiza. I can't decide whether to book a package deal or book a hotel and flight seperately. What are peoples' experiences? Of either? (I've never been on either type of holiday before so either way I have no idea what I'm letting myself in for!)

    I was all for doing it seperately but I've since been told that I'll end up paying extra for baggage, airport taxes, insurance et cetra. Also that it's better to get a package deal because transfers from the airport to the hotel are usually included.

    What do people think?


Comments

  • #2
    mikedragon32
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,939 ✭✭✭mikedragon32


    I haven't done a package holiday in about 8 or 9 years as I'd become seriously disillusioned with tour operators and their "serivces".

    In the meantime, I've been to Gran Canaria twice, Lanzarote, USA, Canada and France on holidays of a week or more.

    It's hard to tell if I'd saved money overall, but you have a lot more options than just what the tour operators foist on you. I've stayed in some great places and didn't have to concern myself with things like finding the rep at the airport then finding the right coach, having excursions pushed on me and having to go through the rep to have any (even minor) issues resolved.

    What a package does do is take the hassel out of booking a holiday. You just pick the property, pick the dates and pay your money. Job done.

    When you book independently, you pay for flights and hotel seperately and have no support/fallback if something goes wrong.

    I doubt very much you'd book holiday flights (even seats on a Charter) and end up getting stung for extra taxes or airport charges.

    For what it's worth, some tour operators now charge extra for the coach transfers. It can often work out cheaper to take a taxi if that's the case. I reckon the best test would be to find the holiday that you want in a brochure or on a Tour Operator's website, note the price with the extras, then see what you might pay if you booked similar flights and property online. If the saving is worth it to you (ie. if you're happy not to have the services of a Tour Operator), I would suggest DIY.

    FWIW, I've booked my first package this decade with Sunway, who I've never used before but came well recommended as there was a considerable saving!


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