Where are these amazingly cheap sun holidays?

tony glenn

You know the story.....you bump into friends who can't wait to tell you that they're just back from a last minute sun holiday.....amazing bargain, a week in wherever, all inclusive, five euro each blah blah blah. So online we go, Google all the 'cheap' sites.....all the offers start off low enough but end up much more by the time you've put in your dates etc.
We can go at very short notice, anywhere sunny (and safe btw)....so what's the secret?

intheclouds

Wouldn't touch a cheapo holiday. Be full of money grubbing peasants. I like to holiday as though money is no object. Live the dream for 2 weeks.

Shint0

All inclusive up a cardiac hill three streets back from the beach with room facing the waste storage area and the sound of kango drills from the new complex being thrown up next door.

theteal

They tend to be last minute cancellation deals with very little option as regards accommodation i.e. the chances of landing somewhere you'd actually choose yourself are minutely slim. Not my cup of tea tbh. Whilst I do enjoy getting a good deal, quality of the location is paramount.

Fsfop

We've had loads of last minute holidays where we've ended up in fantastic venues paying a tiny fraction of the amount other people have! If you don't mind where you go and can literally go later that day or the next day, then you can end up with a great deal. Last year we got yo Cyprus for €164 each (all inclusive of taxes etc) for a week in a top resort. It was fabulous. Before that we've been to Crete, Costa deal Sol, Algarve, Gran Canaria...never paying more than €150 each, all incl of taxes etc, for a week!!!
I've had the best success with budget travel and gohop.ie

P.S. It's not true that you always end up in some kip looking out the window at the bins. I never did because if I didn't like the look of a place I'd choose somewhere else. Common sense.

tony glenn

Thanks for the detailed, informative and positive reply.....much appreciated!

pjproby

FSfop can you recommend some websites or agents that you have used?

Fsfop

pjproby wrote: »

FSfop can you recommend some websites or agents that you have used?

I have used loads of different sites. I usually find if you RING them, you can sometimes get better deals as they might have cancellations that they haven't put on the websites yet. I've had good success with budget travel and gohop.ie. I also got a good deal one year with falcon I think? Ring the companies first though is my advice. Last year we ended up being neighbours in an apartment complex with a guy who I knew from college. He and his Mrs has paid €800 extra EACH than we had paid for exact same holiday!! It might not be as easy to secure deals this year though with many more people choosing places other than turkey, Egypt, Morocco etc. So you'll have more competition from these people for every holiday. My advice: pack a bag and start ringing around the companies. You might even get a holiday tonight!

yqtwqxqm

tony glenn wrote: »

You know the story.....you bump into friends who can't wait to tell you that they're just back from a last minute sun holiday.....amazing bargain, a week in wherever, all inclusive, five euro each blah blah blah. So online we go, Google all the 'cheap' sites.....all the offers start off low enough but end up much more by the time you've put in your dates etc.
We can go at very short notice, anywhere sunny (and safe btw)....so what's the secret?

The secret is that they are never available in July, August, Easter, Christmas, October end of term.
Anything outside these times and you should easily get them.
Sometimes it can be easy to get them from the UK and you could get a cheap flight over there and back.

Fsfop

yqtwqxqm wrote: »

The secret is that they are never available in July, August, Easter, Christmas, October end of term.
Anything outside these times and you should easily get them.
Sometimes it can be easy to get them from the UK and you could get a cheap flight over there and back.

That's not true. I always travel in July and August.

vicwatson

Been searching most of the day and there ain't a bargain out there for short haul sun anyways

uli84

New airline started flying to cyprus from Dublin, the prices ain't too bad

fletch

uli84 wrote: »

New airline started flying to cyprus from Dublin, the prices ain't too bad

Does this new airline have a name?

jester77

Travel agents at the airport can have really cheap last minute offers. If you have a few different bags packed (for different climates) and are willing to travel in the next few hours then there are good deals. Just put the bags you won't need into storage and pick them up when you return.

vicwatson

fletch wrote: »

Does this new airline have a name?

I imagine it's Cobalt Aero - www.cobalt.aero

I'd also love some tips. Have the last week of the month off but can't find anywhere fantasticall cheap. There's stuff a week later that's gotten cheaper but not my dates. :pac:

sadie9

I got a great deal on the Budget Travel website this week.
Not by looking at the deals ads but by entering the dates, and then various destinations.
You do have to trawl through the options, and then check the Accommodation on Trip Advisor to make sure the place is nice, near beach, or a town etc.
It is time consuming checking the properties so expect to spend a day at least on the internet.
There is another site called discountholidays.ie which is a kind of interface for some other agencies, but I found the Budget Travel one easier and better standard of accommodation.

finbarrk

gohop have some cheap sun holidays.
https://www.gohop.ie/cheap-holidays.php

dartboardio

The trick is to know where to look. Booking.com will give you more expensive options of the exact same place you'll get on the cheaper ones (alpha rooms, travel republic)

Never book packages. It works out dearer.

For instance, booking.com will show 600 euro for something that's 400 on alpha.

I recently got a 2 week holiday to lanzarote for two people including a nice self catering apartment for 492 euro accommodation total and 300 flights total in June! Peak season.. But I spent an hour or two trawling sites.

And it was 430 for one week in the same place...so go figure. Be flexible with dates too as one day could be fifty euro dearer than the next etc. Tuesdays are usually cheaper to fly aswell

Ninelle

If you don’t depend on dates, travel on your own/with a partner, having only a light hand bag, it might be worth trying, but for elderly people or children it can be risky, as cancellations and delays happen sometimes.

Slunk

I got flights to Malta for 90 euro on sunday. Granted we splashed out a bit on a nice hotel for a week but could have got accommodation a lot cheaper than we did depending on your standards. I'd say 7 nights for approx 250pp if you wernt fussy.
Budget travel had a few cheaper options but like previous posters said check TripAdvisor. Rather spend an extra 100 or 200 overall for peace of mind.
Did take a while searching skyscanner/trivago etc but can be done.

Jodotman

intheclouds wrote: »

Wouldn't touch a cheapo holiday. Be full of money grubbing peasants. I like to holiday as though money is no object. Live the dream for 2 weeks.

What complete and utter snobbery.
Always did Last minute deals and lets me go five sun holidays every year and pay absolutely pittance for them in very nice resorts.

Yes, maybe 1 in five times the place isn't the fanciest but all I care about is lying on the beach or deck chair and sipping cocktails in the sun and going for nice meals.

Equium

Thomson can be excellent value for last minute holidays, especially if you fly via the UK. I went to Rhodes for a week last July, at three weeks notice, for €125 all-in on a half board basis. The flights were from Birmingham. You can get there for €35 return from Dublin. I'm certainly hoping to do something similar this Autumn.