Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Book Online or Travel Agent

Options
  • 16-12-2018 9:47am
    #1
    BlackEdelweiss
    Registered Users Posts: 1,529 ✭✭✭


    We lived in NZ for the last number of years and I was not on a package holiday for a long time before moving there so I have no idea of the current thoughts on booking holidays online. We want to bring the kids on a sun holiday in June so I am looking at various sites online.
    Can anyone recommend a good site to go with, preferably that would let us pay in installments. I saw this on Budget Travel. Can anyone recommend sites I should avoid. Is there any benefit of doing it the traditional way through a travel agent?
    Thanks.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    harr
    Registered Users Posts: 4,478 ✭✭✭harr


    BlackEdelweiss wrote: »
    We lived in NZ for the last number of years and I was not on a package holiday for a long time before moving there so I have no idea of the current thoughts on booking holidays online. We want to bring the kids on a sun holiday in June so I am looking at various sites online.
    Can anyone recommend a good site to go with, preferably that would let us pay in installments. I saw this on Budget Travel. Can anyone recommend sites I should avoid. Is there any benefit of doing it the traditional way through a travel agent?
    Thanks.
    Really depends where you want to go and what you want from your holiday.
    I don’t find a huge difference in price for package holidays and booking yourself.
    Last year it cost us only about €50 euro more to book with travel agents. They took a small deposit upfront and then remaining nearer to holiday.
    It was just easier to have it all done for us including transfers.
    If going as a couple we will book on line , some fantastic deals to be had with Airbnb.
    Of course you could use Airbnb for a family holiday but I find a lot of the accommodation does be a bit outside of the resorts.
    In my opinion going the Airbnb route you do tend to have nicer choices of accommodation.


  • Options
    #3
    BlackEdelweiss
    Registered Users Posts: 1,529 ✭✭✭BlackEdelweiss


    We just want a traditional sun holiday, Malta, Spain, Canaries etc. The kids are 15, 11 & 8 so we would like a bit if life to the place but not total Magaluf type busy. I would eb quite happy to book online for myself and the wife for a weekend away type break but when dealing with the kids I would like to know exactly what we are getting. I might look into a travel agent and see what they say. Paying in installments will be a big factor, hopefully that is an option.


  • Options
    #4
    BlackEdelweiss
    Registered Users Posts: 1,529 ✭✭✭BlackEdelweiss


    What about the option of booking flights with Ryanair or similar and booking a hotel directly, has anyone any experience with this option? Is there any benefit to doing it this way? I always hear about people getting flights for E30 or some other great deal but I looked up Ryanair and got a price of E1400 for 5 of us for June.


  • Options
    #5
    harr
    Registered Users Posts: 4,478 ✭✭✭harr


    BlackEdelweiss wrote: »
    What about the option of booking flights with Ryanair or similar and booking a hotel directly, has anyone any experience with this option? Is there any benefit to doing it this way? I always hear about people getting flights for E30 or some other great deal but I looked up Ryanair and got a price of E1400 for 5 of us for June.

    Flights are always the bulk of the cost..we are a family of 4 and flights can be very expensive. Hotel can be booked reasonably enough but again you will need two hotel rooms or a two bed room apartment.
    You won’t have much change from €3000 for your holiday...remember to factor in insurance and return airport transfers.
    So if booking on line try to get a location where the airport is a short taxi ride to hotel or better again book transfers on line.
    If you fly into Malaga you have a good choice of resorts in and around that area with good public transport to the various beach resorts.


  • Options
    #6
    VG31
    Registered Users Posts: 3,392 ✭✭✭VG31


    BlackEdelweiss wrote: »
    What about the option of booking flights with Ryanair or similar and booking a hotel directly, has anyone any experience with this option? Is there any benefit to doing it this way? I always hear about people getting flights for E30 or some other great deal but I looked up Ryanair and got a price of E1400 for 5 of us for June.

    There's no such thing as €30 flights to resort destinations in June. If you go at a very off-peak time like February you might get prices close to that but for the rest of the year you can forget it.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement