ARE PACKAGE HOLIDAYS ALWAYS BETTER VALUE?
We put popular trips to the test to find whether booking it all yourself trumps ready-made deals
AS THE jet age took off in the Sixties, so did package holidays, opening up the Med to mass tourism.
Until the Nineties, this was how it usually went: travel agents organised trips and tour operators delivered holidays with reps in the resorts overseeing everything.
Then along came low-cost airlines and a means to book flights on your own via the internet. Things became more complicated. Were travel agents and tour operators really needed if you could do it all yourself?
Flight websites such as Skyscanner. net, Expedia.co.uk, Kayak.co.uk and
Cheapflights.co.uk, alongside Booking. com, Hotels.com and Airbnb.com mean holidaymakers have been going the DIY route for years. A few clicks and your break is sorted. But which offers the best value? We have compared ten package holidays with prices when booking DIY this month (fully aware that prices can change day-by-day). The moral of the story? Always check to see if booking direct is cheaper. You could save a packet.
SUNNY BARBADOS
PACKAGE: £1,450pp for seven nights’ all-inclusive at Sugar Bay, flying from Gatwick (tui.co.uk). DIY: Seven nights’ all-inclusive £954pp (sugarbaybarbados.com); Virgin Atlantic flights £399 (virginatlantic. com). Total: £1,353pp.
WINNER: DIY SAVING £97pp PARTY IN IBIZA
PACKAGE: £1,170pp for seven nights’ B&B at the Hard Rock Hotel, flying from Gatwick (lastminute.com). DIY: Seven nights’ B&B £1,273pp ( hrhibiza.com); Easyjet flights £92 (easyjet. com). Total: £1,365pp.
WINNER: PACKAGE SAVING £195pp ITALIAN LAKES
PACKAGE: £709pp for seven nights’ B&B at Hotel Bellavista, Menaggio, flying from Luton to Milan and transfers (inghams.co.uk). DIY: Seven nights’ B&B £461pp (hotel-bellavista. org); Easyjet flights £41 (easyjet.com); taxi transfers £155 (taximilanairport.com). Total: £657pp.
WINNER: DIY SAVING £52pp LOVELY LANZAROTE
PACKAGE: £829pp for seven nights at the Riu Paraiso all-inclusive flying from Manchester and transfers (firstchoice.co.uk). DIY: Seven nights’ all-inclusive £501pp (riu.com); Jet2 and Ryanair flights from £171pp (jet2.com, ryanair.com); taxi transfers £30 (suntransfers.com). Total: £702pp.
WINNER: DIY SAVING £127pp COOL KEFALONIA
PACKAGE: £923pp for seven nights’ B&B at Astra Village Hotel from Gatwick (olympicholidays.com). DIY: Seven nights’ B&B £376pp (astra-village.eu);
Thomas Cook Airlines flights from £376pp (thomascookairlines.com). Total: £752pp.
WINNER: DIY SAVING £171pp LAS VEGAS GAMBLE
PACKAGE: £705pp for seven nights at Excalibur Hotel & Casino flying from Manchester (thomascook.com). DIY: Seven nights from £480pp (excalibur.mgmresorts.com); Virgin Atlantic flights from £508 (virginatlantic.com). Total: £988pp.
WINNER: PACKAGE SAVING £283pp HOT IN MAURITIUS
PACKAGE: £1,033pp for seven nights’ B&B at Veranda Tamarin Hotel flying from Gatwick (britishairways.com). DIY: Seven nights’ B&B from £475pp (verandaresorts.com); flights from £807 (skyscanner.net). Total: £1,282pp.
WINNER: PACKAGE SAVING £249pp ORLANDO OFFER
PACKAGE: £875pp for seven nights at Rosen Plaza Hotel. Fly from Gatwick, includes car hire (virginholidays.co.uk).
DIY: Seven nights from £440pp ( rosenplaza.com); Virgin Atlantic flights from £485
(virginatlantic.com); car hire from £324 (£162 each) ( enterprise.com). Total: £1,087pp.
WINNER: PACKAGE SAVING £212pp MADEIRA IN STYLE
PACKAGE: £956pp for seven nights’ all-inclusive at Enotel Lido Madeira Hotel flying from Stansted (travel.saga.co.uk).
DIY: Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £635pp (enotel-lidomadeira.com); Jet2 flights from £131 (jet2.com). Total: £766pp.
WINNER: DIY SAVING £190pp MAJORCAN SUN
PACKAGE: £496pp for seven nights’ self-catering at Alua Palmanova Bay flying from Gatwick (loveholidays.com). DIY: Seven nights’ self-catering from £397pp (palman ovabay.com); Norwegian flights from £86 (norwegian. com). Total: £483pp.
WINNER: DIY SAVING £13pp
All prices correct when checked but some may have changed. Based on September to November flights.