where to look for bargains?

jools182

Hi

I have heard of lots of people getting really good deals on holidays, sometimes online, and sometimes through travel agents by phone

I've tried googling for deals, but a lot of the ones I have looked seem to use the 'late deals' thing as a bit of advertising to get you on to their website

Can anyone recommend good places to look?

thanks

Incapuppy

All the main high street travel agents have a late deals section on their website.

richardw

jools182 wrote: »

I have heard of lots of people getting really good deals on holidays

Are they the same people who catch really big fish and get free upgrades to first class?

interstellaflyer

To be honest most of the bargains will be late deals, I like to book my holidays well in advance due to work so don't have the flexibility for this, I go into a high street travel agent with a budget and some online costings and see what they can do, I've tried all these 'so called' online discount travel agents and to be honest never found much of a saving because unless you can be very flexible, by the time you've factored in stuff like transfers etc the saving is not that much.

SnowBelle_2

jools182,
Looking for deals can sometimes take a bit of legwork...
But there are a number of ways to hunt for them,have a think about what you require ie:Flights,Packages etc.

Sign up for their email
alerts,Thomson,Monarch,British Airways and Virgin atlantic are some of the ones I am signed up with also Travelzoo.
VA & BA have sales usually twice a year...if you are looking for somewhere like Florida, May seems to be a bargain time we went there for half the price it would have been for end of June.

For flights you can check www.skyscanner.net or call somewhere like dial-a-flight or flight centre for quotes.

Sometimes it can be cheaper to do flights then accomodation separate,but for some companies like Thomson especially long haul it can work out cheaper to buy a package.

I also use Expedia they are not as cheap as they were(but there again what is!)but sometimes they have a deal which is good.

Some people also ring hotels direct to see if there are offers but to be honest I have never done that.
Unfortunately I live in a relatively small town so rely on the net a lot as our travel agents tend not to be that competitve.

Lastly before you book with any of the operators or companies which you may have not heard of before google them and check any reviews on them and make sure they are ATOL,ABTA covered as I have read lots of horror stories about people booking with obscure companies for a good deal then having to pay much more if they don't work out.
Good Luck & happy hunting.
Clare

interstellaflyer

SnowBelle wrote: »

jools182,

I also use Expedia they are not as cheap as they were(but there again what is!)but sometimes they have a deal which is good.

Every time I look on Expedia they seem to be more expensive than booking the equivelent package holiday from a high street travel agent or am I doing something wrong?

les78

Good ones i've used in the past are

icelolly.com

and

travelrepublic.co.uk

I've even had good deals from olympic.com

Good luck searching

interstellaflyer

les78 wrote: »

Good ones i've used in the past are


travelrepublic.co.uk

Just a quick note here, I've just tried Travel republic as a price test, We are going to Salou with Thomson booked through one of their high street shops, total for 2 adults and a child, including meals transfers and 20kg luggage alowanceand insurance £1062 Half Board, all booked in Febuary.

I've just tried TR out of interest, same hotel same dates same outboard flight time, £996, that is no frills airline including hold baggage, no meals , Room only, transfer from Barcelona so about 2 hours on coach as opposed to 20 mins and no insurance.

No real saving, be carefull to fully understand what you are getting and also check against what sort of deal your local Travel Agent will do.

ludders

interstellaflyer wrote: »

Just a quick note here, I've just tried Travel republic as a price test, We are going to Salou with Thomson booked through one of their high street shops, total for 2 adults and a child, including meals transfers and 20kg luggage alowanceand insurance £1062 Half Board, all booked in Febuary.

I've just tried TR out of interest, same hotel same dates same outboard flight time, £996, that is no frills airline including hold baggage, no meals , Room only, transfer from Barcelona so about 2 hours on coach as opposed to 20 mins and no insurance.

No real saving, be carefull to fully understand what you are getting and also check against what sort of deal your local Travel Agent will do.

Which month are you going in? Im gobsmaked if not cheaper to do yourself!

i normally fly ryanair to reus for less than £70 using a neteller card, ( i dont take hold luggage) get a car or pay 30 euro taxi, as go with family. Then use alpharooms laterooms travelrepublic or holiday hypermarket sites. Ive stopped 8 times in salou love it to fly and flop. Best deal was £22 return flights and £75 a night all inc for 2 adults and 2 young kids.

interstellaflyer

ludders wrote: »

Which month are you going in? Im gobsmaked if not cheaper to do yourself!

i normally fly ryanair to reus for less than £70 using a neteller card, ( i dont take hold luggage) get a car or pay 30 euro taxi, as go with family. Then use alpharooms laterooms travelrepublic or holiday hypermarket sites. Ive stopped 8 times in salou love it to fly and flop. Best deal was £22 return flights and £75 a night all inc for 2 adults and 2 young kids.

20th September this year, but I'd never in a month of Sundays want to fly Ryan Air and we really do need our hold luggage, all I did was a like for like search. I was not trying to put people off doing things independantly just advising to check carefully that they are getting what they want, a bargain is only a bargain if it ticks all the right boxes.

interstellaflyer

ludders wrote: »

Best deal was £22 return flights and £75 a night all inc for 2 adults and 2 young kids.

And that's cheep:eek: accomadation is £1050 for 14 nights then there's £22 x 4 for the flights, your taxi and what if you did need baggage allowance? and insurance, inflight meals, not really much of a saving on our high street package really is it.