Travel agent vs independent booking

pinkshoes

I'm trying to plan a walking/lake holiday in Switzerland/Germany or surrounding areas.

A travel agent quoted £5500 for 5 of us to travel (school holidays) including flights, private transfer, and half board hotel.

Having done my research beforehand on hotels and flights, I realised I can book the same trip for about £4000.

Is it worth paying the extra £1500 to have ABTA  cover?

Or can I get insurance that will cover things like flight cancellation/changes and the knock on cost it might have?

Is there a "go to" reliable website in Switzerland to book transfers?

Any tips are welcome. 

Saving £1500 by booking it all individually myself will mean a LOT more spending money whilst we are there. 

edels

I always plan all our family travels, just go for it

silvercar

Ask the travel agent what booking with them offers.

comeandgo

I also just book things directly, making sure there is always a plan B in case of late cancellations or weather related items.

  I use Trip Advisor for answers to specific area questions, I find the information on there invaluable.  If flying internally in an other country I find using that county’s web site rather than the U.K. site can save you money.  A walking holiday if you are moving from hotel to hotel can be a bit daunting to arrange and you need to be methodical, I start by using booking.com for accommodation and then check with hotel direct to see if they will honour that price if you book direct.  

Flights I go directly to the airlines, never use a booking site.  I’ve never had any problems with flights that could not be sorted.  It’s easier to communicate directly than go through third parties.  

eskbanker

pinkshoes said:

Is it worth paying the extra £1500 to have ABTA  cover?

Or can I get insurance that will cover things like flight cancellation/changes and the knock on cost it might have?

I wouldn't see it as either/or - if you book through a travel agent you'll still need insurance anyway.

ABTA is just a trade association with an arbitration scheme, which can come in handy if you end up in dispute with the agent, but in itself it doesn't add much value to the holiday experience.

pinkshoes said:

Having done my research beforehand on hotels and flights, I realised I can book the same trip for about £4000.

[...]

Saving £1500 by booking it all individually myself will mean a LOT more spending money whilst we are there. 

Having said that about ABTA cover, there is some value IMHO in having your trip within the scope of the Package Travel Regulations, where one company is in the role of package organiser and has overall responsibility for its performance.  However, in terms of putting my money where my mouth is, I can't remember the last time I booked a package like that!

zagfles

I would have thought for that kind of holiday a car is essential, unless the hotel organises all the walks, transport etc? Or you've planned stuff to do based on what you can get to using pubic transport? Otherwise maybe hire a car, or even just drive there yourselves from the UK, if you have time? 

pinkshoes

zagfles said:

I would have thought for that kind of holiday a car is essential, unless the hotel organises all the walks, transport etc? Or you've planned stuff to do based on what you can get to using pubic transport? Otherwise maybe hire a car, or even just drive there yourselves from the UK, if you have time? 

Looking at Google Maps, I think we'd base ourselves in one hotel in a town, maybe even an apartment, then use public transport. We're looking at Bodensee lake as a possibility, or maybe going further towards Munich as there appear to be lakes in that direction. We could then go to Munich for the day too.

Maybe a hotel that also has a swimming pool and activities. 

The kids are good at hiking, and also like eating, sight seeing etc... They would get bored after a couple of days in a resort, hence the usual travel agent holiday offered isn't really for us. 

We'd get a pre-booked taxi from the airport to the hotel to make that bit less stressful. 

I'm try to work out the main advantage of ABTA cover vs travel insurance. Obviously we will have travel insurance, but is the extra ABTA cover really worth £1500?

TELLIT01

Are you doing an absolute like-for-like comparison or just similar accommodation in similar locations?

kinger101

For this type of holiday, I would do my own independent booking as value-added by a travel agent does not merit the additional cost.  The holiday insurance should ideally cover all eventualities.

Check which activities are covered with the travel insurance.  General policies might not cover hiking above certain altitudes or on certain terrains.  Doing anything more strenuous than sitting by the pool is regarded as high-risk by some. 

pinkshoes

TELLIT01 said:

Are you doing an absolute like-for-like comparison or just similar accommodation in similar locations?

Like for like. Same hotel. Same flights. Taxi transfer.

jbrassy

I've never booked a package holiday and always planned it out myself. I have no idea what ABTA really adds. 

Obviously you should get travel insurance regardless of whether you go DIY or through an agent. If you want reassurance with the flights, book direct via the airlines website using a credit card. For hotels, you can book direct, but I tend to use booking.com and choose hotels with good ratings and lots of reviews. You can also do car hire through booking.com, just stick to reliable agencies like Hertz or Avis. If you want to book train tickets, look at the Man in Seat 61 for the best advice on buying train tickets abroad. Finally, you can buy yourself a good guide book such as Lonely Planet or Rough Guide for planning, or there are lots of travel blogs if you Google. 

When it comes to transfers, I don't know where you're flying to or where you're going, but you could see if there are buses which will take you there? Or they do have Uber in Switzerland.