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Holidays 2019

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  • edited January 2019

    MrOneLung said:

    2 adults 2 kids (5&8)

    10 days all inclusive in Alcudia.

    Waterpark included, decent entertainment, lots of pissed up tattooed northerners,
    What’s not to like.

    £4200 with first choice
    £3900 with Thomas Cook

    £2800 diy with easyJet flights and booking direct with hotel.

    That is a big price gap and one many would take a gamble on.

    Nevertheless, packages exist for good reason:-

    1. You are on your own if either supplier fails (admittedly unlikely with EasyJet and Club Mac).

    2. (Perhaps more relevant) is if anything goes wrong at the hotel or anyone is ill (always a possibility at the Club Mac (or any hotel) as people don't know how to wash their hands) your contract is with the hotel and resolution is through Spanish law. If you buy a package your contract is with the UK supplier under UK law and is generally sorted quickly and easily.

    On the balance of probability, the price differential in this case is probably enough to take that option, but packages exist for a reason - DIY isn't always cheaper and it can backfire.

    All that aside, have a great time!


    Fortunately the above is not necessarily true. Those nasty people at the EU extended the definition of what a package holiday is last year, so if you put together all the elements yourself, on Expedia for example, it is now very likely a package and subject to the same protections as if you'd walked into a Thomas Cook branch in your local high street.

    https://citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/claim-compensation-for-a-holiday/

    Plus if you do need (free) assistance with a contract that turns out to be exclusively with a foreign contractor you can get a great amount of help from, the UK/EU funded, European Consumer Centre.

    https://citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/claim-compensation-for-a-holiday/

    Bloody red tape.

    Edit - you've also got the protection under S75 Consumer Credit Act if you paid on your credit card.
    @Bournemouth Addick , I think the key is your word "necessarily".

    The new Package Travel Directive came into force on 1st July 18. It expanded the definition of a package which ultimately meant that holidays sold by the on line agents (On The Beach, Travel Republic, Expedia etc), which were previously outside of the PTDs because the consumer was paying for component parts (ie a flight and a hotel priced seperately) are now considered a package, as if they had bought from Thomas Cook / TUI etc.

    Where MrOneLung's booking is different is that, as I understand it, no supplier has created a package. He has bought flights direct with EasyJet and the hotel directly. Therefore he sits outside of any PTD protection. If the airline fails, he' still liable for the hotel cost even if he doesn't get there, and if he is sick on holiday, he needs to resolve it with the hotel as that's who he has the contract with.

    So yes I agree, more people are protected, but in this case, he isn't.

    I wasn't aware of the European Consumer Centre, and yes, I agree on credit cards (but your flexible friend doesn't have a rep in resort if you puke up over the all inclusive buffet!).
  • Keep yer fancy foreign holidays, 2 weeks wild camping to fish the trout lochs of North West Sutherland.
    Who needs to experience a relaxing day on sun kissed sands washed by azure blue water and dining out on balmy warm evenings filled with intoxicating scent of jasmine and orange blossom when you can hunker down under a sheet of nylon, in a force ten storm making a brew and a mug full of Bombay Bad Boy Pot Noodles wondering what the f*ck you are doing there.

    Well I know what I'd be doing after the pot noodle.
  • Wife and I both have very stressful, long hours jobs at the moment so in desperate need of a relaxing break. Looking at March before year end kicks in for me which rules out Apr - July.

    We looked at Cape Verde as one of the few places with good climate in March. For a decent (which I think you need in those places) all-inclusive would be over 1k each which feels excessive for just a relaxing break and with other needs for our money (house etc).

    So we’ve opted for a week in the new forest in a lovely barn on Air BnB * for £700 total. Looks lovely and I’ve never been to the new forest so very excited for some nice walks, pubs, eating and chilling.

    * Used Air BnB twice before (Falmouth and Norfolk) and both places were exceptional, so have high hopes again.

    I looked at many reviews for Cape Verdi and could not find many good ones, so I went elsewhere, although I am sure, some people who have been enjoyed it
  • Jamaica Sandals for 10 days end of March, and maybe Lanzorote for a week in November, if we can get same deal as last year.
  • Looks like Dreams resort in Punta Cana, going to go privilege and upgrade the seats on the dreamliner. Will be proper potless most of the year but hoping it will be worth it...better or there is a strongly worded email flying there way! :smiley:
  • Looks like Dreams resort in Punta Cana, going to go privilege and upgrade the seats on the dreamliner. Will be proper potless most of the year but hoping it will be worth it...better or there is a strongly worded email flying there way! :smiley:

    Upgrading to the dreamliner is money well spent trust me.
  • Going to Budapest in July for my nephew's wedding and Cuba in October, any advice for Cuba?

    We went to the Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & Spa last March which we'd recommend. Any had a day trip to Havana. Just got back from a great trip to Mexico
  • Solidgone said:

    Solidgone said:

    Im thinking of taking a trip into Israel but concerned about visa/stamps in passport as I want to also visit Iran later this year.

    Israel visa is now on a separate piece of card which you can just remove from passport once home.

    Heads up on Iran visa, it’s currently taking about 3 months from initial application with Ministry of Tourism in Tehran to when you’ll receive approval for visiting consulate in London to apply for the actual visa (which then takes a week of them having your passport to apply visa stamp).
    @stoneroses19 thanks. I thought it was going to be an arduous task to get an Iranian visa.

    I’ve also heard that I would be grilled by the Israeli immigration should I have an Iranian visa in my passport. And that I wouldn’t be allowed into the USA.
    Iran visa is long and complicated, but worth it. One of the best countries I’ve ever visited.

    I’ve not had any problems visiting other countries with an Iran stamp. But I know US is complicated. You have to apply for a full visa instead of the e-visa and even then it’s possible they’ll deny you entry. For me it was an easy decision to visit Iran and not visit USA until my next passport, but get a lot of people would prefer the other way around.
    I don't think it is just a case of having a new passport if you have previously visited Iran after a certain date. I had to look into it but was ok as the date was a week after I left Iran
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  • Just got back from 2 weeks in Southern California for some winter sun so not sure what our summer plans will be while I am paying for the one just gone!

    Thinking a Carribean Island - but that would be in August and not sure when hurricane season is again? Starts around Sept as far as I know.

    The full hurricane season is 1 June to 30 Nov, the peak season being August - Oct
  • IdleHans said:

    Thinking of doing a Pyrenean walking/food holiday this year. Anyone done anything similar and have wise words of advice?

    Lovely part of the world...both French and Spanish sides....marvelous scenery around there.
    Recommend you read Lawrie Lee's "As I walked out one midsummer morning"
  • Narrowed it down to Portugal or Greece want go 1st week of sept any advice on either? Have looked up villamoura the Tivoli marina is just shy of 1500 pp with flights!!

    Loved Villamoura. Great selection of bars and restaurants on the waterfront
  • Narrowed it down to Portugal or Greece want go 1st week of sept any advice on either? Have looked up villamoura the Tivoli marina is just shy of 1500 pp with flights!!

    Loved Villamoura. Great selection of bars and restaurants on the waterfront
    But not much else, PF. Worth a day out, but I wouldn't want to be there a week (unless you are a golfer or want to waste your cash in the Casino) - expensive compared with most other places too.
  • Going to Chicago & Louisville in May, off to the Kentucky Derby. Need to get a full denim suit made up to fit in with the locals
  • after xmas best way to get over the back to work blues is think of holidays.

    got barcelona and amsterdam for long weekends.

    a stag in benidorm and prague with england booked with the lads.

    looking to do a european weeks holday 1st week of sept, was considering portugal but dont know if the weather will still be good? alternatively any other shouts of places that weather is still pretty decent and plenty of choices bars/restaurants etc.

    ta in advance.

    Weather in Portugal will be hot to very hot first week in September.
  • edited January 2019
    March.
    Miami, Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Oranjestad, Aruba; Cartagena, Colombia; Colon, Panama; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Cozumel, Mexico.
  • edited January 2019
    My wife and I are going back to Kalamaki on Zante in June for 10 nights. I'ts quickly become our go to place after our first visit in 2017. We are also hoping to get a week in Turkey in mid September. Then, after doing the Christmas market in Bruges a few weeks ago, we have decided to take in another one so we have booked to go to Zagreb in December.
  • I have always liked going to places, but have never really thought of it as going on holiday in any kind of formal sense unless my personal definition is skewed.
    I went to Paris for a few days in the Autumn with Mrs Plum, on Eurostar to boot, but does that count as a 'holiday'?
    The prospect of any kind of package deal to a hot beach or swimming pool at some hotel or other has no appeal for me, it seems boring to be honest.
    I have never really felt flush enough to book a holiday in what seems to be the usual (advertised) format, nor do the advertised things have much appeal. Maybe any non working time away from home is a holiday. I reckon that if I had spent on holidays I would not have been able to afford my mortgage.
    The other hesitation point regarding going away is being a vegetarian. Everybody who is not a veggie always says there is plenty of vegetarian food available in places and countries, but there seldom is. Certainly not in terms of choice. It is usually a Charlton Athletic type of choice as in cheese and onion pasty or nothing.
    (When Charlton advertise a themed food event there is never a vegetarian option described.)
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  • seth plum said:

    I have always liked going to places, but have never really thought of it as going on holiday in any kind of formal sense unless my personal definition is skewed.
    I went to Paris for a few days in the Autumn with Mrs Plum, on Eurostar to boot, but does that count as a 'holiday'?
    The prospect of any kind of package deal to a hot beach or swimming pool at some hotel or other has no appeal for me, it seems boring to be honest.
    I have never really felt flush enough to book a holiday in what seems to be the usual (advertised) format, nor do the advertised things have much appeal. Maybe any non working time away from home is a holiday. I reckon that if I had spent on holidays I would not have been able to afford my mortgage.
    The other hesitation point regarding going away is being a vegetarian. Everybody who is not a veggie always says there is plenty of vegetarian food available in places and countries, but there seldom is. Certainly not in terms of choice. It is usually a Charlton Athletic type of choice as in cheese and onion pasty or nothing.
    (When Charlton advertise a themed food event there is never a vegetarian option described.)

    I think anytime you leave your home and stay somewhere different purely for pleasure is a holiday, doesn't have to be on a sun-lounger! I agree with you 100% i'm a city break person for sure, the idea of slowly cooking in the sun doesn't appeal much to me!
  • rina said:

    Vegas in March for a week

    when are you there? we're doing 6th-9th March in the NoMad. 4 days in San Fran before that then a drive down the Pacific highway to Vegas
    18th - 25th March @rina Will be there Monday - Thursday With just my mate then stag commences, cant wait buzzing now cant come soon enough. First few days will just be poker and drinking :)
  • seth plum said:

    I have always liked going to places, but have never really thought of it as going on holiday in any kind of formal sense unless my personal definition is skewed.
    I went to Paris for a few days in the Autumn with Mrs Plum, on Eurostar to boot, but does that count as a 'holiday'?
    The prospect of any kind of package deal to a hot beach or swimming pool at some hotel or other has no appeal for me, it seems boring to be honest.
    I have never really felt flush enough to book a holiday in what seems to be the usual (advertised) format, nor do the advertised things have much appeal. Maybe any non working time away from home is a holiday. I reckon that if I had spent on holidays I would not have been able to afford my mortgage.
    The other hesitation point regarding going away is being a vegetarian. Everybody who is not a veggie always says there is plenty of vegetarian food available in places and countries, but there seldom is. Certainly not in terms of choice. It is usually a Charlton Athletic type of choice as in cheese and onion pasty or nothing.
    (When Charlton advertise a themed food event there is never a vegetarian option described.)

    I think anytime you leave your home and stay somewhere different purely for pleasure is a holiday, doesn't have to be on a sun-lounger! I agree with you 100% i'm a city break person for sure, the idea of slowly cooking in the sun doesn't appeal much to me!
    Despite buying an extra 5 days leave last year I couldn't really name any conventional 'holidays' I went on when asked at Christmas - other than skiing in Jan it was mostly just long weekends here and there. How I managed to use up 30 days plus bank holidays I still don't really know.
  • That’s very kind of you Robbo, I don’t mean to come across like that as I’m very lucky, just amazed some times at what some people with kids still manage to do. Good luck to them.

    Completely agree - we're not on the breadline, own the house etc etc, but now the kids are at school I can't understand how so many people seem to afford/justify a few grand for a week away?

    Using Swisdom's Mexico trip above as an example, it sounds amazing, worth the money etc, but I'd imagine if costs the same out of the school holidays as it would cost a parent to take kids to an average package deal in Spain etc.

    I get it's supply and demand, but like you AFKA I'm just surprised so many parents manage it, especially with young kids.
    I know where you are coming from, we aren't on the breadline, own house / 2 cars etc....but with 4 kids, holidays (even a cheapy 10 days in Spain all inc in the summer holidays is c4k). Hence we bought a touring caravan, 2nd hand, got a cracking 6 berth for £11k and invested in all the gear with it, now we love it and more importantly the kids absolutely love it and some of the sites we've stayed at have been amazing in the southern half of the UK. manage to get away about 4 times a year in it, a few long weekends and then about 10 days in the summer.

    Did south of france last year and was amazing, staying in this country this year but then planning ferry to northern spain and somewhere within a 2 hour drive next summer.

    Great investment for us, and we'll get a good 8-10 years out of it.
  • Week in cornwall
    Followed by the usual 2 weeks in pefkos in rhodes then a weeks fishing in France
    All in that order
    Lovely times ahead
  • have narrowed it down now to middle of June, was thinking Greece as should be decent weather any shouts of decent enough places to go with a choice of restaurants, bars etc, with flights and accommodation looking at £1400-1600 for the pair of us.
  • have narrowed it down now to middle of June, was thinking Greece as should be decent weather any shouts of decent enough places to go with a choice of restaurants, bars etc, with flights and accommodation looking at £1400-1600 for the pair of us.

    Been pefkos rhodes for last 4 years
    Lovely beaches lots of restaurants and lindos is only 15 mins away if you want a bit more nightlife
    Just booked with Thomas cook last week
    2 weeks in July for less than ur budget
  • Can't wait

    Love it, are they on sale in the club shop?
  • edited January 2019

    have narrowed it down now to middle of June, was thinking Greece as should be decent weather any shouts of decent enough places to go with a choice of restaurants, bars etc, with flights and accommodation looking at £1400-1600 for the pair of us.

    We have been to Zante for the last two years and stayed at Kalamaki. Nice beach, pleanty of hotels, bars and restaurants. Each time has been middle of June and we are going back for our third visit this June. We stay in Denny's Inn which is a 5 mins walk to the beach and 6-8 mins walk to the main strip for the restaurants and bars. It's a B&B and we have paid £845 for 10 nights including flights with BA from Heathrow.

    It was very hot in 2017 but last year the weather was hit and miss. We had a few rainy days and it was mostly overcast. By all accounts, a lot of Europe had poor weather last June. A colleague from work was in Turkey at the same time and even she had a rainy holiday. Hoping it won't be the same this year.

This discussion has been closed.

Roland Out Forever!