Booking a holiday!!
Ali and are I desperate to take the boys on a hot holiday.
We took Sam when was he was little but haven’t been anywhere since.
I think we deserve a bit of a break in the sunshine for
several reasons, the main one would be that the boys would love it. They choose to go to the beach in any weather but to do it in the sunshine would be
amazing.
The second one would be to see if my health improved in a
warmer climate. I am really suffering, especially on cold and damp days. The
cold seems to set into my bones and makes them painful and achy. I have been
told that many people actually end up moving abroad because they can enjoy being relatively
pain free in the warmth.
The third one would be because sometimes I think it is
important to stop and actually send some time as a family. It is something we
can look forward too. We can plan where we want to go and do things for all of
us.
I can just imagine us sat on a beach making sandcastles and
drinking cocktails!! ok I’m dreaming, I completely understand in the real world
it will be sitting by the kids pool watching them like a hawk in the water and
constantly saying no to drinks and ice creams and singing along to the latest
kids club song which will get stuck in my head and I won’t be able to shift
even when I get home, but I can dream cant I??
But before you even book a holiday there are so many
questions to ask. I find it baffling how 7 sweet days in the sun can cause such
anguish beforehand. I genuinely find it stressful. Going away costs so
much money you feel that you have to get the very best for your limited budget.
Even though we haven’t been away for a few years we are on a
seriously tight budget. We will have to sacrifice other things to afford the
luxury.
So our budget is set, now to head to the computer. One tip
given to me by a fellow blogger is “We google the destination, flights times etc and once we
narrow it down a bit we search in incognito mode. This stops the cookies from
seeing you keep coming back and sometimes the prices go up- so incognito keeps
it a fresh search everyday.” Carrie Bradley www.flyingwithababy.com
This
is something I hadn’t even considered; I forget that the internet tracks your
every move!!
So
cookies turned off, I then have to make the decision then to go with a ready-made
package holiday or look at individual cottages and villas. Carol Cliffe from www.familymakes.com recommended “I always
go for a cottage/apartment/villa where possible rather than a hotel. I've just
returned from Florida and it's reminded me why- more space to spread out,
separate room for the kids, somewhere to prepare food, and most importantly for
families, a washing machine.”
I decided to try a package holiday first to see what prices
were coming out at. I am stuck to school holidays so due fully I put in the school
dates in and was shocked at the price hike that happens when school’s first
holiday starts. How is that fair?? Why penalise the ones who wait until the
holidays to take their children away? I guess this is a separate argument really,
so won’t dwell on it.
Charlie Beswick from www.ouralteredlife.com says “I am a review aholic (but can end up confusing myself!)
whereas my OH looks at the photos. With reviews I always filter to the time of
year and type of holiday (couples / families) so I’m getting as accurate review
as possible. Lots of my friends didn’t even know about that option on
TripAdvisor.” I didn’t even know you could do this!!
Ok
reviews read then it’s time to see flight times and transfers. I was looking
for short transfer times when Jodie Humphries from www.maidenheadmum.co.uk
said “I’ve learned to ignore the
transfer times from the airport if you’re on a package trip. I booked a hotel
that was only 20 minutes away, ideal with an 18 month old. But it took 1hr 20
with all the stop offs! So now I look it up on Google maps and look for a local
taxi company!”
Right
I have forgotten the transfer times, and I will move onto what is in the local
area. Is there anything to do whilst we are on holiday? Ali and I both love a
waterpark if we can find one. Ali loves history, so is there something that he
can tootle off too whilst we sit on the beach? Pete Chatfield from www.householdmoneysaving.com Is there much to do in the local area? If not,
what kind of transport links are there to other areas? A quick google search
will often throw up the answers you need. I couldn’t think of anything worse
than being stuck in a hotel without much else to do. And if transport isn’t
great, hiring a car may be a better option.
This
is just getting worse now, I am struggling to make any decisions!!
So
I give up on package holidays and decide to look at a static caravan holiday
but then discover Eurocamps and all my questions start all over again!!! Oh I
give up for today, I will look again tomorrow!!!
Other
tips given by fellow bloggers include:
Christy Bruckner
Always search if flights and
accommodation are cheaper individually. SkyScanner will search for all flights
and sometimes it's worth driving a bit further to a different airport for a
cheaper flight and you can get a much better price than package deal. www.welshmum.co.uk
Emma Maslin
If you are not tied to a
specific date (ie school holidays), you will usually find plenty of great deals
in the week ahead of travel date so it can pay to leaving booking late. The
price saving can mean being able to upgrade to all inclusive for the same price
as you would have paid for half board. Or bagging yourself a healthy saving which
you can squirrel away for next year’s holiday 😊
Http://themoneywhisperer.co.uk
Http://themoneywhisperer.co.uk
Heledd
Jones If you're travelling with young
kids always check things like flight times (lots are in the early hours!) and
transfer times (do you want to be on a bus for hours?!) http://t.co/7ntcFYHdQZ www.yummyblogger.com
Joanna Victoria
Bayford If you are
going away with family make sure your seats are next to each other on the
plane. We pay extra to do this. http://www.joannavictoria.co.uk
Carrie
Bradley Signing up to email lists often mean you first hear about any deals
about to be launched too.
Booking a flight on a Tue/ Wednesday is often quite a bit cheaper.
I look at the airline facilities/ length of flight/ price / stopover options and whether I can use products like Plane Pal or Bedbox if flying long or ultra long haul with the kids.
We look at what amenities are close by, do we need to hire a car etc- this may affect packing decisions.
We read reviews but take trip advisor with a pinch of salt ( the guy who made up a fake restaurant called the Shed for an experiment managed to become the 1st listing for top London restaurants- through deliberate fake reviews!) I prefer blog reviews or word of mouth from family and friends.
All inclusive - beware of fully inclusive. Try and find out how good the choice is first or you could be stuck. Part of the beauty of travelling is experiencing the local restaurants. But if you are in a remote place- it may be the best (only) option.
I’ve plenty more 😂😂😂😂
www.flyingwithababy.com
Booking a flight on a Tue/ Wednesday is often quite a bit cheaper.
I look at the airline facilities/ length of flight/ price / stopover options and whether I can use products like Plane Pal or Bedbox if flying long or ultra long haul with the kids.
We look at what amenities are close by, do we need to hire a car etc- this may affect packing decisions.
We read reviews but take trip advisor with a pinch of salt ( the guy who made up a fake restaurant called the Shed for an experiment managed to become the 1st listing for top London restaurants- through deliberate fake reviews!) I prefer blog reviews or word of mouth from family and friends.
All inclusive - beware of fully inclusive. Try and find out how good the choice is first or you could be stuck. Part of the beauty of travelling is experiencing the local restaurants. But if you are in a remote place- it may be the best (only) option.
I’ve plenty more 😂😂😂😂
www.flyingwithababy.com
Veronica
Mitchell if you are
concerned about the issue of expectations vs reality, you can use google street
view as there as some areas where you can actually view in 360 degrees
virtually.
http://myparentingjourney.com/
http://myparentingjourney.com/
Victoria Hatton
We found a holiday that worked
for us, and have done that on repeat for the last six holidays. www.starlightandstories.com
Gosh it can be quite a minefield cant it and time consuming too! I personally always try and get good deals and use tripadvisor for reviews - normally pretty accurate!
ReplyDeleteBooking a holiday for a family is a chore even before you have endured the flight, transfers etc. If you find somewhere you like and it works for you, I would totally return. We had our first holiday as a family of 4 last year in Majorca and it was brilliant, but stressful with two small children. I felt like I needed a holiday on my own afterwards, ha ha!
ReplyDeleteTell me about it!! Its so stressful!!
DeleteSome good tips here - esp about clearing the browser history and cookies. We are planning a break at Easter and I must get on and sort something!
ReplyDeleteI had never thought about it before!! Will do now though :)
Delete