We are well into the main holiday season now and with this in mind I thought I would share by experiences of the the three main holiday agents that I use- starting with Easy Jet.
When I don’t want to spend too much on a holiday, but I do want a break away easyJet are my go to. Whether you are going last minute, or want to prepare in advance, this company are extremely good value. I have been using easyJet for many years for flights, but this was the first year I had used for a package holiday.
The website and app are easy to use- browsing is helped if you have some idea of where you want to go, although if destination isn’t a major issue but price is, set your price and airport parameters and search ‘Anywhere’- there are some great deals around. Filter on all other requirements, sort how you want- ‘recommended’, ‘price low- high’ and you have your results. Check daily because deals change frequently. On the whole for a package holiday, flight, hotel, 23kg of hold luggage and transfer to and from the airport is included in the price.
This year I took easyJet packages to Majorca and the beautiful Costa Brava- Benidorm. Flight and transfers were seamless. The main thing with easyJet is there are no onsite reps- no one at the airport to greet you and put you on the bus. Instead you receive an email from the company a few days prior to departure with detailed instructions on how to find and pick up your hotel transfer bus. They are literally ‘go out of arrivals, turn right, go down to lower floor’ etc. I do a lot of solo travelling with a propensity for getting lost. This presented me with no problem at all- it was perfect. The same works in reverse- 24 hours before departure home detailed instructions are sent both to you and the hotel.
Likewise there are no company reps on site either. Again this didn’t present a problem for myself- I am quite happy finding my own way around a resort and making by own trip/ tour arrangements, although some customers might prefer this done for them. It could be useful to have someone who can recommend the best places to eat, the best bars, the best car/ bike hire places, however the hotels can usually do this just as well.
I hadn’t taken a package- style holiday in quite a few years and for ease of experience easyJet were great. I went to Majorca in April (£300.00 for 5 nights) and Benidorm in July (£508.00 for 7 nights), this year – both all-inclusive and adults only, once as a solo traveller and once with my partner. The resorts were great, the hotels were four star. They were clean, staff were faultless and the food was great- buffet style, good range of hot and cold and very nicely presented.
Below are some useful links. At the moment I am planning an easyJet package city break to Prague for a couple of weeks time. It will be interesting to compare these deals and experience with the full package holiday one.
https://www.easyjet.com/en/holidays
https://www.sandos.com/sandos-monaco/beach-hotel-spa-all-inclusive
Milly Space 