| Archive for holidaychat.myfreeforum.org A holiday community. |
| Dougie |
Did my first DIY this year.....guestJoined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 4 PostPosted: 19 Dec 2005 05:23 pm Post subject: Did my first DIY this year...... Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster ...and it was unbelievably simple. Found the accommodation I wanted on the INTERNET. Then checked for flights. Found suitable flights, checked that the apartments could put us up then.....as soon as they said yes I went ahead and booked the flights (by telephone). Then booked the apartments (all on the internet) paid a deposit (via the internet) and arranged the transfers...well the guy who's apartment complex we were staying arranged that for us. It was slightly scary knowing we had no "rep" to turn to should things go pear shaped but it went as smoothly as it could have, we had a fabulous 2 weeks in Calis, Turkey in the 6 week holidays, for £784. Hope this is of some use to anyone wondering whether to do DIY. Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Paignton Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 13 PostPosted: 20 Dec 2005 12:23 pm Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster Carol, I have done DIY twice for my partner and I, and like y oursef had no problems Smile I am reluctant to try it with the family holiday just in case I need the services of a rep Rolling Eyes Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail guest Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 4 PostPosted: 20 Dec 2005 12:25 pm Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster Very Happy Well I was just with my son (12) and he's coeliac so I was a little twitchy but got good insurance and declared his condition (didn't cost any extra) and it went fine! I do know what you mean though , its worrying initially. Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail guest Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 12 PostPosted: 20 Dec 2005 08:05 pm Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster book all my hols DIY now just sorted my weekend to Prague next month 2 flights with BMI Baby £99 2 nights in holiday inn express (right in centre of town) £82 £181 for 2 people for 2 nights Laughing Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail PeterRayner Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 5 Location: Leeds PostPosted: 20 Dec 2005 09:45 pm Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster Paignton wrote: Carol, I have done DIY twice for my partner and I, and like y oursef had no problems Smile I am reluctant to try it with the family holiday just in case I need the services of a rep Rolling Eyes As is fairly obvious I am the supplier of apartments for the DIY holidaymaker and we provide an excellent local full time resident who acts as a 24 hour emergency contact for our guests. My experience of tour operators package holiday reps is they are great at taking your money for the excursions and for all the other extras but for any problems they were not worth a fig and most of the time, apart from when they want to sell you something, very difficult to locate. _________________ Apartments to Let - Los Cristianos - Tenerife www.dinastia-apartment.com/ www.diamantes-apartment.com/ Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Paignton Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 13 PostPosted: 20 Dec 2005 10:38 pm Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster PeterRayner wrote: Paignton wrote: Carol, I have done DIY twice for my partner and I, and like y oursef had no problems Smile I am reluctant to try it with the family holiday just in case I need the services of a rep Rolling Eyes As is fairly obvious I am the supplier of apartments for the DIY holidaymaker and we provide an excellent local full time resident who acts as a 24 hour emergency contact for our guests. My experience of tour operators package holiday reps is they are great at taking your money for the excursions and for all the other extras but for any problems they were not worth a fig and most of the time, apart from when they want to sell you something, very difficult to locate. I have to say that on one occasion I needed the services of a rep, they were there, and there twenty four hours for me. My daughter was rushed into Intensive Care in Menorca and was there for a week. So were the reps. Smile Not all of them are bad you know Wink Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail guest Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 18 PostPosted: 21 Dec 2005 11:58 am Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster Pete, i know very little about Teneriffe, having only been there the once. Ive been looking at a few apartments on the island..and their location. Where on the island is Los Cristianos? and what is the area like? Mick. _________________ Have we met somewhere before? Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail PeterRayner Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 5 Location: Leeds PostPosted: 21 Dec 2005 05:24 pm Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster guest wrote: Pete, i know very little about Teneriffe, having only been there the once. Ive been looking at a few apartments on the island..and their location. Where on the island is Los Cristianos? and what is the area like? Mick. Hi Los Cristianos is on the southern tip of the island and was originally a small fishing port around which a holiday resort developed in the seventies and eventually grew into a small town. It is favoured by couples and families mostly. Also in the late seventies Ricard Burton and Liz Taylor bought up large tracts of land to the west of Los Cristianos which was then known as Las Americas. This grew and grew until the two are almost joined now. If you want some general info on Los Cristinaos I have a section on our Dinastia web site link. _________________ Apartments to Let - Los Cristianos - Tenerife www.dinastia-apartment.com/ www.diamantes-apartment.com/ Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail polar Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 9 PostPosted: 31 Dec 2005 04:26 pm Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster I always do diy to cyprus and wouldn't bother with travel agents at all _________________ No one can love you more than your dog does Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail MikeCunliffe Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Bolton, Lancashire PostPosted: 03 Jan 2006 01:25 pm Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster My wife worked for a travel agent some years back and she's always had an interest in travel that includes making note of good hotels in any new area we visit, places of interest etc etc. Once we've visited a new area or country once (possibly with a tour op.) we'll return under our own steam. Travelled all over the USA by d.i.y. and got some good bargains at hotels turning up late in the afternoon. The US is easy because of the language - France is not too bad either as we can get by in schoolboy/girl style and once you're out of Paris the locals are quite helpful and friendly. We've stayed several times in the Riviera region and between Paris and Nice (travelling) all by d.i.y. Back again this comming summer to Nice area and we are just in process of arranging accomm. having booked the flights with Jet2.com some months back. Egypt this Feb will be our first visit there. We've used a travel agent and they in turn booked flights and accomm. but under my directions (didn't want to fly with Excel so used MyTravel). Hotel booked through MedHotels (by t.a.) and although I wanted an upgrade I had to email and telephone the hotel directly as MedHotels couldn't be bothered to arrange even though there was more money in it for them. It got sorted no problem so I'd be happy in furture to book directly with a hotel in Egypt and arrange own flights. d.i.y. is more fun if your adventurous. You'll always find a hotel for the night but sometimes it might cost a little more than you want. However, we once turned up on the spare of the moment in Basle in Switzerland with my parents wanting 2 doubles for a night. They gave us two suites - absolutely magnificent. We checked they were correct and the reception assured us the hotel was quiet, they were refurbishing, we looked tired (we were) and they allocated us these suites. We extended our stay by a couple of days and they maintained the low rate no problem. Only place I'd never arrive without a reservation - Orlando, in summer, on a Saturday night....no, no, no. Mike Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail silverpixie1uk Joined: 19 Dec 2005 Posts: 11 PostPosted: 04 Jan 2006 05:11 am Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster Quote: Only place I'd never arrive without a reservation - Orlando, in summer, on a Saturday night....no, no, no. Vegas is the same from Friday to Sunday, my Mum and brother had to sleep in the car. _________________ Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail MikeCunliffe Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Bolton, Lancashire PostPosted: 11 Jan 2006 03:35 pm Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster Had the same problem Lynn arriving on a Sunday night and Excalibur was full. Stayed at a Fairfield Marriot a few blocks east of the strip for a night then moved into the Imperial Palace (on the strip). Wouldn't have fancied the car with 4 of us - we'd driven from San Francisco that Sunday. Mike Back to top View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail cadge Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 8 Location: lying on a beach somewhere hot (I wish!) PostPosted: 12 Jan 2006 09:49 am Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post Delete this post View IP address of poster I tend to alternate between completely DIY and using the services of a travel consultant. I do all the leg work and find the best flights and accommodation and then instruct the travel consultant regarding our requirements - they then do all the booking and admin tasks, which leaves me to enjoy my holiday |
| Cyberia |
The internet makes things so easy nowadays. In January 1984 I turned up at New Delhi airport with a copy of Lonely Planet for India and nothing booked. I spent a great 7 weeks wandering around India with a side week in Sri Lanka. |