Holiday plans can often be fraught with tough decisions. Do you stay home or go abroad? Will the kids be bored? Do you book the flights and hotels separately, or opt for a holiday package deal? Well, we may not be able to choose your destination or keep your kids entertained, but we do have some tips on getting a great package holiday deal if you do decide to opt for one.
Start by spending some time shopping around, either on the internet or the high street. With so many options available, a careful comparison can often result in you saving a few hundred pounds off your package deal. Be sure to also compare board options, as you can often save big with half-board, all inclusive or self catering versus hotel room only holidays.
Have a look through websites such as TripAdvisor that feature customer reviews of the hotels and destinations that you're thinking of visiting. These help cut through the advertising fluff, and gives you a better idea of what to expect, from people who have actually been there and experienced it.
It also pays to check the company's travel association member number before you go ahead and finalise your booking. Find out if the company you're going with is a member of an association such as ABTA or ATOL. These associations may be able to help should you run into any problems with your tour operator.