DIY or Package?

[mrsmop]

We are hoping to go back to Paphos next year to a hotel we have stayed in before. The dilemma is whether to book with the hotel direct, book our own flight and get a taxi from the airport to hotel. Or book a package deal. Which would be cheaper, anyone got any experience of booking direct and if they think it was worth it?

[NORMANTHEDOG]

how do you know the hotel will take a booking from you,most small hotels are tied to a operator and dont do it,as for the bigger ones,yes they will do it,and some even send a car for you at the airport,it depends also on time of year.

[Holidaylover]

I have booked a hotel in Majorca via e-mail. We had stayed there before and we used a scheduled flight. In our case, we used BMI for the flight and got a taxi from Palma. We did not have any problems. The hotel that we stayed in was not in any of the usual brochures hence doing it ourselves. The only drawback I can see is if something goes tits-up then you're stuffed. However if you pay on credit card, that does give you some kind of insurance to getting your money back. It also give you a lot more flexibility as to flight times and arrival/departure dates and times.
Gosh, this sounds so good I think I'll go and book again just to see if it works!
All it needs is a bit of research on the internet. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your holiday.

[Rock'n'Roll]

I would make sure you can get a flight first. Lots of resorts are only served from UK by charter flights in summer,so make sure their planes have room, Otherwise it could mean a scedule flight to a main airport,then making your way to the resort. Digs are usuall y easily come by.
In the long run,you may not save much,if anything,but the flexibility is worth it

[Narolines]

Swings and roundabouts. It's probably worth enquiring with the hotel and it's easy enough to get a price on a flight online, so it should only be a few minutes' work to establish the relative costs. We've done it both ways, and sometimes one is cheaper, sometimes the other. Before we rented then finally bought a house in Cyprus we used to stay at the same hotel, and as returning guests we used to get a reasonably good discount (the first time we went there it was part of a package, but we still got the discount the first time webooked direct), so it's certainly wwworth a try. You've got nothing to lose by asking, have you?

[Narolines]

"wwworth"?? "worth", of course!!!!!

[jno]

you might also consider the time element... doing all these things yourself takes time, and you have to ask yourself whether the money you save is actually worth the time you spend on it. Whenever I do this sort of thing (though usually I don't have a specifric hotel in mind), I always end up deciding that it would be easier to let someone else do all the surfing and arranging.

[3435anneh]

Generally, for Cyprus it's better to book a package as flights alone are very expensive in comparison. We've costed it and always preferred the package deal for value for money.

[Narolines]

It depends very much on the time of year and where you're flying from. In mid-summer high season I agree - it's rarely possible to beat the package price, but in mid and more especially low season you can get very reasonably priced filghts; I've often been able to get a scheduled flight for a good bit less than a charter. Also bear in mind that airport charges vary - if you can be flexible about your departure airport you can sometimes save quite a reasonable sum. Of course, you have to budget for getting to and from the cheaper airport, and possibly parking there. It also depends on how long you're going for - obviously the longer you stay, the better rate you'll get from your hotel. As I said earlier, top & bottom of it is to get some online quotations - it doesn't take long, and you're not committed to anything just by asking.