How to book a holiday without using a travel agency

As people are looking to get more out of their holidays abroad, many holidaymakers are choosing to avoid the package holidays provided by travel agents and build their own trips online.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, people are now able to research their holidays in great depth and essentially choose the "make-up" of their jaunt.

Traditionally, travel agents have been the first port of call for many people looking to book a holiday.

There can be many benefits to this – including the fact it may be cheaper.

It is now possible to view hi-res videos and photos of your planned destination, meaning you can see what the area is like before you book up and get disappointed because its not what you wanted.

Travel forums can also give holidaymakers a good idea of what a place is like before they go. People submit reviews with pros and cons of thousands of destinations across the globe, allowing people to see what others thought of it.

Some firms can charge inflated rates for flights and services such as transfers, so negating the need for this could save a packet. Organising your own hire car and airport transfers can be very cheap - some people like to use the taxis in the terminal areas of airports as they are often very cheap.

Using a phone and a search engine, all aspects of a break could be arranged by a consumer themselves in the comfort of their own home.

Going on airline's websites and comparing their prices for the same destinations could help find the best offers and promotions. Calling sales representatives up and bartering for cheaper air-fares can save you some money, and taking flights with stop-overs can result in cheaper travel.

Ringing around hotels allows you to barter with them – if, for example, one is experiencing a drop in its numbers, putting in a personal call and suggesting a discount could see you pay less than is listed in a brochure.

Of course, doing this may not always save on the price of a package – it is important for customers to be savvy when attempting to beat travel agents at their own game.