low cost last minute holiday
low cost last minute holiday
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funkyrobot

Original Poster:

18,789 posts

258 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
Was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a low cost late deal holiday?

Me and the fiancee are after somewhere warm but with something to do (we like to walk around a bit and explore rather than lay on a beach all day). Saying that we would like to be near the sea so we can have a few days lounging around.

We are planning to go for a week in September in school term time and it is a budget holiday so are looking for holidays that are below £1000 for both of us.

We thought of Menorca as it seems to have a mix of sun, beaches and walks. We also like the channel islands (Jersey) but have been there twice in the last year and want something different, and somewhere a little warmer.

Has anyone got any other ideas?

Cheers all!

V8S

8,582 posts

267 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
uktravelshop.com

lastminute.com

teletextholidays.com

otbeach.com

It would be easy to find something for under £1000 on there.

You could pretty much go to the Caribbean for that sort of cash, all inclusive.

Podie

46,649 posts

305 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
I got hacked off trying to find something on the internet, so went into the local travel company and said what my budget was, didn't want to be surrounded by people who eat with their mouth open, no kids, quiet, decent hotel, food and wine and somewhere warmer than the UK.

30 minutes later, we'd booked it - after they'd found about 30 options for us to look at.

bazking69

8,620 posts

220 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
We went to Sharm El Sheikh 5 star AI last year for £500 each. I don't know if that would have gone up with the price of fuel or not though. We have had 2 holidays this year also in Turkey that were less than £500 each for flights, accomodation and eating out twice a day.

Depends what your idea of a destination is, but personally I wouldn't say £500 each plus spending money was a low cost holiday...

spikeyhead

20,572 posts

227 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
Buy a tent and drive through France.

Mattygooner

5,304 posts

234 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
Hellmand! Your flight is free, you also get given an SA80 that ocassionally works, a free cardboard helmet, Combats in Woodland colour so you stand out (run out of desert ones) and Helicopter rides and jeep safari's are also free.

Or lastminute.com

s2art

18,942 posts

283 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
Plenty of cheapish villas in Algarve/Spain in September. Try ownersdirect.co.uk

Edited by s2art on Friday 29th August 14:43

jamoor

14,506 posts

245 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
Podie said:
I got hacked off trying to find something on the internet, so went into the local travel company and said what my budget was, didn't want to be surrounded by people who eat with their mouth open, no kids, quiet, decent hotel, food and wine and somewhere warmer than the UK.

30 minutes later, we'd booked it - after they'd found about 30 options for us to look at.
They probbably rubbed their hands with glee, you should have taken their advice, gone home, gone on the internet and called several agents and played them off against each other, usually saves10% or so

funkyrobot

Original Poster:

18,789 posts

258 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
bazking69 said:
We went to Sharm El Sheikh 5 star AI last year for £500 each. I don't know if that would have gone up with the price of fuel or not though. We have had 2 holidays this year also in Turkey that were less than £500 each for flights, accomodation and eating out twice a day.

Depends what your idea of a destination is, but personally I wouldn't say £500 each plus spending money was a low cost holiday...
The £500 each should include spending money, I forgot to point that out lol!

We were looking at holidays to Menorca a few years ago and where struggling to find anything less than £1000. Thats why I thought anything below that was a budget holiday. Must be a rip-off travel agent but its a large chain one.

Will have to do some more digging around me thinks!

funkyrobot

Original Poster:

18,789 posts

258 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
Mattygooner said:
Hellmand! Your flight is free, you also get given an SA80 that ocassionally works, a free cardboard helmet, Combats in Woodland colour so you stand out (run out of desert ones) and Helicopter rides and jeep safari's are also free.

Or lastminute.com
Hellmand? Is that a new sort of mayonnaise lol?

Anyway, I checked out Helmand and it does look warm. It looks a bit too dusty to me and with all of the tourist videos spread across the internet it looks way too busy!

I was after somewhere a bit more quiet? Fallujah seems to have gone quiet lately? Good old SA80, I would prefer a G36 though.

anonymous-user

84 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
jamoor said:
Podie said:
I got hacked off trying to find something on the internet, so went into the local travel company and said what my budget was, didn't want to be surrounded by people who eat with their mouth open, no kids, quiet, decent hotel, food and wine and somewhere warmer than the UK.

30 minutes later, we'd booked it - after they'd found about 30 options for us to look at.
They probbably rubbed their hands with glee, you should have taken their advice, gone home, gone on the internet and called several agents and played them off against each other, usually saves10% or so
I think Podie is right. Too often people think because they have a computer they can get the best deals when travel companies own or have allocation in most of the hotels in some areas.

The last minute online deals in good locations are much harder to get now as travel companies are hugely reducing capacity this and next year as they all consolidate.

Euro exchange rates are also making the non Eu destinations much more popular.

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 29th August 15:23

V8S

8,582 posts

267 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
Are you wanting self catering, half board or all inclusive?

I've found all inclusive in the Canaries for about £300 each. Reviews seem ok.

Podie

46,649 posts

305 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
jamoor said:
Podie said:
I got hacked off trying to find something on the internet, so went into the local travel company and said what my budget was, didn't want to be surrounded by people who eat with their mouth open, no kids, quiet, decent hotel, food and wine and somewhere warmer than the UK.

30 minutes later, we'd booked it - after they'd found about 30 options for us to look at.
They probbably rubbed their hands with glee, you should have taken their advice, gone home, gone on the internet and called several agents and played them off against each other, usually saves10% or so
You've missed my point. There were no decent deals to be had on the internet. After literally hours of searching we'd found two or three options that we'd consider. These were all blown out of the water by what the local agent found in terms of accommodation and cost.

In fact, whilst we were there we did look on the internet to compare deals. The missus and I were both born "ooop north" so we're well versed in getting VFM. Still, in 3 weeks time I'll be on my second holiday of the year tongue out

MElliottUK

846 posts

242 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
travelrepublic.com try using there bargain holiday finder its quite good.

funkyrobot

Original Poster:

18,789 posts

258 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
V8S said:
Are you wanting self catering, half board or all inclusive?

I've found all inclusive in the Canaries for about £300 each. Reviews seem ok.
Thanks for that.

We're after B&B. Maybe if the place looked very nice we'd consider all inclusive or half board, but we like to venture around and eat in different places.

Where did you find that?

V8S

8,582 posts

267 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
funkyrobot said:
V8S said:
Are you wanting self catering, half board or all inclusive?

I've found all inclusive in the Canaries for about £300 each. Reviews seem ok.
Thanks for that.

We're after B&B. Maybe if the place looked very nice we'd consider all inclusive or half board, but we like to venture around and eat in different places.

Where did you find that?
Just look on teletext holidays.

I can send you an Excel of some I've found and researched hotel reviews of.

ETA: Ah, I realise you're looking at last minute deals now. I'm looking for early October so maybe not as much use!

Edited by V8S on Friday 29th August 16:17

shirt

25,502 posts

231 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
V8S said:
ETA: Ah, I realise you're looking at last minute deals now. I'm looking for early October so maybe not as much use!
where in europe is going to be the best option for a holiday in october? me and the OH want a cheap wek away but she can't get any time off work until mid october frown

i had been looking at cyprus or greece, poss. portugal. canaries are supposed to remain warm but i don't fancy that. i remember family holidays when i was at school were normally in october and the med. was still fairly warm.

ps-sorry for thread hijack!

V8S

8,582 posts

267 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
I've never been to the Med, so don't know. I've jotted down numerous options for us, either half board or all inclusive, just from the Teletext holidays website so far. We went to Lanzarote in October a couple years ago and it was hot but not stifling, and I'm hoping we can go back to the Canaries this year.

Unfortunately, prices have been upped substantially since 2006 and we realise that self-catering is mostly a false economy as you tend to eat out anyway because sitting in an apartment over some toast is far too depressing when on holiday.

Corfu seems pretty cheap for half board.

ETA: The same Thomson holiday to the same place on the same basis is up from £186 in 2006 to about £330 this October. Quite a jump.

Edited by V8S on Friday 29th August 16:31

Pagey

1,372 posts

264 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
V8S said:
Are you wanting self catering, half board or all inclusive?

I've found all inclusive in the Canaries for about £300 each. Reviews seem ok.
Where in the canaries? Need an Oct/Nov break cool


Podie

46,649 posts

305 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
V8S said:
Just look on teletext holidays.
Peter Kay said:
Packed it, booked it, fked off
hehe