With the rising costs of just about everything, we’re all on the hunt for deals. One of the most convenient ways to book a trip is to get a package deal, but should you book a package holiday or not? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
When are package deals a good idea?
So, let’s just say from the outset that package deals aren’t a good idea for everyone. There are certain times when it’s worth it and other times when it’s not. I’ll go into when they’re not worth it further down in this article, but first of all, let’s dive into when package deals are a good idea.
School holidays
If for whatever reason you’re tied to going away in the school holidays, package holiday deals can be a cheap way to get a getaway during peak season. Flights and hotels both go through the roof in terms of prices, so some resorts and hotels offer deals for package holidays.
You can also find short-haul airlines, like EasyJet and Ryanair, offering holiday packages with money-off codes, so this can sometimes make it more affordable.
Tours and Cruises
I love a cheap flight deal, especially if it’s long-haul (thanks Going.com), but sometimes you can find ridiculous package deals if you’re joining a tour or cruise. For example, I’ve seen 20-night fly-cruise packages around Australia for £2500 each. The flights alone are pushing £1,000 each and then you’re adding a 20-day cruise on top of that price. Cruises especially often charter flights for their long-haul cruises so they can absorb a lot of the price.
Tour companies like Exoticca offer insane trips like Machu Picchu and safaris with flights included in the price. While I wouldn’t exactly call these deals cheap, they are remote or unusual destinations, so the flights and logistics can get expensive and tricky on their own. Add in the included excursions and you might back yourself a cool package deal.
Resort trips
If you’re an all-inclusive or half-board person who loves a resort trip, chances are pretty good that you can find a cheap package holiday deal. Most airlines have package deals set up with resorts and hotels that they work with a lot and can offer them at a cut-price rate versus booking them separately.
This is always a good idea unless there’s a really good flight deal on. The hotels and resorts largely stay around the same prices unless they’re trying to fill up at the last minute, so the place to save here would be on the flights.
Best places to find cheap package deals
So, what are my favourite websites and newsletters for finding cheap package deals? Well, I’m not going to gatekeep them…
Love Holidays
If you want a cheap package deal website with a huge range of filters and airport options, Love Holidays is a great option. While many cheap package deals rely on timing, Love Holidays has some great options all year round.
Not sure about the specific location? You can search by holiday style like city break, lakes and mountains, etc. You can also put in specific airports or a whole region if you’re not super picky about where you can fly from.
Travelzoo
If you sign up for just one email subscription for cheap deals, make sure it’s Travelzoo. They send you the top 20 deals each week and range from odd domestic weekends away to huge bucket list trips and everything in between.
There’s also a huge list of last-minute deals which is really good for those spur-of-the-moment trips. The thing with Travelzoo is that it does send you all to third-party sites, so make sure you read all the small print before you book!
Secret Escapes
Now, I always thought that Secret Escapes was just for fancy hotel deals – and it is – there are also a load of package deals on the site. You’ll see a little plane icon that’ll dictate the deals where packages are available.
If you like fancy hotels and resorts but are on more of a budget, this is an awesome option as everything on Secret Escapes tends to be 4* and above. They also have limited-time deals which are even cheaper, but you have to be decisive! This is actually how we secured our hotel for Montenegro for ridiculously cheap.
When are package deals not a good idea?
Okay, so as I said, package deals aren’t always a budget-friendly traveler’s best option. So, if you’re meeting any of the following criteria, maybe stick to buying flights and accommodation separately.
- If you’re a solo traveller
- If you’re going to major cities
- If you like staying in hostels
- If there’s a large group
Package deals tend to work for couples or people in pairs whether that’s friends or family. If you’re a solo traveller or there’s a big group of you, either going for a hostel or getting a big Airbnb might be a better shout.
If you’re going to a major city where there are a lot of options, you should be able to find separate deals pretty easily, especially if it’s somewhere that’s served by cheap airlines like Ryanair. While there are package deals that cost under £200 per person, you can sometimes find the hotel cheaper directly.
Finally, if you like staying in hostels or that’s your budget travel method, package deals are likely going to seem expensive to you. Depending on where you’re going and who you’re going with, packages can sometimes be cheaper (some European hostel rates are ridiculous now), but it’s very rare.
Final tips for how to find cheap package holidays
Okay, here are some final tips for how to find a cheap package holiday as a budget-loving traveller.
Do your research
This is a no-brainer but make sure you price up your trip to see if that deal really is a deal. If it’s super cheap, check out the hotel and flight options and see if there are any savings to be made.
Also, make sure you check out the deal website specifically. ATOL or ABTA protections can be found at the bottom of the website and try to pay on your credit card if you can for additional payment protection. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Weigh up convenience versus cost
Package deals are normally a little more expensive than doing it yourself. There are definitely exceptions, but you’re paying for convenience as well as a holiday. How much is your time and effort worth to you?
As a seasoned pro at trip planning, I don’t book a lot of packages anymore, because I’m speedy and have my shortcuts for booking trips, but if it’s a package with excursions, transfers, local transport, or you just don’t have the time to research, packages can be a great way to travel.
Are you going to use everything that’s included?
One of my biggest issues with package holidays that include half-board or all-inclusive is that it often means you don’t leave the resort and actually see your destination. If this is your vibe and you just want to sit by the pool, that’s great. Otherwise, you might be paying more for stuff you don’t want or need.
The upgrade from a standard to a deluxe room is nice, but would you be that bothered by a standard room? Same for half-board versus bed and breakfast. Complimentary airport transfers are great too, but if there’s a reliable bus or train for half the price, it’s not a huge perk either.
Mystery package holiday deals
So, there are a few ways that you can find mystery package holiday deals online now. There are complete mystery weekends or weeks away that you can buy through Journee or similar companies. This is when you buy a mystery trip for two and you open the envelope at the airport to find out where you’re going. These packages deals can be amazing or they can feel a little low value for what you’re paying – it’s part of the lucky dip process!
The better way is to find mystery hotels on places like LastMinute.com or Voyage Prive. A lot of the time you can use the description or photos (if there is one) and reverse Google search to find the actual hotel.
I just found a London hotel on Lastminute.com with no photos but copy and pasted the full description into Google and the hotel came up immediately. This way it’s easy to work out if it actually is a deal or not.
So, package holidays can be really great, but they’re not for everyone and they’re not for every situation. Sometimes separate is best, especially if you’re traveling on your own. However, now there are plenty of package deal websites where you can find amazing prices for incredible locations. You just need to know where to look!
