Have you looked at Bulgaria with Balkan Holidays?

luci

I haven't Luci - purely because a couple of people I know who like the same type of holiday as us, didn't enjoy their time there. I'm off to town in a minute, so I might just pick up a brochure.

I suspect the best T/O prices will be found in Turkey and bulgaria Helen. But still prices were way above our budget for next year. I have booked for Cuba now (sol rio De Luna & Mares)with direct holidays as TBH the only prices that could match it were for hotels with very mixed reviews or destinations I didnt fancy .

Or how about doing DIY with one of the euro destinations covered by a budget flight and be prepared to book the day the flight prices come out to secure a good deal on flights.

Lyn - I do think the best value will be to the long haul destinations. However having just come back from the Dominican Republic, the thought of another 10 hour flight is a bit daunting. Added to that is the fact that we live in Wales so we have the long trek to GAtwick or Manchester to reach these destinations. This often means a night's stay before we fly & on return. This of course pushes the holiday price up even more.

hi helen

I expect the cheapest packages will probably be Bulgaria and Tunisia, I think turkey is quite dear on package now, as all the best hotels are 5* AI's and they charge accordingly. As Lyn says I think the only other way to get good value is to DIY somewhere close. If you get flights to either Malaga or Faro and then book your own accommodation. There are just so many flights on these routes that they are often £100 ish per flight if you book at the right time, unlike Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt which may all be about £300.

Its a trade off really, as you will then pay more whilst in Spain and Algarve due to Euro, although they are swamped with bars and restaurants so prices can still be keen and standards seem high. (went to Nerja in the summer) So it's probably as broad as its long compared to Bulgaria and Tunisia on a package, but I guess it gives you more choice.

What about Gambia or Cape Verde - think Portland do it - that has only just opened up to tourists (might not be much there though).

One of the more obscure Canary islands, La Palma or La Gomera although not sure on prices ?

Doe

Morroco is another possibility Helen and I've seen some pretty good reviews for Tunisia lately .

I know what you mean about a 10 hour flight . I must admit I hestitated for a long while because of the thought of that flight , coupled with jet lag and the need for 16 days holiday but in the end it was the price and the fact that the boys were really keen that made the decision for me . Have a feeling it may be a one off for us but we wont know unless we try it .

The bottom line though Helen is that there doesnt seem to be any great deals on offer with the T/Os for next year and we are going to have to hunt a lot harder and be open minded about our choice of destination.

Hi Helen

I think if you see something at a price you're happy with I would grab it, prices seem very inflated for high season next year, or wait and get a late deal but then there will be less choice especially flying from the south west.

Thomas Cook have Turkey AI from Cardiff for under £600pp for Aug 17th. 14 nights, which seems an excellent price IMO....Cazx (or some cheaper SC options.)

Croatia is looking good to me.

Helen, I've found quite a few 'bargains'. I obviously haven't read any reviews and not sure where you've been looking but take a look HERE

about 8 or 9 for under £500pp for 2 weeks dep 2nd Aug from Bristol (Corfu) and a further 3 or 4 for under £600, ranging from S/C to H/B. Also very good prices coming up for Corfu with Direct holidays.

Whilst browsing for bargains for Helen couldn't resist pricing up my already booked hol for Turkey next August. We paid £1140 (2 adults s/c) 6 weeks ago - if I was to book now with the same company it's coming up at £1520. Now I think I found myself a bargain

Thanks everyone. I'm going to try & pin it down to at least a country today. At the moment I'm just going round the globe in circles. How much easier it would be if money wasn't a problem

did you have a budget in mind Helen, and is it for 2 weeks in august ?

Doe

Yes it is 2 weeks in August - preferably SC or B& B. I was hoping to get something for under £1500 for the both of us.

Ive been looking into next years hols also. Very pricey Tunisia ect is coming up cheapest as said before.

Well done Helen, I see you are now all booked up.
Not long to wait.

One of the more obscure Canary islands, La Palma or La Gomera although not sure on prices ?

Bit late for Helen T but anybody looking for a quiet holiday then SC holiday on La Gomera can be had for a reasonable price in August if you get the flights at a good price. We're going in October and a lovely 2 bedroom apartment for 4 right on the harbour is costing us 347 Euros for the week - so that's about £315 at the current rates or less than £80 per head. The rent is actually less in August. We can eat well including drinks for a max of 15 Euros a head at a local tapas bar and exceptionally well for no more than 25 Euros a head in one of the harbourside restaurants. We eat out every night and I budget for around 25 Euros a day for a simple breakfast in the apartment, a snack lunch and then dinner out including drinks, ie around 200 Euros/£180 per head for the week to be on the safe side. The ferry fare has gone up since Olsens took over the foot passenger ferry and will cost us around £55 per head this time but it still saves us money compared to hiring a car or getting a taxi transfer across the island.

So for 4 of us it comes in at around £1260 or £315 per head for the apartment, all food and drink and the ferry from Los Christianos because once there, there's very little to spend money on! If you can get cheap flights as soon as they become available then a week on La Gomera can be had for under £400 per head for absolutely everything. A fortnight still works out at under £400 per head before flights. So not dead cheap, and not everybody's cup of tea because it is such a quiet island but good value for Euroland at the moment.

SM

La Gomera sounds lovely SM, hope me and DH can get there one day when we no longer have teens to comsider. I really fancy a quiet week there away from the tourist crowds, especially as it seems to have quite a long season weatherwise.

Hi doepsmc, it certainly does have a long season weatherwise - not blisteringly hot when we go in October but in the upper 20s at least and certainly hot enough and the sea warm enough for swimming and just generally lazing around. I've also been in the early spring and some days it really was too hot on the coast for me away from the shade. It's great for a really relaxing week away from the crowds and just taking it easy.

I would have said that it wasn't suitable for teenagers until we actually took my teenage nieces for the first time! I was fully expecting them to get bored but they loved it - in some ways I think that this was because it was the first time in a while that they'd been able to spend so much time with their grandparents. But they also loved the whale watching trip, the visit over to Castillo del Mare, going snorkelling with their Dad, swimming and bodysurfing in the Atlantic breakers but above all going out to eat every night! The youngest in particular seemed to appreciate being one of the 'adults' for week and being treated like an adult by everybody we met. She referred to it very positively as a 'proper grown-ups sort of a holiday'! So that told me

SM

if you get the flights at a good price.

That's the problem though. I can never find flights at a decent price in August, especially from our regional airports. Our next closest airport is over 4 hours away, and it usually necessitates at least one night there, either before or after the flight. I have just booked 2 weeks B & B in Lassi Kephalonia, and I'm fairly happy with the price £1400 for the 2 of us in August. I'm hoping that the Euro will be a bit better by then. For once I gave hubby the choice , but I think he's done ok.

You're right, Helen, that's the crucial bit which is why I provided the costings in the way I did. My parents live on the southern edge of Liverpool and thus have a good choice of flights from either there or Manchester, my brother close to Birmingham and my friend who usually comes with us lives within 10 mins of Gatwick and so generally manages the best deal out of all of us. Whereas I live up on the east coast of Scotland and whilst have a reasonable choice of flights the hassle of living halfway between Aberdeen and Edinburgh the cost of them means that these days I usually travel down to Liverpool the night before and go via Manchester with my parents, especially now that they are in their 80s and my mother is increasingly frail. This could well be the last year my Mum feels up to the journey, so to be honest - we'd have paid anything to make that possible for her.

Now that so many of the 'no frills' airlines seem to be really retrenching and cutting back on thier flights from regional airports, I do wonder whether the cheap DIY bubble is about to burst for all of us?

SM