Where to go on Holiday?

Tican · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:19

Hi all,

Before you go "OMGWTF CANT HE MAKE UP HIS OWN MIND?!?!"

... I have never been abroad before. Me and the Gf want to go somewhere in europe for some "winter sun"

. We have been looking at Costa Blanca (iirc) and similar. Now I have no idea where to look and what to look for.
Our budget for the holiday is around £300-£400 each per person (not including spends but to include everything bar spending money). What else will I/We need to do before we go other than book?
We want to go for 14 nights (or 7 if we need to but would prefer 14) for around 1st of November (give or take a week).

Anyone got any recommendations? As I dont know no where but the UK so I am a bit stuck on what to look for/where to go.

Hope someone can help me

-Ian

Rotty · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:20

Cyprus / Rhodes ( not faliraki ) would be my choices , the larger Costa Blanca resorts are terrible places

Tican · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:22

Rotty said:
Cyprus / Rhodes ( not faliraki ) would be my choices , the larger Costa Blanca resorts are terrible places

I was thinking these aswell (Picked up some brochures in town earlier) looks very nice

.

The prices seemed to be more than £400ish PP but then I only flicked through on the bus earlier

edit: I looked at Costa Blanca because it looked cheap (found one for £220 PP for 14 nights on the interweb) but I guess its the same as anything, you get what you pay for?

Rotty · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:24

Rhodes would probably be cheaper than Cyprus , nip into a travel agent you will often find better deals than the brochure prices

price will depned on when you wan to go , if you can wait till the 2nd week in September then they start to fall quite quickly

Tru · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:24

Menorca is nice if you want a chilled holiday, it doesn't have the same night life as the other Balearics but there's still plenty to keep you amused.

Rotty · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:26

Tru said:
Menorca is nice if you want a chilled holiday, .

a bit too sprog infested for my liking

Tru · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:27

Rotty said:
a bit too sprog infested for my liking

Should be OK in November though.

Tican · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:28

Rotty said:
Rhodes would probably be cheaper than Cyprus , nip into a travel agent you will often find better deals than the brochure prices

price will depned on when you wan to go , if you can wait till the 2nd week in September then they start to fall quite quickly

I will be going late Oct/early November sort of time with any luck

- Is Rhodes a nice place then?

Tru said:
Menorca is nice if you want a chilled holiday, it doesn't have the same night life as the other Balearics but there's still plenty to keep you amused.

We mainly just want a break away from the UK for a few weeks

- Will suggest all these to the gf later today

Rotty · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:29

Tru said:
Should be OK in November though.

oops didn't see that

Pug · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:29

Rotty said:
Cyprus / Rhodes ( not faliraki ) would be my choices , the larger Costa Blanca resorts are terrible places

kos is nice to as is crete. depends how "winter" you're thinking tho - december time spain wont be that hot. maybe tenerife/gran canaria would be tho

Cyprus is great tho

Rotty · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:31

DJ Binks said:
I will be going late Oct/early November sort of time with any luck - Is Rhodes a nice place then?

]

it is but any later than early oct is too late weather wise

at that time of year you ned the canaries tbh

have you considered the Dominican Republic , you can go to a 5* all inclusive for what you will spend in europe ( total cost inc spending money )

Tican · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:42

Rotty said:
]

it is but any later than early oct is too late weather wise

at that time of year you ned the canaries tbh

have you considered the Dominican Republic , you can go to a 5* all inclusive for what you will spend in europe ( total cost inc spending money )

... Worth a look

We dont want it *too* hot, but not cold either (I have tried to get her to go on a skiing holiday with no joy

)

Edit: does it make any difference from where we fly from ? We can fly from East Midlands or any London airport (and Luton etc)

4T5 · 24 Jul 2006 at 12:59

I have 14 mates in Cyprus at the moment so i would leave it till they get back if i was you.

I could ring one of them and see what its like if you like.

Lopéz · 24 Jul 2006 at 13:17

If you are getting package deals then you (generally speaking) won't be able to do the following destinations

All of Greece
All of Turkey
East Coast Cyprus (ie Protaras/Green Bay/Nissi Bay/Ayia Napa)
Costa Brava
Costa De Almeria
Costa Dorada
Bulgaria
Croatia
Menorca
Ibiza

These are seasonal places - during the winter they "close down" so most tour operators will stop featuring them in the winter (any time after the end of October)
The South and East of Majorca remain in use, as does the Costa Del Sol, Beniform (Costa Blanca), Algarve coast (Portugal), West Cyprus (Limassol/Paphos), the Canary Isles (Fuerteventura, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote), Egypt (Luxor, Taba, Marsa Alam, Sharm El Sheikh), Tunisia and a couple of others.

If you don't really mind where you end up and can fly on more than one different day my advice would be to leave it nearer the time as you will pick up better deals. If you can push the dates on to the first week in December and can hold off booking until a few days before departure then you really will do well as this is always the quietest period for all the tour operators.

Hope this helps.

PS I didn't think much of Benidorm, fine if you like wind, bingo, lean-to pubs and hotel buffet food.

Rotty · 24 Jul 2006 at 13:22

Lopéz said:
If If you can push the dates on to the first week in December and can hold off booking until a few days before departure then you really will do well as this is always the quietest period for all the tour operators.

.

yep , great deals early december

we have just booked a 5* all inclusive in Egypt for under £470 each

JohnnyG · 24 Jul 2006 at 13:26

Rotty said:
we have just booked a 5* all inclusive in Egypt for under £470 each

I was just going to mention Egypt. It's perfect temps that time of year (for a white English boy anyway) & the flight is only about 5hrs

Tican · 24 Jul 2006 at 13:27

Lopéz said:
If you are getting package deals then you (generally speaking) won't be able to do the following destinations

All of Greece
All of Turkey
East Coast Cyprus (ie Protaras/Green Bay/Nissi Bay/Ayia Napa)
Costa Brava
Costa De Almeria
Costa Dorada
Bulgaria
Croatia
Menorca
Ibiza

These are seasonal places - during the winter they "close down" so most tour operators will stop featuring them in the winter (any time after the end of October)
The South and East of Majorca remain in use, as does the Costa Del Sol, Beniform (Costa Blanca), Algarve coast (Portugal), West Cyprus (Limassol/Paphos), the Canary Isles (Fuerteventura, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote), Egypt (Luxor, Taba, Marsa Alam, Sharm El Sheikh), Tunisia and a couple of others.

If you don't really mind where you end up and can fly on more than one different day my advice would be to leave it nearer the time as you will pick up better deals. If you can push the dates on to the first week in December and can hold off booking until a few days before departure then you really will do well as this is always the quietest period for all the tour operators.

Hope this helps.

PS I didn't think much of Benidorm, fine if you like wind, bingo, lean-to pubs and hotel buffet food.

Thanks for that advice

Beniform <-- Thats the one where I seen (what looks like) a nice hotel. (Cant find it now though

)

1st week of december would be good aswell, do you get a good enough deal to hold it until then though?

Rotty · 24 Jul 2006 at 13:28

JohnnyG said:
I was just going to mention Egypt. It's perfect temps that time of year (for a white English boy anyway) & the flight is only about 5hrs

we are staying here

not bad for under 500 quid

Tican · 24 Jul 2006 at 13:29

Rotty said:
yep , great deals early december

we have just booked a 5* all inclusive in Egypt for under £470 each

JohnnyG said:
I was just going to mention Egypt. It's perfect temps that time of year (for a white English boy anyway) & the flight is only about 5hrs

I was flicking through the brochure and seen Egypt. Somewhere I have always wanted to go. Not too sure on the gf though. Will have to see.

Rotty, Where did you book that? Online? (I am assuming 3/4* would be cheaper still

)

edit:

Rotty said:
we are staying here

not bad for under 500 quid

that looks ace! Hmm:

"Hi babe, fancy making the budget to £500 and going egypt"
Can try I suppose

Rotty · 24 Jul 2006 at 13:31

DJ Binks said:
I was flicking through the brochure and seen Egypt. Somewhere I have always wanted to go. Not too sure on the gf though. Will have to see.

Rotty, Where did you book that? Online? (I am assuming 3/4* would be cheaper still )

my sister is manager of a travel agnets ( going places ) but the same deal was available on the mytravle website ( check mytravel and panorama as the prices can differ for same flight/hotel )

was £470 but don't forget that it is all inclusive so you will need next to no spending money , that hotal i called the Makadi Palace , prices may be even cheaper now eith the trouble in the middle east