View Full Version : package vs private?
Hi again, been reading these forums for a few weeks now, had already decided to go the all in one package route through t-c-d all in £2800.00, then started investigating more deeply into the process, got 2 weeks car hire through this site for £440.00 .the car i wanted as well!. then looked at private villas here and elswhere, seems you can get 2weeks in a named 3 bedroom exec villa we could choose ourselves before we book so we know exactly what we are getting before we get there for under £1000.00 next year in september. which totals £1440.00 up to now. so now for the hard part 'cheap flights' try as i might i dont seem to be able to find flights that equate to around the £1350.00 left for the five of us. my million dollar question 'is it possible'[?] .cheers for now from your now mixed up and undecided new member Mike[:I][:o)]
Gillian-B
01-10-2003, 02:01
Mike,
Although all the "package holiday" companies have prices released up to the end of 2004, if you are thinking of going "independent" then many of the airlines don't release prices until 11 months before. Therefore, it may be a couple of weeks before you are able to get a real idea of independent prices, but you're right to start looking early as the cheapest seats are usually the ones available first.
Personally, we have always booked independent holidays. Not just because we usually find them cheaper (there are no travel agent overheads if you book with an owner), but as you say you get to choose exactly where you stay and what "comforts" your holiday home has. Also, because you will deal direct with the owner, you can use his/her knowledge of the area to ask questions and get the most out of your holiday.
Good luck
neilandkay
01-10-2003, 02:48
Did the TCD car hire include all the insurances that you should need and extra drivers? I believe the car hire on this site does have an all inclusive option (which is the cheapest way to go - the insurances in the USA add up dramatically). You may be saving more money on the car hire than you think...
We have just paid UKP 297 for a return flight early November. This is a charter flight and many companies have reduced the number of charter flights from the end of October. Theoretically it should be possible to get a good deal on prices.
--Kay
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
01-10-2003, 12:30
I can confirm our car includes all the insurances you need. If TCD are providing basic car hire (i.e. you pay tyhe insurance on arrival at the car hire desk), expect to pay something like:
LDW Insurance $14-$20 per day
SLI Insurance approx $10 per day
State and local taxes 15-16% of total cost
Airport user fee 4-10% of total cost
Tank of fuel $15-$25
Additional driver fees approx $6 per driver per day
This can have a substantial effect on the cost of your car hire, meaning you can be paying up to £300 to £500 extra on arrival for a 14 night stay!
Funshine
01-10-2003, 13:03
Mike - September tends to be a shoulder month as most children are going back to school. I'm certain you will get flights for your £1350, probably less. For example, we have just booked a last minute fly-drive with TCD. The flights were £169pp, with car hire it was £347pp - this included all car insurances and taxes - all we have to pay at Sanford is for a tank of petrol (approx $15 - $25 as John has quoted above). We're travelling on 3 October.
If you are happy to travel on a charter flight - you will definitely get booked within your budget. Scheduled flights are upward of £300pp by the time you've added taxes on.
Another point about 'all-in' packages is you do not get a choice of villa. When you book independently you choose exactly what you want, where you want, what facilities is has, local amenities and of course how far to the 'exhaustion' parks!! :)
steph_goodrum
01-10-2003, 13:09
Mike
We have also found that Travel City allegedly appear to be misleading people in some of their advertising for next year so there could well be many disappointed people who have not got access to the facilities they think they are going to get when they book a villa through them.
Hi, great to get so many informative replys, I am totally happy with the car rental rates I got from the forum link even though they havn,t taken the money from my account for the deposit which is strange usually when you use your card it is immediate?. and as I said around £1000.00 for a villa of choice is fine as well. But I still worry that I will not be able to find flights at a cost close to my budget.Even from the cheap flights link on this site the best quote was £444.00 each (gulp!).So my worry is if I go the independant route and then end up not being able to get any flights unless I pay way over my budget to do so. cheers Mike.
p:s anyone of any good flight sites?? that may help.
pps seen some villas for less than £1000.00 as well, "damn these flights, how long will it take to walk there?";):D
athurstance
01-10-2003, 15:35
Try the flights link on http://www.orlandovillas.com/cheap_flights.aspx
we got flights for 4 for £1200 for Easter 2004 - they were by far the cheapest we spoke to.
cheers arthur but they are the ones that quoted me £2220.00 for 5 of us in september 2004.
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
01-10-2003, 16:07
Hi Mike
It depends - we do not use online credit card software - the amount is manually debited from your card by our car hire agents soon after your order has been placed. I'm sure you will see the amount taken as per your booking very soon.
quote:Originally posted by m1ke
I am totally happy with the car rental rates I got from the forum link even though they havn,t taken the money from my account for the deposit which is strange usually when you use your card it is immediate
Well, as Gillian-B has already pointed out, flights become available at the earliest 11 months prior to departure date (unless you book in the High Street with a travel agent or with the airline direct). So, unless you want to go on 01 September 2004, it will be a few weeks yet before you can check the flights yourself online.
Try http://www.airline-network.co.uk (where you can pay a deposit and the balance is due 8 weeks prior to departure) or http://www.opodo.co.uk or direct with charter companies like http://www.thomascook.co.uk or Airtours at http://www.uk.mytravel.com to see what they have on offer.
Also to add to Blott's list try: http://www.ebookers.com
I've had a number of great flight deals from here. :D
Sunnyjim
01-10-2003, 19:08
We are going on 21st Oct 2003,and our flights were £1600 for 4 adults 1 child going from Manchester via Philly to Orlando with US Airways.
We booked with a local travel company no hassle, got an excellent villa and car hire from OVs.
Its been half the fun putting it all together.
Counting the days now.
Sunnyjim
just had a quote from tcd of £1680.00 flights only for the five of us £336.00 each thats including all taxes , by far the cheapest up to now, my last question (i hope) do private villas only get let for saturday to saturday bookings or can you get like thursday to thursday lets as well. cheers Mike hopefully should have decided by weekend which method to use!!!
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
01-10-2003, 23:01
Hi Mike
It very much depends of the owners themselves but most (if not all owners) will try and be as accomodating as possible to fit in with guests travel plans :D Why not ask as I'm sure people would try their best to fit in with your dates.
milliemoo99
01-10-2003, 23:14
Hi Mike,
I'm off to Miami in 12 days time - can't wait :D
I put our holiday together and like you say thats all the fun of it. I got our flights from www.expedia.co.uk - for 3 adults and 3 kids (had to pay for the kids) from Gatwick - Atlanta - Miami. the total price was £1317 - £252 per adult & £187 per child. I then got a 2 bedroom townhouse right on the beach in Miami and that was £800 for 2weeks. got that from a place an internet lettings site for private owners.
As for the private villas letting from mid-week days i guess thats all up to the owner but we got ours from monday to monday so i would take your chance and ask [:I]
Oh and as for our flights I only booked them 17 weeks ago and for the same flight now they are asking £400 per adult [:0]
Anyway hope you find what you are looking for and have fun :)
Joanne
Hi Mike,
Expedia, Travelocity, Ebookers are all great places to find cheap flights. However, it is sometimes wise to see what fares they are offering, and then checking direct with the airline as they sometimes can give better deals, albeit only 5 or 10 pounds cheaper in most cases, but with 5 of you that adds up to a theme park ticket for one or two of you;)
I have just booked for my family to travel out with me next Xmas (2004) with Virgin Holidays, and for 5 adults (including car and taxes) was £2100.00 which I thought wasn't too bad for the Xmas period and for 5 adults!.
IcelandAir also offer great fares via Rejkyavic (or spelt something like that:D)
Matt
Well people(was gonna put friends but thought it might seem a bit presumptious of me[8)] ) have finally decided to go the book seperately route regardless of the fact i have not found any flights yet, I have decided to take the risk of booking a villa sometime in the first 2 weeks of september 2004 and believing in the fact that we are 99% certain to be able to get flights in the coming 12 months to suit our needs, I have a question( knew my last question wouldnt be the last:D) would most villa owner mind if i rented a 5 bedroom even though there is only 2 adult and 3 kids since some 5 bed villas are as cheap as 3 bed villas. cheers Mike
huckleberry house
03-10-2003, 21:39
Hi Mike
That is the advantage of booking your own accommodation,there are no under occupancy supplements regardless of how few people there are in a Villa:)
I have a 5 bed and have two bookings that are each for only two people.On the issue of prices,I am sure you will come up with some good prices long before your journey and even if you do end up paying slightly more than your all inclusive price you have the advantage of knowing exactly where you are staying,that has to be worth something.
Lesley
chrizzy100
03-10-2003, 21:53
quote:Originally posted by m1ke
Well people(was gonna put friends but thought it might seem a bit presumptious of me[8)] ) have finally decided to go the book seperately route regardless of the fact i have not found any flights yet, I have decided to take the risk of booking a villa sometime in the first 2 weeks of september 2004 and believing in the fact that we are 99% certain to be able to get flights in the coming 12 months to suit our needs, I have a question( knew my last question wouldnt be the last:D) would most villa owner mind if i rented a 5 bedroom even though there is only 2 adult and 3 kids since some 5 bed villas are as cheap as 3 bed villas. cheers Mike
More than the number of bedrooms...if I were in your shoes...I'd look for the number of living areas....and if they are apart...then you can have your own place to watch TV.....and the kids can have theirs....without being stuck in their bedrooms....most of the time if a house has two living areas...its a bigger house per sq ft....
quote:Originally posted by chrizzy100
More than the number of bedrooms...if I were in your shoes...I'd look for the number of living areas....and if they are apart...then you can have your own place to watch TV.....and the kids can have theirs....without being stuck in their bedrooms....most of the time if a house has two living areas...its a bigger house per sq ft....
I get your pont Chrizzy but the number of bedrooms was just in case other friends or relatives decide to come at a later date, I have seen a post with a villa and the picture was of a view from the pool looking out onto a wooded lake with a sunset to die for!![8D],I can just picture myself and the wife at the side of the pool with a beer just listening to the wildlife after the kids go to bed Ahh heaven!![8D]:D, I am off now to find a villa first stop is crescent lakes I think ( name matches the scene above:))
melfrank
04-10-2003, 02:31
Hi Mike,
We've been to Florida for the last 4 years now. On our first trip we stayed in a hotel on the I Drive. Although this was rated a 4 star hotal we were still in a single(but large) room which can be quite claustrophobic at times. We have DIY-ed on our sunsequent trips and we have to say nothing compares to having your own villa. You can eat in if you want - you'll have lots of space to spread out in and you can come home with suitcases full of clean clothes! I'd say that even if the costswork out slightly more the benefits of a private villa far out weigh a package. We'd never go package again.
Mel
PS we DO NOT own our own villa
melfrank
04-10-2003, 02:36
Mike
Try Swiss.com who fly into miami --friends of mine got a real cheap deal.. They went Manchester - geneva - Miami and managed to get flights for around £320.
Reading through the posts, I'm beginning to think we're a bunch of 'Cheapskates' We book last minute of the Teletext.( two weeks ago ) This trip next week has cost the extortionate price of £89 each through T.C.D. An intermediate rental fully insured (Do'nt want it any other way)is a bit dearer this year at £204 per week all in.
This means the job lot for 'Her Who Must be Obeyed' 2 Bin-Lids (Grand Kids), myself and a pretty decent set of wheels comes out at the princely sum of £860.
oh ! and that includes free meals and drinks on the flights, and pre-booked seats.... (probably in the cargo hold... :()
In May last year we did the same with the other two grandkids for £49 each !
sammibabe
04-10-2003, 22:34
I think you have done the best thing. You cannot beat renting a private villa. All the villas we have ever stayed have all been beautiful and a real home from home. I do wonder if you would get the same facilites (kitchen equipment etc.) in a company villa. I don't know as the other advantage is that whenever we have looked at the costing between the two renting a private villa has always come out as the cheapest option. So much so that i don't even bother to check now;)
Hi M1ke
There are some great villas on Crescent Lakes, we stayed in a 4 bed, with a pool facing a wooded area, and it was nice to sit and listen to the wildlife at night over a beer or 2. We are hoping to stay in our villa when it has been built next year for 2 weeks, that is on Crescent Lakes.
Rob & Carol
coombsyl
07-10-2003, 16:58
I agree that a villa is the best way to visit Orlando. We love it first thing in the morning when you can take your tea and book and sit by the pool in lovely relaxing surroundings until the rest of the family gets up. No more of that "shall we tap on their hotel door to see if they are up" nonsense!! :D If they haven't appeared, then they are not up!!!! To get home after a days shopping or in the parks and to sit with your feel danging in the pool is just heaven. ;)
Ahhhhh coombsyl!! I can even feel the warmth of the sun as it rises; see the rays shining on the lake waters; hear the peace and quiet - absolute heaven.
Early morning, my favourite time of day in Florida. :D:D:D
Only 8 weeks to go. :D:D:D
Hi,
Having stayed in hotels we are going to stay in our first villa next year. Reading what other people have said about villa's we can't wait. We put the package together ourselves using the internet and reckon we saved about £1000 for the two of us against using an travel agent.
Paul & Sheila[8D]
we've been trolling orf to sunny florida for about 12 years now. 1st time was
the only time i've used a travel agent. Since then, some of the fun for me is
doing the research etc to get the best deal. (should that just read cheapskate?)
We normally fly scheduled to mco, as we do seem to go crazy on the plastic each
time we visit.
andycoll
20-10-2003, 00:39
Hi to all
this is my first post as I am new hear
I have recently been stuffed on flights by my travel agent who went in to voluntary liquidation (FINE QUOTE LTD)[xx(]
I was only informed at the beginning of October and I was flying on 1st November [xx(]
after searching the net constantly for 7 days, I found this site www.flyelite.co.uk
who managed to secure me 4 adult tickets from Manchester to Sanford via Philadelphia for the sum of £1221.00 GBP:D
I thought I would let you all know of this site as they supplied me with flights £1023.50 GBP cheaper than any body else :D
Yes, definatly my favourite times in Florida are sitting out by the pool, either first thing in the morning as the first rays of sunlight break over the tops of the trees and come into our lanai warming my body while I have a lesuirely breakfast and listening to the birds, or listening to the cicadas at night while having a lovely cooling drink. Can't beat it [8D]
chrizzy100
20-10-2003, 19:06
quote:Originally posted by Karen
Yes, definatly my favourite times in Florida are sitting out by the pool, either first thing in the morning as the first rays of sunlight break over the tops of the trees and come into our lanai warming my body while I have a lesuirely breakfast and listening to the birds, or listening to the cicadas at night while having a lovely cooling drink. Can't beat it [8D]
I feel I have a longer day in FL...I don't know if its old age or if the evenings really are storter up here in Mass......:(