DIY top tips...always done package before

[staceyb]

Were looking to go again in sep/Oct 2021 (trip number 10) but weve always done package with virgin before. This time we're trying to keep cost down as just had baby number 6 lol and looking to try DIY this time. Any tips, must do's would be most appreciated. Thinking of booking villa first then flights via skyscanner? sound like the right thing to do? x

[Thorpy]

Sensibly, price a comparable package for what you're looking to do. Knowing how much you are saving is an incentive to do extra searches for flights when it seems you've done it forever with no luck.

No so sensibly...Yep, if you "DIY", you are less likely to see baby number 7, and therefore keep costs down. Our second has crippled us in terms of Financing Florida trips, can't imagine paying for a full team !

[cornishfrogboy]

I always get my flights before I get my Villa.

Whilst many Villa owners will show a few days flexibility, you are in a far stronger negotiating position if you have your flights set in stone. They can then go tighter on other bookings, both before and after yours.

Early (varies but with for Norwegian around 355 days from your return, 330 most of the rest) flight bookings still give you 10 months to both get the cheaper flights and still have a very wide range of villas to choose from. I generally book around 3 weeks after flight release and then start Villa hunting straight afterwards.

Many will say ‘but we want a particular Villa’, but this is new to you and therefore you must have an open mind to both Villa and area of Villa.
A couple of years back, I was let down on a 5 bedroom villa just 2.5 weeks out and during the Easter Hols. I had plenty of choice in selecting a new one.

Remember also that you will need a (large in your case) vehicle. It would be wise to consider a BA flydrive as an alternative to just flights for the following reasons..
1. They are sometimes very competitive indeed whilst offering good insurance. Virgin offerings have inadequate insurance and the cost of an insurance upgrade is generally more than the cost of hiring a vehicle elsewhere.
2. A flydrive constitutes a package and therefore can be paid off in instalments whilst flights only are cash up front.

Always pay on Credit card as this gives you S75 end user failure protection.

I also agree with the good advice of Thorpy, re pricing up package comparisons. Apart from anything else, it gives you a target to beat and it isn’t time consuming with what you are seeking.

[ziggyzag]

Just make sure when booking DIY we get good insurance that covers you for all problems, make sure your tickets are covered for example (or corna type viruses! lol)

[HevaDuck]

I've done both DIY and packages I price each one up and see which comes out cheapest. Just make sure the car in the package has the same insurance as the car hire you look at separately as adding on the extra insurance will increase your package price. We have 4 kids so always needed a 7 seater and one package only included 2 compact cars which I hadn't realised at the time they then charged us extra for the bigger car. We also tend to fly mid week to keep flight costs down

[Bolto6]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

Remember also that you will need a (large in your case) vehicle. It would be wise to consider a BA flydrive as an alternative to just flights for the following reasons..
1. They are sometimes very competitive indeed whilst offering good insurance. Virgin offerings have inadequate insurance and the cost of an insurance upgrade is generally more than the cost of hiring a vehicle elsewhere.
2. A flydrive constitutes a package and therefore can be paid off in instalments whilst flights only are cash up front.

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If you fly drive through Virgin Holidays it doesn’t include adequate insurance as standard, but if you do Flydrive through the Virgin Atlantic website it does, always worth comparing the 2, as they are very different.

If you book a flydrive through Virgin Atlantic, it is fulfilled by VH, and you can pay by deposit, but you can only book when the flights are released, unlike VH, where you can book now.

[Elodie]

As above, I’d price up a package first. Our holiday is quite different to your plans (on-site stays in three different hotels at Universal and Disney, so it would have been complicated to get as a package anyway, plus it’s our family’s first visit (and possibly only) to Florida so we wanted to plan every element to make our ideal holiday.)

Even so, I tried to price up a holiday for the same dates, just to be sure we weren’t spending too much on putting together our perfect trip. As it happens, we did save quite a bit, even compared to a more basic holiday, as well as having the flexibility to mix and match the elements we want.

[Ninnybobs]

Best advice... don’t panic.
Stay as flexible as you can on dates/days of travel.
There are plenty of villas and plenty of flights. I have booked both ways... flight first, villa second and vice versa. It both works.

[ROBBOTOO]

We only book direct with an owner so we choose the exact villa we want. We don’t like the risk of allocated on arrival. It also needs good recent reviews.

Don’t limit your search to the exact number of rooms you need. We’ve stayed in some very big villas, far bigger than needed but they’ve come in within our budget.

We also ask for a late check out on our last day. Nice to not have to worry about what to do with cases that day. We can go out if we want that day, but can also just chill and swim and stuff if we want. Plus we can shower and freshen up before heading to the airport.

[BevS97]

I always start with flights and we are pretty flexible on routes and dates to find the best price.

Flight prices vary the most so there are the most savings to be had if you can get a good price.

I agree with the advice to look a fly drives. We have found they can be cheaper than flight only. Don’t restrict yourself to a specific airline. They are all pretty similar once you are on board.

When you are looking at flight prices be aware of luggage and seat costs. They aren’t usually included so if they are important to you make sure you include them in your comparisons.