Package Deal or Compile own holiday?

Crystal, Thomas Cook, Inghams all offer package deals with flights, lift passes, ski hire, hotel etc. (in the UK anyway)

I could go and investigate this by adding up the possible costs of my own custom made holiday myself, but what are the community's general feelings about the value offered by putting your holiday in the hands of a travel company, and whether buying my own flights, accommodation etc. is likely to come up with a price close to or less than that quoted in a package?

Specifically, I notice the majority of package deals are Saturday-Saturday flights, which is in my experience always the most expensive day of the week to fly. We have no reason to go Saturday to Saturday as we are simply booking our own time off work and would be entirely capable of going Tuesday-Tuesday or anything...

I think the overall costs may be a little more expensive if you book through a company but they do have the advantage of the "bulk buy" and you get all the little things like transfers built in. What you do not get , as you point out is the flexibility of going when you want. This year (week defore Xmas actually) a group of us are of to Sauze D'Oulx, self organised and have got the 6 day trip (4 days sking), half board, lift passes anf ski hire down to £500. Travel is via Easyjet to Paris and TGV to resort. You just need to look around an choose somewhere with a station or airport really close. Seems to me the train allows a good party en-route!! (and its only 4.5 hrs)

OK, I tend to do both.

However, for our main trip, which involves up to 14 people, we will invariably go with a package.

You may find that it is difficult to get accommodation on a Tuesday/Tuesday basis, as most places will be geared round the package timetable.

Personally I think the time booking yourself really does come into it's own, is when you are happy to leave it to the last minute and grab a last minute cheap deal on an apartment, then arrange your travel to suit. For me, it is quite easy, because that simply involves a Eurotunnel or ferry crossing, and then we drive down. Best one I ever managed was to get an apartment for 6 people in Val D'Isere for 300 Euros for the week at the end of Jan. It was a fantastic place and no more than 30 odd yards from the Bellcotte Express chair.

You can of course get great deals from package companies at the last minute, but often not if the are 6 of you going.

Don't forget the extras you can get from a package deal, it will often include ski guiding, which can be useful for some, and there are often the little extras you forget about such as free drink. My trip to Austria this year includes free beer and wine at the hotel bar till 10.30 pm. That has to be worth a fair old penny for my group :)

Thanks, two very helpful replies there.

Any opinions on which of the package companies offer the best value out of Crystal, Iglu, Inghams, Thomas Cook, Neilson... ?

To be honest I think they all pretty much offer the same sort of deals.

Over the years I have used most of them, but recently we have tended to stick with Crystals simply because we have had excellent service from them over the last three years. They have yet to mess up a booking (for us it is strange, because some of the group fly from Birmingham, while some drive down from Kent) and were excellent when one of our group managed to tear his cruciate ligament a few seasons ago.

The reps really did assist to the best of their abilities.

The few diy trips we have done have not cost less than packages - mainly due to the transfer-to-resort costs I would say. We also tend to book last minute bargain deals with package companies - no longer having to worry about school hols/work etc. Also enjoy the ski hosting if we go on our own. I personally like handing over the responsibilities to someone else so I can enjoy the holiday more. Last December we got stuck in Geneva overnight due to snow conditions at Gatwick - so we were put up in a hotel courtesy of Monarch.

Have had two trips with Crystal recently after several years gap and was quite impressed with them.

I can highly recommend Ski Miquel with whom we have had some fantastic holidays and would also suggest you take a look at Ski Total.

Crystal get my vote, I've never had a problem with them and find them to be good value.

The only irritating thing is being told to wait until the end of a 'sales pitch' meeting to collect lift passes. But if you complain loud enough they'll give them to you before. :wink:

freshfreshpowder wrote:Thanks, two very helpful replies there.

Any opinions on which of the package companies offer the best value out of Crystal, Iglu, Inghams, Thomas Cook, Neilson... ?

Ok, I've done a LOT of packages, and a few DIY trips. Personally, travelling on Saturday is better as theres less on the roads to the airports and theres no business travellers. Avoid peak weekends, like Xmas, New Year and Easter or kids holidays. If you choose your own flights, they'll end up more than a package flight anyway, and tour ops will charge something like £35 for ski carriage whereas BA will want £56 or Ryanair want an arm and a leg. Literally.

As for companies, depends on what you're looking for and where to go. I've used Inghams, Neilson (Thomas Cook same company), Crystal (Thompson same company), Ski France, Skiworld, Skiline, Igluski, and the only thing I'd say is that Crystal did not deliver when it came to chalets, whereas Skiworld and Ski France were excellent.
Igulski, Skiline, Catered-ski-chalets and the others are just agents, so to get your best deal play them all off against each other and someone will want your business enough to be the cheapest.

Personally, I'd choose where you want to go rather than worry about who the tour op is. If you're in a hotel, they only take you there and pop in to see you, but if you're in a chalet theres far more to it as you have to live with these people and rely on them to cook for you!
I hear good things about Ski Miquel.....

Choose your resort, then shop around. I prefer chalets, but happy to go half board when its just me and the mrs.