This year, around 15 million of us will fly off to the Med for a week or a fortnight, stay in a grotty self-catering apartment (no, not all 15 million of us in the same apartment) or a swanky hotel and have a great time. Great, that is until you're sitting around the pool with some new pals and it turns out they paid half what you paid for the identical holiday.
So how can you be the perfect package-holidaymaker? Here's the handbag.com essential guide to choosing the best deal.
Where do you want to go?
'Somewhere hot and sunny, with a good beach and cheap sangria' is the usual response from sun-starved travellers. But it's a mistake to think of your holiday as a mere commodity. Firstly you have to ask yourself, do you want to be on a fairly small, secluded island with very little excitement? If so head for the Isle of Wight, or somewhere like Menorca, Malta or Lanzarote, or one of the smaller Greek islands. Greece is also a great location if you have an interest in history; on Santorini, for example, you can trace a civilisation going back 3,500 years (which may also be how old the toast tastes at breakfast in the morning).
If you or your partner get itchy feet, it makes much more sense to be on a larger island, such as Crete or Majorca, where there is plenty of variety to fill a fortnight. Better still, choose a mainland destination such as Benidorm or Marbella, with easy access into the wonders of inland Spain or great cities such as Valencia and Seville. For anyone who puts nightlife at the top of the wish-list, the choice is easy: a raucous resort such Magaluf in Majorca, San Antonio in Ibiza or the up and coming Greek island of Kos.
Where do you want to stay?
If, like me, you're after a last-minute bargain, you won't have much choice - you'll go where you're told to. But since you'll be spending at least a third of your time in the accommodation, it makes sense to choose something you're comfortable with, if you possibly can. My rule is: the smaller, the better. Whether you're in a family-run hotel or a modest self-catering apartment, you'll feel less separated from the local people. And be wary of the all-inclusive resort. Although it sounds tempting to pay for unlimited food and drink in advance, in practice the quality is often low and the service shoddy. And you'll miss out on the local restaurants - which help you remember you're on the Costa Brava, not Cornwall.
What do you want to do?
Frying gently in the sun for two weeks appeals to some, but if you want to learn new skills, such as windsurfing or mountain biking, consider one of the activity-centre-based holidays from Mark Warner or Neilson. Most of the sports are included in the basic price, as is tuition. You'll also get your meals at the resort - but try to break out at least once a week and visit the real world.
When should you book, and what should you pay?
These are big questions, to which there are no simple answers. It depends on what sort of person you are. If you like everything to be set up well ahead of time, then consider booking the moment the holidays go on sale - usually in May for the following summer (eg May 2003 for holidays in summer 2004). You'll get the full range of options, a generous early-booking discount and the certainty of knowing that you'll be tanning in Torremolinos in 15 months from now. Hang on - that can also be a drawback. In these uncertain times, committing yourself so far in advance involves accepting a certain amount of risk about how you and your partner will be feeling then.
Last-minute bookers have no such worries. But choosing to wait until a week or two before departure has its concerns. You need to be flexible on flights - many involve overnight departures and arrivals, accommodation - 'allocation on arrival' is the usual policy, and even destination - many places sell out completely. You will also need to be happy to be treated as a second-class citizen, paying extra for everything from the airline meal to the bus transfer to the resort. But in return, you could find yourself annoying the others around the pool by pointing out that they paid twice as much as you.
What should you watch out for?
Before you pay up, make sure you are aware of any extras you will be liable for; late bookers often have a surcharge slapped on for 'tickets on departure'. And be very wary of internet-only companies which claim to offer great deals. I would only ever book with a reputable UK-based company. That way you have peace of mind that, should anything go wrong, you'll get your cash back. Happy holidays.
