I said I would let you know about why I don't like holidays unless I have control of them. Several times I've booked holidays via travel agents or companies, and it's turned out disastrous.
Four years ago, we decided to revisit Malta, so booked through Co-Op Travel, Cinderford. We had researched where we wanted to stay (Valetta) having been to Malta before, and all was well until we got to Malta. Without any prior notice, at the airport they arranged to take us to our hotel, approx 3/4 hour away from Valetta, halfway up the coast. With lots of phone calls to our travel agent, and arguments with the resident courier, we got nowhere, but we did find out that their system is at fault. We had given the travel agent details of where we wanted to stay, and paid a deposit to them. However, the hotel booking had not been confirmed nor the deposit paid to the hotel until days before we were due to arrive, and so the hotel had taken it that we didn't want the booking because the enquiry hadn't been followed up, so had taken another booking.
This year, we decided we would like to go to Vienna for four days, including a live concert to see Andre Rieu. The package, arranged by Newmarket Travel gave us the choice of airport we would like to travel from (Birmingham late afternoon), a choice of hotels, a city tour, the concert and transport to and from the airport to the various venues. On our return from our Norwegian trip in March (which we personally arranged every step of the way), we got a phone call from Newmarket Travel to say we could no longer travel from Birmingham as no direct flights were now existing; and we could choose from Manchester or Luton at 6am! Let's think about that. While thinking we phoned the airline at Birmingham and they said there were direct flights, just not on that particular day and they had us on their list for the next day flight. We went back to Newmarket Travel who didn't offer us a flight the next day, and even if we chose to fly from Birmingham, miss out on the city tour, they would not give us transport to and from the airport, and only recompense for one night's hotel accommodation we would lose. Needless to say, we found Newmarket Travel totally inflexible, especially considering they had not told us the whole story, and were not prepared to accommodate the people they had disrupted.
Now you know why I don't like package deals.
Four years ago, we decided to revisit Malta, so booked through Co-Op Travel, Cinderford. We had researched where we wanted to stay (Valetta) having been to Malta before, and all was well until we got to Malta. Without any prior notice, at the airport they arranged to take us to our hotel, approx 3/4 hour away from Valetta, halfway up the coast. With lots of phone calls to our travel agent, and arguments with the resident courier, we got nowhere, but we did find out that their system is at fault. We had given the travel agent details of where we wanted to stay, and paid a deposit to them. However, the hotel booking had not been confirmed nor the deposit paid to the hotel until days before we were due to arrive, and so the hotel had taken it that we didn't want the booking because the enquiry hadn't been followed up, so had taken another booking.
This year, we decided we would like to go to Vienna for four days, including a live concert to see Andre Rieu. The package, arranged by Newmarket Travel gave us the choice of airport we would like to travel from (Birmingham late afternoon), a choice of hotels, a city tour, the concert and transport to and from the airport to the various venues. On our return from our Norwegian trip in March (which we personally arranged every step of the way), we got a phone call from Newmarket Travel to say we could no longer travel from Birmingham as no direct flights were now existing; and we could choose from Manchester or Luton at 6am! Let's think about that. While thinking we phoned the airline at Birmingham and they said there were direct flights, just not on that particular day and they had us on their list for the next day flight. We went back to Newmarket Travel who didn't offer us a flight the next day, and even if we chose to fly from Birmingham, miss out on the city tour, they would not give us transport to and from the airport, and only recompense for one night's hotel accommodation we would lose. Needless to say, we found Newmarket Travel totally inflexible, especially considering they had not told us the whole story, and were not prepared to accommodate the people they had disrupted.
Now you know why I don't like package deals.
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