Portland Hols Next Year

[Jules]

Next Years brochures are now available and Portland will now just go under the Thomsons name. I had a look earlier and it just looks to me that it is an excuse to charge more for the Portland properties than before. For instance we have booked Teresa for this year at a price o £818 for the fortnight and next year the same time will be £1004. Maybe it is time that we will look to book independant.

[LILOLIL]

Been checking out flight prices for next year and also this year and so far looking good.I would look around at various propertys whilst youre there in August.Get the owners to show you around.You will be able to get a good deal.Plus you can choose where you stay.Cut out the middle man.You can always go to see your'e friends at Terezas.Noula is excellent at sorting this out for you.There are lots of people who were nervous about doing this for the first time, and there are lots of good friendly people on here who will give you good advice.Even if you save just £100.00 it can be your Taxi fare.Portland was always part of the Thomson group easier for them now.

[Mikee]

Difficult to book independant flights less than 6 months or so in advance though (Easyjet etc) !

[Bristle Boy]

Next Years brochures are now available and Portland will now just go under the Thomsons name. I had a look earlier and it just looks to me that it is an excuse to charge more for the Portland properties than before. For instance we have booked Teresa for this year at a price o £818 for the fortnight and next year the same time will be £1004. Maybe it is time that we will look to book independant.

This is what we had to do for this year.
Although we stayed at Teresa's in June 2009, we found the Portland prices for June this year were too expensive, so booked Fedre Mare + easyjet - but i noticed in about March this year, Portland had brought them down to a reasonable price for June. Maybe worth waiting til early next year to book for 2011.

Having said that what will happen with early booking prices for 2011 now, is that the holiday co.s will be looking to quickly recuperate losses from the volcano issue.
Plus San Stef is fast becoming a Thomson resort (even more so than previous years) and we all know what a monopoly brings - higher prices - the small independents will be squeezed out.

[tonyco1]

We always go for best value, but in places we are happy to stay in.
I have lost count of how many times we have travelled independantly to S S,
and we have stayed in countless apartments all over the village, since we have been going there!
Getting Private apartments has always been no problem, even if not your first choice.

Apartments have to fit in with travel days - so be aware of this.
Some will only rent Mon-Mon for example. Tip - - - Noula can be more flexible than most.

I check all the Airlines first, because if you can't get a cheap flight - it may still be cheaper to fly with the Tour Companies.
I check Easyjet, Monach, Thomas Cook, Thomson, - in fact every airline that goes to Corfu, google it!!
If you book a flight with Thomsons, you may also get a free transfer to Sidari at the least - cost this in!!

When I find a reasonable price, I then find the apartment and the prices - checking that travel days are OK
Add to that approx £100 for return transfers. 
Compare the prices with Thomsons etc, book it if worthwhile.

Remember: You have to play the game with companies like Thomson's -
we all know what is a reasonable market price for a holiday!
Thomsons won't get lots of bookings at the high price.
They will always do a sale, so in order to do this, they first advertise very early on with OTT prices.
The sale price offered later on reflects what they really want, and we think we have done well!! - That's marketing!!

I would always prefer to travel independantly from companies like Thomson, supporting the locals, but I like the best price as well!
Some years it's much cheaper to travel independantly, others  - it's Thomsons or the like.
Don't rush into booking a holiday, until around November at least and the prices will fall!

[Sandra W]

The cheapest holiday we've had to SS was by booking a flight only with "Thomson Fly" then booking the BARASS through Thomson. Even taking into account €100 for taxi return this cost us £190 less than a Thomson package.
If Thomson can do this so cheap compared to their brochure price  how else do they RIP YOU OFF ?

[tonyco1]

It's not us being ripped off compared to what they pay the locals!!

[TerryandJoy]

Desperate for some warmth we have this evening nailed a good price from Thomsons to Terezas travelling 10th May.   Despite Thomson's headline price being £20 more per person than Portland this did not include ticket on departure or transfer whereas Thomson's price did.   Not difficult to work out that Thomson's final price came in much less than Portland - surely this used to be the other way around?   We are talking same flight from same airport to the same accommodation probably on the same transfer coach.

Incidentally the price dropped £50 per person overnight on Thomson - yesterday Portland was exactly the same taking into account transfers and TOD.   

Looks to be the first week of the San Stef summer flights for 2010, we'll let you guys know how things are.

Not been about the forum for a while but we are not really regulars at San Stef, it's a place we know, like and trust when we are looking for a cheap last minute holiday when the weather in the UK is freezing or wet and we don't want to waste our valuable holiday time.   Fingers crossed it does it for us again this year.

[Jules]

Hi Terry and Joy have a great time.

[TerryandJoy]

Fingers crossed there is not a general strike there on Monday - all flights today cancelled to Greece.   

[Mikee]

Fingers crossed there is not a general strike there on Monday - all flights today cancelled to Greece.   

Yes hopefully it will be cleared by then Terry ... make sure you have holiday insurance cover

[carole.mike]

I TERRY A ND JOY HOPE EVERY THING GOES OKAY WITH FLIGHTS AND THE ASH PROBLEM ,  MY WIFE AND I ARE ALSO GOING TO THE TERRESA HOTEL ON THE 21 MAY FOR TWO WEEKS THIS WILL BE OUR FOURTH TIME IN TWO YEARS WE LOVE THE PLACE AND THE PEOPLE WHO RUN IT ,ITS GOT FANTASTIC VIEWS .WE ARE KEEPING OUR FINGERS CROSSED YAMMAS MIKE  .  

[TerryandJoy]

make sure you have holiday insurance cover

Done but no coverage available for ash disruptions as it's a known problem.  Haven't seen any news about further general strikes but the scenes from Athens didn't look great on the TV today.   This week's strike would not have effected the Thomson Monday flights from the UK as it didn't start until 9pm.

[sharris]

hi guys,

we are also at Teresa's from 14 th may for 2 weeks, so what a busy place it will be !!!!  hope to catch up with someof you around the pool or better still in the bar !!!!


cant wait to get back to my little piece of paradise - volcano's and strikers permitting !!!!!!


Sarah H
xxx

oh yes, and with the Thomson thing for 2011 our holiday is now more expensive and they have changed our return flight time so we lose the last day there and now leave resort early morning !!!  bad news Thomson - shame on you !!!!

[tonyco1]

Sarah - you'll have to behave this time then- with all those witnesses!! LOL