DIY Travel - Build Your Own Holiday
Well, it's the middle of a rainy summer in most of the British
Isles, and now is a good time to start thinking about your next skiing
holiday. In the first of a series of Arinsal-Andorra articles we
discuss the pros and cons of the D.I.Y. approach to booking a holiday,
and take you through it step by step.
Airlines and some hotels have just started selling for next winter.
Thanks to cheap flights and the Internet, D.I.Y. holidays are now the
fastest growing sector of the market. There are many advantages to
building your own package, the most obvious being increased flexibility
and (usually) reduced cost. In addition, I personally find it much more
satisfying to take responsibility for my own holiday, and reach a
destination under my own steam. The downside is that you have to sort
out any problems yourself - you will not have the services of a holiday
rep. Consider though, that one of the rep's main functions (from the
company's point of view) is to make more money for the company. Some
reps are very good but their services are not indispensible provided
you go prepared.
Before setting off, make sure you have all the phone numbers you may
need with you (i.e. airline, bus company, hotel, insurance company).
Ensure that your mobile phone works abroad. Buy a pocket Spanish
dictionary or phrasebook, and try to learn some useful phrases in
advance. Make sure you have access to emergency cash, e.g. with a
credit card - you probably won't need it but in an emergency you may
need to pay now and claim on the insurance later.
If you can avoid travelling on a Sunday you will tend to find cheaper
flights and less queues in the resort, due to the fact that all the
major tour operators run run Sunday transfers to Arinsal. Bear in mind
however that Ski School runs from Monday to Friday if you intend taking
group lessons.
In case it seems a bit daunting, here is our easy guide to building
your own ski holiday to Arinsal. So drag yourself away from the
beach/rain, put that Harry Potter book down, and get thinking about
your next trip to the snow.
Although the information here is presented in steps, it is a good idea
to look at all the parts of your holiday before booking anything.
- Find somewhere to stay. Start with our Accommodation section
where we have listed catered and self-catering accomodation in Arinsal
and nearby Erts. Although time consuming, it is worth shopping around
for different hotels and dates to find the best price. If a hotel
appears not to have any availability it may be that it is not yet
taking bookings for the winter (or it may be waiting to see what the
big tour companies want to block book), so it is worth checking back at
a later date.
- Find flights and transfers. Look at our Flight Planner
to find the cheapest flights from the UK and Ireland to Toulouse,
Barcelona and Girona (the nearest airports). Don't forget to check
baggage allowances carefully, especially if you are taking your own
skis. The Flight Planner includes transfer bus times along with a link
to the booking page. Alternatively the Fly-drive page offers advice for those renting a car at the airport.
- Take
out travel insurance. This may be an option with your accomodation or
flights but otherwise there are many insurance companies to choose
from. Bear in mind that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC
formerly E111) is not valid in Andorra as it is not a member of the EU.
- Sign up for the Vallnord Discount Card. You can apply online for free and it will save you money on your lift pass when you arrive.
- That's
about it for the moment. You can organise ski hire when you arrive, or
pre-book nearer the time (most of the ski shops are currently shut for
the summer). See the Monday Guide
for information about the first day, with a map of the ski station.
Watch this space for information on equipment, skiing, apres-ski and
more as the winter approaches. Have a look at our FAQ pages for questions, answers and more information.
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