I wanted an exotic holiday this year but I didn't want to pay the earth for it. Some of the quotes that I got from package holiday companies were absolutely ridiculous and far outside of the budget I had allocated. I went to lots of package holiday companies, both on the internet and on the high street but they were literally over a thousand pounds more than I was prepared to pay, both because I couldn't afford it and because I simply didn't believe that it actually cost that much. I decided instead, to book my airport transfers, flights and accommodation individually myself and it actually ended up coming in below my actual budget!
If you want to save money, this is a great way to do it. I knew that travel agents added a premium but some of the charges are astronomical, particularly the mark up on airport transfers I have been charged in the past. Before booking my airport transfers or anything like that, the first thing I did was checked that the hotel I wanted to stay in was actually available for the dates I wanted