The question comes up before almost every holiday booking: package holiday, or flight and hotel separately? There is no one answer. It depends on the destination, the travel dates, the group and what you want to be protected against. Here are the points that make the difference.
What makes a package holiday
Legally a package is a combination of at least two travel services, such as flight and hotel, offered by an organiser at a total price. It brings rights you do not have with separately booked services. The organiser is liable for the whole package. If something is wrong you can claim a price reduction, and if the flight is cancelled the organiser sorts out a replacement (Verbraucherzentrale-Finanzen).
Insolvency protection
Organisers may only take deposits if your money is protected against their insolvency. Under German law the proof is a security certificate under section 651r of the Civil Code. It secures the refund of the travel price and, if the organiser becomes insolvent during the trip, the journey home (BaFin). Separately booked services mostly lack this protection. If the airline goes bust you lose the flight and pay for the way home yourself (Tourdreams). For expensive trips with a deposit that is a strong argument for the package.
When the package is cheaper
- All-inclusive and family holidays: organisers buy hotel allotments and flight seats in bulk, and packages are often cheaper in peak season than the same parts bought separately.
- Popular destinations in high season such as Turkey, Spain and Greece, where flights on their own get expensive.
- Baggage and transfer included: on packages suitcases and the transfer from the airport are usually in the price, with separate bookings they come on top.
- Peace of mind: one contact, one contract.
When building your own can be cheaper
- City breaks: short stays with cheap scheduled flights and a hotel of your choice.
- Flexible dates: if you can choose days, flight and hotel can be cheaper.
- Several stops: round trips with changing accommodation.
- Voucher and cashback: with separate bookings, discount codes and cashback are often easy to use; with organisers it depends on the provider.
Worked example: a family, one week in Antalya
Two adults, two children, all-inclusive hotel. Both routes with made-up numbers:
- Package: 3,200 EUR for everything. Transfer and 20 kg of baggage per person are included.
- Separately: flights 4 times 180 EUR makes 720 EUR, hotel 7 nights at 330 EUR makes 2,310 EUR, transfer 40 EUR, suitcases 4 people times 2 ways at about 25 EUR makes 200 EUR. Total 3,270 EUR.
The gap is small. The tourist or accommodation tax comes on top either way and is often not in the package price. In this example the insolvency protection counts for more than the 70 EUR difference. Run the numbers with your own prices for your destination.
Costs to check on both routes
- Taxes and charges at the destination: often not in the price, see our destination pages.
- Baggage: included in a package, different for each airline when booked separately.
- Transfer: bus or taxi from the airport.
- Cancellation terms: regulated by law for packages, set by each provider otherwise.
- Voucher and cashback: read each provider's terms.
What applies to changes and problems
On a package holiday the organiser is your contact for everything. If the outbound flight is cancelled, they must arrange a replacement. If the hotel does not match the description, you report the defect on the spot and can claim a reduction later. With separate bookings you have several contract partners: airline, hotel, car hire company. If the flight is cancelled, the hotel does not help you, and the night may be lost.
On the other hand, separate bookings give you more freedom. You can switch hotels, stay a day longer or cancel flight and accommodation separately. With a package, changes are often dearer. If you cannot plan the trip with certainty yet, choose a flexible offer with free cancellation.
TripPrice does not tell you what you will finally pay. It shows what comes on top of the offer price. You book with the provider.