California

[happytraveller]

Hi everyone, i'm trying to get a half decent price for a holiday to California for next august for me and my three children.I've considered a virgin package, but the hotels they offer are not as good as what's actually availible on the whole in the anaheim area, so i'm considering booking flights and hotel DIY.The best flights i've seen are indirect - £1900.00 with swiss air as oppossed to virgin direct flights, over 2,500.Can anyone tell me if it makes a huge difference going indirect.My kids will be 13,9 and 7 , so i'm not going to be with young kids.It's just that i've always gone direct and was wondering if it's more hassle than it's worth.We will be changing at zurich.Basically,i'd be able to get the holiday for under 3000.00 DIY as oppossed to well over 3000.00 with virgin holidays.Thanks

 

[mark&sue]

Flying indirect or non-stop makes the journey so much longer which I hate but if you have children will be tiring.

United Airlines fly non-stop to LA from Heathrow. We used them six years ago and did a package with them. You used to get a free stop over flight. so we did a few days in New York via our way home.

The hotel seemed really good value at the time.

Let us know what you decide.

Good luck


Susan

 

[Frances999]

We're planning a trip to CA next August as well, and I like the idea of flying London to New York, having a couple of days in New York and then taking a cheap flight (with SONG) to Los Angeles. Flights to NYC aren't too expensive, and SONG flights to LA are excellent value-for-money. Personally, with 3 children as well, I would pay the extra £600 and go direct rather than with Swiss Air.

 

[Bellis Belle]

We went with Swiss Air last Xmas to Oman and had to change at Zurich. It was a nightmare. With 3 kids, 2 quite young on your own would be mega stressful. You have to re-book in once you get off the plane to get your connecting flight. The line was horrendous and we nearly missed our connection. Then once you get through the line you have to walk for ages to get a train to the next departure area. Took about an hour in total and our flight was in 45 mins!!

Swiss air were great but I would encourage you if at all possible to look again for an alternative.

Sorry to be negative but want you to have the facts. Travelling alone with kids is stressful, don't give yourself extra hassle. Hope you sort it out and have a wonderful time. We are planning to go as well next year and DIY but not til Oct and can't book flights that far yet.

 

[happytraveller]

Hi, thankyou very much for those replies.I think because we are well travelled-but only on direct flights to Orlando and Toronto, i was clearly under-estimating indirect flights!Thankyou for sharing your experiences and reccomendations.I will definately look into more viable options-even if it means booking a virgin package!I too originally was going to go in october,it's just that it's the summer holidays that i really struggle for childcare, so last year i resigned myself to holidaying in the summer and looking after them at the same time,as oppossed to ferrying them all over the place while i go to work.This probably sounds pathetic, but until i have this trip booked, i'm all over the place and agitated,with it all in the air-LOL .Thanks again for warning me about the potential chaos of that route-back to the drawing board for me then

 

[Bellis Belle]

Your Welcome. Please share any good deals you find. We want to fly into San Fran but fly home from Vegas.Not sure how difficult that will be. Good luck with your planning.

 

[Claire L]

We want to fly into San Fran but fly home from Vegas.Not sure how difficult that will be. Good luck with your planning.

I have booked us a Virgin flydrive for next year flying into SF and out of LV no problems at all just land at LGW instead of LHR!!! Did fly into SF and out of LA in 2003 and that worked really well

Claire

 

[Bellis Belle]

I have booked us a Virgin flydrive for next year flying into SF and out of LV no problems at all just land at LGW instead of LHR!!! Did fly into SF and out of LA in 2003 and that worked really well

Claire

Hi Claire
Could I be cheeky and ask how much you paid. When are you going and are you booking your accom DIY. Any help gratefully received. We are planning 3 weeks in Oct to incorporate half term.

 

[Claire L]

Hi Claire
Could I be cheeky and ask how much you paid. When are you going and are you booking your accom DIY. Any help gratefully received. We are planning 3 weeks in Oct to incorporate half term.

VH based the flydrive on our arrival airport, but as we are departing from a different state added a £30 supplement on, as per usual car hire supplements for one way drop off out of state. It is £589 for SF, in June, much better than the £659 into LV Then I booked some hotels with VH, the ones that worked out about the same as booking myself but the rest I have booked myself, did this for one hotel in 2003 that VH had no more allocation for. Oh and as FVC got our 10% off the total VH price

Claire

 

[Claire L]

For Anaheim the Hyatt is a nice hotel we stayed in the Hyatt at Newport Beach in 2003 and we could use the Anaheim one for parking so had a quick look around it
Claire

 

[happytraveller]

Hi, my problem is i quite like the howard johnson hotel in anaheim, which virgin do not do.But then maybe i will just do a virgin package as we will be moving around independently to san diego and las vegas as well.The best price i'm getting for a package is 3,600 approx with virgin.This would be about the same independently ,if i use their flights and book a hotel i actually want(not including san diego and vegas) on my own.I see people mentioning on other sites/threads, buying flydrives but not taking the car-how does this work?Also, i may just go in october as originally planned,does anyone know how the weather compares to orlando at that time of year-thanks

 

[Claire L]

Average LA temps.
Claire

 

[Claire L]

I know with VH if you book a hotel for say 4 out of the 14 nights and for the remaining nights you use none of their services they charge £30 per week per person as a supplement!!! May be worth checking this out.
Claire

 

[Claire L]

From what you say are you happy with the VH hotels for LV and SD??
Claire

 

[happytraveller]

Thanks for that Claire Well even if i do go in october we certainly will not be shivering I suppose i could incorporate the october half term-but august is still a huge problem!Good job i don't have any real problems-lol.All of this stress over planning a relaxing break with the kids Claire as you've booked with virgin,even though it's a flydrive, do you still get the free universal tickets?As the price is not any better going DIY this deal may just sway me-sad i now

 

[Claire L]

Independent Itinerary Charge
We provide Package Holidays. We do NOT currently sell Flight Only. Because we have commitments to our hotels, car hire companies and other suppliers, we have decided to make a flat charge of £30 per person for any period of 7 nights or more spent on holiday not using any of our services (excluding infants). FOR EXAMPLE, you spend a week at one of our hotels, but then decide to spend a week doing your own thing with new love Samantha in Las Vegas, we will charge you £30 for that week.

from here

Claire

 

[happytraveller]

Hi claire, the hotels for SD and LV will be booked independently,i'm not sure which one in SD but either the luxor or circus circus in LV.At first i was considering either the staybridge suites or coast anaheim.Thing is,i've been reading the DL forum and it's HoJO this and Candy canne that, and a lot of these hotels that are not in brochures to us in the uk seem quite good.As i'm a non driver also, i want a hotel close by to DL and only two in VH appear to be close although a lot of the others are /seem closer.Then again, i booked a very expensive hotel in toronto for that reason,ie close to everything-when we got there we realised every hotel was close to everyhing-lol

 

[happytraveller]

Claire , i know about that independent charge thing and always made sure in orlando that our days away e.g wdw resort were only a few days here and there to avoid the charge Although , i haven't thought about it really for this holiday-thanks for reminding me

 

[Claire L]

I have heard some bad reports about Circus Cirus but some very good ones about the Luxor. I went to the Luxor in 1995 and it is a very impressive hotel The Hyatt is close to DLC and the bus doesn't take long to get you there. VH do the Luxor and if you can get 10% off may be worth booking with them for the Flagship benefits, so that you can then book LA for yourself??
Claire

 

[Claire L]

BTW staying in LV on any night Sun - Thurs is usually upto half the price of a Fri or Sat night.
Claire