The expression “all-inclusive” can send shivers down the spine of the
sensitive traveller. Picture those hordes of tattooed Brits bingeing on
burgers and limitless lager. Not a nice thought, is it?
Before you go to lie down in a cool, dark room, however, consider this.
Booking an all-inclusive holiday in Europe this summer could save you a
large wedge of cash, effectively allowing you to buy this year’s break at
last year’s prices.
That’s because most tour operators fixed their prices for summer 2008 when the
pound was riding high against the euro – at about 1.43, rather than the
current rate of 1.25. Next year’s brochure prices are likely to show sharp
increases, but for this year at least, there are great deals to be had.
Better still, all-inclusives can be classy. There are plenty of gorgeous
all-inclusive holidays, with high-quality accommodation that just happens to
be priced with meals (and sometimes drinks) included. And we’re not just
talking about hotels. There are upmarket Mediterranean beach clubs, cruises
and even cultural tours where everything – or almost everything – is thrown
in. Here’s our pick of the best.
All prices are per person unless otherwise stated
BEACH CLUBS
Club Med (0845 367 6767, www.clubmed.co.uk)
hasn’t raised its prices in the past 12 months. In fact, a week at Kamarina,
in the south of Sicily – one of the company’s best resorts for families –
costs £1,189 (children £937), compared with £1,225 (children £977) for the
same week last summer. The price includes flights from Gatwick on August 3,
children’s clubs, sailing, tennis, cycling, guided walks and climbing
lessons for kids, as well as all food and drinks.
Sunsail (0844 463 6578, www.sunsail.co.uk)
falls only slightly short of the full all-inclusive. Its beach clubs offer
breakfast, afternoon tea and lunch or dinner, along with nonmotorised
watersports, fitness classes, tennis and mountain-biking. A week at Club
Vounaki, on the Greek Ionian coast, flying August 12, costs £1,149 (children
£1,039) – £50 less than last year.
At its beach clubs, Mark Warner (0871 703 3887, www.markwarner.co.uk)
is edging away from the all-inclusive model towards half-board, but it still
offers full-board at family-friendly San Lucianu, on the east coast of
Corsica, where summer prices peak at £1,225 (children from £735), the same
as last year. Sailing, windsurfing, aerobics and childcare for over2s are
all included. The only catch is that, this year, for the first time, you
will have to pay for wine with your evening meal.
HOTELS
The high-street tour operators have the best inclusive hotel deals, mainly
because they have the muscle to fix prices a year or more in advance.
Admittedly, some of their accommodation is ordinary, but look hard and you
can find gems such as the Family Resort Werfengwen, tucked away in Austria’s
Tennengebirge mountains, near Salzburg. A week, full-board, flying on August
8, costs £675 (children £540), including all activities and kids’ clubs,
with Thomson (0870 405 5033, www.thomsonlakes.co.uk).
The price in 2007 was £625 (children £500).
On the shores of Lake Garda, the four-star Hotel Leonardo da Vinci has a
stunning location, near Limone, and picks up consistently good reviews. An
all-inclusive week, flying in August 9, costs £745 (children £596) with
Crystal (0871 231 5661, www.crystallakes.co.uk).
Last year, the same week was priced at £735 (children £588).
Mathilde Robert, who runs the upmarket Greece specialist Planet Holidays (0871
871 2234, www.planet-holidays.co.uk),
is not a fan of all-inclusive hotels, but concedes that a few of them are
too good to ignore.
For families, she recommends the five-star Terra Maris, near Hersonissos, on
Crete, which has floodlit tennis, several children’s swimming pools with
water slides, a kids’ club and mountain bikes. An all-inclusive week for a
family of four in a sea-view room costs a total of £2,990 (last year, it was
£2,840), flying from Gatwick – and that price includes private taxi
transfers.
CRUISES
For many travellers, a cruise is the ultimate all-inclusive, with everything
in the price except tips, excursions and drinks at the bar. Because cruise
lines set their prices so far in advance, currency fluctuations take a long
time to filter down to passengers.
For instance, Costa (0845 351 0552, www.costacruises.co.uk)
has not put up its prices this summer, although it has added a £2.50 daily
fuel surcharge. Seven nights on the Mediterranean, beginning and ending in
Barcelona, with stops at Marseilles, Savona, Naples, Palermo, Tunis and
Palma, costs £1,266 (children £289), flying out on July 25.
P&O Cruises (0845 355 5333, www.pocruises.co.uk)
has free child places during the school summer holidays for a 14-night
Mediterranean cruise on the Oceana, sailing out of Southampton. Adults pay
£1,419, compared with last year’s price of £1,379.
With Princess Cruises (0845 355 5800, www.princesscruises.co.uk),
a 12-night cruise out of Rome on the Emerald Princess, visiting Monte Carlo,
Livorno, Naples, Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos, Athens, Katakolon, Corfu and
Venice, costs £1,719 (children £859) in August. Last year, you would have
paid £1,792 (children £893) for the same holiday. For more boat-based
options, visit www.discover-cruises.co.uk.
If you don’t fancy a big ship, how about a cruise along the Mediterranean
coast of Turkey on a traditional gulet, with plenty of opportunities
to stop and dive in to swim or snorkel? With visits to the Yassica islands,
the ruins of Pinara and the deserted Greek village of Tersane, a summer week
costs £679, full-board, flying from Gatwick, with Explore (0844 499 0901, www.explore.co.uk).
Last year, the price was £674.
TOURS
Some escorted tour companies include half-board (and sometimes full-board) in
their brochure prices. ACE Study Tours (01223 835055, www.acestudytours.co.uk)
has a week exploring the historical sites of Venice, flying on September 13
and staying at the canalfront Residence Corte Grimani, for £1,350,
half-board.
Last year, the price was £1,390. The same company’s sevennight tour of
medieval Burgundy, taking in Cluny, Dijon, Autun and Vézelay, costs £1,390,
half-board, including train travel by Eurostar, compared with last year’s
£1,350.
In France, VFB Holidays (01452 716833, www.vfbholidays.co.uk)
has a leisurely escorted tour of the gardens and stately homes of the Côte
d’Azur that includes seven nights at the seafront Hôtel Napoléon, in Menton,
breakfast, five dinners, two lunches with wine, all excursions and entrance
fees. With departures from Stansted on September 17 or 24, it costs £944, a
shade lower than last year’s price of £959.
SUMMER’S COMING
If you haven’t decided where you’re going this year, there are still some
bargains at timesonline.co.uk/summer2008
In Italy you mean?
Richard Philpotts, Stratford Upon Avon,
WHat? How on EARTH are those prices reasonable? I booked an all inclusive to Majorca last year for a week for £300 per person. And the food was excellent, no chavs either. Grow up and realise that loadsamoney = the need to spend it.
Rebecca, London,
The cost of the flight is usually but a small part of the total holiday. Rule of thumb, the further you go the cheaper it is when you get there. And the fewer Anglos, especially after you quit the capital city. Some exceptions, naturally. So forget Europe, North America...
Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan
Save a REAL bundle? Stay home.
Peter, Cernobbio, Italy