Package holidays win on all-inclusive beach breaks. For European city breaks, DIY almost always beats TUI and Jet2 on price and beats them comprehensively on flexibility. Here is how to do it.

Why Packages Rarely Win on City Breaks

Package operators make their margins from accommodation. They contract with mid-range hotels at volume rates and mark them up. On a beach resort this is fine because you are spending most of your time at the hotel anyway. On a city break you want to be in the right neighbourhood, not the hotel that happened to have a contract.

Packages also lock you into return flights, often at peak times on days you did not choose. For a city break where you want an early Friday departure and a late Sunday return, building your own itinerary is almost always cheaper and always more flexible.

The DIY Method

Start with flights on Skyscanner. Use the "whole month" view to identify the cheapest travel days rather than searching fixed dates. Flying mid-week instead of Friday-Sunday can save £50-100 per person on popular routes.

Search from all nearby airports. London has five airports with very different prices to the same destination. Bristol, Manchester, and Edinburgh often have routes that London does not.

Set up a price alert on Skyscanner once you have identified your preferred dates. Prices for European flights shift regularly, and the alert will notify you when the fare drops.

Then search accommodation on Booking.com with your fixed dates. Filter by neighbourhood if you already know where you want to stay. Compare against Airbnb for the same location and dates — for groups of three or more, Airbnb often wins on price and comfort.

When to Check If a Package Beats DIY

Packages occasionally win in two scenarios. First: last-minute deals. TUI and Jet2 discount unsold packages in the two weeks before departure, sometimes significantly. If you are genuinely flexible and prepared to search daily, a last-minute package for a beach or ski resort can be good value. For city breaks this applies less because hotel availability remains wide even at short notice.

Second: peak school holiday dates. When every family in the country is searching the same August week, package operators with pre-contracted hotel rooms sometimes undercut the spot market. Check both and compare total costs honestly.

Total Cost Comparison

The only way to know if a package is cheaper is to price up the exact same trip yourself: same flights (same times), same hotel, same board basis. Add baggage fees and transfers if applicable. Packages often exclude luggage and airport transfers from the headline price, making the comparison look worse than it is.

Book Components Separately

Flights direct with the airline or via Skyscanner. Hotel via Booking.com, Hotels.com, or the hotel direct (hotel direct rates sometimes beat OTAs, especially for longer stays). Airport transfers via Omio, Trainline, or the local transport operator.

Keep all booking confirmations in a dedicated email folder or a free app like TripIt that aggregates your trip documents automatically.