UK
Package holiday or book it yourself? The trade-off in numbers
DIY is often cheaper and packages are often safer. Here's how to work out which one you're actually buying, before you click.
Updated 13 September 2026 · 6 min read
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Booking flights and a hotel separately is often cheaper than the equivalent package, though not always. It is also, in most cases, less protected. Which of those matters more depends on where you're going and how much the trip costs.
What a package gives you
If a UK ATOL holder sells you flight and accommodation together as a package, you generally get:
- ATOL protection — if the company fails, the scheme is designed to refund you or get you home. See the CAA's ATOL guidance for the details.
- Package Travel Regulations — the organiser is responsible for the whole holiday. If the hotel is wrong, that's their problem to fix, not yours to argue with a hotel in another language.
- One point of contact when things go wrong.
What DIY gives you
- Often a lower price, particularly on shoulder-season dates and for shorter trips — but compare like for like.
- Flexibility — free-cancellation hotel rates, changing one part without touching the rest.
- No protection if a component fails. If the airline collapses, your hotel booking still stands and you're still paying for it.
A rough rule
| Trip | Lean towards |
|---|---|
| Lower-cost, short-haul, hotel with free cancellation | DIY |
| Higher-cost family holiday where a failure would hurt | Package |
| Long-haul or multi-stop | Package, or DIY with travel insurance that covers supplier failure |
| Flight-only with friends' accommodation | DIY, obviously |
The insurance angle
Travel insurance that includes scheduled airline failure and end supplier failure cover can reduce the risk of booking separately. Read the policy wording — many basic policies exclude both, and cover levels vary.
Check both before deciding
Price a DIY hotel Price the flightsThen compare against a package from a UK ATOL holder for the same dates. Ten minutes, and you'll know which one you're buying.