Up until fairly recently, if you wanted to go on holiday, you would have to buy a pre-arranged package holiday from a travel agent. A package holiday is one in which many of the components of a holiday, such as transport and accommodation, are included in the total price.

However, in recent years, the internet has made it possible for individuals to act as their own travel agent, booking all the components of the holiday separately on-line. While this approach can lead to cheaper holidays and more flexibility, it can be quite a lot of hassle, which goes some way to explaining why traditional travel agents, are still thriving on package holidays.

There is a lot to say for a done for you service from a professional luxury travel agent.

There are many advantages to buying a package holiday as opposed to putting it together yourself. One of the main advantages is that you have a company representative that you can call at any time before or during your holiday if problems arise. Also, it is usually easier to make changes to a package holiday if you are unable to proceed with the original holiday as planned. If you were to put together a holiday yourself, you would have to pay all the costs up front, but most travel agents will allow you to pay for your holiday in instalments, spreading the cost across several months.

Unlike holidays that you book without a travel agent, package holidays are covered by a piece of consumer legislation known as the Package Holidays and Travel Trade Act, 1995.
This places a degree of responsibility upon the shoulders of the travel agency to ensure that all the elements of the holiday are satisfactory, and forces them to give you all the information about your holiday before you travel. So, if the airline were to go out of business before you travel, it would be up to the travel agent to set you up with alternative travel arrangements. Also, if the travel agency were to go out of business, you would be reimbursed in full, as all licensed travel agents are part of a scheme that guarantees that you will not lose your money if they go bust. So while a package holiday might be a little more expensive than a do-it-yourself getaway, it can save you a lot of time and hassle, and gives you a lot more peace of mind if anything were to go wrong with your holiday.