All Inclusive @ Thomson Holidays
- Great value package and all inclusive holidays, direct from the UK's No1 supplier. With the widest range of holidays available, all linked to the most punctual charter airline, you are bound to find the perfect holiday.

All Inclusive Package Holidays - Pleasures and Pitfalls

The idea of an all inclusive package holiday is a tempting one. You will know with a reasonable degree of certainty what the total cost of the holiday will be. There are now a wide number of tour operators offering all inclusive details to a number of popular locations including The Caribbean, The Maldives, Mauritius, The Canary Islands, Spain, Mexico and Sri Lanka. Many packages offer facilities such as swimming pools, children's clubs, restaurants and bars and activities such as cycling and tennis included in the price. In general, your flights, accommodation, meals, local drinks and entertainments as described in the brochure are included.

Disadvantages of all-inclusive packages are that you basically spend most of your time in the resort complex to avoid unnecessary additional expenditure.

This can mean that some of the more appealing tourist locations go unvisited because of the additional cost of providing the family with food and refreshments. It also means that you are stuck with whatever entertainment the hotel offers - which might be very good, or might be not so good. The same goes for the food.

Before you book, make sure that you know exactly what is and isn't included. See if you can view sample menus to make sure the food will be to your liking. Also bear in mind that if you are dieting, it is easy to eat way too much on an all-inclusive deal. If watersports are your passion, check exactly what equipment will be available. Also check the policy on tips, are they included in the price or will you need to budget for them?

The one big advantage of package holidays in general is that the whole holiday will be covered by ABTA if you are buying through an ABTA member. Most holiday companies are members of ABTA, but it is wise to check. What this means is that the flights and accommodation are both covered. If you book your flights separately and independently, you may suffer hassle and possible financial loss if the airline concerned suffers problems, eg industrial action (think of the recent BA threatened strike action).

Popular Holiday Pitfalls

There are some things that you should check out whether the holiday is all inclusive or not. These include:

• Travel insurance - don't feel that you have to buy the insurance offered by the tour operator. Shop around yourself for the best deal. Also be wary of deals that include free travel insurance - rest assured that you will be paying for it somehow.
• If you are hiring a car, check what's included very carefully. In particular, check whether local taxes and collision damage waiver are included in the total cost.
• When you arrive at the airport, keep hold of your luggage. In some locations, "helpful" locals have packed your belongings into their decrepit and overpriced taxis before you have had chance to blink. Either get the coach your tour operator has provided or book an official and licenced taxi at the airport.
• Avoid the charms of beach vendors selling branded goods - these will most likely be fake. In Cuba, avoid any sellers offering you cigars. All cigar sales are regulated by the state - if you buy "cigars" from a beach vendor you will most likely be buying dried and rolled banana leaves.
• Don't think you have to book any trips you want to take with your tour operator's rep - it may be cheaper to book the same trip directly with the merchant.