Why do it yourself?
If you are used to visiting a travel agent, either at a shop or on the internet and having them handle everything for you, this is probably your first question. I have booked my own trips for many years now and here are some of my reasons.
1. You can shop around for bargains and save on the commission.
2. Have complete control over your itinerary and what you want to do.
3. Get a much wider choice as you aren't bound by any agency contracts.
4. Having personal involvement right from the start with the hotel staff/villa owner etc. is much nicer.
5. Doing your own leg work (desk work) is far more interesting, you learn as you surf.
Which comes first?
Once you decide to give it a try you then have the dilemma of how to go about planning your trip, what to look for and which to book first.
I have travelled far and wide without booking and have never had trouble finding a room. But I know it's a worry when you have children and are stuck with going away in the school holidays. Booking a hotel in advance for the annual get away should be no problem. Conversely, I have had huge problems getting the flights I want. So I book my flights first.
But..(there is always a but) travelling with a family, to a hugely popular destination, in the school holidays, could be a different thing. Then I would prefer to do my homework first checking up hotels, decide the one I want and telephone them to check how full they are in the period I have, they may hold a booking for you for 24 hours while you book the flights. Some airlines, if you are booking direct, will also hold flights for you for 24 hours. It's worth asking.
Joining up with domestic flights at your destination.
Planning a trip which involves getting a domestic flight from a local airline at your destination sounds trickier than a single flight, but isn't a problem. I would advocate looking up the local airlines directly and checking the availability of the domestic flight first.
Armed with this knowledge open another browser window and look on a good flight search site such as Opodo
Most airlines would allow at least 4 hours between flights. I have travelled from Bangok to Samui so often I know I can do it in an hour first thing in the morning, if the plane's on time, I only carry hand luggage and if I run. I don't recommend it, especially with children and it can take longer than that just to get through the customs queue at midday.
You should of course experiment first by just putting the whole route in to the Opodo search and see what comes up. Sometimes you get a good deal booking the lot through them, sometimes it's cheaper to book separately. It's always worth checking both ways.
Booking just one flight is easy. Find the one that suits you, by time, airport and price, then book it.
Check on the airline or agency site you are using if you can hold flights for 24 hours, some will. This gives you time to book a hotel to tie in with the flight.
Hotels
You put in to the search engine 'hotel' add your destination, and up comes a bunch of hotel agencies.
Look at a few of the agencies and see what they have to offer. Make a list of the hotels you like the look of, put the names in the search engine and see if any have their own site. Most do. You will find out more about the hotel and get a better feel for the place from their own site, also check out their own internet price. Many of the agencies are cheaper than the rate advertised by the hotel. For the same hotel the price between agencies also varies. So now you just book the one you like the look of at the cheapest price. Keep in mind a second and third choice just in case, especially if you have to travel in school holiday times.
Hotel agencies are given a set number of rooms to sell by each hotel, they go to the first person to pay the deposit. So you can get a positive reply and find it has gone if you delay paying. If you really want a particular hotel and the agency has sold their allotted rooms it is worth going direct to the hotel, they may have rooms and you can haggle to get the agency price. If they won't, move on to your next choice.
Sites such as trip advisor are a great source of information about individual hotels and what people really think of them.
From Airport to Hotel
Depending on your destination, there can be a variety of ways to transfer to your hotel. After a long flight you don't want to mess about at the airport not knowing where to go, be prepared. Always check with the hotel first, they may run a courtesy bus service. If not they will certainly be the best people to give you advice.
Be Flexible
Don't fix your mind firmly on one place, one hotel, one fight or even one way of getting there and you won't be disappointed. Instead of an internal flight look at the train, ferry and bus routes. Instead of going straight to your destination look at a couple of days elsewhere on the way. If you're lucky enough to be able to take your time and wander around don't try booking everything beforehand. You will get local knowledge and a better experience by taking things as they come. Choose what you want to do when you get there.
I often book a domestic flight one way only and return by coach, train or boat or all three. Life's always an adventure, relax and enjoy.
Finally
If, after doing all the searching and finding out, you decide to go back to a travel agent after all, it won't have been a waste of time. You will have a better idea of what you want and you'll know what you're talking about. Hopefully you will also have enjoyed the surfing. So what are you waiting for?