Booking holidays over the Internet rather than through a travel agent may be popular, but does it really save you money, or are you better off with the professionals?

PACKAGE holiday or DIY? Now that the Internet gives us direct access to flights and hotels, many of us are missing out the middleman and acting as our own travel agents. More than a third of foreign holidays now are booked DIY style. Yet another chunk are booked via a travel agent in a sort of pick and mix fashion, as we refuse to be satisfied with the standard holiday.

It can save a fortune. Last year, a DIY trip to France booked direct over the Internet cost us exactly half the amount of the same holiday ready made from a brochure. Has to be worth a try.

But the travel companies are fighting back. They too are offering much more flexibility in their holidays, especially their minibreaks.

Minibreaks are big business as more of us are squeezing in an extra few days away. But is it still cheaper to do it yourself?

There are bargains to be had and we went in search of them...

HOLIDAYS IN THIS COUNTRY

GRANGE HOTEL, YORK

Booked through Superbreak: £77.50 per person per night.

Booked by Internet: £75 pppn in November but in December, January and February, you can book a few nights for £66 pppn that also includes table d'hote dinner.

Saving: From £2.50 up to around £25 per person per night.

Cheaper by DIY.

ROYAL LANCASTER HOTEL, LONDON

Booked through Superbreak: £54 pppn, plus a £25 midweek supplement.

Booked by Internet: £222 for a double room.

Saving: From £21 to £56 per person per night. We couldn't get near their price.

Cheaper by brochure.

EUROPEAN BREAKS

AMSTERDAM

GOLDEN TULIP HOTEL * * * *

Cresta two day break in the Golden Tulip Hotel in November: £289 per person, including flights, but excluding transfers. Plus flight supplement of £58 per person from Newcastle, £64 from Teesside, £55 from Leeds Bradford.

Grand Total for two people for two nights from Teesside: £706.

Booked by Internet: hotel £105 per room per night.

Flights: £135 KLM from Teesside or Newcastle; £76 Jet two from Leeds Bradford.

Grand Total for two people for two nights from Teesside or Newcastle, excluding transfers: £480

Grand total for two people for two nights from Leeds Bradford: £362

Saving: Up to £344 - nearly 50 per cent.

Cheaper by DIY.

BRUGES

HOTEL PRINSENHOF * * *

British Airways, travelling by Eurostar: £213 per person for two nights, B&B.

Grand Total for two people for two nights: £426.

Booked by Internet: Double room B&B: £91 per night.

Eurostar Leisure standard return £59 per person.

Grand total booked by Internet for two people for two nights: £300.

Saving: Up to £126

Cheaper by DIY.

DUBLIN

JURYS BALLSBRIDGE HOTEL * * * * *

Superbreak, hotel only: £65 per person per night bed and breakfast.

Internet: hotel only: £155 per double room per night - but without breakfast.

Saving: Around £55 per night for two.

Cheaper by brochure.

(The cheapest flight we found to get to the hotel cost £35.52, including all taxes and charges, return flight from Teesside to Dublin with Rynair.)

PARIS

LIBERTEL TERMINUS NORD * * *

Cresta: £227 per person for two nights B&B, including travel by Eurostar. No need for transfers - the hotel is right opposite the Gare du Nord.

Grand Total for two people for two nights by Eurostar: £454.

Internet: £140 per double room per night including breakfast. Eurostar Leisure Standard £59 return per person.

Grand Total for two people for two nights by Eurostar: £398.

Saving: Around £56.

Cheaper by DIY.

PRAGUE

CLOISTER INN * * *

British Airways Cities Holidays: £262 per person for two nights, including flights and breakfast, excluding transfers. Plus flight supplement of £130 per person from Newcastle, £80 from Teesside.

Grand total for two people for two nights from Newcastle: £784

Internet: Hotel £170 per person for two nights, including transfers, welcome drinks, city tour.

Flights: Easy Jet from Newcastle, £121.

Grand total for two people for two nights from Newcastle: £582.

Saving: Up to £202.

Cheaper by DIY.

CONCLUSIONS

Yes, it's worth turning to DIY. It can be time consuming and frustrating, but the savings can be amazing.

Superbreak was the exception. They offer just accommodation and their hotel prices are almost impossible to beat. For breaks in this country they also do cheap train tickets. Brochure available from agents or try www.superbreak.com. Team them with cheap flights and you're quids in.

When booking hotels on the Internet, make sure you know what you're getting - check that the price includes breakfast and taxes.

Remember air fares are just to the airport. All the hotels we chose are within a taxi/bus tide of the city centre. Some can be hours away.

When booking cheap flights, try to have plenty of alternative dates. Flexibility can mean big savings. And don't dither - all the low prices we found were available when we looked on Wednesday. Some of them will have gone by now. Remember too, that the headline grabbing price might not be the full total. Our Ryanair flight to Dublin was only £4.99 but taxes brought that up to nearly £16 - still a bargain but...

Many of the package holiday operators charge large supplements to fly from local airports.

You don't have to do it all yourself. Travel agents should be able to do a pick and mix for you, so you get the best of both worlds.

The pricing of Eurostar tickets is just as complex as British train tickets. But if you're prepared to book ahead and travel at certain times, there are bargains.

Don't forget insurance.