First Choice - holiday deals review

In this article, we provide a general review of First Choice. We look into the types of holidays on offer, destination choices, website usability, plus deals and discounts. We hope this article helps when choosing your next holiday adventure.

Author: Chris R. Wilson - Chris has been a travel writer for over 20 years.

Affiliate Disclosure & Article Disclaimer. We may use affiliate links - you can view our affiliate statement and article disclaimer here.

1. Who are First Choice holidays?

First Choice is a major holiday tour operator and 'British Travel Awards' winner based in the UK. The company specialises in all-inclusive package holidays but also provides good value self-catering, Half Board and Full Board package deals.

First Choice offers great value breaks for families, couples and groups; they are also part of TUI Group - one of the world's leading travel companies. First Choice is featured in the Holiday4 Top 4 UK Package Holiday Providers review.

Although 'best known' for their all-inclusive package deals - First Choice also offers 'multiple holiday types' to both medium and long-haul destinations - including the warm beaches of the Mediterranean, the magic of Asia and the luxury of the Caribbean.

3. What are First Choice holidays like?

We found First Choice provides a convenient 'one-stop-shop' for destination choice, holiday experience and value. First Choice combines fun, activity and relaxation into their popular all-inclusive deals, with both Holiday Village and SplashWorld programmes providing an excellent choice for family entertainment - especially for active families.

A First Choice holiday is all about fun and relaxation - you can 'unwind and recharge' with the help of a luxury 'All Inclusive Resort' or try a family-focused hotel, a budget-friendly apartment, or even a quiet 'Adults-only' escape - the choice is yours.

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4. What are First Choice Holiday Villages?

First Choice is best known for its popular Holiday Villages (HV) programme. Holiday Villages are family-focused and provide an elaborate offering of family-friendly accommodations and activities - suited for both children and adults. Holiday villages provide entertainment for the whole family and typically offer the following (subject to T&Cs and availability).

• Daytime activities for children include: aerial adventure trails, Aero ball, wacky water inflatables and inflatable water orb walkers. Plus day-time kids clubs and TV-style game shows.
• Holiday Village evening entertainment includes nightly live shows that include everything from boybands to pantomimes, with throwback 80's style pop concerts proving popular.
• Academies for up to 16-year-olds. For the more 'active family', choose Football, Stage or Swim academies at selected locations. Coaching is provided by qualified teachers and trained coaches. (additional charges, age restrictions, plus T&Cs apply).
• Adult entertainment includes a choice of à la carte restaurants with themed restaurants, including Italian, Mexican and Chinese (at selected sites). Holiday Villages include a choice of bars, with some bars offering comedy and cabaret nights. Check hotel descriptions for details.

5. The First Choice Website Review

We found the newly updated First Choice website (and logo) to have a fresh and uncluttered design; it also features a new and easy-to-use navigation, including an advanced holiday search & filter system. For our research, we found the First Choice filter system very useful - it quickly helped us 'narrow down' our search to find our perfect holiday deal.

There are several ways to start your online search. First, select a main category (HOLIDAYS - DEALS - DESTINATIONS - FLIGHT FREE - HOTELS ONLY) from the top of the page. After choosing a category, continue by selecting from the following options:

• HOLIDAYS (Holiday Search by Type)
  Active Holidays - Adult Only Holidays - All Inclusive Holidays - Beach Holidays - City Breaks - Family Holidays - Flight-Free Holidays - Lakes & Mountains - Long-Haul Holidays - Luxury Holidays - Villa Holidays - Waterpark Holidays.
• DEALS (Holiday Search by Deal)
  Last Minute Holidays - Weekend Break Deals - All Inclusive Deals - Deals Of The Week - Discount Codes - Free Child Places - Holidays Under £400pp - Deals by Destination - Deals by Departure Airport - Pay Monthly Holidays - Low Deposit Holidays.
• DESTINATIONS (Holiday search by Destination)
  Most Popular Destinations - Bucket List Worthy - Top Cities - Most Trending.
• FLIGHT FREE (Trips by Train)
  Destinations include Belgium - Croatia - France & Corsica - Germany - Greece - Italy - Netherlands - Poland - Spain - Switzerland - UK.
• HOTELS ONLY Have you booked your flight and need a hotel? - choose from 1000's of top-rated properties.

You can continue to "Dive Deeper" and activate further filters to help find your ideal holiday. If you get stuck along the way, there are handy FAQs (on most pages) to help you get back on track.

What we liked most about the First Choice website:

• City Break filter options include links to 'most popular' European city break destinations, including access to quality city guide information and content. Longhaul City Break destinations include Dubai, New York, Chicago, Washington, Montreal and Boston.
• Hotel filter options include searches using eco-hotels or properties with planet-friendly practices. You can also search for beach resort properties 'Designed By First Choice', which include Holiday Village, Splashworld, TUI Magic Life and TUI Suneo.
• Deals Filter includes a Free Kids Place Finder, Discount Codes section, Deals available by season, and Deals by month or under a specific amount p/p. During our search, we found good, genuine last-minute deals, with over £100 pounds saved compared to brochure price.

Top Tip: Don't Miss Out! Sign up for the First Choice newsletter to receive the latest travel news, plus release dates for special offers and holiday discount information.

6. Is First Choice part of TUI?

First Choice is part of TUI Group, one of the world’s leading leisure travel groups. First Choice and TUI joined forces back in 2007 to form the UK’s leading travel brand. TUI in the UK and Ireland provide holiday and travel services to over 6 million passengers a year, travelling to over 85 destinations in 38 countries around the world.

TUI UK & Ireland operate over 300 travel agencies – including innovative Holiday Design Stores, and offers bookings to over 4000 properties – from luxury-grade hotels to private villas with pools. TUI operate over 60 aircraft based across the UK and Ireland, serving 21 regional airports – from Gatwick to Glasgow and Liverpool to Luton.

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7. What are First Choice SlplashWorld holidays?

Splashworld (waterpark getaways) provides fun for all the family - with holidays and hotels dedicated to the 'World of Splash'. SplashWorld hotels offer some of the best facilities for water-slide-and-ride enjoyment and include the following family-friendly facilities.

• First Choice Splashworld holidays include unlimited access and free entry to a waterpark. Some parks are onsite, while others are a walk or shuttle bus ride away.
• A typical waterpark ride includes flumes and river rides, plus wave pools and splash zones. Little ones don't lose out - as most Splashworld hotels have kids' play areas and splash pools with scaled-down kids’ slides, rides are subject to availability. Top Tip: Check out each 'hotel description page' for the full rundown of what’s included.
• For adults and teens, there's a range of waterslides to choose from, including multi-lane slides, supersized sidewinders or fast-and-furious speed slides. Alternatively, relax on a rubber ring 'lazy river ride'. (Some rides have age and or height restrictions, all rides are subject to availability, see hotel descriptions for what's included).
• Choose from destinations across Europe, North Africa and the Dominican Republic.
• Top Tip: Check out the dedicated (and easy to use) search and book tool for Splashworld Holidays at firstchoice.co.uk

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8. What's included with a First Choice all-inclusive holiday?

Enjoying a holiday with all the trimmings needn't mean breaking the bank. An All Inclusive holiday means everything is 'bundled' into one handy package, meaning you don’t have to pay any extra once you arrive (ideal if you want a holiday where it’s easy to keep tabs on what you spend).

All-inclusive holidays include flights, accommodation, transfers from the airport to your hotel and back, three meals a day and local drinks (inc. local alcoholic drinks) - are included at your hotel as part of the package. Anything else you pay extra for, such as day trips, excursions, service tips, souvenir shopping, plus any entertainment and activities not included within your hotel package. Please note! the activities available and food and drink rules will vary between hotels. (Check out each hotel page for the full rundown on what’s included, all-inclusive conditions apply).

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9. Which Airlines do First Choice use?

First Choice uses TUI Airways for the majority of their package holidays – TUI was named ‘the best leisure airline in the UK’ by the World Airline Awards in 2022! TUI also use easyJet flights on certain routes.

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10. Does First Choice Offer free child places?

First Choice does offer a limited number of free child spaces to help provide great family and school holiday deals! Free child spaces are subject to availability, plus T&Cs apply. Top Tip: Check out the First Choice 'Free Kids Place Finder' tool - it can help save you time when searching for free child places, child reductions and/or the best family deals.

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11. Are First Choice holidays ATOL & ABTA protected?

First Choice flight-inclusive package holidays are ATOL protected, to find out more about ATOL and your First Choice holiday please click here.

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Top First Choice destinations & UK departure airports:

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