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Many people have speculated that traditional travel agents are a dying breed as more travelers start to build their own packages. To a certain extent this is true; however, travel agents still have a very valuable role to play in helping travelers to locate a bargain.

A registered travel agency will have necessary insurance so that if something happens to mean that you do not get the holiday that you booked, you will receive some compensation. This security may be particularly important if you are booking a very important holiday such as a honeymoon.

Smaller agents also will have a greater discretion than large online chains. When you purchase online you are usually told the price; there is no room to negotiate for extras or further discounts. By dealing with a person in a face-to-face situation, you are in a much stronger position to negotiate.

A holiday is only a bargain if you get the holiday that you will enjoy. If you are looking at a specialist holiday type, such as a cruise, then an experienced travel agent will be extremely valuable to ensure that you get the best possible holiday. True you are likely to pay a little extra for this level of expertise, but it is not worth saving a few dollars at the expense of your enjoyment.

Building up a rapport with a travel agent will mean that they personally keep you in mind and if requested, they will be able to notify of you of any potentially interesting bargains that come into their agency, before they are released to the public. They may also be aware of any upcoming sales that are not generally public knowledge. If you have had a cheap quote online, take the details into your local agent and ask them what they can do, you may be pleasantly surprised!

Auction sites are a relatively new concept and one that has still not reached its full potential. Many people are still wary about the concept of bidding for a holiday. One of the most popular auction sites that is used at the moment is eBay; however, bidders should be aware that they are often buying from an individual and the motto 'buyer beware' could not be any more appropriate. However, if you browse through eBay you may find that a lot of the tour operators advertise their deals on eBay in a clearance type of fashion. If you do not wish to purchase through eBay, this still gives you a good idea of the types of prices that agents are prepared to let the holidays go for. Similarly, hotels often advertise any spare capacity that they have on sites such as eBay and this can be a great way to pick up a bargain.

There are also sites that are dedicated to auctioning holidays such as biddingfortravel.com, where companies offer their availability and the hotel, flight, or holiday is simply sold to the highest bidder. The real danger with this type of purchase is that it is normally allocation on arrival or limited in terms of options. Auction sites are a great place to look if you are very flexible, however, if you want a specific destination, date or other parameter, think twice! Another thing to bear in mind is that many of the auction sites will add an extra fee on to your winning price, so check out any extras that you will be expected to pay so that you do not get any nasty shocks.

Also if you are traveling in a family group, bear in mind that prices normally reflect double occupancy only and the hotel in question may not be able to accommodate children in the same room. Check these details out BEFORE you bid, as any bid you make is binding.

Having decided that you want your bargain holiday, you now have to turn your attention to starting your search. Knowing where to look for the bargains is the main part of the battle when it comes to securing that extra special deal.

Traditionally, travelers would only really be able to use local agents to deal with their query. These days however we have a wealth of options available to us including online consolidators, auction sites and direct web sites to peruse.

Deciding on the best place to look will depend on a number of factors such as where you are going, when you are going, whether you need any specialist advice and how much leg work you want to put in yourself.

In reality the best option will be to consult several different sources, even if it is simply to be certain that you are getting the best possible deal from your chosen retailer.