For some reason, it is believed here that only very experienced people, who have been abroad many times, have traveled everywhere possible, in short, those who need a different globe when planning a new route, can go on an independent trip. And, of course, such people have money to burn. In reality, nothing of the sort – it is precisely such individuals who order individual tours from travel agencies. Independent travel is something completely different.
The annual increase in the number of people wishing to work as tour operators for themselves is directly linked to the development of the Internet, since it is with the help of this tool that freedom-loving tourists can arrange a vacation for themselves, both abroad and at home. So, in addition to the skills of searching for information on the Internet (this is perhaps the main condition for organizing an independent trip), only one thing is required - the availability of free time. Everything else is not so important, even the language barrier is quite surmountable with the help of superficial knowledge of written English or, in extreme cases, computer translators. Well, of course, self-confidence and imagination will not hurt!
Anyone who has ever experienced the charm of independent independence is sure: travel agencies exist for those who live by Fonvizin’s principle: "Why do I need geography, the cab driver will get me there." What does an ordinary tourist get when contacting a travel agency? When buying a standard tour, say, to Paris for $500-600, the following is guaranteed. Accommodation in the suburbs of Paris, or in some quarter where you can hopelessly ruin all impressions of a wonderful city, because this quarter is located near poor Arab neighborhoods and in the evenings it is not very pleasant to walk there. An assault march - a quick look at the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, etc. Usually after such excursions people are left with only a mental checkmark "I was here." Economical, and therefore impersonal, hotel breakfasts and no dinner. Plus a couple of hours of free time, which are traditionally killed in hurried shopping. On top of that, dissatisfaction with the behavior of fellow excursionists is also included in the tour package - you always have to wait for someone, someone is constantly rushing and grumbling...
When organizing your trip independently, all these nuances are easy to avoid, and the trip budget, if it changes, will only decrease! But the most important thing is not even the opportunity to save, but freedom. Independent travel gives not only the right to your own schedule, independent of others' plans, but also a higher quality pastime. Just the opportunity to walk around the city without a crowd accompanying you brings the tourist closer to the world they have managed to immerse themselves in, gives a chance to learn everything from the inside. After all, getting to know another country, another culture, and other people is what people set out on a long journey for. And independent preparation and anticipation of the trip already become the beginning of the journey.
Independent travel
You need to know how to travel. To achieve the best results (and most importantly, in this case, to remain satisfied with yourself after the trip), it is necessary to follow general rules.
Rule No. 1. It is easier and more profitable to independently organize sightseeing tours in Europe.
Firstly, because in the Old World all conditions have been created for this. The developed system of tourist information offices on the network allows you to get a free map, learn about any discount promotions, find a suitable hotel, and simply get useful information about attractions in advance. Secondly, those European hotels that are presented on the Internet can almost always confirm a booking in writing. Thirdly, most European cities can be reached relatively cheaply using low-cost airlines and combining the route at your own discretion. When going on an independent exotic trip to distant countries, it is unlikely that you will be able to save on travel.
Rule No. 2. There is no point in organizing beach holidays in mass destinations yourself.
Firstly, because our tour operators have developed resort options quite well, and it is not economically profitable to compete with them - they turn out cheaper. Secondly, it is unreasonable in terms of effort - it is easier with a travel agency. Moreover, some resort destinations do not even assume single tourists; difficulties may arise both when trying to obtain a visa independently (so in some Arab countries, for example, in the UAE, hotels do not provide visa support - this is the prerogative of travel agencies), and when reserving a hotel - this happens even in notorious Turkey. Many club hotels in Turkey, such as Magic Life, for example, simply do not provide independent travelers with the opportunity to book. An exception to this rule is the sea countries of Eastern Europe: Montenegro, Croatia, Bulgaria. The "do-it-yourself tour operator" option works quite simply there: it is easy to independently find cheap boarding houses, villas, or just rooms for rent.
Rule No. 3. When organizing a trip, it is useful to gather preliminary information on the domestic tourism market.
This will help ensure that in most cases it is more interesting to book a hotel room and buy transport tickets without intermediaries. Firstly, because the choice of offers becomes significantly wider. Secondly, you come to understand that travel agencies at best have the same price (except for special offers, but more on that later). Thirdly, when you pay for everything separately yourself, you know exactly what is included in the cost of the service, whereas when buying a tour package it turns out, for example, that most excursions must be paid for on the spot.
The only exception when it is advantageous to use the services of a travel agency is buying a charter flight ticket. Moreover, such tickets are almost never available for open sale, since the travel agency is either the customer of the flight or the holder of a block of seats on board.
Myths and reality
Myth No. 1. Independent trips abroad are the lot of rich people.
Not at all! Organizing trips on your own is mostly done by people with modest incomes, because the job of "being your own tour operator" is not for the lazy, but it can bring economic benefits. Savings are facilitated not only by the absence of intermediaries, but also by smart allocation of funds.
Myth No. 2. Advance payment is required everywhere.
In fact, such payment is only required when buying tickets from low-cost airlines, and also when hotels run promotions like "pay for six nights - the seventh is free." Most often, to reserve a room, hotels ask for credit card details as a financial guarantee and a deposit equal to the cost of the room per night, in case you cancel late. And you pay for your stay on the spot, and if you wish, you can pay in cash or with another credit card.
Fully independent travel
Back in the early 1990s, the global tourism industry saw a reduction in the group tourism sector. Already since the mid-90s, the number of independent travelers (FIT - Full Independent Traveler) in Europe has exceeded the volume of group trips. A distinctive feature of organizing individual trips is the unpredictability of the client's choice and, as a result, the inability of the travel agency to prepare individual elements of the program in advance.
And in our country, more and more people are seeking to travel independently. Naturally, leading domestic travel companies have responded to this emerging trend. If only four or five years ago such personal tours were very expensive and designed for VIP clients, now it is possible to organize a personal trip for any budget. The capabilities of travel firms are not limited: they can develop tours of any level of complexity and bring to life the most unexpected and specific requirements of their clients.
The advantage of individual tours is that the tourist chooses the date of the trip, the route, and the place of accommodation himself. However, solo travelers who travel independently are by no means "wild" tourists. Individuals differ from their "wild" counterparts in that their vacation is organized and planned in advance: hotel rooms are booked, cars are rented, guide services are provided, entertainment programs are arranged. Tourists calmly and, most importantly, independently manage their free time.