I already wrote when is it better to travel through a travel agency. And now an article as opposed to why it is better to travel on your own..
Everything is best approached from the point of view of expediency, considering each specific case separately. Therefore, as usual, I do not pretend to be true for everyone. But for me, the future belongs to independent travel, or, at least, to individual tours. Sooner or later, hotel vacations like Turkey and Egypt get bored, and you want something new. And there are other pluses..
It is widely believed that they travel on their own to reduce the cost of travel. It is not always so. Of course, there are places where you can look for cheap flights, such as Aviasales.com and Skyscanner.com, but still - compare the cost of a weekly tour to Turkey, and the cost of air tickets and hotel prices. The result will not be towards independent travel. So why do people travel on their own?
Why is it better to travel on your own
Why is it better to travel on your own
First of all, independent travelers are traveling, not lying on the beach. And this means a fairly large number of movements, many visited places, non-standard routes. In travel agencies, as a rule, only mass popular destinations (package) are cheaper. And a little to the side, and immediately several times more expensive.
- Convenient and fun
- The ability to go where you want, and the way you want
- Long journeys
- Difficult journey and non-standard route
- The ability to use alternative methods of transportation and housing
- Self-guided tours and individual schedule
For example, it is very interesting for me to think over the route myself, draw up a trip plan, look for information. My horizons expand even more, and I myself am responsible for the stages of the entire trip. With experience, it doesn't take too long..
You can take advantage of a private tour. But who, besides me, knows better what I need? Only myself. As a rule, before you start thinking about a trip, its plan is not completely clear, and you need to get more than one opinion in order to make a more suitable choice for yourself. Therefore, it is not entirely clear to me how a travel agency can offer me something that I still do not know myself. And if I myself make a trip plan, then finding hotels and tickets will not be difficult..
The longer your trip, the less travel agency you need. Usually tours are 1-2 weeks, longer is more expensive. If you travel for a month or more, then it will be easier to do everything yourself. For example, renting an apartment or house on a monthly basis is several times cheaper than a hotel, and at the same time much more comfortable.
When a trip is not a week in one city, but several countries and many attractions, then only individual planning is suitable here. And as I said, it's better to do it yourself. Especially if the route is not standard, the travel agency may simply not know about it, or charge you such a price that you will rock.
No travel agency will be able to offer you the entire list of hotels or guesthouses, because not all of them are in the databases. That is, it is not always possible to book accommodation via the Internet, which means searching on the spot. Bus tickets can also not be booked everywhere via the Internet, and the bus service may be the most convenient in this region. Do not forget about such a thing as hitchhiking, or spending the night in a tent. It is unlikely that this will be offered in a travel agency..
If you have ever been on an excursion or on an excursion tour, then you know that everything needs to be done on the whistle - let's go, get out, take a walk, back to the bus. I tried it several times, and realized that my schedule is completely different from what is offered to everyone. I have a different view of how much time you need to spend in a souvenir shop or museum. And also your list of places to see.
And finally. Only on an independent journey, you can fully taste the whole atmosphere of the country, moving around it on your own. You will be able to settle in a non-tourist place, chat with locals (and not listen to the stories of the guide, far from reality), try traditional food, and not the one that is prepared for baggage bags.
That is why the whole of Europe has been traveling independently for a long time. Europeans have experienced the beauty of independent travel. And I am sure that if you try, you are unlikely to go later in a bag..
P.S. Why are you (not) traveling on your own?
