Tips on how to organize your first independent trip yourself.
Gaining new experience is difficult, but very exciting. Especially when it comes to organizing independent travel. Most people who go on vacation abroad use the services of travel agencies. It is convenient, but always more expensive and less interesting. Therefore, many people want to travel on their own, but do not know where to start.
1. Get out of your head buying a tour.
Buying a tour from an agency is the most thankless task (although there are exceptions). You are sure to be put in a limited framework, they impose their services and the services of their friends / acquaintances, the route is planned "at a gallop across Europe", there is no freedom in choice. For all this you have to overpay and sometimes a decent amount. Well, why all this? If you more or less own the Internet, know how to read and communicate, then it will not be difficult for you to independently organize a trip and think over your own route that will be of interest only to you. Difficulties may arise at first (no one says that this is an easy task), but we all learned to read and write. So here, the main thing is to start, and then the excitement of travel will drag you in for life. When organizing travel, you will not only save money, but also get a lot of pleasure, impressions and positive emotions. And this type of leisure will become one of your favorites.
2. Determine the budget.
The first thing to start planning any trip is to determine the budget for the trip. Based on your capabilities, you are planning for yourself an exotic island or a small resort town. Vacations for 1000 and 10,000 euros are two completely different vacations. But this does not mean that a vacation for 1000 euros will be less interesting and less intense. There are simply expensive destinations, such as the Bahamas or the Seychelles, where one ticket will cost a tidy sum. But for a week's rest in a European country - the Czech Republic or Spain (without shopping) is enough. For 70-80 euros per day, you can rent a small house / apartment (no meals) on the seashore somewhere in Croatia or Slovenia, and go on excursions if you wish. How can such a vacation be compared to a vacation in a hotel? And you can eat either in the numerous resort cafes, or shop in the supermarket and dine on the balcony of your room, admiring the sunset. We add another 20-30 euros per day. For a trip to Turkey or Bulgaria, 1000 euros is enough for you to fly by helicopter and see the local beauty from above. If you have funds, then it is much easier to organize a trip - there are no restrictions on funds, therefore, having arrived in one of the cities along the route, you can stay at the first hotel that comes across (as a rule, everyone comes to the city center, and in the center, as a rule, mostly expensive hotels). A completely different case, if funds are not enough, and you will need to constantly squeeze, the option is motels and campgrounds along the way. I love the golden mean - hotels located near the center, within walking distance to all the main attractions. This is the best choice in my opinion.
3. Select your country.
Surely, many dream of distant exotic countries. But, if you just want to unwind, then you can choose a place not far from home. For residents of Moscow, for example, this is Central Russia and Europe. European countries are unique in their beauty and are easily accessible by plane, train or car. Depending on the time of year, you can find a table of seasonality of countries and determine for yourself where you can go in February or March, for example.
Well, after that it's even easier. It is necessary to apply for a visa, book flights and a hotel. Everything! You are almost on vacation, enjoying the warm, gentle sun on the ocean shore with a cocktail in hand, or descending from the mountains at a crazy speed in the Alps.
4. Apply for a visa.
For Russians to leave Russia, it is enough to have a valid passport with them. To enter the territory of a European state, you must obtain a visa. You can see the list of visa-free countries, which is increasing every year. Visas are easily issued at the embassy or consulate on their own. Well, if you still do not have enough time, then entrust this matter to trusted specialists, or, in extreme cases, still contact a travel agency. But be careful, they can tempt you to buy a ready-made tour. package, which we do not need at all. You and I have finally decided to travel on our own.
5. Buy airline tickets and book a hotel.
These two steps can be done pretty quickly and on the same site. True, it will take a little time to choose a hotel and look at the photos. The main thing is not to be afraid and feel free to look for suitable tickets and hotels. There are a lot of offers on the network for buying air tickets, you need not make a mistake and make the right choice, and advice on booking air tickets and hotels will help you with this.
6. Develop a route and identify major attractions.
This is perhaps the most interesting of all the points. After you've worked hard (bought and booked), you can now figure out the route. Stock up on maps in case you want to rent a car. Look at the photos of the sights to be savvy in this matter upon arrival on vacation. Read reviews from other tourists and much, much more.
Well, after the trip, do not forget to sort and sort out gigabytes of photos to show your friends and once again plunge into those happy and unforgettable moments.
