What are the pros and cons of an independent travel, and what is needed to organize an independent tour. We will analyze the whole process of preparation for your trip point by point.
So what exactly is independent travel? Personally, I answered this question 5 years ago when I decided to go beyond the scope of travel tours offered by a travel agency. Such a framework of any free tourist will not be able to hold for a long time, it is then that the tourist begins his individual tour of the world.
How to start an independent journey?
As the teacher at the institute told me - "Begin with yourself!“Indeed, he was right, if you decide to start an independent journey, start with yourself and overcome this stereotype that the tour agency offers you that you will not fly away without them.
Why don't you fly away? What is stopping you from booking a plane and packing your suitcase right now? Nothing! Break the stereotypes of everyday life and forward to a free wandering!
The second thing, of course, for independent travel, you need to adjust your psychological state. It is the psychological barrier that prevents many people from going beyond the stereotype.
Many are afraid of the independence of decision-making! If you try to make some independent trip at least once, at least go not far from your home, then the barrier will be destroyed!
Another thing you need to understand for a unique trip is this direction, you need to ask yourself a question - What do you expect from an independent tour?
Get to the sea and wallow, see the sights of the world with your own eyes, go in for extreme tourism, go far into the mountains or conquer the peak?
When you answer these questions, you will be ready to travel and not depend on anyone, because you don't need to know anything else, life is so simple that we are used to complicating it ourselves and creating problems for ourselves. Throw all doubts and go to where you will not be in the framework of a tour or a guide who will dictate what to do.
Choosing the direction of independent travel
How to choose a destination for an independent travel? Read travel articles, reviews of tourists, watch films showing mesmerizing views and sights of countries, learn new things about this country where you want to go.
Only then will you be able to see the direction for a free wandering exactly where you have long wanted to find yourself. We choose a place for an amazing independent travel and forward to book places in hotels or rent accommodation for a long-term period.
How to book a hotel for independent travel
It has become so easy to book a hotel in any country in the world that it is probably harder to pick up the phone and call the travel agency. In fact, you can easily book a hotel online on the Internet.
Hotel booking service HotelsCombined - An excellent search engine in the world of hotels is on our website, this form of search for recommended hotels in the world is used by all independent travelers, including me, so everything has already been checked many times! Using the example of a hotel search, you can consider, well, and read an article called ‘Where to stay in Sochi’ and choose an inexpensive hotel option.
My hotel bookings using this service have probably already run over several hundred hotel reservations and all with the help of this form and without intermediaries. Such hotel booking will be much cheaper for you than with a travel agency. So it's good to travel on your own, you save a lot of money.
For such a trip for a long period of vacation, it is best to look for accommodation for rent, with one click of the mouse you can also rent an apartment with a great view right now, for example, in Paris. The service is called airbnb.ru.
To be honest, I used this service only in Thailand, where I lived for six months collecting material for my future articles. But Airbnb is so popular that all independent travelers around the world use it.
How to buy a ticket on your own?
Any independent traveler will tell you one thing that buying an air ticket for independent travel through the Aviasales search form is much more profitable and cheaper than running around and spending time with your nerves in the same travel agencies or air ticket offices. Using the example of finding cheap ticket options, you can consider the article on how to buy a cheap ticket to Sochi.
How to choose a cheap air ticket and what to look for, we have already described in detail in our article on choosing cheap air tickets, be sure to read and see for yourself using the Aviasales form that it is much faster and more profitable to book a cheap air ticket on the Internet using the search handicap for independent travel.
Bank card for abroad
To travel on your own and to keep your soul calm, you need to keep half of the money on a bank card, of course, this is the business of every independent tourist. Only here the cards, as a rule, do not work abroad.
Before organizing your exciting trip, be sure to contact the bank that issued your card with a written statement about permission to use cards abroad. If the card does not initially support such a regime, get an international card of the VISA system for use abroad, there are fewer problems with this system.
Also, do not forget to necessarily open an account in the currencies of the countries of the world, as a rule, I only have an account in dollars, there have been no problems with using foreign ATMs for 5 years of travel.
We issue a visa ourselves
For self-registration of a visa for any country in the world on my blog travel-picture.ru everything has already been described in detail in the article "how to get a visa". There are a number of countries in the world where you get a visa upon arrival at the airport.
You should know that recently everything has been done to make it so easy for you to get a visa, the main thing is that next time you fly back to this country, many countries of the world are trying to increase the flow of tourists in this way.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with obtaining a visa in this way, they will tell you everything and fill out a visa card for you, your exciting trip becomes not as scary as you imagined.
Transfer and taxi in the countries of the world
In order to get to the desired place from the airport, in many countries of the world there is a booking service, especially developed in Europe, you rent a car and eat wherever you look. This is the first way to get to the place.
There is an online service for ordering a taxi anywhere in the world, it is called EconomyBookings, agree that by ordering a taxi in the right place and at the right time it is pleasant to get off the plane, and they are already waiting for you! You should definitely try, especially since this service has only positive reviews from independent tourists.
Other ways to get to your destination include buses directly from the airport or metro, but I ruled out the local taxi for self-travel for myself. Very often, with this type of local transport, there are negative aspects, both in monetary terms and in life, they can be taken anywhere.
The language barrier is not a hindrance
Indeed, the language barrier in any country in the world is not an obstacle for communication and obtaining the information you need. When you walk on the Chinese market in Russia, you buy goods from a Chinese who absolutely does not know the Russian language, but still you agree on the price and, for example, the color of the goods you need.
All of this works in exactly the same way anywhere in the world. At the extreme moment, sign language has not yet been canceled. For independent travel, the language barrier is not a barrier, remember, “Language will bring to Kiev”.
Self-travel insurance
I believe that insurance for independent travel, especially for a beginner, is very useful. A lot of things happen that we might not foresee on a long trip. To protect yourself from this side, I advise you to insure with the help of the leading insurance companies in the world and in Russia.
For the first time, the moments of independent travel around the world, I did not give importance to accident insurance or health insurance, I thought that nothing would happen to me.
But unfortunately, such a case occurred in Turkey, when I dived to great depths and I had an inflammation of the inner ear, at that moment I very much regretted the lack of insurance.
After this incident, where I spent a lot of money on treatment, insurance is the first thing for me. I think it's better to pay about 600 rubles and an independent trip will become much more interesting and calmer. When you suddenly find yourself in such a situation, which I do not wish for you, only then you will seriously understand what insurance is.
Necessary things and documents for independent travel
Well, we booked hotels and air tickets, received cards and issued visas, ordered a transfer. Now you need to collect things that will really come in handy on your own trip.
First of all, I advise you to shove money not in one place, but in several. Place the passport and other documents in a waterproof bag, so the documents last longer with constant movement.
We buy a map of the area where you are going, yes, this is my grandmother's method, but it still works! Many independent tourists upload maps to their tablets or smartphones, which is very convenient.
We take money in the currency that is used in the country, it is advisable to take money, of course, in dollars, there are practically no problems with them anywhere. One more piece of advice, take a certain amount of small denomination, it will be easier to pay off and eliminate options for misunderstanding in different situations.
We only take things that are really useful to you. At least you can always find a store on planet Earth and buy the right thing there. But medications need to be taken intelligently, take whatever you need, the more, the better. Medicines are such a thing that is very expensive in different countries of the world.
Well, almost all the nuances have been revealed, you are required to be in a good mood, an exact goal on the world map and a desire to be an independent tourist. In fact, independent travel gives only advantages, you can completely do what you want and fly like a bird in the clouds, not depend on anyone.
Do not forget about your friends and soul mates, then an independent trip for you will become an unforgettable journey, which is what the travel-picture travel site wishes you.
