What travel gives: we talk about the pros and look for cons in tourism. Advantages and disadvantages of independent travel

Traveling by train is a special kind of acquaintance with the world :). It is romantic, inspiring, interesting and informative. Going somewhere by plane, and not by train, you lose a significant part of impressions and positive emotions. The best place to travel by train is Europe: a well-developed rail network, many trains, and a high level of comfort. you can go at any time, but best of all in the summer. And in this article I will tell you what advantages and disadvantages travel by train has.

pros

• You will be taken directly to the city center. Railway stations are located in the city center. You go to the platform and you can immediately go sightseeing or check into a hotel. Arriving by plane, you will first need to get from the airport to the city itself, sometimes paying a lot of money for transport.
• There is no security check. You can get on the train just by showing your ticket and passport. An unpleasant check awaits you at the airport.
• Quick login. There is no such registration as at the airport on trains, which means that you save a lot of time and nerves.
• There are no restrictions on the weight of your luggage. You can take at least three bags with you on the train, if you lift them, of course :). Moreover, no additional fees will be charged from you.

Minuses

• High price. For many destinations, train tickets are more expensive than plane tickets. You can save a lot if you buy your tickets in advance (several months in advance).
• It takes a long time for long journeys. By plane, you will get to your destination much faster if the place is far from the point of departure. Trains only save time over short distances.
• Strikes are possible. In Europe, railway workers go on strike almost every year, as a result of which many flights are canceled, and train schedules are lost. True, almost always strikes are warned in advance so that passengers are aware of canceled flights and the changed schedule.

Everyone needs to travel by train at least once. You can get ready for a trip in a few days, but there will be a lot of impressions and events on the trip, which you will then remember all your life. Travel and enjoy life! All the best!

If not everyone, then almost everyone loves to travel, and the limited budget has never been a hindrance here. In the age of the Internet, when you can buy and book absolutely everything from socks to space, planning a vacation with any budget is quick and easy. Those who want to go on a trip now have a choice: either contact a travel agency and buy a tour without unnecessary hassle, or organize their trip on their own.

But, like any phenomenon in our life, independent recreation has both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

1. Cost savings

When planning a budget for a vacation, you do not have to take into account the payment for travel services, guide services, translators, and various additional excursions. There is no need to choose between strictly defined tours at a fixed price. By choosing a hotel, apartment or a place in a hostel according to your taste and wallet, and not the one with which the tour operator has a contract, you can save a lot of money.

Another point of savings is the self-booking of air tickets. It is not for nothing that the airport in Vilnius is jokingly called "Minsk-3". It is from there that low-cost airlines, which are so popular with many tourists, fly. The cost of the flight always occupies one of the main places in the list of vacation expenses, so it will not be superfluous to save on this expense item.

2. Freedom of choice of route, travel time, mode of transportation, hotel, excursions

Most significant advantage. Complete freedom of choice. You can go on anything, even hitchhiking, and whenever you want. Yes, in order to buy cheap air tickets, you often have to book them six months or a couple of months in advance, but in many cases airlines or hotels arrange sales, and you can buy tickets or book a hotel room for a ridiculous amount of money. Thanks to the complete freedom of action, and not the imposed list of attractions and the limited time free from the tour program, there is an opportunity to independently, slowly, and most importantly, with feeling and really feel the atmosphere of the place / city.

You can take your time and plan your day on your own, be in the museum / castle / gallery as much as you like, and not as much as the program has allocated. There is no need to visit advertised establishments full of tourists or "on the recommendation" of the group leader.

The most vivid impression will probably not be a visit to the Colosseum or the Eiffel Tower (with all due respect to them), but unhurried walks along the beautiful streets of the city and coffee in a cozy and quiet cafe, without a crowd and taking pictures of all tourists in a row.

3. Mobility

With a self-organized trip, you can not be afraid that you will not be in time for the bus or you will not have enough time to shop in the hypermarket. Full mobility. I don’t want to go to another city today, I don’t have to go. There is a need to urgently return to the hotel in another city, in which you were 2 days ago, or even home, no problem. Financial losses are minimal.

4. Reliability

The tour operator's program may not meet your expectations, the hotel may not meet your needs. Having paid a tidy sum for the tour, you want to relax, and not calculate the possible nuances.

disadvantages

1. Planning a trip, obtaining a visa

If the matter does not concern all-Russian health resorts, such as Turkey, Egypt, Crimea or Sochi, then you will have to tinker with the documents. In many cases, applying for a visa is a painstaking process, and sometimes it ends with a refusal.

2. Language barrier

Any domestic tourist knows: in order for these careless locals to understand you, you just need to speak very loudly and in syllables. In Russian, of course.

But seriously, the English language, in its absence, will be a serious barrier even at the stage of planning a trip.

Of course, everywhere there are kind people who can explain at least somehow, but if something happens, not all police officers, rescuers or doctors are able to express themselves with gestures or signs.

3. Safety of life and health, responsibility

On vacation, I want to think about vacation, so I would definitely like to shift safety issues to specially trained people. Groups of tourists are much less likely to become victims of serious crimes (pickpocketing does not count) than tourists walking alone along the lush streets in a foreign country. For health-related issues, there is medical insurance, but even if it is available and an insured event occurs, it is better if there is an experienced person nearby who is associated with a travel service agreement who will help you understand the situation.

Whichever type of vacation you choose for yourself, you need to approach business wisely, think over if possible and be ready for any nuances. Even if there is a "small technical problem" in the form of, for example, a broken bus, lost luggage or wallet theft, the main thing is not to get hysterical and try to solve the problem with a cool head.

The key to a successful trip is a good mood, which should not be spoiled by anyone or anything.

Increasingly, vacationers prefer independent travel to tourist stays. What do you need to know, going into such, and what difficulties can you meet on your way? Let's take a closer look.

Advantages

The main advantage of independent travel is complete freedom. You yourself choose the route of travel, visit only those places that you have chosen. Your time is also not limited: you can rest until lunchtime, not go somewhere, because you don't feel well. But excursion tours impose their own schedule of the entertainment program, which you will have to follow regardless of the circumstances (laziness, desire to sleep, headache, etc.).

Other advantages of independent travel include:

• Best service. Self-search for hotels, flights and other things allows you to choose the best based on reviews, photos and suggestions.
• A wide range of accommodation. Trailers, hostels, apartments, tents and more are provided for your choice.
• Adventure element. The absence of strict frameworks and guarantees of safety brings a special peppercorn to the trip.
• The opportunity to get to know the resting place better. Tours from travel agencies usually cover major attractions. However, the city really opens up far from the "tourist reservations".
• Minimal presence of tourists nearby. This is especially critical for Russian-speaking vacationers, who often complain about unpleasant company and uncivilized neighbors.
• New experience. An opportunity to learn a new language and get to know the indigenous population.

The dubious advantage is savings. In some cases, it can reach up to 50%. To understand how it works, you need to figure out what the price of the agency's package of services is based on. Initially, this very "package", which may include tickets, excursions, hotel, etc., is formed by the tour operator. After formation, he winds up a percentage of the resulting cost and sells this package to a travel agency. The agency also winds up interest for itself, after which it sells services to the consumer.

If you do not know how to search for information and select services with an optimal price-quality ratio, then the cost of a vacation may come out even more than that of a travel agency.

disadvantages

The disadvantages of independent travel include:

• A waste of time and effort. It takes much more time to prepare an independent trip, since you have to independently book tickets, a hotel room, study maps and routes, and collect information bit by bit.
• Lack of monetary stability. Using the services of a travel agency, you can be sure that you will not be left on the street in an unfamiliar city and without money. When traveling on your own, you must take care of this personally.
• Difficulties in orientation. Those who travel for the first time have to spend more time searching for a road than those who are taken from the airport to the hotel by the tour operator's bus.

Temporary disadvantages include the language barrier. Today there are electronic translators and dictionaries that allow you to communicate with the indigenous population, however, it is difficult to call such communication comfortable.

Difficulties

What difficulties you may face depends entirely on the country you choose. There are several common dangers waiting for tourists:

• Acclimatization. Refers to hot countries. Climate change is especially difficult for young children. You can't avoid it, but you can make it easier if you stock up on medications in advance and make insurance in case of complications.
• Violation of prohibitions. This applies to both laws and unspoken rules. Before submitting, be sure to read about the applicable laws of the country and about the rules of conduct among the indigenous population.
• Funds limit. It is advisable to take with you a little more money than planned. Anything can happen on a trip, from health problems to incidents with the police. It is better to take a certain amount with you for such cases.
• Lack of tickets. If a tourist voucher guarantees you a safe return home on the agreed date, then when traveling on your own, it is better to take care of this in advance. For example, by booking a ticket.

How to organize?

The correct travel organization is the first step to a good vacation. Organizational activities include:

• Issuing a suitable bank card for convenient payment.
• Registration of an insurance policy and a passport.
• Registration of a visa and international car license (if necessary).
• Comparison and selection of flight options and hotels.
• Determining the date and buying a ticket.
• Preparation of a travel route, excursion and entertainment programs.

Top 6 ideal destinations for a first trip

The first solo trip is the most exciting. In order for it to pass comfortably, it is better to plan it in a country with good conditions, for example, in:

• Thailand. The most hospitable country for tourists, but with a very humid climate.
• Spain. Here you can find entire Russian-speaking settlements, a lot of beautiful architecture, a comfortable climate, but few inexpensive housing.
• Czech. Many old and beautiful sights, quality beer, English-speaking population.
• China, namely Hong Kong. Low prices, amazing architecture with skyscrapers.
• India, namely Goa. Clean beaches, delicious food, average prices. But, in some areas, theft from tourists is common.

Have you always thought of travel as a kind of lazy getaway after months of hard work? But there is much more to it than that. Traveling is a lifestyle and there are many benefits that are hard to deny. If you want to know why people travel, and why you should travel too, read this article on 10 benefits of traveling the world!

Travel Benefits

I have wanted to write this article for a long time. Travel offers various benefits and benefits you in various ways. I asked several seasoned travel bloggers who have traveled to dozens of countries and continue to discover new ones to talk about the benefits of travel.

Know Yourself

Travel to get to know yourself better. The more you travel, the more opportunities you have for introspection and a look into the past. Traveling is a truly great teacher who not only teaches you peace, he is also teaches you about yourself and your place in the world.

To change yourself

Travel to change. The more you travel and come face to face with new experiences, there is a slow change in yourself and in your views.

Become More Tolerant and Understanding

Traveling makes you more tolerant, sensitive and understanding. The more you travel and encounter new cultures, you begin to accept more and more. You understand that yours is not the only way to live. There are many other cultures from which you can learn something and bring into your own. Thus, in essence, travel expands your horizons and gives you a 360-degree view of the world.

3 latest travel benefits - fromimvoyager.com

Appreciate Your Home and Country More

This may sound strange. It seems that when you travel, you discover new beautiful places and countries, and you will never want to return home. But visiting is good, but at home is better, and you realize this even more when you travel.

You begin to understand that your home is special in its own way, in your country there is something that is not in others.... It was thanks to travel and contrast that I realized how beautiful Belarus really is and created a website for travelers to help them discover and plan a trip to Belarus. So travel the world to appreciate your home more!

Travel advantage from

Openness and Less Prejudice

The reason you should travel is because they open up you and allow you to have less prejudice. I used to be afraid to travel because I had all these preconceived notions that people from certain countries were bad people. But, as soon as I started to travel the world, I realized that this is not true, and that all over the world people are almost the same. I would appreciate that 97% of people are good, but 3% of bad people get all the media attention.

Travel advantage fromJohnnyJet.com

Explore New Cultures

I love to travel because I love to study. Difficulty traveling, truly interacting with other cultures without learning something new... This could be the German student movement while traveling in Germany, or how matchmaking takes place in the Berber culture in Morocco. I love the days when I travel and I just say yes. "Yes, I didn't know it or yes, I never thought about it."

Traveling a few days is a puzzle to be solved for example, when you are standing in front of a ticket machine in the Prague metro and you do not know a single Czech word.

Travel advantage fromamateurtraveler.com

Expanding Horizons

The biggest advantage of traveling is the understanding that the world is bigger than our small part of it.... As we travel, we can see how other people live. By seeing other cultures, we can adopt new good habits that we learn and appreciate our culture more, which we previously did not consider special and unique. Hopefully this will increase our tolerance in dealing with people, even in our own circle.

Cognition of the Beauty of the Earth

You must travel to see all the incredible beauty in this land that we are gifted with.... There are so many different forms of beauty in deserts, mountains, oceans and fjords. A vision of all these ecosystems can give us a more concrete understanding of what we can lose if we do not take care of nature.

2 latest travel benefits fromthedailyadventuresofme.com

Understanding other people is better

There are many reasons people travel. Many people travel to get away from their lives or their problems. Others - to learn new cultures. Still others travel because it's cool ... I love to travel because it helps me to be kinder and more understanding with other people.

People who never travel are bombarded with certain propaganda designed to create discord and make us believe that our neighbors are terrorists. The more you travel, the more you learn that we are all the same and they all have the same feelings and emotions. Traveling doesn't necessarily make you a better person, but it can definitely help you with that.

Travel advantage fromfabionodariphoto.com

This was a list of 10 benefits of traveling the world. I hope this helped you understand why you should travel and why so many other people are already doing it. If you're short on money to travel, check out these from 15 seasoned travel bloggers, or read about some of the places you might want to go:, or. Travel more!

The overwhelming majority of Russian tourists go abroad for the first time in their lives, having bought a tour. However, with the acquisition of experience of foreign travel, the majority sooner or later face the question - to buy a tour or to organize their trip on their own?

"On one's own!" - will answer those who have already seen a lot and visited many places.

According to Interfax, the Russian independent travel market grew by 8% in 2013 compared to the previous year. What are the advantages of being able to travel without travel agencies, we understand the details.

Complete freedom to choose a point on Earth

I'm tired of Turkey, I'm tired of Egypt. I wanted, for example, to the island of Christmas in the Indian Ocean. Will travel agencies help to realize this desire? No. Travel companies quite logically offer the product that is most in demand on the market. In the case of a trip to Christmas Island, it will take a very long time to look for a company that will undertake to organize the trip. And such a hand-assembled tour will be very, very expensive.

Authenticity

What's new, real, national, traditional can you find in popular hotels in Antalya, Hurghada or Goa? Will they be different from each other? The more popular the destination, the more walking around the "Potemkin villages" such as the settlement of long-necked women of the Karen tribe near Pattaya in Thailand. Women are real, but the village itself, everyday life and paraphernalia - all this was done specifically for the crowd of curious, but illegible.

Freedom to choose routes

Travel by tourist bus across Europe in 8 days. Briefly, out of the window, or during a short stay, take a look at the Eiffel Tower or walk around the Colosseum in a noisy crowd. Constantly wait for latecomers, stop at questionable shops and souvenir shops. All this can be avoided and a truly interesting route can be created. Exclusively from German castles, for example, or from French wine cellars, or from fine art museums, depending on interests.

Saving

The law of tourism: the more popular the destination, the higher the prices for food, things, and souvenirs. For example, a pint of Guinness at Temple Bar, Dublin's tourist hub, will cost 5.5 €, and if you walk a couple of blocks away, the same will cost 4.5 €. By purchasing a tour, we always get a set of tourist destinations with the most tourist prices.

In addition, the tours themselves are often more expensive than independent travel. For example, a 9-day tour of Ireland for two will cost 2500 € without expenses, while a self-organized tour will cost 2000 € in total.

Communication with interesting people

Traveling on your own is a real contact with locals and equally interesting travelers. In this case, there are no restrictions, tourist group, hotel and the same contingent in all nearby establishments.

Adventure element

Even a carefully planned trip is an opportunity for discovery. You never know what lies ahead, what will make the greatest impression, who will meet on the way and how the route can be changed. In the purchased tour, everything is predetermined.

Self-development

An independent travel is an occasion to explore another country and learn a lot of new and interesting things. Such travels broaden the horizons, tighten the knowledge of languages, develop communication skills, make the inner world of a person richer, and wiser himself.

Free daily routine

The independent traveler himself determines what time he will have breakfast, how long he will look at this or that landmark, and when he will leave one city for the next.

No crowds of tourists

You yourself can always choose a place and time when you can enjoy the landscape or architecture without a noisy crowd of compatriots, feel the local flavor and unique atmosphere without distortion.

Huge selection of housing

Choosing a home on your own opens up opportunities that are incomparably great compared to a purchased tour: you can live in a tent, camping, trailer, sports and tourist camp, surf spot, in a hostel, in a room, in an apartment, in a bungalow, in a house, in a villa, in guesthouse, hotel, motel, castle, chalet, penthouse - in short, anywhere.

Outcomes

Photo: thinkstockphotos.com, flickr.com