Organized trips. Rules for organized transportation of a group of children by bus. Advantages of organized tours

Attachments: from 140,000 rubles

Payback: from 3 months

In recent years, many businesses have been coming to us from the West. This has become the business of organizing custom travel. For more than 20 years, private travel agencies have been common in Europe and America, creating individual tours. People have a need to spend vacations, weekends, honeymoons on a rest. You can help them and make money from it.

Business concept

Everyone has heard that the client’s desire is the law. In this niche, this rule works 100%, because the organization’s work is based on the desires and preferences of people. Travel agencies and similar companies should not be confused. Tour operators offer painfully well-worn routes, and organizing custom trips involves creating a unique route for each person. Each trip is rich in something of its own.

A person comes to such a company and expresses his wishes (duration of travel, budget, number of travelers). The company, in turn, quickly collects options (1-2 days), creates travel routes and offers a ready-made list to the client. If the client is satisfied with everything, then payment is made, which includes:

• accommodation;
• moving;
• visiting excursions (if any are included in the route);
• entertainment;
• the company's commission (this is the earnings of the organization that compiled the route).

Travel can be organized both within the country and abroad. The client must come to the company confident that all organizational issues will be resolved for him.

Potential customers for routes are completely different people. These could be school classes going to a neighboring city on an excursion, a retired family, newlyweds, etc.

What will be required for implementation?

To be successful in this field you do not need to have special skills. All you need is the ability to work with a computer, telephone, Internet and good command of the English language.

An important task at the start is market analysis. It is possible that there are already competitors in the city or region, it is important to research them, find out which areas are in great demand, who makes up the customer base.

This data will help you prepare for the start. It is advisable to have the skill of communicating with people in a businesslike tone, because eloquence and confidence are constant companions of any tour operator. The main skill can be called the desire to help a person. All clients come with the goal of getting help, you don’t need to work for money, you need to work for clients, then the money will be paid for such a service.

Step-by-step launch instructions

When it comes to a clear launch plan, many people name milestones without thinking ahead. To save time and nerves, you need to do everything clearly according to an established pattern of actions:

1. There are many entrepreneurs today, but not everyone is considered conscientious because they don’t want to pay taxes. Anyone who is somehow connected with tourism is subject to great attention from both clients and the government. Registration of an individual entrepreneur will solve many organizational problems. At this stage, it is important to start “packaging” yourself. The name of the company should be invented based on motivating, bright goals so that it attracts people.
2. Niche exploration. Before you start anything big, you need to look around. What is in high demand? What destinations are popular in your area or city. Competition today is not great, but people understand that tour operators often offer products that do not match the quality. So it makes sense to look for other organizations. Against this background, the concentration of companies planning customized travel begins to grow. In a couple of years, it will be difficult to break into this segment.
3. Office. If you think about it, then in general there is no need for an office as such, because all the work can be done by yourself at home. But inviting clients to your home is not a very good task. Therefore, it is worth renting a room of 10-15 square meters. You don’t need a lot of space, because you only need to mark out equipment in a given area. Once there is a place to carry out the work, you need to make it look bright. Repairs should be associated with pleasant emotions, so that the client comes to the office and is immediately ready to make a payment.
4. Equipment. You need to start your office with only the essentials so that everything is conducive to work and efficiency. You need a computer, furniture, and a printer. Do you want to overtake your competitors? Then you can introduce the ability to make a presentation for the client. A projector will help with this; it can be used to broadcast prepared presentations. This is more expensive, but works very well.
5. Advertising. At the start, it is very important to get at least a few clients, because some of them will recommend the company to friends, some will even become regular clients. After the first customers appeared, the business will go wherever better. And to find them, massive advertising throughout the city is necessary. There is no point in working via the Internet. There should only be a website with detailed information about the organization, social media, which will be constantly filled with reviews, etc. And it is important to direct people to social networks so that they leave impressions of the work done. You can come up with a loyalty system for regular office visitors, this will stimulate demand.

Financial calculations

Start-up capital

The travel industry is very low-cost in terms of start-up investments, because here people trade, one might say, non-existent goods; there are no costs for large production. Everything revolves around organizing a comfortable trip. The general list of expenses can be summarized as follows:

For 140 thousand rubles you can start a business in a city with a population of 300 thousand or more people. In a small village the amount may be less, but the income is appropriate.

Monthly expenses

This niche is one where monthly costs are very low because there are no employees. Later they may appear when you want to leave operational management, or there is a large flow of clients. But at the launch stage, the first six months of monthly expenses will look like this:

• office rent – ​​from RUB 15,000;
• taxes – 3,000 rubles;
• advertising – 5,000 rub.

23,000 rubles a month - and the business exists quietly.

Earnings and payback

You can earn completely different kinds of money. It all depends on what commission is set for the organization’s services. The average figure for this amount ranges from 5,000-10,000 rubles (usually this is a percentage of the amount of the tour). If you can provide for yourself big amount clients, then you can organize from 20 to 30 trips per month. Accordingly, the amount of revenue will range from 100 to 150 thousand rubles per profitable month. Net profit will then be equal to 77-127 thousand rubles. In this case, the theoretical payback of the business is 3-6 months of work.

Risks, features

The tourism business depends on the season. During the warm season, the demand for travel increases significantly. In winter, this figure decreases by half. Risks include growing competition and the situation in the country. A very small percentage of people allow themselves to travel, so there is a chance of being left without profit. But these risks are mitigated if the launch is made just before the season (April–May).

Bottom line

At first, it will be very difficult to stay in business, because only goal and motivation will fuel your energy along the way. This will be especially noticeable if there are few clients. But if you eliminate this gap, you can achieve good results by giving people the opportunity to receive unforgettable emotions, making not only them happy, but also yourself.

Have you decided to go on a trip and don’t know where to start? Contact a travel agency, the staff will be happy to help you choose a route, assist in obtaining a visa, etc., but they will charge you a certain fee for this (though no one will tell you about this). They have to earn their living! Don't want to overpay? Then organize an exciting trip for yourself according to your taste and based on your financial capabilities. Of course, it will be difficult to do this the first time, and you will agree that it is a little scary (what if something goes wrong!) But as they say, he who does not take risks, does not drink champagne. And not always what a tour operator offers will be interesting to you. And on your own organized trip gives you complete freedom of action, does not limit you to one or another cultural program and, which is also important, it saves money. But in order for your trip not to become a headache and a big disappointment, prepare for it in advance and very carefully, observing all the formalities associated with choosing a destination, crossing the border (if this is expected), purchasing travel documents, etc. Where to start organizing your own trip? First of all, from reading this article.:f:

• free time to study and search for information about the direction you are interested in;
• Internet access;
• time to read this article;
• desire to travel and discover new countries;
• international passport (if border crossing is expected);
• bank card (with money on it, of course);

• The first thing you need to do when organizing a trip is decide on the direction. You must decide what you want from your trip. Soak up the beach on the soft sand and under the bright sun? Or see the sights of a certain country: museums, castles, etc. ? Or maybe combine both? But first, remember that you shouldn’t go on your first trip to conquer the jungle or wilds of the Amazon. It's easy to get lost there for an inexperienced tourist. Maybe, for the first time, satisfy your wanderlust with a trip to good old Europe? Well, or Turkey, for example (here the issue with a visa is resolved one-two-three). In general, it's up to you. As they say, every whim is for your money.
• The next step will be to resolve financial issues. First, get a bank card with a certain amount of money on it. After all, without it you will not be able to buy a ticket, book a hotel, or rent a car... And you shouldn’t carry a large amount of cash with you while traveling, the entire civilized world has long been paying with cards (and only we still keep money in glass banks). It is best to apply for a Visa or Mastercard. When traveling to Europe, it is better to choose a Mastercard and open it in euros. In all other cases, Visa, which is in dollar currency, is suitable.
• Before you go to the country of your choice, study the necessary information about it, which will allow you to create an initial opinion about it and possibly influence your decision. Read reviews from real people who have been there and can provide reliable information. Pay attention to religious and cultural traditions, customs regulations. It would be a good idea to study the rules for obtaining a visa. For example, you may refuse to travel to Mexico if you find out that when obtaining an entry visa to this country you will be asked to leave your fingerprints, and choose United United Arab Emirates, where the air temperature in the coldest December and January is +28 during the day and +18 at night, and even with a visa it’s easier.
• Once the choice of country has been made, I advise you to move on to creating a budget for your trip. First, you must clearly determine how much you are willing to spend on your trip. Find out how much a visa (if required), tickets, hotel accommodation, insurance, etc. will cost approximately. Don't forget to leave money for small expenses and gifts for loved ones, and also set aside a certain amount for expenses that may unexpectedly arise before traveling (for example, buying a new luggage bag or extra battery charger).
• Armed with information about your destination, you can start purchasing tickets. To do this, you first need to decide what type of transport you will use. Remember that the journey by land transport(train, bus, car) will cost you much less than by plane. But traveling by plane is faster and more convenient. And of course, there are countries that simply cannot be reached by land transport. Therefore, take care of purchasing travel documents in advance, especially if you decide to use air transport - this way you can buy cheaper tickets and save money. To purchase tickets, you just need to have access to the Internet and an open bank account. And if you don’t trust the World Wide Web, contact the ticket office, where they will help you choose the most suitable option.
• The next step is to secure a roof over your head, i.e. to reserve a hotel room. First, decide on its type and location. Remember that if your hotel is located in the center or, for example, near the beach, then the cost will be quite high. You can, of course, choose a hotel that is more distant, but in this case, transportation costs arise, and most importantly, you spend additional time on the road, which is already worth its weight in gold when traveling. You can book a hotel online or upon arrival (this sometimes works out cheaper), you just need to know where it is. But this option has its pitfalls - if there are no rooms in the hotel you choose, you risk staying overnight on the street.
• When traveling abroad, it would be a good idea to take out medical insurance. In most cases, this will be a prerequisite for obtaining an entry visa to the country of your choice. With this document you will feel much more confident.
• Obtaining a visa will be the final stage in preparing for your trip. Of course, if your destination country is Turkey or Egypt, you don’t need to do anything in advance; you will receive a visa upon arrival at the airport, having paid a certain amount for it. But if you are planning to visit Europe, then you simply cannot do without the formalities associated with obtaining a visa. Therefore, find out in advance how and where you can arrange it, how much time it will take you and other details, so that you can do it before the start of your trip.
• If you have a visa and are completely ready to travel, it would be a good idea to study good guide along the route you are interested in. Read reviews and advice from experienced tourists who will recommend which places are worth visiting, study the opening hours of museums, traffic, etc. and based on the information collected, make a rough plan for your trip. It would be a good idea to purchase a map of the city you are interested in, or an alternative would be to purchase a GPS navigator.
• Let's say that you have already prepared for the trip, your suitcases are packed and you are ready to hit the road for new emotions and impressions. But don’t forget to check everything carefully before your trip. First of all, make sure that you take with you all the necessary documents (passport, travel documents, hotel voucher, insurance policy, bank card, etc.). Once again, carefully read the information indicated on your ticket (date and time of departure, last name, first name, etc.). Check your luggage and hand luggage carefully for the presence of prohibited items (I have written a separate article on this topic, if anyone is interested ). And it’s better to leave in advance, so that later for some reason you don’t fall behind your transport. And most importantly, don’t forget to take with you a good mood, the idea that everything will work out for you, so that your tourist trip brought you only positive emotions.

2016-08-22T18:11:50+00:00

Hello again, dear readers. I finally got around to writing the final article on organizing your trip yourself. Even before this happened, many friends and acquaintances asked how I managed to travel on my own, book tickets, find hotels or travel companions. In principle, many people have the same questions, so I came up with the idea of ​​putting everything in the form of a small plan or guide for those who are just about to start organizing their travels.

This article will be both introductory and final, because first I had to write all the useful posts on this topic, and then combine it into a single guide. I want to say right away that all articles, tips and examples are mine personal experience, which I tried on myself and still use it. So if you have any questions or misunderstandings about something, you need help, or maybe you want to add something else to the list important information, be sure to write to comments.

So, below is a list of articles that I included in the topic “ How to organize your own trip”:

1. How to organize a trip on your own and cheaply

This list will be visible at the beginning of each page included in it. This is so that the reader does not get lost in the links. And the current article you are in (for example, we are now on the page from the first paragraph) will be inactive and highlighted in a different color. It’s simple. Naturally, the list only mentions the most important planning points in my opinion, so I ask you for feedback from me, in case you think differently.

Now let me tell you how I organize an independent trip, and at the same time I’ll briefly go through the items on the list.

1. Obtaining a passport via the Internet. Of course, what is traveling abroad without a passport? No, I don’t argue that there are several more countries in the post-Soviet space (Kazakhstan, Abkhazia), where you can get to with a Russian passport, but we don’t want to limit ourselves to the “near abroad,” right?

I am glad that with the development of the Internet, many paper operations have become much faster and easier, so I always receive a foreign passport the same way. On which website can this be done, for how long, at what price and under what conditions is it better to buy, as well as a list necessary documents to get a couple of practical tips you will receive by reading the corresponding article under point No. 2.

2. Route planning. Next, you need to decide, where exactly will I go? And after the answer to this question is received, I begin to plan a route for the country (countries) where I am going. For many, this particular point is a stumbling block, but I assure you that there is nothing complicated about it. Of course, for a beginner you will have to spend some time, but then your work will more than pay off in the fact that you will begin to easily and quickly create routes around any country, even ones you have not yet been to. You can find out about this in the article point No. 3.

3. Obtaining a visa. Oh how! Someone will say: “Where did this point come from? He’s not on the general list!” That’s right, it’s not there, because obtaining a visa is individual for each country. That's why I said that I included only the most important points on organizing a trip, I won’t describe getting a visa to all 200-odd countries, especially just yesterday, for example in South Korea, a visa was needed, but today it is no longer there.

But to make it easier to navigate this issue, because in any case you will need to find out about the need to obtain a visa to a particular country, I will shed some light on this issue.

A good place to start would be to find out do you need a visa to the country where I was going. Personally, in this case, I do it simply: I go to Yandex and write “Japan visa” and see what they give me. There are, of course, a lot of sites where there is a whole list of visa-free or visa-free countries, but I don’t trust them, because it is not known when this list was updated or whether it was updated at all. If you are still interested, then the best site (in terms of relevance at least) in my opinion is this one, but, I repeat, be sure to double-check the information.

If you need a visa, there are several ways to get it:

• at the Moscow embassy - I often use this point, since it is the cheapest and easiest for me (despite the fact that I am not a Muscovite), I still have to go through Moscow;). However, it is a good idea to know what documents are required to apply. I can find a solution to this issue on the same website that I gave above, but you can follow the standard procedure - “Google”, and the best thing is to go to the consulate’s website (although sometimes the information there is only in English). And it would also be nice to have friends in Moscow who could take the documents if personal presence is not necessary.
• at the embassy of another country - this is if you have a lot of time and are traveling through more than one country.
• upon arrival in another country - this point does not apply to all countries, which also needs to be checked. There are also options for obtaining a visa when ordering services in the form of air tickets around the country or hotels (a very expensive option)
• through a travel agency - the easiest way for those who do not live in the capital, however, you will have to pay for mediation. Accordingly, the further you are from Moscow, the higher the “duty”.

4. What to take: card or cash? Choosing a plastic card. Money is an eternal question of humanity :). I think the title title speaks for itself. We decide in what form to take money with us, cash or on a card? And if it’s a card, which one is better? You will find answers to these questions in the article below. №4.

5. Buying a train ticket online. Since I am very far from the capital, and fly mainly from Moscow, I often have to think about railway crossings. It’s a pity that Russian Railways has no competitors, but if you make a purchase via the Internet, even the monopolist will find a couple of “tasty” offers. I wrote about this and much more in the article point No. 5.

6 and 7. Finding and purchasing cheap air tickets. The key word here is “cheap”, because unlike railway, airlines compete, and how. But finding a cheap ticket is not so easy among the many “cunning” offers. So be sure to read not only the purchase method itself ( point No. 7), but also the nuances of search engines that will help in your future experience of purchasing air tickets ( point No. 8).

8. Finding cheap accommodation: book in advance or search locally. Well, of course, in addition to all the tickets, we still need a roof over our heads. Since we are talking about independent travel, we will look for and book a hotel ourselves. There are two ways - book in advance (via the Internet) and on the spot. What is better and of higher quality, you will definitely find out from the article point No. 8.

9. Travel packing list. It would seem like the most banal point, why can’t I pull myself together? However, personally, I always keep with me a standard list of the most necessary things for all types of travel (mountain, long, leisure), so that I don’t suddenly forget something. Of course, a couple of items from the list can be easily removed or added, it all depends on the preferences of each individual.

10. Airport: how to check in for a flight. Many travelers are now giggling when reading the title of this paragraph, apparently having completely forgotten how they themselves stood in the huge airport lobby for the first time, at a loss, not knowing where to go and who to turn to. But I remember, and that’s why I wrote about how it’s painless for your nerves to check in for a flight, which you can read about in point No. 9.

Last two points No. 11 and No. 12 rather additional, however, lately I have been increasingly faced with questions from others on these two topics, which is why I added them to the list. Who joined our group

In the described situation, parents can act as accompanying persons, the number allows. You are not required to take the school's deputy director on the bus; the law does not require this.

Good luck on the roads!

Natalia, Hello.

In this case, 2 notifications must be submitted. The second notification should be submitted to the traffic police at the place where the second transportation began, i.e. at the traffic police department of another city. This can be done through the traffic police website, instructions are given in.

Good luck on the roads!

Natalia-35

Hello, is it allowed to transport skis on a school bus transporting child athletes to competitions (in the region), since skis are classified as hand luggage?

Good day. We are planning a trip with children to another city. We will order a bus. Each child will be accompanied by his or her legal representative. A total of 24 children and 24 adults. Do you need a traffic police escort? If so, who should report the trip? Carrier or customer of the bus? Distance 450 km

Vladimir-348

Please clarify whether a child seat or restraint system is required when transporting a child on a tourist bus and up to how old?

Anastasia-97

Hello. If we are traveling with 26 children, 16 parents and 2 teachers. Do we need to apply to the traffic police?

Anastasia, Hello.

Indicate how many children out of 26 are traveling without their parents.

Angelika-8

We are going with a children's group to Belarus from a travel agency, 30 children + 4 teachers. Is it necessary to draw up documents with a notary if there is written consent from the parents for each child?

Tatiana Solomatina

How to organize a trip on your own?

Greetings to all readers of my blog!

What makes people refuse independent travel, overpay tour operators, and risk losing everything?

Some people don’t want to prepare on principle, while others are simply afraid and don’t know where to start. This information will be useful for people who dream of relaxing on their own, but do not know how to proceed. It was for them that I composed detailed plan how to organize independent travel.

Step-by-step instruction

Think about what interests you, ask friends and acquaintances, read reviews. Calculate your budget. Figure out the number of days.

It’s good if the dates are floating, plus or minus a few days. This will allow you to later play on the cost of air tickets. It's no secret that ticket prices can vary greatly for neighboring dates.

Carefully read the climatic conditions of the chosen holiday destination; it is possible that during your holiday there is no season, which may negatively affect your plans. In this case, either change the location or mentally prepare for the inconvenience.

Step 2: Making a route

This point is very important, especially for those who plan to visit several places or even countries. Here are the main points:

1. Open the map and select places of interest. We read the reviews, maybe you won’t have time to go somewhere, it’s not worth going somewhere, and something is expensive.
2. We make a sequence of visits. We list everything by date.
3. Internal movements. If you plan to travel by rented car or taxi, then most likely there will be no problems here. If by public transport, then you need to find out the schedule and cost in advance.

Adviсe

• Find out in advance the opening hours of the places you plan to visit during your trip. Perhaps on the right day there will be a day off. It's a shame not to visit what we planned.
• If your itinerary includes domestic flights, take into account climatic conditions countries.
• Be patient. The more complex the route, the longer it will take to develop it.

Step 3: Buy tickets

We go to the Aviasales website - https://www.aviasales.ru, for me this is the most optimal service. It is convenient because you can quickly separate direct flights from flights with transfers, set the required departure time in the search, set tracking for cheap tickets, and view a table with prices for each day of the month.

We enter the data, click “Find tickets”, after a few seconds all options for your dates are displayed. If you have floating dates, be sure to check the ticket prices for adjacent dates. You might be able to save a lot of money.

I prefer to purchase air tickets on the websites of the airlines themselves, rather than on intermediary services. Therefore, having found a flight that is convenient for me, I write down all the data and go to the website of the airline operating this flight. I set the same dates in the search engine, find tickets and buy them. Many people will probably disagree with me, but I feel calmer this way.

You can try to buy a ticket for a charter flight. Most likely it will be cheaper. However, when planning to buy them, you must understand that you are completely dependent on the tour operator. The risk of delay, change, or cancellation of a flight is much higher than in the case of a regular flight. How to buy tickets for yourself charter flights, read.

Adviсe

• Buy round trip tickets. It will cost less than one way.
• Buy tickets in advance. More likely to pay inexpensively.
• If you are planning domestic flights, purchase them in advance. Read reviews, look for local airlines, their prices are usually lower.
• Please pay attention to the baggage conditions. Sometimes cheap fares mean minimal luggage, which costs a pretty penny when checking in for your flight.
• Always print e-tickets. I once saw how, at check-in in Thailand, they couldn’t find people on the passenger list. It was regular flight. The guys were lucky, they had a laptop with them, they opened their mail and showed them the ticket number.

Step 4: Book a hotel

Once you have purchased your tickets, you can start choosing accommodation. Some people plan to live in a hotel, some in a luxury villa, and some in a simple bungalow. There are a lot of accommodation booking services. I prefer to use booking.com. But I always check the results on the aggregator services Hotellook, Roomguru, Trivago. Why am I doing this and what is the best way to book accommodation? Read.

Everything is very simple on Booking. Go to the website, enter the place, dates, number of people in the search engine, click “Find”. You can enter data into the search engine from above.

On the right you will find a variety of accommodation options. In the left field there is a search engine where you can sort by price, services, location, there are many filters. Next, look through the options, choose, and book. When booking, please provide a valid email address and you will receive a confirmation of your reservation. Be sure to print it out and take it with you. It may come in handy if problems arise on site.

Adviсe

• Book your stay in advance, there will be more options.
• If you plan to stay in one place for a long time (more than a week), it might be worth booking for one day and looking for better accommodation on the spot. Unless, of course, it’s peak season and your trip doesn’t coincide with local holidays.
• If possible, choose places that do not require prepayment and where you can cancel your reservation. Then if plans change, you won’t lose money.
• Please read the booking conditions carefully. Sometimes they are very tough.
• Please note the accommodation policy (no pets, no smoking, much more).
• Be sure to read reviews and see the latest information on the forums. This way you will receive more information than is evident from the description on the service.
• If you decide to book a hotel directly on its website, take the time to translate the text into Russian. Otherwise, you may lose your funds (read), as was the case with me in Sri Lanka.

Step 5: Apply for visas

Many countries require visas to enter. It's time to do this.

There are countries where a visa is issued at the border. Apply for it upon arrival at the airport. There is nothing complicated there, after landing, do as everyone else does, no problems.

Some countries require you to apply for a visa online. In this case, go to the embassy website, read the registration rules and follow the instructions. If this is difficult for you, there are many intermediary agencies who are willing to do everything for you for a fee. I used their services when I was. Everything was done quickly and clearly.

Some countries require you to apply for a visa at an embassy or visa application center. This will take time, but it’s also not scary. Study the information on the embassy website and follow the instructions. Sometimes an electronic record is kept for filing documents.

Read how to apply for a Schengen visa.

Adviсe

• It’s not difficult to apply for a visa yourself; you don’t have to overpay for assistance in providing such a service.
• Order in advance, don’t leave for later.
• Check the validity period of your foreign passport. One of common reasons visa refusal.
• Prepare your documents carefully; copies must be of good quality.
• If you decide to turn to intermediaries, read reviews about them.
• If you are traveling with children, do not forget to make notarized powers of attorney from legal representatives.

Step 6: Apply for health insurance

In some places, insurance is required at the time of submitting documents for a visa, in others it is not required at all, and in others it is asked at the border. And there can only be two options:

1. You only need insurance to receive documents.
2. Do you need insurance for medical care in another country, you want to protect yourself from unexpected expenses.

With the first option, everything is simple - go to the nearest insurance agency or apply online, buy the most cheap option.

The second option is the most correct in my opinion. But you need to take your choice of insurance company seriously. The main thing you need to pay attention to is the assistance of the insurance company, that is, its partner abroad, which is designed to provide medical care on site. Timely qualified assistance in the event of an insured event depends on this. I have a separate page about this on my blog. There I compare many insurance companies and talk in detail about what you need to consider when choosing a policy.

I always buy insurance. I usually use the service cherehapa.ru:

Adviсe

• In order to understand what kind of assistance you need (they may vary depending on the country), read the reviews.
• Please fill out your information carefully when purchasing insurance. One wrong letter or number, the insurance claim will not be paid to you.
• Don't rely on chance. Saving $100 can make all the difference in your journey.
• If you are faced with the choice of whether to buy insurance or not, I recommend purchasing it.

Step 7: Studying transport

If you decide to rent a car, then there are two options. Order in advance or choose on the spot. There is no clear answer. It all depends on the country and seasonality.

If you are traveling during the peak season, it is wiser to book a car in advance. This way you guarantee its availability. International companies for car rentals they will require payment immediately upon booking. This deprives you of the right to change the decision; the advance payment will remain with them. It is necessary to have an international license and a deposit for the car.

I have never booked a car from home. I risked being left without a car, but somehow I managed. I recently received my international license, read how to get the coveted crust.

If you don't plan to take a car, it's time to think about how you will get to your place of residence and how you are going to move around the country. There are also several options here:

1. Order a transfer at the hotel. Generally not the cheapest option. But the simplest one. But it certainly won’t help when moving around the country later.
2. Take a taxi. Not a budget option, only for short distances. Moving from city to city doesn’t work that way.
3. Contact private drivers. This is not always possible at the airport. But it is quite possible to agree on long-term cooperation with them. By discussing the conditions, you can often reduce the price of services.
4. Go to public transport. Inconvenient with luggage, there is not always a direct connection, arrival may not coincide with the schedule. But this is the cheapest option.

If you choose to travel by public transport, then it's time to study the schedule and routes. I collect this information on the Internet. I analyze, write everything down, and take this data with me.

Adviсe

• While still at home, think about how you will move around the country, find out prices and schedules. Take this information with you.
• When choosing a car booking service, be guided by reviews.
• When ordering a transfer from your hotel, find out the price and payment method. I had a case where I paid twice. First the driver demanded money, and then they added it to the bill when leaving the hotel. I couldn't prove anything.

Step 8: Planning excursions

Almost all preparations have been made. When planning your route, you have already chosen the places you are going to visit.

You can explore everything on your own, you have already familiarized yourself with the schedule, decided how and what to get there (if not, read Steps 2 and 7 above).

Alternatively, buy excursions. They can be booked in advance by studying the information on the Internet, or purchased on the spot. In almost every tourist city there are many tour agencies.

If you don't know English language, no problem. There are usually Russian speaking guides. This option will cost more than inspecting it yourself. But the price usually includes transfer, entry tickets and guide services.

To feel confident when traveling, be sure to read about the country. Study the history and culture, orders and customs.

Decide on a financial issue. Find out. Solve the issue with . I had a problem in Thailand. Before the trip, I did not inform the bank about my plans and was not able to use my credit card. The fact is that many banks, for the safety of payments, require the country to be opened so that it can withdraw funds there. And until you do this, you will not be able to make transactions with the card. To prevent this from happening, just call the bank and tell them about your plans.

Perhaps you have friends who have been to this country, consult them. Read, there are many travel blogs on the Internet.

The most important advantage of traveling independently is freedom. Organizing a trip is not at all difficult. If you have a great desire to try something new, if you are tired of overpaying tour operators, do not delay, take it and plan your next vacation yourself. Everything happens for the first time. It's not as scary as it seems. Believe in yourself and then everything will work out!

Do you have any doubts? Read my article. And I was able to show the selection process using a virtual example.

If you do not agree with me, you have additions or corrections, leave comments, I will be glad to see them.

Perhaps it’s difficult for you to organize an independent trip on your own, you don’t have the time or desire to delve into all the intricacies of the issue, write to me, I’ll select the most profitable options for flights and accommodation for given dates, draw up a route, do everything better and cheaper than travel agencies. You don’t have to worry about the money, you don’t have to trust it to me, you will pay for everything yourself online under my guidance. Read more about cooperation.

Now I'll say goodbye for a while.

Tatiana Solomatina