Pros and cons of travel. Where to relax: in Russia or abroad? Disadvantages of Organized Tours

This topic is probably relevant for many travelers, and many can name their pros and cons of traveling alone. Many disadvantages are immediately visible and it seems that there are not so many advantages at all. Having thought about this question, I want to list the advantages that I found for myself in lonely wanderings. :)
Perhaps, having discovered so many advantages, many will not postpone their trip next time because “there is no one to go with.”

1. You are the boss!

"Are you going somewhere or are you just driving?" We didn't understand the question, and it was a damn good question! D. Kerouac

This already means a lot. You can decide what, when, where and with whom you do. Do you want to just relax or see the city or go to a bar? You spend time only on your needs, which means you have time for everything else. ​Take time to make your wishes! You plan your day, evening and generally your leisure time. Boring? Or maybe it would be much more boring to sit with a friend at some concert or stay with friends in a hostel when you really want to see the city at night?
You are alone, which means you decide. You can follow your heart and the wind at your back.

“The surest way to find out whether you like a person or not is to go on a trip with him.” Mark Twain

Yes, yes, save it! Going on a trip with best friends who have not been tested in extreme situations is always dangerous, because usually on trips all people open up on the other side. You are with them 24 hours a day. You begin to irritate each other and conflicts are inevitable. A couple of times I said in advance, “We solve all problems through a joint compromise and without offense.” Sometimes it’s better to agree right away that we’ll figure everything out together. It may sound strange, but the truth helps. However, when traveling alone you will never lose friends, and perhaps make new ones!

3. The path to yourself!

“Travel, like the greatest science, helps us find ourselves again” Albert Camus

4. Become bolder!

“Twenty years from now you will regret not what you did, but what you didn’t do. So throw off the knots, sail out of quiet harbors. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore, dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

Over the course of my many solo trips, I have truly become bolder and more independent. When you are with someone, you can always count on each other and come to the rescue. When you are alone, you are responsible for everything. Including for your safety. When you are alone, you decide whether to take risks or not. Traveling alone, I never took enough risks to put myself in danger, but there were always other risks. Will you be on time for your bus? Will you try a local dish? Do you lie in the sun for another hour or do you spend half the evening with wet feet? Will you stay sleeping on the beach?
Traveling sometimes puts you in situations in which you have to make a choice and have to be brave, no matter how you look at it!

5. Household question!

“A tourist, as soon as he arrives somewhere, immediately begins to want to return, but a traveler... he may not return.”

I would refer this question specifically to those who distinguish between the concepts of “tourist” and “traveler”. It happens that these two go on a trip together and the first disagreement is the budget. Tourists often have more money and tend to spend it on surrounding entertainment, which is not so important for a traveler. Therefore, no matter what category you belong to, if you are traveling alone, such disagreements will not happen to you.
I agree, little things like “hand-held photos” are not the best addition to traveling alone, but there is always a way out! Come up with an interesting feature and film it on your travels. In my case, it happened that I take photos of my legs in different situations. When you're alone, you can experiment!

There are probably other pros and perhaps even more cons of traveling alone, but it is undoubtedly a great alternative to traveling with friends or relatives.

“The world is a book; he who does not travel reads only one page.” St. Augustine

see old ones cozy cities in Europe. Options - Budapest, Paris, Venice, Zurich, Rome and many others, they all have a unique spirit and mood.

exotic- Vietnam, a country that opened to tourists not so long ago, you can still feel a special national flavor there, especially since this country is famous for its excellent sandy beaches.

Norway- not the warmest country, but very beautiful.

Indonesia, Bali. Here you can thoroughly relax your body and soul; the place is quite popular, here you can meet tourists from all over the globe.

India- exotic nature, you will definitely feel the change of scenery.

To which countries is it better not for a single girl to travel unaccompanied? It is better to refrain from those countries where the law will not protect you, for example, some countries, for example, Africa, Mexico.

Arab countries are too risky, for example, UAE, Yemen, also not very safe in India, Turkey and Egypt.

All the pros and cons of traveling alone.

you can choose the entertainment program, place of residence, route, you don’t have to take into account the opinions of others.

allows you to relax carefree, you are not responsible for anyone, you don’t have to look after your children, you can immerse yourself in peace and serenity.

good experience will significantly improve your skills in spatial orientation and independence in decision-making, especially if you are not vacationing on a tour package, but as a savage.

communicate with new people, make new acquaintances. You won't sit alone in a hotel all day, will you? When traveling with friends in a group, it is more difficult to get to know someone. Traveling alone can be a great opportunity to start a new relationship.

the trip can be spontaneous - take a ticket and go.

AGAINST:

If you don’t want a relaxing beach holiday, but an active one, then you may get bored when traveling alone.

If you are not used to being alone and surrounded by a lot of people all the time, then this type of vacation is not for you.

from a security point of view, it is more dangerous.

there is a risk of getting lost, especially if you don’t know at least English.

What to do if you are traveling alone?

look at the life of the local population, visit the places where the locals go. Maybe some national holiday or other public event will take place at this time.

go to museums, visit the main attractions of the chosen place, after all, it’s not for nothing that they are recommended to visit, as a rule, many of them really turn out to be interesting.

try the most interesting and unusual dishes of local cuisine.

go to the city bazaar, buy all sorts of unusual things and souvenirs. Don’t forget about the customs rules of this country, what can be exported and what cannot.

stay not in a hotel, but in a hostel, move into a room where several people live. This will save you money and keep you from getting bored.

Don’t forget to take your laptop or tablet with you so you don’t miss your family and friends, but communicate with them on Skype.

Get to know at least a few locals.

Now all that remains is to buy a ticket and start packing your bags. We wish you an unforgettable holiday!

Hi all!

Today we will talk about What is the best and most profitable way to travel? What to choose: independent travel e or package tour? Let's consider pros and cons of independent travel And holiday package«.

I want to say right away: what type of travel around the world to choose for each specific person is primarily a matter of personal taste and preference. And I don’t want to impose my point of view on anyone. However, as practice shows, many people are simply created for independent travel. Simply due to their own laziness or simple fear, they are afraid to go abroad for the first time without the imaginary support of a tour operator. And indeed, then you will have to plan your trip in advance: buy plane tickets yourself, book a hotel or look for where to stay locally, take out insurance yourself. What if something happens while on vacation? Who will help? My opinion: you should always rely on yourself. It is better to set aside time in advance and choose the insurance company from which you will buy insurance for the entire duration of your trip, and think over your travel route in advance. This way the risks will be minimal. By the way, here are two of my articles to help you:

And the support of a tour operator only gives the illusion of security! Hear the illusion!

To be honest, I myself used to prefer to travel only with the help of tour companies. All due to the above circumstances. But as soon as I went abroad for the first time on my own, I immediately realized what I was losing when I was a “packer”.

Well, okay, I was the one who immediately attacked the cameramen’s tour. I promised to look into it advantages and disadvantages both types travel! Okay, let's take it in order...

1. Buying air tickets, taking out insurance, booking a hotel.

When traveling as a “package”, all this will be done for you. As they say: just pay the money! Comfortable? Yes! But how good and convenient will all this be in the end?

The charter flights you will be on when purchasing a tour often reschedule departure dates. The level of service leaves much to be desired. In fact, buy air ticket online Now it’s very simple and doesn’t take much time. It is convenient to do this through air ticket search engines, of which there are many now. Personally, I always use the search for air tickets through Aviasales- a very convenient search engine. To help novice independent travelers, I wrote a separate detailed post about this: The same thing when taking out insurance and hotel reservation— everything is done very quickly via the Internet. I apply for insurance online on the website - a very convenient site, everything is done in just a few minutes!

Soon a very useful and interesting article for independent travelers will be published on my blog: So subscribe quickly and be the first to receive this article directly to your email!

Thus, when purchasing a tour, the main advantage will be a small saving of time and no worries. The downside is that you lose the opportunity to choose.

2. Your finances.

It's no secret that charter flights are cheaper than regular ones. However, if you approach the purchase of air tickets wisely, you can buy a ticket for a regular flight cheaper than for a charter! Airlines often give good discounts on tickets if you buy them in advance (several months before the flight) and during the promotion period. You can always find a hotel cheaper (and also better than the one offered by the tour operator), as well as insurance - without sacrificing quality. One BUT! If you cannot plan your trip in advance and suddenly go on vacation, then it is usually more profitable to purchase a ticket (especially a last-minute one).

However, when traveling for a long time, it is almost always more profitable to fly on your own. After all, “package” tours are usually designed for 10-15 days, rarely for 3 weeks. Of course, they can always choose an individual tour for you, but it will cost a pretty penny!

Conclusion: if you can plan your vacation in advance or are flying away for a long time, go on your own. If you fly away for a short time and suddenly, it’s easier to buy a “package”.

3. Freedom of movement.

Personally, I don't like any restrictions. You say: “Well, I flew in with a tour operator, so what? Nobody forces me to attend any excursions if I don’t want to?” Yes it is. But I'll tell you what. The vast majority of tourists, having paid for a trip, will not even think about, for example, changing the hotel on the spot. Even if it turned out to be, to put it mildly, not up to expectations. And it’s clear why! After all, money is lost! And then you think throughout your vacation: “I should have taken another hotel!” When you go on your own and choose a hotel yourself, it is better to book it for a couple of days, and then choose accommodation to suit your taste and budget on the spot.

Are you familiar with this situation? So you arrived in sunny Thailand on a trip (or to Vietnam, or to Turkey, or somewhere else), you were all collected and put on a bus to take you to hotels. Only the bus doesn't come. It turns out that a couple of vacationers have disappeared, who began to actively relax on board the plane and continued at the airport. Naturally, the tour operator does not abandon his people! And they search for them for 2 hours throughout the airport. And you could devote these 2 hours to your relaxation! Okay, here they are! Finally let's go! According to the plan, the bus makes a stop along the way so that everyone can go about their business. But these two are planning to drink to this wonderful place where the bus stopped. And it doesn’t matter that this is just a small cafe on the highway. In short, the bus is waiting again. And you too... This is a true story, by the way. When we flew as a “package” to Thailand in 2012, we lost almost 3 hours because of this couple of boogers. Could this time have been sunbathing under a palm tree?

When you plan your transfer yourself, you are unlikely to encounter such problems. But again, you need to plan everything, know which bus or metro goes from the airport to the city, where you can catch this same bus, etc.

By the way, for travelers planning to Istanbul, this article will be useful: And if you are going to Vietnam:

When you travel independently, you can see a lot of interesting things already on the bus or metro! Even if you are taking a taxi and pass something interesting that you really want to see, you have the right to get out and start your excursion program wherever you want. This is freedom of movement! And no one will let you off the tourist bus - they are responsible for you

So in terms of freedom of action, it will definitely be a plus independent travel. Although, if you are going for a week and you don’t need anything other than to lie around with a beer near the hotel pool all the time. And you don’t want to think about anything, then a package tour will be the best choice for you. They took it and brought it.

4. Impressions from the trip.

Every person wants only the most pleasant impressions and emotions to remain from their trip. I want to experience something new, see all the most interesting things!

Believe me, when independent travel There will be much more such impressions than when traveling on a package tour. Having already left the airport and boarded a bus or metro, you are immersed in the local color and begin to see the life of the people of the country where you have arrived, as if from the inside. The truth is, of course, not everyone needs such impressions. For many, a travel vacation is just a hotel, a beach, and maybe a couple of excursions. At first I didn’t need anything else. But it was worth a try... To feel complete independence and freedom of movement. Believe me, it’s much more interesting this way!

So the conclusion suggests itself: if you want more impressions of something new from your trip, choose an independent trip. You don’t want to delve into anything, the main thing for you is a calm, relaxed holiday - it’s easier to be a “packer”. Here, to each his own.

Reading this article, many people probably think that I have simply become an ardent opponent of “package” tours. This is not true at all. In fact, everything depends on the person’s personality and his desires. For some, independent travel is simply contraindicated! In this article I just want to convince those who want to travel on their own, but are hesitant - there is nothing to be afraid of, there is nothing difficult or dangerous in independent travel! Now, in the age of the Internet, when you can plan everything and make all the preparations without leaving your home, everything becomes even easier.

Finally, I want to say: what type of travel to choose is up to you, but make this choice wisely, do not follow the lead of the tour business “tycoons.” I hope you find this article useful.

Well, that's it, see you on the pages! Bye!

Updated 08/17/2017

Hello, travel enthusiast Daniil Privonov is here. First of all, I want to congratulate everyone on Victory Day. For me personally, this is a very pure and bright holiday, indeed, with tears in my eyes. Thank you, dear fathers and grandfathers, for the victory, for the opportunity to live, create and think freely. I am writing these lines sitting practically on a suitcase. More precisely on a backpack, because I like to travel with it. Today we will talk about independent travel with a backpack.

I used a backpack back in my student years, that is, I used it for studying. But for some reason it never occurred to me that I could travel with him. When going on vacation to distant countries, I always packed a small suitcase or travel bag. But for the last year I have been traveling only with a backpack: it’s convenient and everything is yours with you. I traveled with a backpack around Israel (three cities, the Dead Sea), Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket), and also took it on hikes in the Nizhny Novgorod and Vladimir regions.

Always yours, Daniil Privonov.

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Friends, have you noticed how differently the people around you approach travel? The benefits of traveling are not obvious to everyone. Among my friends, I have identified three groups in which a certain opinion regarding travel dominates. I think that these same trends manifest themselves in a larger circle of people. First group

consists of people who are inclined to travel and travel quite regularly. In general, there is a special type of people who have made travel their main activity and their way of life. But in my surroundings there was not a single such modern wanderer.

The most active position characteristic of my friends is to plan and, accordingly, implement a long trip once or twice a year. This can be a trip with an educational emphasis - that is, visiting new places, seeing the sights. Or a trip combining beach holidays and excursions. Co. second group

You can include people who speak quite positively about traveling, but practically do not travel long distances, arguing that they need money for other more important expenses.

And this position, like a litmus test, indicates the low priority of travel for this category of people. For some, a light mink coat easily outweighs their travel tickets, for others - impressive new furniture))) But, well, to each his own... IN third group

I would like to know this person’s opinion when he found himself in front of such an architectural masterpiece:

Yes, real views and photographs of famous buildings differ, but definitely in favor of the former. No photograph can convey the grandeur and energy that emanates from centuries-old cathedrals and buildings.

I certainly belong to the first of the designated groups. Otherwise, I would not have made regular trips to Europe and would not have created my own blog on this topic. It is difficult for a traveling person to understand how one can be indifferent to travel. In the same way, opponents cannot understand why they are so drawn to the road...

So I decided to think out loud what benefits of travel stand out to me, and why travel is my #1 priority.

What positive impact does travel have?

1. The most effective benefit for me is a complete change in the environment. It has long been recognized that the best rest is to switch to another activity, to a new environment. And if a switch to something new occurs in almost everything, this results in relaxation, a surge of positive emotions, and impressions. Perhaps this is why I am most interested in traveling abroad, when even the speech around me changes.

2. Emotional fulfillment is something that invariably happens when traveling. Admiration for beautiful architecture is replaced by the pleasure of walking through beautiful, well-kept parks. Active interest is replaced by peace and pleasure from aimlessly wandering through the neat old streets. And all this is nearby:

Probably, it is for this reason that Europe is closest to me, where everything is compact and where everything is imbued with centuries-old history.

3. Travel relieves stress and gets you out of depression. I don’t have a tendency to plunge into depressive states, but, unfortunately, I had to be under the influence of stressful circumstances for a long time... And I will say that traveling is real therapy. Agree, such charm cannot but have a positive impact:

Believe that the combination of several factors - natural beauty, romance, castles - can create a bright and joyful mood, cause delight and fill you with positive emotions for a long period.

4. Travel not only expands the real spatial boundaries of a person, but also clarifies personal vision. New points of view on familiar questions and problems appear, new solutions are suddenly found, and everyday life is rethought. This is extremely important for the individual. We all know how to get stuck on certain moments, and often we invent problems ourselves. We can say that traveling somehow puts the brain in its place)))

5. A separate advantage for me is the opportunity to learn a lot of new things and get in touch with the culture and traditions of other countries. I’m interested in how various theatrical performances with historical content are held in the Czech Republic. It's incredibly spectacular and exciting. The Czechs have plenty of dates and reasons for such events. This year is associated with the 700th anniversary of Charles IV.

Friends, I think like-minded people will support me that going on a trip is to contribute to your happiness. Yes, you can feel happy without going anywhere (I hear the objections of those who disagree with my opinion)... And you try to travel... I am sure that you will discover a lot of interesting things for yourself.

Your euro guide Tatyana