Relax with a tour operator or on your own. Organized tour or independent travel? Search for adjacent dates

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Which is better: an organized tour or independent travel? Sooner or later, everyone asks this question. Some people prefer organized tours, others like independent trips. I'll tell you about my own experience. I had to travel both on independent trips and organized through travel agencies. And in fact, and in another case, there were pluses and minuses.

Pros and cons of an organized tour

The main advantage here, in my opinion, is the ease of travel arrangements. Collected everything Required documents, paid money to a travel agency - and after a while a voucher was issued, visas were issued (if a trip abroad), tickets were bought. You can go. However, this plus is covered by many possible cons.

Plane or train tickets can be bought at a very inconvenient time and, if there are several airports in the city, at the most inconvenient of them. Instead of a regular scheduled plane, you can get a charter flight, and then how lucky - sometimes it will be an old plane with very inhospitable flight attendants and an overcrowded cabin.

So, I live relatively close to the Moscow Sheremetyevo airport. And getting to Domodedovo or Vnukovo can be very problematic. In addition, charter flights often take off early in the morning, you have to leave your home late at night, not getting enough sleep. Insofar as public transport at this time he does not go, and leaving a personal car in the parking lot at the airport means paying extra money, you have to order a taxi or ask your family and friends for a lift.

Often, on organized tours, you can pay extra for a hotel, for more money you can get a worse room. Not to mention the fact that you can be provided with an inconvenient hotel in terms of location and service.

Another disadvantage can be your fellow travelers. Unfortunately, not all tourists behave politely, they are ready to listen carefully to the guide and not be late for the bus. So, when I went to Spain - in and, then on the way back I cursed everything: the passengers demanded a movie. Not only was the sound quite loud, but the level of the films was also low. Because of this, the impressions of the trip were somewhat blurred.

In addition, organized tours are often time limited. This is especially true for tours in Europe, when in a few days you visit several cities, or even countries. As a result, there is practically no time left for independent walks.

On the other hand, it may turn out that you are lucky with the hotel, and with the guide, and with fellow travelers. I fondly remember the trip this summer, everything was organized almost flawlessly.

If you choose last minute tours, then the cheapness of the trip can recoup all the possible disadvantages, which, however, may not be.

It is also necessary to bear in mind that there are places where you can only get as part of organized group and accompanied by a guide. For example, in National parks , some museums.

Pros and cons of independent travel

Independent travel offers much more freedom than organized tours. You yourself find tickets, hotels. Now, with the development of the Internet, it has become easy. I usually use a search engine Aviasales, through which you can pick up and book flights and hotels, rent a car.

The network has a huge amount of information on cities and countries, both on special travel sites and in travel blogs, various travel guides are sold in stores, and you can download them from the Internet to your tablet. Well, then whoever likes it: someone needs to plan the entire route in advance, someone prefers to navigate on the spot.

Perhaps the only drawback (when it comes to a trip abroad) can be getting a visa: sometimes queues line up at the embassies almost at night. However, lately this happens less and less, many embassies and consulates organize special visa centers, where you can call in advance and sign up for a certain time. There are also special services that do it themselves.

For some, in independent travel, a poor knowledge of a foreign language may be an obstacle. However, if you approach this issue creatively, then the language barrier is completely surmountable.

♦ These tips can be used not only in China:

In general, it seems to me that with the development of the Internet, the proportion of independent travel is increasing. In most cases, they turn out to be, moreover, very budgetary and affordable for almost everyone.

I prefer solo travel unless the tour's convenience outweighs its likely disadvantages. However, the cost of the tour can often be cheaper than traveling on your own. I talked about this in the article.

The share of Russians who independently organize their own tourist trips abroad, while it is small. According to various estimates, it is 10-13% of the tourist flow. Despite the growing market for self-travel, more hotel and ticket booking systems are emerging and they compete more with each other than with the sellers of package tours. Adherents of an organized visiting tourism among Russians it is still much more. However, underestimate the growth prospects of the segment independent travel not worth it. In order to stay afloat, many Russian travel companies will have to not only increase their offline sales, but also offer a gentleman's set of "savage": hotel reservations, air tickets and excursion programs. The losers will have to leave.

"Savages" and gentlemen

The online travel market grew by 33% in 2013 compared to 2012. According to statistics from online travel agencies Biletix In 2013, the total volume of the travel segment of chain retail amounted to $ 8.3 billion. Of these, 57% fell on the sale of air tickets, 29% - on the sale of hotels, 10% - on train tickets, and only 4% - on the online sale of ready-made tour packages. It would seem that the aggressive segment of self-tourism has incredible prospects in Russia. However, things are not so simple. As it turned out, independent tourism is not only troublesome, but also expensive.

Independent tourists are usually understood as those who plan their travel itinerary, book their own hotel accommodation, flights, transfers or a car, and also issue visas and medical insurance. “There is an opinion that people become independent tourists because they want to save money. This is not entirely true. The majority of Russians who organize their own tourist trips do so because of the absence or small number of package offers for countries that are unpopular with mass tourists, ”says Andrey Borodin, founder and general manager service OnlineTur. ru... It should also be borne in mind that separate booking of all segments of the future travel popular destinations, according to the expert's calculations, it costs on average 30% more. At the same time, the price at which self-tourists make reservations includes a commission for booking systems, no less than that which is included for travel agencies in the cost of package tours. In this case, saving is not at all about independent travel.

According to Borodin, the growth of independent tourism is primarily due to the fact that our tourists strive to conquer more and more new destinations. If we are talking about holidays in popular countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, then it is more profitable to buy package tours to these countries. This is what the majority of Russian people do. organized tourists"- first of all, families with children, adherents of the" all inclusive "system, people who want to save their time on booking individual services and get a full service for their money and save money.

According to Borodin, the operators of domestic tourism suffered the most, since it is not so difficult for a Russian to book a hotel in his homeland and he does not need a tour package. In the off-site market, competition from outside independent tourists felt only niche tour operators - working in countries such as France, Italy, England, Portugal. To a lesser extent - Spain and Greece.

Preference Map

The conclusions made by Andrey Borodin are confirmed in practice by other participants in the tourism market. So, Alexandra Vyal, the owner of the travel agency Barceloner, decided to help our compatriots save money at the stage of travel planning. She came up with and created in practice an interesting tool for testing the estimated cost of a future trip.

“We have compiled a special map highlighting the most popular tourist destinations in different colors, which are cheaper for Russian travelers to go on their own or with the help of a tour. Everything is very simple and clear, ”says Vyal. According to her, the development team has identified six types of countries for potential travelers.

Source: Barceloner.com

The countries of the first type, where it is much cheaper to travel on their own than on a voucher, include Cambodia, China, Singapore, Germany, Luxembourg, Ireland and Switzerland. The difference between the cost of the tour or the paid tickets and the hotel here can range from 45% (Cambodia, Singapore) to 70% (China, Switzerland, Ireland).

A trip to countries of the second type: Italy, Lithuania, Slovakia, Thailand, the Philippines on a voucher will be about 10-20% more expensive than a savage.

The cost of a trip to Finland, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, the Maldives or Israel is the same for both a self-tourist and a “packer”.

It is worth buying a tour to Turkey, Croatia, Latvia, the United Arab Emirates, it will be 15-25% cheaper than an independent trip.

It is much more profitable to travel as part of a travel group to Malaysia, the savings are 65%, to Greece - 60%, Sweden and Tunisia - 30%.

But it is easier to go to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nepal or Serbia on your own, because ordinary tour operators do not have such tours.

“Spain is a separate country. According to our calculations, by going on a trip on your own, you will save 10-20% of your money. Despite the fact that this direction is very popular among tour operators (you can easily find dozens of tours of different lengths for any wallet), ”says Alexandra Vyal.

A tribute to tradition

According to Irina Tyurina, the press secretary of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT), although the bankruptcy of tour operators has spurred the general public's interest in organizing travel independently - many people think that it is safer and cheaper. However, this is not always the case. “Traveling independently or through a travel agency is everyone's personal business. There will always be people who sew for themselves, but this does not prevent them from buying ready-made clothes. Everyone knows how to cook, but at the same time they are willing to visit restaurants, ”says Irina Tyurina and gives several arguments in favor of traditional tours.

According to Tyurina, not all resorts have regular flights, and it is not so easy to buy charter tickets: they are sold only on a leftover basis, and whether or not it remains is a question. “A hotel in the booking system is not a fact that it is cheaper. Because, as experience shows, many, for example, do not notice that the price is shown without breakfast. Or they do not pay attention to the conditions of cancellation of the reservation, and they can be very harsh. In addition, the picture with the image of the hotel on the Internet can be very different from reality, ”continues the PCT representative.

And the most important argument, according to Tyurina, is that an independent tourist must understand that he takes all responsibility for organizing the tour, and if something happens, he will be left to himself. “In 2010, after the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which interrupted flights over Europe for a long time, there was a trend opposite to independent tourism,” the expert sums up. - Independent tourists found themselves face to face with a force majeure situation that no one could have foreseen in advance. Tourists traveling on tour packages were looked after by their agents: they provided hotel rooms at their own expense, organized others possible ways movement and so on. This trend intensified when an Italian company went bankrupt in August 2012. Wind jet... The tourists realized that they have to pay for independence, and as a result the tour package turns out to be cheaper. " And this, according to Tyurina, is the main reason for the emergence of the opposite trend: some of the tourists who have gone on an independent voyage return to travel agencies. Global Business Travel Association, having surveyed several thousand business tourists from all over the world, states: 35% of respondents return to traditional travel schemes, because they do not know who to turn to for a solution to any unforeseen travel problem.

Jump into the net

“Traditional travel agencies shouldn't be afraid of online sales growth. As world experience shows, a significant part of consumers will remain faithful to the traditional scheme: buying a tour in an offline office. For some time more, our tourist will go online, but the sale of tour packages will slow down significantly due to mental characteristics and other reasons, "- said Sergey Agafonov, general manager management company "Last-minute voucher shops" speaking at a special section of the largest Russian tourism summit - MITT, organized with the support of the PCT.

According to Agafonov, even in such a developed market as the United States, network sales have no advantage. Rather, there is a steady equality here: 50% of sales are online and 50% are offline. This is the largest indicator of network sales in the world. At the same time, 80% of Americans travel around the country and only 20% go abroad. The vast majority of them do not have language problems while traveling.

“In Europe, the business model is different. The share of online sales to offline is only 30% to 70%. A large share of "real" sales is due to the fact that a picky European tourist, coming on vacation, wants the representatives of the host side to speak the same language with him, "Agafonov said.

“The mentality of Russians is pushing them to 'need to talk'. They need attention and communication. People can study the offers of companies on the websites for weeks, but they often come to buy a tour in a regular office. That is, they use the Internet for informational purposes only. Such clients - welcome guests for any travel agency. They know what they want and come to the office to make the final choice and buy a ticket, ”says the head of IHL.

In his opinion, Russia is nevertheless closer to the European than the American version. Now sales of tour packages on the RuNet account for only 5-7% of the total. Online will not win in the near future, although the share of online bookings will grow every year.

Reason for communication

According to Agafonov, the use of convenient online services will allow agencies to retain clients. “If you do not limit it to offline only, the client will remain and will be loyal. Even if a tiny number of transactions go through the website of a tour operator or agency, it is very important that the agent declares this service. It is in trend and gives the client additional opportunities, ”Agafonov believes. In his opinion, it is very important to use the power of the Internet for the benefit of online business. Including the possibilities of new media, social networks, which tourists themselves use every year more and more actively to search for information and reviews about trips. Today the share of such tourists has reached 70%.

“In its development, the tourism market today must rely on technological advantages, the development of online booking services. Most likely, it is these advantages that will become the main factor for travel companies to achieve leadership positions in their industry in the coming years, ”says Borodin.

Independent travel	Package tours
Unlimited travel geography	The best prices on tours to popular tourist countries
The ability to create your own complex itineraries (visiting several countries within the same trip, accommodation in different hotels, departure from outside the country of arrival)	No need to independently apply for visas, insurance, transfers
Possible more favorable prices than tour operators for individually developed routes	Support from the tour operator, his responsibility for the tourist
A wide range of non-standard accommodation options - for large companies, historical buildings, campgrounds and so on	Extreme simplicity of booking for a tourist
Big choice online services for booking travel services	Travel agency assistance in organizing a trip (consultations, selection of a tour, reception and paperwork)

Comparison according to OnlineTur.ru data

Photo:pixabay.com

Perhaps, all modern travelers can be roughly divided into two categories - those who go to unknown destinations with the help of travel agencies and those who organize their trip from and to on their own.

Recently, there are more and more people traveling without intermediaries - both in the world and in Russia in particular. It is obvious that independent tourism has become widespread thanks to the development of the Internet and electronic technologies, which do not require, say, even personal presence when buying air tickets.

The maximum simplification of paperwork, hotel reservations, purchase of tickets for all kinds of transport allowed people to expand the boundaries of choice. And if earlier a person had to go to a travel agency to find out absolutely all questions about the upcoming trip, now we just need to enter any request in the search line on the Internet and get an exhaustive amount of information.

Interestingly, according to some sources, employees of a number of travel companies are already talking about the fact that their business is on the verge of extinction... Of course, travel companies will not be able to completely disappear - lazy, rich and elderly people will always yearn for the caring "hand" of a tour operator, but the problems with "passenger traffic" are increasingly beginning to be felt by companies. After all, they are mostly turned away by young people - they are not afraid of anything and know perfectly well how to find cheap air tickets, how to book the most suitable hotel rooms, how to apply for a visa and how to see the maximum of attractions with a minimum of financial costs.

In this material, we will not debunk the unnecessaryness of travel agents and praise independent travelers, if only because in the first and second cases there are both obvious advantages and disadvantages that are not so noticeable at first glance.

Here we will talk about how to travel cheaper - through a travel agency or by yourself, to which country it is better to go through a tour operator, and to which one you can go "on your own", and also consider, by way of example, how to organize a trip on your own according to a similar offer from a travel agency, what time it will cost - what will be its advantages and disadvantages.

To begin with, the choice of organizing the upcoming trip depends on a number of circumstances and factors. These include primarily travel dates, choice of dates and days for the flight or relocation, financial capabilities of tourists, direction - that is, their chosen country for vacation, as well as personal wishes for the level of the hotel, its location, and so on.

As practice shows, travel companies are usually approached by people who do not want or do not have enough time to independently organize a trip, citizens who have problems with a foreign language and need constant guidance from a guide, as well as those who are "greedy" for hot tours, that is vouchers that can be bought, roughly speaking, one day before departure at a super-low price.

On their way to foreign countries, as a rule, people who are fluent in English, who know how to independently organize the best leisure time and conditions for staying in a foreign country, who are not afraid of buying air tickets on their own, resolving visa issues, and so on, as well as those who do not want to rest according to a given pattern travel agency.

Now let's look at the example of specific countries, where it is still easier for our fellow citizens to travel through travel agencies, and where it is more profitable to travel on their own.

All statistics show that the most popular tourist destinations for Russians are Turkey, Egypt, Greece, China, Thailand, India and Spain. The sample of these countries is naturally supplemented from year to year by others, but even among those given here it can be seen that mainly European states are in demand, or countries South-East Asia ... Neither Latin and North America, neither Australia nor Middle and South Africa in this top you will not find.

The craving for Europe among our compatriots is most often explained by the close location of the countries, their rich history and a richness of sights smoothly interspersed with a favorable Mediterranean climate. As for Asia, Russians are most often attracted there by the thirst to get acquainted with exotic things, to expand spiritual knowledge, and also attracted by the cheapness of Asian life. However, first things first.

Where is the best place to go on a voucher?

To begin with, let's take such popular destinations from Russians as Turkey and Egypt. As a rule, these countries attract compatriots by their territorial proximity to Russia, resorts with access to the sea, warm climate and developed tourist infrastructure. Both countries, due to their popularity, are in good standing with Russian travel companies. That is why it is easy to spend a week in Egyptian Hurghada or Turkish Antalya with the help of a tour operator for 14-16 thousand rubles, with a flight, compulsory meals and all-inclusive drinks, in at least a 4-star hotel with a swimming pool and a water park on site.

Otherwise, the choice is up to the tourists themselves - spend all 7 days at the hotel, relaxing and basking in the sun, or combine passive rest with active trips to the sights for an additional price. For example, at the hotel itself, you can easily take an excursion and go on a real safari or to the ancient mysterious pyramids.

As practice shows, it is better and cheaper to travel to the countries in question by a voucher. Self drive for only one round trip tickets will cost the traveler the price of the entire tour from the tour operator. And if you add accommodation, food and entertainment to this, then you will need to overpay at least twice.

Of course, if you really want to, you can go to Turkey or Egypt on your own. However, if you choose exactly beach vacation, then it makes sense to overpay for it, using an individual search for hotels and good conditions in them - practically none.

It is known that such destinations as Thailand, China and India have also recently been widely explored by travel companies and, accordingly, by the flows of Russian citizens. At first glance, these countries are also easier, safer and more appropriate to visit on the tours offered by the operators. However, it immediately becomes apparent that to fly, say, to sunny Thailand is several times more expensive than to plunge into warm seas Turkey.

Usually, offers of travel agencies for a vacation in Southeast Asia for two are full of amounts almost reaching 100 thousand rubles for a week's vacation, and there is definitely no question of any all-inclusive. Sometimes, of course, companies throw unsold vouchers and Internet surfers eager to travel get a discount trip for 30-40 thousand, which, you will agree, is much cheaper than 100, but still more expensive than Turkish baklava.

Which countries are cheaper to travel to on their own?

And here tour operators are replaced by free travelers, those who are meticulously ready to tell you that it is best to travel around Asia yourself.

Firstly, it is important to understand that such resorts in Thailand as Pattaya and Phuket (the most popular among tour operators and, accordingly, tourists) are becoming prohibitively expensive every year, not without the help of our compatriots. Secondly, even in these, which have become expensive places in Thailand, independent wanderers find budget options and food and accommodation, rather than what the operators offer.

For example, in the "kingdom of smiles" it is not necessary to rent a 4-star hotel with free breakfast at the fabulous price of a travel agency. If you search on your own, you can easily find hotels or guest houses on the same Booking at two or even three times cheaper, with conditions practically no different from a 4-star hotel.

As for air travel, if you plan your trip in advance, say, three months in advance, you can buy the cheapest tickets, and sometimes even direct ones. Sometimes independent travelers manage to grab round-trip tickets for $ 500-550. And if we add rental housing here, on average 500-600 rubles per room per day in a decent guest house, and daily meals for the same amount, then housing plus food will cost a maximum of 8 thousand rubles for one person or 12-15 thousand for two.

At the same time, you will not be constrained by the schedule set by a travel agency, you will be free to change your location in accordance with your preferences and budget, and you will also be able to easily travel around memorable places countries without resorting to the help of guides and groups loitering after him. To implement the last point, it will be enough to arm yourself with a map of the area and a smile, even knowledge of English at a high level is not required from you.

If we talk about a trip to India on a tour, then it is definitely worth saying that the benefit of such a trip will consist only in the fact that the organizer, in a sense, will be responsible for you - for the round-trip flight, check-in at the hotel and what -that food. For the rest, you need to know that rest in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and, say, Vietnam is best planned on your own, since factors such as accommodation, food and hotel location are, first of all, a priority to determine on the spot. , and secondly, all this in the local market will cost you several times cheaper than the tour operator will offer.

Thus, in many respects, it will be cheaper and more interesting to visit the countries of Southeast Asia on their own. Even in spite of the fact that the flight to this land, far from central Russia, takes a lot of time and costs an order of magnitude more expensive than the road to a clean and civilized Europe.

What about Europe?

As for Europe, then opinions on how it is more profitable to travel - by yourself or through a travel agency in each case are ambiguous. In fact, one cannot generalize about European countries that they are all equally expensive, for example, as about Asian countries, we confidently assure that all these states are approximately equally cheap.

The paradox of Europe is often that it is quite cheap to fly there from Moscow or St. Petersburg, but in the Schengen area itself, everything is not so accessible to our tourists. For example, many travelers - it doesn't matter on a tour or on their own who traveled to Paris on their own - note the high cost of the French capital, the inability to idly drink coffee in the morning in coffee houses and allow themselves to have lunch and dinner at a cafe every day. About Norway and Denmark, in general, one can hear only exclamations about incredible prices for everything, and not at all stories about fjords.

However, our tourist still does not bypass old Europe, despite all its pretentiousness and high cost. There are also corners here, which from year to year attract streams of Russians. For example, Spain, Bulgaria or Czech Republic.

Traveling to these countries in most cases will be cheaper if you plan on your own. If only you want to visit one of the designated countries, and not several in a week on a bus tour.

For example, v Czech Karlovy Vary on tourist voucher on average, you can go for 1000-1500 euros for 7 days, this amount includes the flight, as well as accommodation in a 4-star hotel with daily breakfast.

If you organize the trip yourself, then there is a chance to cut costs in half, that is, for 500-500 euros. All you need to do this is a plane directly to the capital of the Czech Republic - Prague, on average for 120 euros for both tickets, from where you need to then go on your own to Karlovy Vary for about 50-60 euros one way, to a hotel booked in advance by you for 240 euro for 7 days.

As for countries such as Spain, Italy, France or Greece, it is possible to travel there slightly, but it is still cheaper to travel on your own. Among the advantages of such a vacation there will be absolute freedom of movement and plans, among the disadvantages - the complete organization of the trip - from self-registration of visas to finding the best and inexpensive hotel in an unfamiliar country.

By the way, it's time to tell you about all the delights of independent and mediated travel. After all, in the end, a tourist must clearly see the difference between the first and the second, in order to choose for himself the most optimal plan for spending a vacation or another segment of his life in a foreign country.

First, let's take a look at the points. advantages of traveling abroad through tour operators:

Minimum time spent on planning and organizing the upcoming trip, purchasing a full package of services in a short time.
Directly at the time of your vacation, you do not need to worry about hotel reservations, meals and sightseeing.
Any questions will be answered by the tour operator or his representative on the tour.
If you do not speak English, it does not matter, the tour will be organized using Russian-speaking guides, the hotels will meet you with a speech on native language, there is practically no need to communicate in broken English.
Organized excursions will take place in a schedule and speed set by the guides, tourists will have no time to think about anything superfluous. All decisions for travelers will be made at the moment when they will pay for the trip to a travel agency in their home country.

As you can see, the trip through travel company may be pleasant to those who are not ready to deal with some everyday problems during the holidays, as well as to those who like a clear, set schedule. In addition, the services of the tour operator will be gladly used by people employed in ordinary life, wealthy compatriots and other categories of people who, for some reason, do not want to plan their vacation on their own.

However, let's also see what are the advantages of individual travelers:

The ability to adjust the travel route, both before the start of the trip, and during the trip itself.
The ability to independently choose the most suitable level of hotel, food, transportation.
The chance to purchase tickets in advance at a discounted low cost and the ability to shift the date of departure or arrival, as well as an independent tourist, is always entitled to return a ticket, if necessary, by paying the minimum penalty to the airline. For example, it is a priori impossible to refuse a travel agency voucher without tangible damage to the wallet.
A free traveler is completely left to himself, so he can look at the sights as much as he wants, change the route at will, return to the places he likes or explore new ones more intensively. You can only dream of such freedom in organized tours.
Self-organization of travel with a careful approach will often cost an order of magnitude cheaper than a tourist trip.
In addition, drawing up a travel plan individually, a tourist, as a rule, truly penetrates the culture of an unknown country, broadens his horizons, lives his journey from the very beginning to the very end consciously, independently, freely.

Usually, young people who do not have money for organized tours and have no desire to follow some kind of guide, to be limited in actions and aspirations, go on trips on their own. Also, individual trips are a priority for people who have been abroad more than once and who have "gorged" on organized tours, eager for real adventure.

Among independent tourists, you can also find middle-aged, even elderly people. As a rule, these are people who have not lost interest in life, who strive to more fully familiarize themselves with the local flavor of the countries they are going to, as well as who understand the value of their time and the fact that no one can organize a good trip for them better than themselves.

In principle, to choose which way is better or cheaper to go to distant countries- everyone's personal business. Because for some people, the thought of organizing a trip abroad on their own will seem like a nightmare, while for others they will open a "second wind" and incredibly inspire.

Finally, I want to give you an example of how you can organize your trip cheaper than using the services of a travel agency, even taking into account the fact that you are planning the purchase of tickets and the entire trip in a short time.

We will choose sunny and distant Thailand as our destination. A ticket to the famous island of Phuket, so beloved by Russian tourists, is sold for two by the first travel agency in the search for 76,737 rubles. This price includes air flight, 4-star hotel accommodation for 6 nights from May 9 to 15, free breakfast, insurance and transfer.

But let's see what price this trip will cost us if we organize it ourselves. Turning to the first low-cost airline that came across (sites selling air tickets with discounts, cheaper than the airlines themselves), it turns out that flying from St. 29 643 rubles for one... That is, two tickets will cost 59,286 rubles, including fuel surcharges.

We go to booking and find the desired 4-star hotel. The price for a superior double room with taxes and breakfast included is 168 euros for 6 nights. We translate them into rubles at the current exchange rate and get 8370 rubles.

To summarize - tickets plus accommodation without a voucher on their own will cost us 67 656 rubles.

That is with an independent organization, you can save up to 10 thousand rubles! For some, of course, this is not money, but for some categories of citizens this difference will seem tangible. In addition, it can be significantly increased if, say, you stay not in a designated hotel, but in a guest house with the same pleasant and cozy rooms, but without breakfast included in the price. It is quite easy to find a decent guest house in Phuket with accommodation per day for 600 rubles for two, which will be half the price of a hotel in the end.

However, even on an independent journey, not everything is as cloudless as it might seem. Naturally, saving sometimes requires some sacrifice, for example, time... Unfortunately, I have no data on what kind of flight the travel agency offers to Thailand from Russia - direct or with transfers. But more often they try to organize such tours with direct transfers. In the meantime, with independent planning, usually the cheapness of tickets is formed due to the fact that you fly with transfers, perhaps even with different airlines.

In our example, you can contemplate this. The flight to Phuket will be with two transfers and on average it will take 20 hours in both directions. As you can see, you will have to sacrifice a few hours of restful sleep in order to save on travel. Therefore, choosing the best way to go on vacation is, I repeat, everyone's personal business.

Do not forget that when organizing a trip on your own, a lot depends on how early you started planning your trip, as a rule, the earlier you bought tickets, the cheaper they are. In our example, the deadlines are really quite tight, and the dates are not the best in terms of cost, so the difference in price between the offer of the tour operator and the independent trip may not seem too noticeable. But even with such an organization, it is obvious, which means that going to Thailand on your own will in any case be cheaper than going through a company.

Summing up, I would like to say that naturally there is no consensus on how best to travel around the world. Every person has his own needs, his own comfort zone and his own financial capabilities. As for how it will be cheaper to travel abroad, I think, within the framework of the article, I was able to show you that there are certain trends, based on which you can plan your trip and know which country is better to go on your own, and which one through a tour operator ...

I remember before we argued a lot about what is better and cheaper: a trip on vacation on a voucher or on your own. Which is cheaper: a tour or on your own?
I’m even.
Now, after the massive bankruptcy of travel agencies this year, these conversations have subsided.

And this is understandable: there is a possibility of buying a tour on this tour not to fly away for "valid" reasons for the bankruptcy of the seller.
A seller who is simply an intermediary between the travel tool and you.
And the instrument is not complicated, and it is easy to learn how to use it - therefore, the rest organized independently is more flexible in relation to force majeure and is easily rebuilt in case of need.

“But what about the price?” - asks an inquisitive dependent tourist, - after all, the voucher is cheaper than going alone!
You are mistaken, dear ...

I took calculation of the cost of rest in Dubai which was published on.
The cost calculation was taken by me at the Vinsky Forum:.

If you are interested in my review of the rest in Dubai, then here.

Family of 4 adults.
By the savages, on their own
Booked at the end of August.
Dubai from 03.11 to 14 nights. Departure from Emirates from Moscow.
Flights 16700 * 4 = 66800. The cost of one ticket was returned by miles from Tinkoff.
Insurance - one adult free of charge (TCS card),.
Accommodation :
7 nights - Doubletree by Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Beach, apartment 2 bedrooms with a kitchen (they still have there without a kitchen, but a little cheaper) - 75,000 (including taxes) booked through booking.
7 nights - Damac Maison Dubai Mall, 2 bedroom apartment - 74,000 with BH view, booked through airbnb.
Visas: 14000

On your own: 216.600 rubles for 4 people

At the tour operator(watched Biblio-Glubus) this tour on the same dates.
There, however, you cannot choose both hotels, but since they cost me the same, I looked at two options - Hilton for 14 nights and Damac for 14 nights.
Hilton is slightly cheaper than Damak

Tour package: from 500,000 rubles for 4 people

Conclusion: if you independently organize a vacation in Dubai, you can save money.
Moreover, the savings are decent - more than twice.
Here is the alignment.

Additionally to help:

Rent a Car

: choose where to pick up the car - at the airport or at the hotel.
Driving in Dubai is not difficult. The signs and interchanges are clear. The choice of cars is such that you can take either a small car on the machine or a jeep to travel around the area

Here they will help and prompt at first when preparing an independent vacation in Dubai

Finally, I want to say this:
if you know the value of money, that is, it comes to you as payment for your work, and does not fall into your pocket from the sky, then I am sure that you will easily master the tools of self-organization of your vacation.
In fact, this is a trifling matter and takes a little time.
For example, you can organize your vacation at sea for yourself in 30 minutes of time spent using the Internet. I have provided links, and there is more than enough information on this site ...
In general, you decide how.

If you are traveling on your own, please like it (buttons below). If you prefer to have a rest on a tour - share the link to this article in social networks with a hash tag#cheap tours

As the vacation time approaches, many people have a lot of questions that relate not only to the immediate preparation for the trip, but also to the most favorable organization of the rest. In the article we will try to figure out how it is cheaper to travel: on your own or through a travel agency? So, we carefully analyze all the nuances and little things.

Benefits of self-organized travel

The advantages of independent travel are very significant. Judge for yourself:

Freedom of choice. First, you decide when to go, which means that there is an opportunity to purchase tickets for the days that fit. Secondly, with this method of travel, the tourist decides for himself how long he will rest. The route is also independently compiled, it can be changed at any time. Thirdly, there is absolute freedom in choosing a place to live. It is not necessary to stay at the hotel. The list of accommodation options is huge, everyone can find the best option for themselves, for example, a hostel, camping, apartments.
Saving. Agree, an important component that is defining for many. Many believe that a self-organized tour is more expensive than a trip arranged by a travel agent. This is true, but only if you buy tickets for a regular flight, which is always more expensive than a charter.

If you're lucky, you can save on cheap charter flights too. It is difficult to "catch" such inexpensive tickets, but it is still worth trying, because if the tour is not fully sold, tickets are sold much cheaper.

You can save money by staying in a hostel or apartment, where prices are much lower than in conventional hotels.

You can also achieve significant savings through self-catering, because all hostels can boast of having their own kitchen. Those who are not eager to cook on vacation can find an inexpensive café. This option will in any case be cheaper than the restaurant, which is prescribed by the travel agency's voucher.

Independence is exactly what many people lack. No need to focus on the excursion group, wait for someone and visit only the planned places. It is much more interesting to get together and go on your own to comprehend the unknown.

On one's own organized trip to another country is a real breathtaking adventure that begins from the moment you step on a plane or enter a train car.

Disadvantages of independent travel

When going on an independent tour, it is important to remember that this method also has its drawbacks.

A responsibility. Organizing an independent trip is troublesome, because all the preparation worries will fall on your shoulders. It is necessary to take care of the search for housing, buying tickets, obtaining insurance, drawing up a route in advance. All this takes a lot of time and effort.

To make the trip comfortable, you will need to study a lot of information, because it is important to think over every detail. Operators will help citizens traveling through a travel agency in solving the problems that have arisen. If the trip is organized independently, then you will have to solve all the issues yourself.

For maximum protection from unforeseen situations and overlaps, you should take care of the most complete medical insurance in advance, as well as carefully read the basic laws and requirements of the country to which you plan to travel.

Lack of transfer. Comprehend all the secrets transport system another country will have to without any help. Not always for a tourist, everything in this matter can be understood immediately.
The language barrier. When organizing an independent trip, it is important to know at least a few of the most common expressions and phrases in English language... Otherwise, it will be very difficult to explain. \
Limited access to attractions. When choosing a route, it should be borne in mind that there are places where single tourists are not allowed. Some museums or national parks can only be entered as part of an organized group.

Why is a vacation organized by a travel agency good?

The so-called package tours have many advantages that can significantly make the life of travelers easier, for example:

All unforeseen problems that may arise during the trip are solved by the travel agency. To resolve issues related to air travel, accommodation, transport, service personnel, it is enough to contact a representative of the travel agency.
At the airport, tourists will definitely be met and taken to the desired hotel. Thus, the question of how to get to the desired place is decided by itself.
Package tours include all kinds of excursions and entertainment. The traveler can choose at will what he wants to visit. Tickets for such tours are more expensive than purchased locally, but they are safe and will be conducted by a Russian-speaking guide.
Going on vacation through a travel agency, it is not at all necessary to know the language of the country you are going to visit. The hotel staff and guides will speak your language, which is very convenient.
You can save on the flight, because the cost of charter flights is much lower than regular ones. In addition, there is almost always an opportunity to purchase a last-minute tour, which means that you can count on quick registration and an attractive price.

Disadvantages of package tours

However, not everything is as smooth as it might seem at first glance. And package tours have their downsides to be aware of.

The tourist pays exactly the amount indicated in the invoice. There is no way to carefully read what exactly the money is being charged for.
At first glance, it may seem that travel agencies offer a lot of options for recreation in all directions. In fact, this is an illusion, the choice is not so great. Travel agencies use charter flights, which are organized in the most common destinations.
As for the tour dates, they are always set in advance. Therefore, the tourist has to adjust to the dates offered by the operator.
The dates of charter flights are not fixed, but are tour-oriented. The exact date of departure will be known 2-3 days before the flight. The inconvenience is also associated with frequent transfers, cancellations and movements in the schedule of charter flights.
Only those hotels with which the agency has an agreement are offered for accommodation. The situation is similar with meals, which will be organized only in the cafe or restaurant provided by the tour operator.
It is necessary to prepare in advance that all services are organized for a whole group of tourists. Don't expect everyone in your group to be well-mannered and organized. Situations can be very different, you need to come to terms with this in advance.
The trip, organized by the travel agency, shows only the facade of the country, its most popular routes and famous landmarks that can only be seen briefly. But you can count on an interesting and complete story of a Russian-speaking guide.

Choose what is closer to your understanding of good rest... We wish you a pleasant trip!

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