home Fishing rod What is the cheapest way to travel: on a tour or on your own? Organized tour or independent travel? Vacation organized by yourself.

What is the cheapest way to travel: on a tour or on your own? Organized tour or independent travel? Vacation organized by yourself.

Travel expenses depend not only on the season, weather, significant events, etc. How much you spend on vacation depends on the direction and on whether you buy a tour package or book a hotel and flights yourself. AiF.ru compared prices for countries popular with our travelers and found out where it is more profitable to go on a tour, and where - "savage".

Turkey

The absolute leader in the number of Russian tourists is Turkey. Last year, according to the local Ministry of Tourism, 4.5 million of our fellow citizens visited the resorts of the republic.

Now you can take a last-minute trip to Turkey for 26 thousand rubles, but to make the experiment fair, we compared (here and in other examples) the prices for travel in September - experts recommend buying tickets, tours, booking hotels exactly three months before the trip.

A week in a four-star hotel in Marmaris will cost 69,400 rubles for two (all inclusive, 150 meters from the beach, direct flight, transfer, insurance).

A hotel of the same category in the same resort, when booked independently, will cost 36,100 rubles. Plus air tickets for 17,350 rubles (34,700 rubles for two). Total - 70800 rubles. Add to this two or three thousand for the transfer and medical insurance. It still turns out slightly more expensive than a ticket.

Greece

In Greece, all inclusive is not as common as in Turkey, but in local restaurants and taverns of Hellas the food is no worse than in hotels. Therefore, we chose tours (and hotels) with "breakfast" meals. A ticket to the island of Crete, for seven days with accommodation in a two-star hotel, costs 43,600 rubles for two. The hotel is 400 meters from the beach.

A similar hotel with self-booking will cost 15,500 rubles. Flights from Moscow to Crete and back - 44272 rubles for two. In total - 60772 rubles. It turns out that it is more profitable to buy a ticket to Greece.

Montenegro

By the way, you need a Schengen visa to travel to Greece. And if you do not have it, then this is an additional cost. You don't need a visa for Montenegro. The cheapest ticket to this country with a departure in September, which AiF.ru managed to find, is offered for 50,400 rubles for two. For this money - a week in a two-star hotel in Budva, without meals. The beach is 800 meters away.

Now let's look at self-booking accommodation. A week in a hotel - 10340 rubles. Tickets from Moscow and back - 34196 rubles for two. Total - 44536 rubles. Almost 6,000 rubles cheaper than a ticket.

Czech

It is also cheaper to travel to the Czech Republic on your own. A week-long trip with self-booking will cost 35,000 rubles for two. The price includes a flight on the route Moscow-Prague-Moscow (20,680 rubles for two) and accommodation in a three-star hotel four kilometers from the center of the Czech capital (14,370 rubles), as well as breakfast.

A voucher for the same dates and to a hotel of a similar category will cost at least 43,200 rubles. The difference is 8150 rubles.

France

A ticket to Paris costs 75,460 rubles for two - a direct flight, accommodation in a two-star hotel located 2 kilometers from the city center, plus breakfast.

And this is how the expenses look like when organizing a trip to Paris on your own - 28,706 rubles for air tickets for two (14,353 rubles for one) and 39,583 rubles for accommodation in the same hotel as in the tour package. Total 68289 rubles. Traveling to Paris on your own is more profitable for more than seven thousand rubles.

Bulgaria

It is almost twice cheaper now to plan a vacation in Bulgaria on your own - it will cost 23,768 rubles (17,068 rubles for flights to Varna and back for two, and 7,700 rubles for seven nights in a two-star hotel).

But a ticket to the same resort can be bought for 40,149 rubles for two.

Thailand

But to Thailand, air tickets alone are more expensive than a voucher - 60,556 rubles for two, and not even direct, but with a transfer in Doha. Plus a minimum of 6,500 rubles for a double room in a three-star hotel located in Pattaya. Total expenses of 67,056 rubles for two.

Vouchers to the same resort in similar hotels are currently offered for 50,300 rubles. In addition to the direct flight, this price includes transfer and medical insurance.

Spain

On a ticket to the Spanish resort of Costa Brava, you can relax for 56,500 rubles for two. For this money - a two-star hotel with good reviews, located 300 meters from the beach, but without meals.

With self-booking, the trip will cost 41,840 rubles, where 26,840 rubles are air tickets for two and 15,000 rubles are a week's hotel stay.

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Which is better: an organized tour or independent travel? Everyone sooner or later asks this question. Someone prefers organized tours, someone likes independent trips. I'll tell you about my own experience. I had to go both on independent trips and organized through travel agencies. Both cases had their pros and cons.

Pros and cons of an organized tour

The most important advantage here, in my opinion, is the ease of travel arrangements. I collected all the necessary documents, paid the money to the travel agency - and after a while a ticket was issued, visas were issued (if the trip was abroad), tickets were bought. You can go. However, this advantage is outweighed by many possible disadvantages.

Airplane or train tickets can be bought at very inconvenient times and, if there are several airports in the city, at the most inconvenient one. Instead of a regular scheduled flight, you can get a charter flight, and here you are just lucky - sometimes it will be an old plane with very unfriendly flight attendants and a crowded 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 the house late at night without getting enough sleep. Since public transport does not run at this time, and leaving a personal car in the parking lot at the airport means paying extra money, you have to order a taxi or ask relatives and friends for a ride.

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

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

In addition, organized tours are often limited in time. This is especially true for tours in Europe, when in a few days you visit several cities, and 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 a hotel, a guide, and 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 pay off all the probable disadvantages, which, however, may not be.

You also need to keep in mind that there are places where you can only go as part of an organized group and accompanied by a guide. For example, in National parks, some museums.

Pros and cons of solo travel

Independent travel offers much more freedom than organized tours. You independently find tickets, hotels. Now, with the development of the Internet, it has become easy. I usually use the 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 tourist sites and on travel blogs, various guidebooks are sold in stores, 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 (if we are talking about a trip abroad) can be obtaining a visa: sometimes queues line up at embassies almost from night. However, recently this happens less and less, many embassies and consulates organize special visa centers, where you can call in advance and make an appointment for a certain time. There are also special services that are self-employed.

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

♦ These tips can be used outside of China:

In general, it seems to me that with the development of the Internet, the share 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 convenience of a tour outweighs its likely downsides. However, often the cost of the tour can be cheaper than independent travel. I talked about this in an article.

There are still few Russian tourists who organize their holidays abroad on their own. The ratio in percentage of such travelers from the total flow of tourists is still equal to 15%, but at the same time, the figure is increasing every year.

Holidays organized by yourself

According to statistics, since 2014-2015, the number of travel companies has decreased by almost 70%, from 2050 to 650. However, experts say that the bankruptcies epidemic is behind us and in the near future travel companies will feel comfortable, as only the strongest players remain on the market .

Self-organized tourism is increasing due to the fact that Russian tourists want to conquer non-standard and new places for recreation. At the same time, if we talk about places in popular resort countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Greece, then it is more convenient to buy package tours here. This is exactly what most of our compatriots do, namely tourists with children and lovers of all-inclusive holidays.

But, during a holiday inside the country, it is much easier for vacationers to book a hotel and tickets on their own.

Country distribution

For your convenience, we have made 6 groups of countries for recreation:

1. The first group includes countries where a savage vacation is much more profitable than a tour package. The difference in money can reach up to 50%.

2. In the second group of countries, the benefit is up to 20%.

3. In the third group, the cost of a ticket and self-organized vacation are the same.

4. The fourth group includes countries where package tours are 15% more profitable.

5. The fifth group includes countries in which it is 65% more profitable to rest on package tours.

6. In the sixth group of countries where you can only travel on your own.

Compare the benefits of an independent trip and a package tour

So, if you have decided to escape to some exotic place, then you definitely need to deal with planning your vacation yourself. But those who want to relax without unnecessary adventures and hassles can safely choose a package tour. Note that in both cases, you will need travel insurance when traveling abroad, which you can choose directly on our website using the price comparison calculator below.

With the approaching time of holidays, 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 recreation. In the article we will try to deal with the question of how it is still cheaper to travel: on your own or through a travel agency? So, we carefully analyze all the nuances and trifles.

Benefits of self-organized travel

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

Freedom of choice. Firstly, you yourself decide when to go, which means that it is possible to purchase tickets for those days that are suitable. Secondly, with this method of travel, the tourist himself decides 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 where to live. It is not necessary to stay at the hotel. The list of options for accommodation is huge, everyone can find the best option for themselves, for example, a hostel, camping, apartments.
Saving. Agree, an important component, which is decisive for many. Many believe that a tour organized by oneself is more expensive than a trip arranged by travel agency employees. 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 tickets for charter flights. It is difficult to “catch” such inexpensive tickets, but it’s still worth a try, 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 ordinary hotels.

You can also achieve significant savings by self-cooking, because all hostels can boast of having their own kitchen. Those who are not eager to cook on vacation can find an inexpensive cafe. In any case, this option will be cheaper than a restaurant, which is prescribed by a travel agency ticket.

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

A self-organized trip to another country is a real breathtaking adventure that begins from the moment you step on the plane steps or enter the train carriage.

Disadvantages of independent travel

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

Responsibility. Organizing an independent trip is a troublesome business, because all the preparations will fall on your shoulders. It is necessary to take care in advance about finding housing, buying tickets, obtaining insurance, and planning a route. 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 through every detail. Citizens traveling through a travel agency will be helped by operators in solving problems. If the trip is organized independently, then all issues will have to be resolved independently.

For maximum protection against unforeseen situations and overlays, 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.

No transfer. You will have to comprehend all the secrets of the transport system of another country without anyone's help. Not always for a tourist everything in this matter can be immediately clear.
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. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to express yourself.\
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.

What is good about a vacation organized by a travel agency

The so-called package tours have many advantages that can make life easier for travelers, 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 be met and taken to the desired hotel. Thus, the question of how to get to the right place is solved 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 those purchased on the spot, but they are safe and will be conducted by a Russian-speaking guide.
Going on vacation through a travel agency, it is not necessary to speak 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 the opportunity to purchase a last-minute tour, which means that you can count on quick processing 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 drawbacks, which you should be aware of.

The tourist pays exactly as much as indicated in the invoice. There is no way to carefully familiarize yourself with what exactly they take money for.
At first glance, it may seem that travel agencies offer a lot of options for recreation in any direction. 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 timing of the tour, they are always set in advance. Therefore, the tourist has to adapt to the dates offered by the operator.
The dates of charter flights are not defined by clear dates, but are focused on tours. The exact date of departure will be known 2-3 days before the flight. The inconvenience is also associated with frequent transfers, cancellations and movement 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 adjust in advance that all services are organized for a whole group of tourists. You should not expect that all the travelers in your group will 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 sights, which 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 concept of a good holiday. We wish you a pleasant journey!

Perhaps, all modern travelers can be conditionally divided into two categories - those who go to unknown destinations with the help of travel companies 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 due to the development of the Internet and electronic technologies that do not require, say, even a personal presence when buying air tickets.

The maximum simplification of paperwork, hotel reservations, and the 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 the questions about the upcoming trip, now we just need to enter any request into the search bar on the Internet and get an exhaustive amount of information.

Interestingly, according to some data, 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 crave the caring "hand" of the tour operator, but the problems with the "passenger traffic" are increasingly and more clearly beginning to be felt by companies. After all, young people mostly turn away from them - 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 get a visa and how to see the maximum sights with a minimum of financial costs.

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

Here we’ll talk about how it’s cheaper to travel - through a travel agency or on your own, which country is better to go through a tour operator, and which one you can go “on your own”, and also look at an example - how to organize a trip on your own according to a similar travel agency offer, what time it will cost - what will be its advantages and disadvantages.

Let's start with the fact that the choice of organizing an upcoming trip depends on a number of circumstances and factors. These include primarily travel dates, choice of dates and days for a flight or move, financial opportunities for tourists, direction - that is, the country they have chosen for their vacation, as well as personal wishes for the level of the hotel, its location, and so on.

As practice shows, travel companies are usually contacted by people who do not want or do not have enough time to organize a trip on their own, citizens who have problems with a foreign language and need constant guide accompaniment, as well as those who are “greedy” for last-minute tours, that is vouchers that can be bought, roughly speaking, a day before departure at a super-low price.

As a rule, people who speak English fluently go to foreign countries on their own, who are able to independently organize the best leisure activities for themselves and the conditions of their stay in a foreign country, who are not afraid to buy air tickets on their own, solve visa issues, and so on, as well as those who do not want to rest according to the template set by the travel company.

And 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 listed here it is clear that mainly in demand are European states, or the countries of Southeast Asia. Neither Latin and North America, nor Australia, nor Central and South Africa can be found in this top.

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

Where is the best place to travel?

To begin with, let's take such popular destinations among 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, mandatory 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 - to spend all 7 days in a hotel, relaxing and basking in the sun, or combine passive recreation with active trips to sights for an additional price. For example, at the very same hotel, you can easily take a tour and go on a real safari or to the ancient mysterious pyramids.

As practice shows, it is better and cheaper to go to the countries in question on a package tour. An independent trip on only 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, with a great desire to Turkey or Egypt, you can go on your own. However, if you choose a beach holiday, then there is practically no point in overpaying for it, using an individual search for hotels and good conditions in them.

It is known that such destinations as Thailand, China and India have also recently been widely developed 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 tours offered by operators. However, it immediately becomes clear that to fly, say, to sunny Thailand is many times more expensive than to plunge into the warm seas of Turkey.

Usually, the offers of travel agencies for holidays in Southeast Asia for two are full of amounts almost reaching 100 thousand rubles for a weekly vacation, and there is definitely no question of any all inclusive. Sometimes, of course, companies do a “throw away” of unsold vouchers and Internet surfers, thirsty for wanderings, catch a discount trip for 30-40 thousand, which, you see, is noticeably cheaper than 100, but still more expensive than Turkish “baklava”.

Which countries are cheaper to travel on your 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 on your own.

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 exorbitantly expensive every year, not without the help of our compatriots. Secondly, even in these, which have become expensive places in Thailand, independent travelers find budget options for 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. With an independent search, you can easily find hotels or guest houses on the same Booking at two or even three times cheaper, with conditions that are 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 here the rent of housing, an average of 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 or 12-15 thousand for two.

At the same time, you will not be constrained by the schedule set by the travel company, you will be free to change the place of deployment in accordance with your preferences and budget, and you will also be able to easily travel around the memorable places of the country without resorting to the help of guides and groups hanging around behind it. 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’s definitely worth saying here that the benefit of such a trip will consist only in the fact that the organizer will in some sense be responsible for you - for the round-trip flight, check-in at the hotel and what - something food. For the rest, you need to know that vacations in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and, say, Vietnam are best planned on your own, since factors such as housing, food and hotel location, firstly, are more priority to determine on the spot , and secondly, all this in the conditions of the local market will cost you several times cheaper than the tour operator will offer.

Thus, in many respects, the countries of Southeast Asia will be cheaper and more interesting to visit on your own. Even despite the fact that the flight to this region, 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.

And what about Europe?

As for Europe, here opinions about how it is more profitable to travel - on your own 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 for Asian countries, we confidently assure that all these states are approximately equally cheap.

The paradox of Europe often lies in the fact 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. Let's say that many travelers, whether on a tour or on their own, who traveled to Paris, note the high cost of the French capital, the inability to idly drink coffee in the mornings in coffee shops and afford to have lunch and dinner at cafes every day. About Norway and Denmark, in general, only exclamations are heard about the incredible prices for everything, and not at all stories about the fjords.

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

Traveling to these countries in most cases will cost less if you plan on your own. Unless you want to visit one of the designated countries and not several in a week on a bus tour.

For example, on average, you can go to Czech Karlovy Vary with a tourist package for 1000-1500 euros for 7 days, this amount includes flights, as well as accommodation in a 4-star hotel with daily breakfasts.

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

As for countries such as Spain, Italy, France or Greece, it is possible that it is slightly, but still cheaper to travel on your own. Among the pluses in such a vacation there will be absolute freedom in movement and plans, among the minuses - a complete organization of the trip - from self-issuing 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 organized travel intermediaries. After all, in the end, a tourist must clearly see the difference between the first and 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:

The minimum time spent on the preparation and organization of the upcoming trip, the purchase of a full package of services in a short time.
Right at the moment of rest, you do not need to take care of booking a hotel, meals and visiting attractions.
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, hotels will meet you with a speech in your native language, you will practically not have to communicate in broken English.
Organized excursions will take place in the order and speed set by the guides, there will be no time for tourists to think about anything superfluous. All decisions for travelers will be made at the moment when they pay for the trip in a travel agency in their home country.

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

However, let's also see what are the advantages of solo 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 methods.
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, if necessary, always have the right to return a ticket by paying the airline a minimum fine. For example, it is a priori impossible to refuse a tour from a travel agency without tangible damage to the wallet.
A free traveler is completely on his own, so he can see the sights as much as he wants, change the route at will, return to the places he likes or study new ones more intensively. One 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, when making a travel plan individually, a tourist, as a rule, truly penetrates the culture of an unknown country, expands his horizons, lives his journey from the very beginning to the very end consciously, independently, freely.

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

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

In principle, choosing how it is better or cheaper to go to distant countries is a personal matter for everyone. Because for some people, the thought of organizing a trip abroad on their own will seem like a nightmare, while for others it will open up 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 to buy tickets and the whole trip in a short time.

As a direction, we will choose sunny and distant Thailand. A ticket to the famous island of Phuket, so beloved by Russian tourists, for two, the first travel agency that came across in the search sells for 76,737 rubles. This price includes airfare, accommodation in a 4-star hotel for 6 nights from May 9 to May 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 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 right 4-star hotel. The price for a double superior room with taxes included and breakfast is 168 euros for 6 nights. We convert them into rubles at the current exchange rate and get 8370 rubles.

To sum up - tickets plus accommodation without a ticket on their own will cost us 67,656 rubles.

I.e 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, even such a difference will seem tangible. In addition, it can be significantly increased if, say, you stay not in the designated hotel, but in a guest house with the same pleasant and comfortable 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, in independent travel, not everything is as cloudless as it might seem. Naturally, saving sometimes requires some sacrifices, 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 most often they try to organize such tours with direct movements. In the meantime, when planning on your own, the cheapness of tickets is usually formed due to the fact that you fly with transfers, perhaps even with different airlines.

In our example, you can see this. The flight to Phuket will include two transfers and will take an average of 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, I repeat, is a personal matter for everyone.

Do not forget that when organizing a trip on your own, a lot depends on how far in advance you started planning your trip, as a rule, the earlier tickets are bought, the cheaper they are. In our example, the terms are really quite short, and the dates chosen are not the best in terms of cost, so the difference in price between the tour operator’s offer and an 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 through a company.

Summing up, I would like to say that naturally there is no single opinion on how best to travel around the world. Each person has his own needs, his own comfort zone and his own financial possibilities. As for how it will be cheaper to travel abroad, I think that within the framework of the article I managed 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 through a tour operator .