Package tour or independent travel. What is more profitable: tours or independent travel? Prepare your passport

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

Self-organized holidays

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

On one's own organized tour ism is increasing due to the fact that Russian tourists want to conquer non-standard and new holiday destinations. At the same time, if we talk about places in popular resort countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Greece, 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 domestic holiday, it is much easier for vacationers to book a hotel and tickets on their own.

Distribution of countries

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

1. The first group includes countries where a savage vacation is much more profitable than a vacation 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 the trip and on your own organized holiday, are the same.

4. The fourth group includes countries where vacation packages are 15% more profitable.

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

6. In the sixth group of countries where you can only travel independently.

Comparing the benefits of an independent trip and a package tour

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

It is believed that traveling through travel agencies is expensive and inconvenient. In fact, this is not always the case. We decided to study this issue in detail and find out what you should pay attention to when buying a tour.

Travel agency and tour operator

When choosing where to purchase a ticket - from a tour operator or a travel agency, it is important to understand the difference between them. A tour operator is an organization whose task is to think through and organize a tour: its specialists negotiate with hotels, select a transfer, calculate the route and program. Whereas a travel agency or travel company is an intermediary between tour operators and the client, who, as a rule, sells tours of different tour operators, receiving a commission for this. Recently, travel agencies often act as consultants, providing tourists with all the necessary information on various destinations. The most important role in both the tour operator and the travel agency is played by the manager who communicates directly with the client - often it is to him, and not to the company, that people entrust their vacation. It is worth considering that a number of tour operators do not work with tourists directly, preferring to develop their agent network. Therefore, often under the sign with the name of a famous tour operator there is actually a travel agency that operates as a franchise. Each Russian tour operator has its own individual number in the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators - it can always be viewed in the corresponding section on the Rostourism website (russiatourism.ru/operators). It must always be specified in the contract. If you are afraid that a travel agency is offering you a tour at an inflated price, you can call the office of the tour operator that organizes the trip and check the cost there. It should match the one the agency gives you.

Why take a tour

Book package tours (which may include flights, accommodation, meals, transfers, excursions and/or treatment, as well as health insurance) always makes sense in popular, mass areas. In Europe these include, among others, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Croatia and Spain, in Asia - Thailand, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka. Actually, the benefit of the package tour offered by the agency depends not on the destination, but on the volume of bookings, thanks to which hotels make concessions and offer special prices and conditions. This applies, in particular, to group transfers and flight programs - blocks of seats on both charter and regular flights. Costs in this case are divided among a large number of people and become low in relation to those borne by an individual tourist. In addition, tour operators and travel agencies have a clearly established process for processing all documents in these areas, which means you don’t have to waste extra time. Finally, it is the travel agency that will save you if your vacation turns up unexpectedly - here you can find last-minute offers at very attractive prices.

Do it yourself

If you don’t want to spend your vacation on the beach, but like to travel on your own, at your own pace and according to your own program, then excursion package tours are clearly not for you. Although sometimes they can come in handy, because the cost of a package with a flight and a stay in an inexpensive hotel can be lower than the price of a ticket for regular flight(separate tickets for charters are not sold so often). In addition, some companies offer direct charters to destinations where you cannot fly directly from Russia. The most convenient way to “catch” profitable flights is by subscribing to updates on the destinations you are interested in on specialized sites such as aviasales.ru, expressavia.ru, momondo.ru or skyscanner.ru, as well as on yandex.avia and google.flights. The availability of hotel rooms and prices should be looked at on the websites booking.com or expedia.ru, prices for rented apartments - on airbnb.ru, for hostels - hostels.com. The more complex and lengthy your route, the more likely it is that it will be more profitable and convenient to organize such a trip yourself. After all, only you know how much time you need to spend exploring the city, and how much time for relaxation or shopping, what you can save on, and what, on the contrary, requires additional investment.

Visa issue

Travel companies often act as assistants in the preparation of documents for obtaining visas, saving clients from filling out an application form, and in some cases, from visiting the consular departments of embassies. Yes, in this case you will have to pay more, but you will save time. And if you are going to travel, say, to Japan, you cannot do without contacting a travel agency. The fact is that to obtain a visa to this country, you need an original invitation from the company that will act as a guarantor for you. Hotels and hostels, as a rule, do not issue such invitations, and the only option to receive one is to contact one of the accredited tour operators. Previously, it was possible to order a Schengen visa from a travel agency, but since September 2015, you can get a Schengen visa only after submitting your fingerprints. This must be done in person at one of the visa centers. The good news is that fingerprints are stored in the system for five years - during this time you do not need to come to the visa center in person.

Cancellation of a trip

When buying a tour, even from a trusted company, you should pay attention to those places in the contract that are written in fine print. The most important of them is the clause regarding the cancellation of your already confirmed trip. In case of trip cancellation, the tour operator has the right to demand from the travel agency (and therefore from you) reimbursement of expenses already incurred, which, depending on the date of departure and the moment when the cancellation occurs, can amount to up to 100% of the cost of the trip. In the contract it is written something like this: “The client is informed by the Travel Agency that the actually incurred expenses of the Tour Operator for the booked tourist product can approximately be: 25 or more days before the start of the tour - 10%, from 25 to 16 days - 50%, from 15 to 5 days – 75%, less than 5 working days before the start of the tour – 100% of the cost of the booked tourist product.” Often, the contract separately specifies the conditions for cancellation of “special” tours, for example, New Year’s, Christmas, or those that include visits to certain attractions. Good idea– take out travel insurance for yourself, which will help you get back the money spent on the tour. In this case, you must have all contracts and checks on hand.

Departure postponement

The next issue, which may not be specified in the contract, is the specifics of charter flights. Many tourists, when booking a tour, believe that the stated departure time and airline are some kind of constant, while the fine print in the contract states that the flight can be rescheduled. Let’s assume that the flight was initially scheduled at 8:00 from Domodedovo by UTair airlines, and when documents are issued 2-3 days before departure, it turns out that the tourist will fly at 3:00 (that is, five hours earlier) or at 17:00 (that is, nine hours later) from Sheremetyevo by Orenburg Airlines. The transfer of flights is permissible within a day, and the fact that a person loses half a day does not formally solve anything, because he will spend the night paid for with the voucher in a hotel in any case. Wherein charter tickets, included in the tour package, are difficult to return or exchange - and this is one of the reasons for their low cost.

Hotel replacement

There may be another tricky clause in the contract. It sounds like this: “The tour operator (host party) has the right to unilaterally change the hotel.” This is a common practice: it happens that the hotel is closed for reconstruction or is overcrowded. Another thing is important here - the above line must be followed by another: “Replacement is made only for a hotel of the same or higher category. Replacement with a hotel of a lower category is not permitted." If it is not there, you risk getting a two-star hotel instead of a five-star hotel. And even the court will not help - after all, you yourself signed an agreement that includes the possibility of such a replacement.

When to buy a tour

If this summer you are planning to go on vacation to such popular countries among mass tourists as Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Montenegro or Croatia, you should book your tours from February, and best of all - in March or April. Starting in May, prices for these destinations traditionally increase by 30–40%, and tours to Montenegro become twice as expensive. For those who want to relax in the Alpine in winter ski resort or meet New Year and Christmas in one of European capitals, it is worth visiting the travel agency no later than October–November. People traditionally go on vacation to India and the countries of Southeast Asia in November–December, so it is best to purchase trips there starting in September.

At the last moment

If you don’t need to prepare for your vacation in advance and beg your boss for vacation on specific dates, you can try to catch a last-minute tour or special offer. It is best to look for them on the websites tury.ru, sletat.ru and tourdom.ru. When an agency experiences problems with the sale of tour packages, it is often ready to sell it even at half price, just so as not to remain in the red. For example, immediately after the May holidays, you can find a budget tour to almost any country in the world. Also, prices decrease significantly (by 20–30%) at the very end of August - from the 25th to the 31st. This can be explained by the fact that planes are filled for flights to Russia, and not from it. In past years, many special offers for tours appeared on the market at the end of the January holidays, but now, due to decreased demand and reduction in flight programs Russian airlines, their number has decreased significantly. In addition, there are destinations where prices for tours are approximately the same at any time of the year - these are bus travel, sightseeing trips in Europe and places deprived of mass Russian tourists - for example, Japan, countries of Africa and South America.

Perhaps all modern travelers can be roughly divided into two categories - those who go to unknown destinations with the help of travel companies and those who organize their trip from start to finish 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 even require, say, personal presence when purchasing air tickets.

Maximum simplification of paperwork, hotel reservations, and purchasing tickets for all kinds of transport allowed people to expand the boundaries of choice. And if previously 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 query into the search bar on the Internet and get a comprehensive amount of information.

Interestingly, according to some data, they themselves 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 a tour operator, but companies are beginning to feel problems with “passenger flow” more and more often and more clearly. After all, it is mostly young people who are turning 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 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 uselessness of travel agents and praise independent travelers, if only because both the first and second cases have both their 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 on your own, which country is better to go through a tour operator, and which one you can go on your own, and we will also look at an example - how to organize a trip yourself according to a similar offer from a travel agency, at 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. This includes primarily travel dates, choice of dates and days for flight or relocation, financial capabilities of tourists, direction - that is, the country they have chosen for their vacation, as well as personal wishes regarding 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 the constant accompaniment of a guide, 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 travel to foreign countries on their own are people who speak fluent English, who know how to independently organize the best leisure time and conditions for their stay in a foreign country, who are not afraid to independently purchase air tickets, resolve 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 companies, 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 year by year by others, but even among those given here it is clear that mainly in demand are European states, or countries South-East Asia . Neither Latin nor North America, neither Australia, nor Central and South Africa You won’t find it in this top.

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

Where is the best place to go on a trip?

To begin with, let’s take such popular destinations among Russians as Türkiye and Egypt. As a rule, these countries attract compatriots due to their territorial proximity to Russia, resorts with access to the sea, warm climate and developed tourism infrastructure. Both countries, due to their popularity, are in good standing with Russian travel companies. That is why you can easily spend a week in Egyptian Hurghada or Turkish Antalya with the help of a tour operator for 14-16 thousand rubles, with flights, mandatory all-inclusive meals and 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 stay in the hotel for all 7 days, relaxing and basking in the sun, or to combine passive relaxation with active trips to 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 on a package tour. Independent trip for round-trip tickets alone it will cost the traveler the price of the entire trip 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 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 destinations such as Thailand, China and India have also recently been widely explored by travel companies and, accordingly, by 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 obvious that flying to, say, sunny Thailand is several times more expensive than plunging into warm seas Turkey.

Typically, travel agencies' offers for vacations in Southeast Asia for two are replete with amounts almost reaching 100 thousand rubles for a week's vacation, and this is definitely not there is talk about no allinclusive. Sometimes, of course, companies “throw away” unsold trips and Internet surfers, thirsty for wandering, snag a discounted 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 to 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 prohibitively 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 and food and accommodation 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 a fabulous price from a travel agency. If you search on your own, you can easily find hotels or guest houses on the same Booking that are 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 I manage to snag round-trip tickets for $500-550. And if we add in rental housing, 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 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 your location in accordance with your preferences and budget, and you will also be able to easily travel around memorable places countries without the help of guides and groups hanging around behind him. To implement the last point, it will be enough to arm yourself with a map of the area and a smile, You won’t even be required to have a high level of knowledge of the English language.

If we talk about a trip to India on a tour, then it’s definitely worth saying that the benefit of such a trip will only be that the organizer will in some sense be responsible for you - for the round-trip flight, hotel check-in and something food. For the rest, you need to know that holidays in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and, say, Vietnam are best planned independently, since such factors as housing, food and hotel location are, firstly, a priority to determine on the spot , and secondly, all this in the local market will cost you several times cheaper than what 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 though 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.

What about Europe?

As for Europe, opinions on whether it is more profitable to travel on your own or through a travel agency are in each case ambiguous. In fact, it is impossible to generalize about European countries that they are all equally expensive, for example, as about Asian countries, we confidently assure that all these countries 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 territory itself everything is not so accessible to our tourists. Let’s say that many travelers, whether on a tour or on their own, who went to Paris, note the high cost French capital, the inability to idly drink coffee in the morning in coffee shops and afford to have lunch and dinner in a cafe every day. About Norway and Denmark, in general, you only hear exclamations about incredible prices for everything, and not at all stories about the fjords.

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

Traveling to these countries in most cases will be cheaper if you plan it yourself. 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 breakfast.

If you organize the trip yourself, then there is a chance to cut costs in 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 for an average of 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 a pre-booked hotel of your choice for 240 euros for 7 days.

As for countries such as Spain, Italy, France or Greece, it may be slightly, but still cheaper to travel independently. Among the advantages of such a vacation will be absolute freedom in movement and plans, among the disadvantages is the complete organization of the trip - from independently obtaining 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 by 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 part of his life in a foreign country.

First, let's 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 will not need to worry about booking a hotel, meals or visiting attractions.
The tour operator or his representative on the tour will answer any questions.
If you don't own English language– no problem, the tour will be organized using Russian-speaking guides, hotels will greet you with speech in their native language, you will practically not have 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 unnecessary. All decisions for travelers will be made at the moment when they pay for the trip with a travel agency in their home country.

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

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

The ability to adjust the travel route, both before the trip and during the trip itself.
The ability to independently choose the most suitable level of hotel, food, and modes of transportation for yourself.
The chance to purchase air tickets in advance at a discounted low price and the ability to change the date of departure or arrival, as well as an independent tourist always has the right, if necessary, to return the ticket by paying the airline a minimal fine. For example, it is a priori impossible to refuse a travel agency tour without significant damage to your wallet.
A free traveler is completely left to his own devices, so he can look at the sights as much as he likes, change the route at will, return to places he likes, or explore new ones more intensively. One can only dream of such freedom in organized tours.
Organizing your own trip with a careful approach will often cost an order of magnitude cheaper than a tourist trip.
In addition, by making a travel plan individually, a tourist, as a rule, truly penetrates into 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, do not have money for organized tours and do not want 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 have had their fill of organized tours and are hungry for real adventure.

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, who strive to become more fully acquainted with the local flavor of the countries they are traveling to, and who also understand the value of their time and the fact that no one can organize a good trip for them better than themselves.

In principle, choosing which way is better or cheaper to travel to distant countries is a personal matter for everyone. Because for some people the thoughts of independent organization trips abroad will seem like a nightmare, while for others they will open a “second wind” and be incredibly inspired.

Finally, I would like 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 trip to famous island Phuket, so beloved by Russian tourists, is sold for two by the first travel agency that came up in the search for 76,737 rubles. This price includes airfare, accommodation in a 4-star hotel for 6 nights from May 9 to 15, free breakfast, insurance and transfer.

But let's see how much this trip will cost us if we organize it independently. Turning to the first low-cost airline you come across (sites selling air tickets with discounts, cheaper than airlines directly), it turns out that flying from St. Petersburg to Phuket and back between there on May 9 and back on the 15th will cost 29,643 rubles per person. That is, two tickets will cost 59,286 rubles, including fuel surcharges.

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

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

That is If you organize it yourself, you can save up to 10 thousand rubles! For some, of course, this is not money, but for some categories of citizens such a difference will seem noticeable. 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’s quite easy to find a decent guest house in Phuket with overnight accommodation for 600 rubles for two, which will ultimately be half the price of a hotel.

However, even when traveling on your own, not everything is as rosy as it might seem. Naturally, saving sometimes requires some sacrifices, for example, time. Unfortunately, I do not have information about what kind of flight the travel agency offers to Thailand from Russia - is it direct or with transfers. But most often they try to organize such tours with direct travel. Meanwhile, when planning on your own, tickets are usually cheaper due to the fact that you fly with transfers, perhaps even on different airlines.

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

Don’t 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 the tickets are purchased, the cheaper they are. In our example, the deadlines are really quite tight, 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 In any case, traveling to Thailand on your own will be cheaper than going through a company.

To summarize, I would like to say that naturally there is no consensus on how best to travel around the world. Each person has his own needs, his own comfort zone and his own financial capabilities. As for how cheaper it will be to travel abroad, I think that 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 to on your own, and which through a tour operator .

Now let’s look at the example of specific countries where it is still easier for our fellow citizens to travel through travel companies, 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 year by year by others, but even among those given here it is clear that Mostly in demand are European countries or countries of Southeast Asia. You will not find Latin and North America, Australia, Central and Southern Africa in this top.

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

Where is the best place to go on a trip?

As practice shows, It is better and cheaper to travel to the countries in question on a package tour. An independent trip with round-trip tickets alone will cost the traveler the price of the entire trip 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 a beach holiday, then there is practically no point in overpaying for it, using an individual search for hotels and good conditions in them.

Usually, travel agencies' offers for vacations in Southeast Asia for two are replete with amounts almost reaching 100 thousand rubles for a week's vacation, and here we are definitely not talking about any allinclusive. Sometimes, of course, companies “throw away” unsold trips and Internet surfers, thirsty for wandering, snag a discounted 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 to 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 prohibitively 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 both food and accommodation than what the operators offer.

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 snag round-trip tickets for $500-550. And if we add in rental housing, 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 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 your location in accordance with your preferences and budget, and you will also be able to easily travel to the country’s memorable places without 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, You won’t even be required to have a high level of knowledge of the English language.

What about Europe?

The paradox of Europe is often that it is quite cheap to fly there from Moscow or St. Petersburg, but in the Schengen territory itself everything is not so accessible to our tourists. Let’s say that many travelers, whether on a tour or on their own, who went to Paris, note the high cost of the French capital, the impossibility of idly drinking coffee in the morning in coffee shops and affording lunch and dinner in cafes every day. About Norway and Denmark, in general, you only hear exclamations about incredible prices for everything, and not at all stories about the fjords.

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

First, let's 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 will not need to worry about booking a hotel, meals or visiting attractions.
The tour operator or his representative on the tour will answer any questions.
If you don’t speak English, it doesn’t matter, the tour will be organized using Russian-speaking guides, hotels will greet you speaking in their native language, and you won’t have 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 unnecessary. All decisions for travelers will be made at the moment when they pay for the trip with 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 like a clear routine set by someone. In addition, the services of a tour operator will be gladly used by people who are busy in everyday life, wealthy compatriots and other categories of people who, for some reason, do not want to plan their own vacation.

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

The ability to adjust the travel route, both before the trip and during the trip itself.
The ability to independently choose the most suitable level of hotel, food, and modes of transportation for yourself.
The chance to purchase air tickets in advance at a discounted low price and the ability to change the date of departure or arrival, as well as an independent tourist always has the right, if necessary, to return the ticket by paying the airline a minimal fine. For example, it is a priori impossible to refuse a travel agency tour without significant damage to your wallet.
A free traveler is completely left to his own devices, so he can look at the sights as much as he likes, change the route at will, return to places he likes, or explore new ones more intensively. One can only dream of such freedom in organized tours.
Organizing your own trip with a careful approach will often cost an order of magnitude cheaper than a tourist trip.
In addition, by making a travel plan individually, a tourist, as a rule, truly penetrates into the culture of an unknown country, expands his horizons, lives his journey from the very beginning to the very end consciously, independently, freely.

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

In principle, choosing which way is better or cheaper to travel 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 give them a “second wind” and be incredibly inspiring.

We will choose sunny and distant Thailand as our destination. The first travel agency that comes up in the search sells a trip to the famous island of Phuket, so beloved by Russian tourists, for two for 76,737 rubles. This price includes airfare, accommodation in a 4-star hotel for 6 nights from May 9 to 15, free breakfast, insurance and transfer.

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

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

Inexpensive vacation and good impressions from a trip - the dream of any traveler. However, it can be difficult to decide whether to go to independent travel or buy a tour from a tour operator? Specialists from the travel price comparison service Travelata.ru, which sells tours to 60 countries, have revealed the secrets of how to organize an inexpensive vacation and save money during your vacation.

Many “experienced” tourists are confident that there is nothing more economical than traveling independently. However, this is not always the case. Of course, there are destinations where it is easier and cheaper to fly without the help of a tour operator, and there are countries where going on your own is more expensive than buying a tour. There are also resorts where it is better to fly to an inexpensive hotel on your own, and to a high-class hotel through a tour operator, since the discount can be up to 100% of the cost of air tickets. In other words, the flight is a gift.

Here are the destinations where a tour will in most cases be cheaper than traveling on your own. In summer, these are the Russian and Abkhazian coasts of the Black Sea, Turkey, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, the UAE, and other countries. In winter, relatively cheap tours can be found in Goa, although sometimes they are even found in the Maldives. It’s another matter if you are going to Goa for several months: then, of course, purchasing a tour is unlikely to be profitable for you.

Buy a tour or travel on your own?

What to do so as not to make a mistake? First, you should understand the sites that offer hotels, flights and tours. There are services that allow you to buy air tickets online on regular airlines. There are also websites that allow you to book hotels or apartments. And finally, in the last five years, services have been developing that work with tour operators and sell tours - that is, flights, transfers and accommodation. They allow you to find the optimal tour with the lowest cost and book it.

Experienced travelers first look at the price of air tickets, then find a suitable hotel, and then look for a tour in the same direction. This way you can compare prices for holidays in the chosen place and understand how it is more profitable and convenient to fly - on your own or by purchasing a tour.

You need to compare everything: it is possible that you found cheap flights, good accommodation, and the tour turns out to be more expensive than separately booking a hotel and tickets. However, the savings may be questionable if your flight has a connecting flight and your tour charter is direct, and the package includes transfer from the airport to the hotel.

Search for a tour

How to find the most cheap tour? Aggregator sites have a number of tools that allow you to select a tour to suit your parameters. For example, the "Calendar" option shows approximate prices for tours in different countries on the cheapest day of the month. And you can immediately understand how much a tour will cost for 3 days, a week, 11 nights, etc., for example, to Greece or. The low price chart also helps you save money.

And when selecting options, you can set “floating” parameters: for example, the duration of the trip is from 7 to 11 nights, and the departure date can be set within, say, 6 days. The system will provide the user with all offers from tour operators for this period.

But is it necessary to look for the cheapest tour? It will bring pleasure on rare occasions, especially if you are planning a vacation with children. Therefore, professionals recommend looking at prices first for 5-star hotels, then 4 stars, and only then -3. Pricing for tours has its own characteristics, and sometimes miracles happen, for example, “five stars” are offered for the price of “three rubles”. Or “fours” turn out to be more expensive than “fives”.

Aggregator sites also provide the opportunity to subscribe to receive best deals by email or a signal that the price of a particular tour has decreased.

Once you have finally decided, the tour needs to be booked. Advantageous offers are quickly sold out, so finding a tour on the Internet and booking through your agent is unlikely to be possible.

Besides, self-booking Using a bank card also offers the possibility of saving. Some commercial banks provide so-called cashback for the purchase of tours - a refund of part of the amount spent. Some promotions suggest that you can save up to 7% of the tour cost. Considering that good tour for a family of four people can cost more than 100,000 rubles, the savings will be impressive.

Last minute tours or early booking?

There is a myth that the cheapest way to fly abroad is to catch a so-called last-minute tour. However, long gone are the days when such tours were sold below cost. Nowadays, catching a good last minute deal is like finding a gold prospector. And you can only book this option online, because it won’t be on sale for long.

Most "last minute tours" do not mean the most best hotels or some conditions that do not suit everyone, for example, distance from the sea. Moreover, tourists should be free enough to choose dates to book a tour a couple of days before departure.

As a rule, holders of an open Schengen visa manage to “catch” such tours: the price drops three to five days before departure, when the consulate stops accepting passports because they simply do not have time to issue a visa. Last year many such tours were offered to Greece. But in visa-free countries prices for tours fall extremely rarely.

But many tourists have already realized that they can save on the so-called early booking when summer tours are purchased in early spring or late winter. Perfect option inexpensive holiday- purchase a tour in advance for the very beginning or end of the season. During this period, you can spend a vacation in a luxury hotel for the price of three rubles, and if the sea has not yet warmed up, swim in a heated pool. So, now you can look at tours for autumn and winter.

Cheap dates

It is most profitable to buy tours on dates with low demand. For all resorts the best prices are offered in early December and immediately after the January holidays. During this period, few people dare to take a vacation - and this is exactly where you can save money. In Asia, good prices can be found at the turn of the seasons, when the rains end and the dry season begins, that is, around October. Tours to United Arab Emirates It’s also cheaper either in August, when it’s hot, or in winter, when it gets quite cool.

A very convenient period for traveling to Greece, Turkey and Cyprus is the second half of May, immediately after the holidays. The sun is already warming well, although the sea in the Mediterranean resorts is still cool. Prices during this period are significantly reduced and begin to rise in the first days of June.

How else can you save on travel?

It is most economical to travel as a couple, since when staying in standard room alone you overpay up to 80% of its cost. Tour operators also often offer profitable promotions at the suggestion of hoteliers. For example, a family room with three beds without additional payment for a child. Moreover, it is beneficial to stay in the same hotel, if, of course, it suits you. Then hoteliers can give a compliment in the form of a fruit bowl or offer an upgraded room at no extra charge.

It happens that the cost of a visa matters, especially if a large family is flying on vacation. The consular fee for any Schengen country costs the same, but tour operators charge more money for a visa to France and less for a visa to Greece.

When going abroad, open a foreign currency account for yourself. bank card in euros or dollars, depending on where you are traveling. The fact is that if you withdraw money abroad from a ruble account, the amount is first converted into euros or dollars, and only then into the currency of your location. With a currency card, exchange fees can be avoided.

Think in advance about saving on mobile communications. There are two options for making calls cheaper: you can activate international roaming in Moscow and find out in advance how much a minute of conversation, SMS or Internet use will cost. As a last resort, you can turn off the Internet - the hotel will probably have WiFi. You can also purchase a local SIM card. An iPhone application called Local SIM or a hotel guide will tell you where and how to apply for it.

And one of the main tricks: according to the observations of professionals tourism industry, tour operators exhibit low prices for tours on Wednesdays, and on Friday and Saturday they may increase. Therefore, it is worth planning an exciting trip in the middle of the week.