What is cheaper tour or independent travel. Which is better: an organized tour or an independent trip? Cons of self-guided tours

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.

On their own to foreign countries, as a rule, people who speak English fluently, who can independently organize the best leisure for themselves and the conditions of stay in a foreign country, are not afraid self purchase air tickets, visa issues and so on, as well as those who do not want to rest according to the template given 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 European countries are mainly in demand, or countries South-East Asia . neither Latin nor 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 proximity of 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 tourism 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 - spend all 7 days at the hotel, relaxing and basking in the sun, or combine passive rest with active sightseeing trips 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. Independent trip for round-trip tickets alone, it will cost the traveler the price of the entire voucher 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 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 reach, say, sunny Thailand many times more expensive than diving into warm seas 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" 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 exorbitant 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 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 manages to grab round trip tickets for 500-550 dollars. 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 memorable places country without resorting to 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, even knowledge of the English language 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 independent planning. Unless you want to visit one of the designated countries and not several in a week on a bus tour.

For example, to Czech Karlovy Vary tourist package on average, you can go 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 may be 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 cheap 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 compiling and organizing the upcoming trip, purchasing complete package services in a short time.
Right at the moment of rest, you do not need to take care of hotel reservations, meals and sightseeing.
Any questions will be answered by the tour operator or his representative on the tour.
If you don't own English language- it doesn't matter, the tour will be organized with the use of Russian-speaking guides, hotels will meet you with a speech in their 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, the trip through travel company it can be pleasant for those who are not ready to deal with some everyday problems during their holidays, 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 likes, change the route at will, return to the places he likes or explore 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, craving for real adventures.

Among independent tourists you can 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 independent organization traveling abroad 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 desired hotel 4 stars. 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 summarize - 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, with independent planning, 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 be with two transfers and on average in both directions will be 20 hours on the way. 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 deadlines 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 .

Inexpensive vacation and good travel experience is the dream of any traveler. However, it can be difficult to decide: go on an independent trip or buy a tour from a tour operator? Specialists of the Travelata.ru tour price comparison service, 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 sure that there is nothing more economical than independent travel. However, this is not always the case. Of course, there are destinations that are 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. And there are resorts where it is better to fly to an inexpensive hotel on your own, and to a hotel high class- through a tour operator, since the discount can be up to 100% of the cost of air tickets. In other words, a flight as a gift.

Here are the directions in which the tour will be cheaper in most cases than independent travel. In the summer, these are the Russian and Abkhaz Black Sea coasts, Turkey, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries. In winter, relatively cheap tours can be found in Goa, although sometimes they are even found in the Maldives. Another thing is if you are going to Goa for several months: then, of course, it will hardly be profitable for you to purchase a tour.

Buy a tour or travel on your own?

What to do in order not to miscalculate? To get started, you should understand the sites that offer hotels, flights and tours. There are services that allow you to buy air tickets online at scheduled 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 best 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. So you can compare prices for holidays in the chosen place and understand how it is more profitable and more convenient to fly - on your own or by buying a tour.

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

Tour search

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

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

Is it just necessary to look for the cheapest tour? It will give pleasure in rare cases, especially if you are planning a vacation with children. Therefore, professionals recommend looking at prices first for 5-star hotels, then for 4-star hotels, and only then for -3. Pricing for tours has its own characteristics, and sometimes miracles happen, for example, "five stars" are offered at the price of "three rubles". Or "fours" are more expensive than "fives".

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

As soon as you have finally decided, the tour needs to be booked. Profitable offer are quickly sold out, so finding a tour on the Internet, and booking through your agent is unlikely to succeed.

In addition, self-booking with a bank card also implies the possibility of saving. Some commercial banks make a 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 cost of the tour. Considering that a good tour for a family of four can cost more than 100,000 rubles, the savings will be impressive.

Hot tours or early booking?

There is a myth that the cheapest way to fly abroad is to catch the so-called last minute tour. However, long gone are the days when such tours were sold below cost. Now to catch a good "burning round" is like a prospector to find a nugget. And you can only book this option online, because it won’t hang on sale for a long time.

Most "hot tours" do not mean the most best hotels or some conditions that do not suit everyone, for example, remoteness from the sea. Moreover, tourists should be free enough in choosing 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 it simply does not have time to affix 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 you can save on the so-called early booking when tours for the summer are bought in early spring or late winter. Perfect option inexpensive vacation- pre-purchase a tour at the very beginning or end of the season. During such a period, you can spend a vacation in a luxury hotel at the price of "three rubles", and if the sea has not yet warmed up, swim in a heated pool. So, now you can watch tours for autumn and winter.

cheap dates

It is most profitable to buy tours for dates with low demand. For all resorts, the best rates are offered in early December and right after the January holidays. During this period, few people dare to take a vacation - and you can save money on this. In Asia, good prices can be found at the turn of the seasons, when the rains end and the dry period begins, that is, around October. Tours in United Arab Emirates it is also cheaper either in August, when it is very 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, right 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 together, because when placed in standard room alone, you overpay up to 80% of its value. Also, tour operators often offer lucrative promotions at the suggestion of hoteliers. For example, a family room with three beds at no extra charge for a child. Moreover, it is advantageous to stay in the same hotel, if, of course, it suits you. Then hoteliers can make 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 flies on vacation. Consular fee to any Schengen country costs the same, but tour operators charge more money for a visa to France and less to Greece.

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

Think ahead 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. In extreme cases, the Internet can be turned off - the hotel will certainly have WiFi. You can also purchase a local SIM card. The application for the iPhone called Local SIM will tell you where and how to get it, or the hotel guide will tell you.

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

Travel expenses depend not only on the season, weather, significant events, etc. How much you spend on vacation also depends on the direction and 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 to 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 food. 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 (20680 rubles for two) and accommodation in a three-star hotel four kilometers from the center Czech capital(14370 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 cost more than a tour package - 60,556 rubles for two, and not even direct ones, 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.

I remember before there was a lot of arguing about what is better and cheaper: a trip on vacation on a package tour or on your own. Which is cheaper: a tour or on your own?
I'm here even.
Now, after the mass bankruptcy of travel agencies this year, these conversations have subsided.

And this is understandable: there is a possibility that having bought a tour on this tour, you will not fly away for “good” reasons for the bankruptcy of the seller.
A seller who is simply an intermediary between the travel tool and you.
And the tool is not complicated, and it is easy to learn how to use it - therefore, a holiday organized independently is more flexible in relation to force majeure and is easily rebuilt if something happens.

“But what about the price?”, - an inquisitive dependent tourist will ask, - after all, a ticket is cheaper than traveling on your own!
You are mistaken dear...

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

If you are interested in my review of a vacation in Dubai, then here.

Family 4 adults.
Savages, on my own
Booked at the end of August.
Dubai from 03.11 for 14 nights. Emirates flight from Moscow.
Air tickets 16700*4=66800. The cost of one ticket was returned in miles from Tinkoff.
Insurance - one adult free of charge (TCS card), .
Accommodation :
7 nights - Doubletree by Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Beach, apartments 2 bedrooms with a kitchen (they still have a kitchen there, but a little cheaper) - 75000 (including taxes) booked through booking.
7 nights - Damac Maison Dubai Mall, apartment 2 bedrooms - 74000 with a view of the BH, booked through airbnb.
Visas: 14000

Independently: 216.600 rubles for 4 people

At the tour operator(watched Biblio-Glubus) this tour for the same dates.
True, you can’t choose both hotels there, 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 organize your own vacation in Dubai, you can save money.
At what to save decently - more than twice.
Here is such a schedule.

Additional help:

Rent a Car

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

Here they will help and prompt at the beginning in preparation self rest In Dubai

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

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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.

On their own, as a rule, people who speak English fluently go to foreign countries, who are able to independently organize the best leisure time for themselves and the conditions of their stay in a foreign country, who are not afraid of buying air tickets on their own, solving 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. You will not find either Latin and North America, or Australia, or Central and South Africa 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 richness of 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.

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 exactly 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.

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 exorbitant 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 for food and accommodation, rather 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 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 the English language at a high level is not required from you.

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?

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.

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 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, 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 likes, change the route at will, return to the places he likes or explore 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.

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.

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