Tourists are often looking for ways to save money and have a better vacation experience, therefore they often choose to plan their trips on their own, without the help of travel agencies.
But, many people still don’t know how to make a travel plan, choose the best route and calculate the budget for such a vacation. So, in this article, you will find a lot of useful information about when and what you should take care of before starting your trip on your own route.
Why do I need to plan my vacation?
Many travel companies offer a full travel package (air + hotel), this is convenient as your tour operator and hotel staff are responsible for your pleasant pastime. This option is well suited for inexperienced tourists who have decided to visit a foreign country for the first time.
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Self-planned trips open up more opportunities and freedom because travellers who choose this option for a vacation can customize their holidays depending on their own preferences.
So, travel planning allows tourists to visit more places that are interesting for them, to choose how much and where to stay, to save money and visit places with poor tourist infrastructure.
When and how to start planning your trip?
It’s best to plan your trip in advance, 3-6 months before the trip. The first step is to choose what kind of vacation is needed. Reports, reviews, photographs of people who have visited these countries can help to make the right choice.
Then you need to find out more about the laws of this country for tourists. Not all countries provide visa-free travel for foreigners. But this isn’t a reason to give up the trip, because anyone can obtain a tourist visa at the embassy of a foreign country if this person meets the requirements.
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Once you’ve chosen the vacation destination, you may start planning the vacation. To do this, you need to find answers to all these questions.
How to get there?
Many tourists are faced with the problem of choosing a transport to move around the city or in its vicinity.
The advantage of public transport is that it works in every city. The disadvantages — is that the cost of a ticket for a one-time pass on public transport can be expensive and the city bus schedule may not correspond to your plans.
The taxi service is ideal for getting around an unfamiliar city but too expensive for tourists. Plus, tourists can get into trouble if they will catch a taxi on the street.
The best solution for travelling around the city or in the nearest cities is to rent a car. Now, many companies offer tourists to rent a car quickly and on favourable terms.
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Arguments for renting a car may be that you don’t depend on the schedule of public transport, you may choose the brand of car and equipment that will be comfortable and meet your needs. For example, the decision to rent a Tesla can help you save money on gas costs and make your trip safer, because of the modern equipment and the autopilot of this car.
Where to stay?
Experienced travellers are advised to look for where to rent an apartment, instead of choosing a hotel. In their opinion, it’s more convenient and cheaper to find a studio or room in an apartment, but sometimes hotels offer exclusive rooms for guests at a good price. It’s worth checking out local hotel deals before making a choice.
What to eat?
Find the price of the average bill of different restaurants and bars in the city. Also, look at the cost of groceries in supermarkets.
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It’s best to combine eating in a restaurant or bar and cooking food from the store. In this case, you will be able to taste traditional local dishes and you will spend less money when cooking at home.
How much time?
You need to determine how long the trip will take, how many days you plan to spend in one city/country and roughly calculate the time it takes to visit museums and attractions.
What to visit?
Now you can make a list of the places you want to visit. Carefully read the information on the websites of museums and galleries, many of them offer discounts on visits on certain days of the week, for groups of tourists or special conditions for children and students.
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How to create a budget for a trip?
The budget consists of the following items: transfer to the destination and back, accommodation, meals, internal travel, entertainment and souvenirs. After you find the approximate cost of everything you might need, then calculate your daily budget and try to stick with it — this will relieve you of unnecessary stress.
A quick tip: use one of the bookkeeping apps that you know for trip cost calculation.
Don’t forget to explore the cultural characteristics of the country you are visiting. This will open up additional possibilities for entertainment and you will be able to avoid embarrassing situations due to the nature of the customs in the foreign country.
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Have a safe and enjoyable vacation wherever you will go!