The image of booking a trip that includes a plane ride to a faraway country involves sitting opposite a travel agent in a cozy office, looking for appropriate information in their vast catalogues.
However, nowadays, all the needed information is available via the Internet; hence, a trip can be booked independently.
Still, many people struggle with the question of whether they should trust themselves and plan the holiday on their own, fearing forgetting anything essential due to their lack of experience.
Thus, this article provides tips on how to organize an international journey independently without wasting additional money on travel agencies and other services.
Start With Fundamental Questions: Destination, Time and Length of the Trip
The first thing one should do before diving into the world of online bookings and reservations is to answer the following questions: Where to travel? When and how long? The answers to these questions will form the basis of the rest of the organization.
One should consider that the time of the year greatly influences various factors, such as prices, weather conditions, and even the presence of particular places to visit. It is worth finding out whether one is going to travel during high or low seasons, whether there are any holidays or festivals going on at that particular time in this particular location, and even studying thoroughly the weather conditions for this exact period of time.
The period of one’s holiday is crucial in organizing a travel experience as well. For example, trying to fit many places and activities in one week-long trip will probably lead to disappointment in the form of tiredness.
Passport and Visa Should Be Sorted Out Firstly
This step might seem unnecessary since there is much time left till a trip. But, actually, passport and visa are the aspects that are able to spoil any holiday plans.
To avoid problems, firstly, one needs to verify whether the passport is valid and has a sufficient number of free pages. If one needs to make a renewal, he or she should apply for it at once as, according to the schedule, this process takes up to six months. Moreover, one should consider the destination he or she is going to travel to.
It is crucial to find out the visa requirements. For this purpose, one should consult only the website of the governmental institution, as it is more accurate, whereas many websites providing such information are outdated and not quite relevant for visa purposes.
Three points need to be taken into account while studying the official resources:
- Whether a visa is needed, and, if so, whether it will be obtained prior to arrival to the destination or it is an e-visa,
- The time and cost of its obtaining,
- Documents required in addition to the application.
After getting a visa, it is necessary to keep copies of all the certificates and approvals, as in some cases, border police asks for them, and flight attendants definitely require them during the check-in procedure.
Book Flights Strategically, Not Impulsively
Flights constitute the most expensive element of one’s journey, so it is necessary to make wise choices regarding them.
Firstly, one should estimate the price range for a particular route using one of the available online comparers such as Google Flights or Kayak. Flexible date views will show when exactly one should fly. For instance, in the case of long-distance flying, Tuesday and Wednesday nights prove to be much cheaper than Saturday evenings.
If one finds out that he or she wants to book this particular flight, one should consider buying tickets via airlines instead of online booking companies, as they might have lower commissions. In case of rescheduling, one will not deal with intermediaries in that case.
One should pay attention to the fare classes as airlines tend to introduce special fare tickets, in which basic fees (e.g., baggage) are excluded. One has to add all the costs for this particular flight to get a clear idea about its total price.
Another point one should pay attention to while booking flights is airports, as some airlines operate from remote airports that are located far away from the main one, thus requiring longer transportation to the city.
Choose Accommodation That Matches How You Travel
A traveler can choose any type of place of residence – from budget guesthouses to luxury hotels. However, every type differs greatly in terms of convenience, comfort, and the opportunities it provides.
Hotels guarantee a comfortable bed, breakfast, and many services provided. In case one prefers a more independent lifestyle, renting apartments or even houses might be a good choice as it is possible to cook there. Moreover, hostels, which used to be places only for twenty-year-olds, now provide private rooms and many opportunities for communication. The most informative and authentic way to travel independently is to stay at a family-run guesthouse.
Whichever place one chooses for oneself, it is vital to consider the location carefully. Using maps, one can figure out where the chosen place of residence is situated. Besides, he or she should read recent reviews and pay attention to details such as cleanliness, accuracy of photos, etc.
Build a Loose Itinerary, Not a Minute-by-Minute Schedule
Now it is time to consider what one will do after arriving. Again, one should follow the principle of “Looseness” while creating a schedule of one’s actions.
One has to research his/her destination to find out which activities, places, or food cannot be missed. Then, one should find out whether they require booking and pre-ordering. It is necessary to pay particular attention to the popular sites that are closed for a visit in case of overbooking – the Vatican Museums in Italy, the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, and TeamLab in Tokyo, Japan, to name but a few. In case it becomes possible, one should order their visits to particular locations in advance.
Then, one has to create a plan for each day. There should be a central point in the schedule to visit and then continue the exploration randomly. In case of visiting a big city, it is useful to group activities in neighborhoods so that one does not cross the city all day. Also, one should include at least one leisure day in the schedule if one plans to travel longer than five days.
Finally, all the plans should be saved somewhere, either on one’s computer, smartphone or even in maps as a collection of pins for offline use.
Money, Connectivity, and Online Security Should Be Considered
One should inform his or her bank about the upcoming travel as it may be necessary to activate it. Additionally, one needs to make sure that there are no fees in case of making transactions abroad. In case one is traveling with more than one card, it is necessary to store cards in separate places. Upon arrival, it is better to withdraw local currency using bank ATMs rather than airport currency kiosks, with higher exchange rates. Moreover, one should say “no” if their card terminal offers a payment in their national currency because this service is paid extra.
Speaking about mobile phones, one has to compare their carrier’s roaming package with available eSIMs. Currently, there are numerous advantages of using an eSIM, as it can be ordered and installed at home, so upon arrival, the Internet will be available immediately. Besides, an eSIM is a great alternative to SIM cards in case there is a problem with using cash in a particular country.
The last point related to online safety refers to using a VPN service while traveling abroad. If you invest in and buy VPN, then you will be able to protect all of your transactions made via public Wi-Fi. In addition, if any problem with payments occurs due to the change of IP address, one can solve the problem in a matter of minutes using a VPN.
Get Travel Insurance and Take Care of Your Health
Travel insurance does not seem to be important at first, but it becomes absolutely necessary in case one gets sick or hospitalized abroad. Such an emergency might cost one more money than the whole trip, so it is necessary to take care of it beforehand.
One should consider purchasing a policy that covers medical expenses, travel cancellations, and loss or theft of personal property. Moreover, one needs to read the terms and conditions of the company and see whether it fits him/her.
As far as the state of health is concerned, one needs to find out if any vaccination is required for this particular destination and obtain it four to six weeks before leaving. Moreover, it is necessary to pack the needed medication in the original packages and together with prescriptions.
The Trip Is Yours
Planning an independent trip proves to be much easier than one might suppose. In order to do that successfully, one should start with the basics, such as deciding on where, when, and how long to travel. Then one has to get passports and visas, book flights and hotels, develop a loose schedule, and pay for money management services and insurance. All one has to do now is to pick a destination and start planning.
