The choice between a fully-prepared offer or doing it yourself, between comfort and a little bit of effort. Is it worth going with a travel agency or is it better to organize your holiday on your own? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both solutions?
A lack of time, skills or will to organise your holiday after a long period of hard work, can make travel agencies and their offers reasonably popular. We often prefer to pay someone to worry about things for us. Give us the place and time of departure, the transfer from the airport to the hotel and an air-conditioned room with a view of the ocean, meals and drinks with little umbrellas and a few excursions to make the stay more interesting.
Is it worth leaving your comfort zone?
Fans of travel agencies could argue that offers are at such favourable prices that it would be impossible to see, experience, feel and taste all of the same things when organised alone. However, this usually applies to Last Minute offers, because as a rule of thumb it is not price that attracts people to travel agencies. More importantly, it often seems that we are paying for comfort.
Is it worth getting out of your comfort zone and seeing the world on your own? Contrary to appearances, nothing is difficult in this respect, and a little bit of effort put into organizing a trip may result in greater satisfaction. In the age of the internet, you can do without friends' recommendations or studying guidebooks. All you need to start is select a place. You can also rely on luck and take advantage of the most tempting offers for flights.
Learn about regulations and attractions nearby
Once you know where you are going, you need to read about this place. You will need to know the most significant regulations in the country you are going to. It is worth checking whether your documents are still valid. Once the formal and technical aspects of the expedition have been mastered, the fun can begin. Now is the time to find out what's worth visiting and knowing. How much is, e.g. a coffee, a meal in a restaurant, accommodation, car rental, what are clothing requirements for visiting monuments or museum opening times, etc. There is no simpler way to get this information than online, with travel sites, blogs and forums. People’s adventures and stories from your chosen resort or region will probably include the most valuable information and inspiration for a riveting trip.
Freedom or time-saving? Or maybe one does not have to exclude the other?
It is quite a common belief that going by car gives you the most freedom on holiday, provided that it doesn’t breakdown. That is why it is worth going for an additional technical inspection, checking your car documents, insurance validity dates, equipment and remembering about a satnav app before leaving. What else? Purchasing vignettes for toll motorways and familiarising yourself with the road rules in the countries along the route will help you avoid unnecessary stress.
Even a fully functional and comfortable car and careful preparation do not change the fact that going by car takes more time than flying. The advantages of air travel are not only that it saves time, but also that it gives access to places that cannot be reached by car. It's been a long time since plane ticket prices have ceased to be prohibitive. However, when using airline offers, it is important to be vigilant. It even happens that people adapt their destinations to an exceptionally favourable flight offer.
In a standard situation, when you first choose a place and then look for connections, the most favourable prices will usually be found about a month before the date of departure. In the absence of time for tracking individual websites of specific airlines, popular ticket price comparison engines can be used. It is worth noting one important thing. If your flight has layovers, make sure that the same carrier is operating the connecting flight.
Choosing to travel by plane does not have to mean you are carless, almost all major cities and popular destinations have car rentals. As a rule, they require the customer to have a credit card. If you make your reservation in advance, you can pick up a refuelled and new-smelling car right next to the airport, almost immediately after you get off the plane.
With a currency in the world
Before you leave, it’s a good idea to also think about forms of payment abroad. Usually it is worth having some cash and money in the currency waiting in a bank account. It can also happen that expenses start even before you leave. And this doesn’t refer to pre-departure shopping, plane tickets, checking your car or booking a rental. A hotel or guest house may require advance payment in a foreign currency. What’s the best way to make sure that you don’t lose money on expensive currency conversion and foreign transfers? Conotoxia.com, a financial platform, offers not only currency exchange, but also provides money transfers, giving you a choice of 24 of the most popular currencies from different parts of the world: https://conotoxia.com/money-transfer.
If you are seeking for a holiday closer to nature or simply cheaper, you can also have a look at campsites, take a tent or rent a cottage or caravan. By any means, anyone who has tried it, knows that it is not difficult to organise a holiday abroad by yourself. All you need is patience and a little creativity. In return you gain freedom and savings. In fact, it is not the destination that is crucial, but the level of preparation for the trip. If you get it right, every destination will be the right one.