When you decide to go somewhere on vacations the first question you are faced with is how to organize your trip. At least, you need tickets and accommodation. However, if you are going abroad, the situation becomes more complicated. You will need visa, foreign passport and a little bit of information about a country you are coming to. The citizens, living and traveling inside European Union borders are in better position. They are free to visit any EU country without any additional document and visas. But let’s imagine you have chosen a country where you need visa. Well, now it’s time to make some preparations for your trip. At first, whether you trust organizing your trip to a travel agency, or organize it by your own. If you choose the first variant:

Advantages

1) Convenience. You don’t have to besiege embassy and wait in long queues. You don’t need to worry about buying tickets and booking hotels.

2) Price. Sometimes travel agencies have special agreements with hotels and the price becomes cheaper. The same thing can be said about avia and train tickets.

3) Comfort in the country of destination – you are mostly provided with transfer to hotel and the representative of the agency can solve any of your problems.

4) Your vacation is organized. You have a choice of excursions; you’ll be shown the best shops and the most interesting attractions.

Disadvantages

1) Unfortunately, not all the agencies can be relied on, some of them disappear with the client’s money.

2) Some people don’t like to be limited - by excursions, by return tickets or by the necessity of staying in the hotel they’ve chosen.

3) It’s not always cheap – often the excursions, offered by the agency representatives are more expensive than in other places in the city.

If you choose the second variant, you should be prepared to some problems, but of course, this variant has its light sides too.

Advantages

1) You are free to choose there and when to go. You are free to change you hotel of your return ticket.

2) You are most likely to see the places, not shown to usual tourists.

3) It’s a kind of challenge. Can’t imagine your holyday without risk and adrenaline? So, this variant is for you!

4) You can seek and find a cheaper variant and not just accept what the agency offers.

Disadvantages

1) Once again – risk. You are not quite safe when traveling alone in the foreign country. Nowadays you are not quite safe anywhere, but still…

2) It causes some problems in the stage of organization – getting a visa can be a trouble. Interview, invitation and a lot of documents – all this can be inevitable. So, prepare to waste some time and nerves.

Anyway, the choice is yours.

This article was posted on November 14, 2005