Travel without travel agencies. Package tour or independent travel? Until we meet again

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Pros and Cons of Solo Travel

A journey of thousands of miles begins with the first step. What to choose: a tour operator or independent travel - everyone decides for himself.

In order to make this choice, it is necessary to consider the advantages and disadvantages of independent tourism. It is not difficult to find such information on the Internet - it is enough to familiarize yourself with the experience of numerous "pioneers" of the most different corners the globe and categorize their reviews into two categories:

Reliability

Financial problems, staff inconsistencies, organizational overhead and disrespectful attitude towards customers on the part of many tour operators are already well known. - more proof of that. Relying only on yourself, you make an investment in the most reliable project.

freedom of choice

Time. You determine the date of departure, return and travel time yourself. It is very rare that it is possible "to the day" to bring the vacation time under the schedule set by travel agency. Do I need to remember that time is money, and every free day spent in vain is also a reason for psychological discomfort.

Places. One who is accustomed to go with the flow will never be able to see the source. Travel itinerary you compose according to your own preferences, not focusing on the tastes and preferences of the guide or other group members.

Action. At any moment you can change a luxurious room in a five-star hotel to a thatched hut without amenities; no one will give you a command to go somewhere if you want to lie on the beach; you have no obligations to anyone for the entire duration of the vacation, which you can always shorten or extend.

Saving. You do not choose from multiple fixed cost tour options. You yourself make the calculation and plan the budget for the future trip. At the same time, there is always a choice of the most "cheap" weekdays for air travel; ; not to pay for the work of translators, guides, Additional services and excursions if you do not need them.

Cons of solo travel

Planning and responsibility. You will have to spend more than one hour making a route on the map and studying the reviews of travelers on numerous Internet sites. You will need to get a visa yourself, and provide for a transfer. All this will take time and effort.

However, this minus can be countered by three pluses:

the experience of planning your first trip will make you a "pro" in tourism business, and the preparation of subsequent travels will seem like child's play;
learning how to organize long trips, you will be able to give practical advice to your friends and acquaintances, which will “raise” you high in their eyes and complement the strengthened self-confidence;
The greatest pleasures of travel are the preparation for it and the memories of the trip. Is it worth depriving yourself of one of these pleasures?

The language barrier. Can you have difficulty communicating with native speakers in your chosen country? Undoubtedly. But is it worth it to worry so much about this, if you remember that more than one billion people around the globe speak elementary English!

Safety. Weather disasters, crime, domestic injuries and exotic diseases. You can (and should!) insure yourself against the latter by specifying which vaccinations you need to undergo before traveling to the selected country. All other troubles are almost as likely to threaten you at home. Elementary precautions that should be taken based on the recommendations of experienced travelers who are familiar with the specifics of the color and mentality of the chosen country are the best guarantee of your safety.

You are not going to solo travel? Make up your mind!

After completing this course, you will easily find out the amount that you can save by organizing a trip yourself.

Most best tour operator strives to make you feel at home abroad. But is it interesting? The main reward from an independent trip for you will be the opportunity to fully feel the atmosphere of the chosen country, which is very rare for tourists led by a guide on a leash!

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.

IN Lately there are more and more people traveling without intermediaries - both in the world and in Russia in particular. It's obvious that independent tourism gained its distribution 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 line 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 at a minimum financial cost.

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 their trips on their own, citizens who have problems with foreign language and those in need of 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 mostly in demand European states, 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 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 - to spend all 7 days in a hotel, relaxing and basking in the sun, or combine passive recreation with active trips to sights 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 it makes no sense to overpay for it, using an individual search for hotels and good conditions they are practically non-existent.

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 away” 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 exorbitantly expensive 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. At independent search you can easily find hotels or guest houses on the same Booking at two or even three times cheaper, with conditions 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 English 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 holidays 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. Actually, about European countries it cannot be generalized to say 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 French capital, the inability to idly drink coffee in the mornings in coffee shops and allow yourself to have lunch and dinner in 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, V Czech Karlovy Vary by 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, for an average of 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 a booked hotel of your choice for 240 euro for 7 days.

As for countries such as Spain, Italy, France or Greece, it is possible that it is 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 - starting from self-registration visas and until the search for 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 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 booking a hotel, meals and visiting attractions.
Any questions will be answered by the tour operator or his representative on the tour.
If you don't own English language– no problem, the tour will be organized using Russian speaking guides, hotels will greet you with a speech at mother tongue, you will hardly 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 wants, change the route at will, return to the places he likes or study 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 “have had enough” organized tours who are looking 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 flavor 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. Voucher for famous island Phuket, so beloved by Russian tourists, is sold for two by the first travel agency that came across in the search 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 sum up - tickets plus accommodation without a ticket on their own will cost us 67,656 rubles.

That is 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, when planning on your own, 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 include two transfers and will take an average of 20 hours in both directions. 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 terms 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 .

Every experienced traveler will tell you that planning your next trip is not difficult. But for a beginner, this task may seem not so much difficult as new and intimidating. After all, the success of the entire trip depends to a greater extent on preparation. Logistics, accommodation, on-site program, country specifics, local prices and the “right” places to shop are just a small part of what needs to be found and implemented. And for this we have collected useful resources and services that may be useful initial stage real travel.

I don’t know what will make me buy a ready-made ticket from a tour operator now (except for a super-unrealistic price that will cover the cost of flights and accommodation), because planning an independent trip is easy and simple. Often the trip comes out, if not cheaper, then much richer and more interesting. So let's get started!

What's the price

Numbeo- convenient option find out how much housing, food, transport, etc. cost in the country where you are going to go. Just select the criteria you need and estimate the budget for your trip.

How to get there

Kayak- looking for plane tickets. In my experience, he was the one who always gave me the cheapest airfare. And, of course, do not forget about flying out of Russia.

And if you do not know where to go on a trip, you have a direct road to Drungli. This site will tell you where you can fly the cheapest way from your city on a specific date, or it will give you a price table for the whole month.

What to pay attention to: which airport the plane arrives at (important for logistics or transfers), conditions for returning and exchanging a ticket, baggage rules, meals on board.

Where to live

Hotels Combined - decent metasearch engine for hotels in different countries ah, thanks to which you do not have to check all the booking sites you know. On the site Bed and Breakfast you can find a B&B hotel (I just adore them). In addition to finding hotels, there is also a good content section with travel ideas and tips.

But hotels are not the only possible option for a stopover while traveling. On service Airbnb you can find an apartment, and on the site Hostels- find a cheap hostel. Website useful for travelers with children [email protected] family oriented.

What to pay attention to A: Does the price include local taxes, food, and cancellation policy.

What to do on site

Personally, I love getting to know real life in every new country and the city where I visit, so I always look for local friends on Couchsurfing. After all, they can not only give practical advice, but also arrange a tour, show life from the inside, and even feed you lunch. In addition, you can always track the parties and other activities organized by the "surfers" in a particular city. It is always interesting and fun to meet fellow travelers in person.

Second option - organize an official tour with local resident, for example, using the service tripster. By the way, here you can not only find an excursion from the locals, but also ask the participants of the service a question of interest.

Currant- a startup guide to Russia that will tell you where to go and what to do without leaving your native country. Also from travelers for travelers.

In addition to Couchsurfing and Tripster, there are a few other resources you can add to find tips and advice from travelers.

tripadvisor- reviews of hotels, restaurants, beaches, etc. - a huge database of various objects and activities around the world. By the way, here you can find reviews about the hotel that you liked, for example, by price or location.

gogobot - somewhat similar to TripAdvisor, but it also has a large community of travellers. On Gogobot, you can ask a question or make a recommendation to others.

Travelers for travelers– another community of travelers from different countries focused on budget travel and acquaintance with local life and culture.

Find an expert

No desire or time to do everything yourself? Increase your budget by 10 - 20 € and order the desired service from others.

GO2- on this platform there is a good section of services, where experienced travelers offer their help to beginners. For example, developing logistics, finding plane tickets or housing options. There is no fixed price for any service, so you can negotiate with each expert individually.

Skillflick - a resource for finding local services in London, from guided tours to clarinet lessons to professional wedding photography.

I think that most of these services are familiar experienced travelers or have alternatives. However, they will certainly come in handy for those who are just taking the first steps in organizing independent trips.

Rubles. These are real examples of cheap tours that I found for Last year. Find out where and how to find such last-minute tours.

This guide is two years old. Being an avid traveler and hunter for cheap tours, I have presented my experience and knowledge on search cheap tours. Learn how to relax without spending too much!

Rules for finding and buying the cheapest tours:

1. Buy tours online

Travel agencies on the street sell tours for more than online tour search engines. Last time I bought a ticket at the office of a travel agency back in 2012. Then convenient and reliable online tour search services appeared - now I use only them. I no longer go to the offices of greedy travel agencies - it is more convenient and more profitable to buy tickets on the Internet.

Why are travel agencies more expensive? The reason is the human factor - cunning managers in travel agencies by all possible ways promote the client to buy a more expensive tour package. They fundamentally do not want to sell tours for 5, 10, 20 thousand - a percentage of such transactions is not enough for them, they need more gold!

Where to look for cheap tours online? I use three search engines: , and . All three are reliable and very comfortable. Choose which one you like best.

Install mobile app . Travelata has an excellent application: download it for or and use the current promotional code when buying a tour MobilizeMe- you will receive a discount of 1000 rubles for any tours costing from 50,000 rubles. Valid until August 14, 2018.

How do tour search engines work? They compare prices among 130 popular tour operators and find the cheapest tours. Finding and booking a tour on your own is easy. You see full information on a tour: hotel, flight, meals, reviews of tourists and so on. You choose the tour you like. Got questions? Ask them to the consultant in a chat or by phone. Secure payment online bank card. The tour can also be purchased in installments.

Offices and consultants. All three search engines have offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and others major cities. There is also a hotline support service. So it's easy to interact with them.

Advantages of buying tours online:

Big choice. Compare prices from all tour operators to find the best cheap tour. Compare - save!
Convenient and fast. No need to go to travel agency offices, waste time on the road, waiting and communication. You can find and book a tour in 15-30 minutes at home or at work. When buying last-minute tours, speed is especially important: I found cheap ticket- bought in a couple of clicks, until it disappeared.
Safely. Search engines work only with reliable tour operators. Payment is made using a secure protocol. Eat round the clock service support.
Independence. I recommend looking for and buying tours on your own. So it is more reliable - you know better than any person what exactly you need and at what price. There is no interference from others - there is no possibility to confuse you. In offices, managers are often cunning or simply incompetent.
Documents - immediately. When buying a tour online, all bookings and confirmations will be sent to the mail immediately after payment. In an ordinary agency, employees like to delay issuing documents - we passed, we know.
Reliably. Large online search engines, and with a large customer base and a well-known name, I trust. Tour agencies with colorful names like "Cactus", "Sea of Dreams" or "Marina Travel", scattered along the streets of Russian cities - no.

2. Be flexible with deadlines and dates

Often we have many restrictions: rigidly fixed vacation days, personal affairs and obligations. However, try to achieve as much freedom as possible in choosing dates - this will save you money.

See different departure days. Vacation starts on Monday and you found a tour for that day for 50 thousand? Check departures on Tuesday or Wednesday - suddenly there are tours for 30 thousand. I encounter this on a regular basis.

Change your rest time. Often (not sometimes, but often!) tours for 7 nights cost cheaper tours for 5 nights, tours for 10 nights are cheaper than tours for 8 and so on. Do not limit yourself - check all the options!

Take a look at the site's price calendar. Often vouchers for 7 nights are cheaper than vouchers for 3 nights:

3. Be flexible in choosing a resort

If you are monogamous, who prefers to go on vacation to the same place every year, then the question of choosing a direction is not worth it for you. For everyone else, I recommend you take a look. different resorts- your chances of buying a cheap tour will increase.

How does direction affect price?

Eat traditionally expensive destinations( , ). There are cheap directions ( , ).
Seasonality plays an important role: it is cheaper to fly to some resorts in summer, to others in winter, and to others in spring or autumn.
There are also random factors. For example, a tour operator sold few tours in one of the directions and decided to lower prices - last-minute tours appear.

Do you want to buy the cheapest tour? See as many directions as you can. Compare not only countries, but also individual resorts of the same country.

4. Buy tours from Moscow

It is for flights from Moscow that you can find the cheapest tours. competition and advanced system air travel prices are dropping. Sometimes the difference in price compared to other cities is colossal.

What should a non-capital tourist do?

First, check if you can find a cheap tour from your city. Found? Great - take it! If not, then it is worth expanding the geography of departure cities.

See if there are cheap tours from neighboring cities or from Moscow. You can get to the point of departure on your own: by bus, train or plane. Pobeda flies to Moscow from many Russian cities - tickets cost from 1000 rubles. I myself live in the provinces, and I fly from Moscow on vacation.

All situations are different - there is no one solution. Compare prices and decide what is best for you: pay more and fly from your city or save money but spend time on the road to another city.

Look at the examples below. I compared the cost of trips to Cyprus from Moscow and Yekaterinburg. A tour from the capital can be bought much cheaper. If you fly to Moscow on your own, you can save a lot of money.

5. Use Smart Search

6. Trust fortune

For those who want to buy the cheapest tour, prudent tour operators have come up with the Fortune system.

How it works? You do not buy a tour to a specific hotel, but only choose its level: 2 stars, 3 stars, and so on. The tour operator himself decides in which hotel of the selected category you will be accommodated. You don't have to be a psychic to guess your future hotel. Just find the cheapest one in the list of options - they will send you there. There is only one exception - the hotel is already full. Then you will be settled in the next one at a low price. Tour operators do not always offer "Fortune": if tours for this system are available, you will see them in the search results.

How much can you save? A tour of "Fortune" usually costs 2-3 thousand rubles cheaper than other tours. Look at the description and reviews for the cheapest hotel in the desired resort. If the hotel suits you, buy a tour of "Fortuna".

Is it worth the risk? My opinion is no. It is better to overpay a little and choose an adequate hotel without surprises. Usually the most cheap hotel has a bad location and many shortcomings. But often does not mean always! If you want to save money and are not too pretentious, then you can go on vacation along Fortuna. Look at reviews of cheap hotels and decide according to the situation.

7. Book early

Buy a tour in advance or catch a last minute one? This question is asked by many tourists. AND early booking, and buying a tour at the last moment provide an opportunity to save. Each option has its pros and cons.

Early booking. Minus: discounts are usually not as big as when buying last-minute tours. Plus: you can choose any hotel to your taste, relax beautifully and pleasantly. This is a winning option in terms of price - quality ratio.

Hot tours. Buying a tour at the last moment is often very profitable. Pros: big discounts, sometimes vouchers are generally given for a penny. Minus two. Firstly, there is no guarantee that a cheap last minute tour will appear for your destination on the dates you need. At the last moment, prices can either go down or go up. This game is quite exciting. The second drawback is that in the high season everything best hotels are already booked, you will have to choose from second-rate options.

Conclusion. If you need a tour anywhere and as cheaply as possible, catch last-minute tours just before departure. If the quality of rest is a priority, then buy a tour in advance (optimally - 2-3 months in advance). You will receive both an early booking discount and a wide selection of hotels.

See also others about how to travel cheaper and more interesting.

Tour operators with whom it works (in terms of reliability): Coral Travel, TUI, Tez Tour, Sunmar, AnexTour, Pegas Tourism, NTK-Intourist, Biblio Globus, Mouzenidis Travel, PAC group and others.

Cities, with a departure from which you can pick up a tour: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Perm, Tyumen and many others.

Leisure destinations: Russia (Sochi, Adler, Crimea, Anapa, etc.), Abkhazia, Cyprus, Greece, Thailand, India, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Tunisia, Vietnam, Israel and many others.