We all love to travel. Someone for this resorts to the help of tour operators, and someone prefers to go "savage". And if everything is more or less clear with the first option of the trip, then a lot of preparation is required for an independent trip. And it begins, as a rule, with laying the route. Alas, just looking at the map and deciding where you will go is not enough. In order to make the best route, you need to take into account and compare many factors…
The benefits of self-tourism
Traveling on an individual program is an order of magnitude more interesting than on hackneyed agency offers. Freedom of action, the ability to visit anything and anytime, unlimited time for idle wandering around souvenir shops or taking pictures are ideal conditions for tourists who do not want to be constrained by circumstances. So don't losetime and start planning your trip in advance. This will save you from critical mistakes, the understanding of which, alas, will come along the way.
Country identity
Surely the first thing you will choose is the country you are eager to visit. Try to find as much information about her as possible. And do not give preference to thick guidebooks or encyclopedias. It will be much more useful to talk with people who have already gone there - they will share seemingly insignificant details, but these little things will help you better understand the characteristics of the population, its temper, traditions and sometimes funny customs.
How to plan a sightseeing itinerary
The next step in preparation is to make a list of beautiful places you want to see. If your trip involves visiting several countries, then in order to plot the best course, stock up on one large map and several separate ones for each stopover. When moving from one city to another, choose a transport that combines speed and moderate fares. Otherwise, the journey will be exhausting and all you will see is your neighbors on the bus or train.
If you are planning a road trip, it is best to plan your route with a map of local roads. Do not move away from highways, so as not to get lost in an unknown area. Of course, it is convenient to use the map in the navigator, but also have a paper version at hand - do not rely onlyfor vehicles.
Stops
Of course, you need to take care of booking hotel rooms in advance. Carefully study the opening hours of hotels or hotels located near your route, the cost of their services. If you are planning to sleep in a car or tent, find out about permitted parking areas, tourist spots, if you do not want to run into trouble and camp in nature in comfort.
Convenient to know the details
Ask in advance about the opening hours of all the objects that you plan to visit (exhibitions, museums, shops, auto repair shops, etc.). Please note that it is foolish to hope that a particular cafe will be open at a particular moment, so each item should have analogues, they also need to be mapped.
Money
You'll be wondering, "What does this have to do with making a path?" In fact, it is very important to be able to manage your money in a foreign country. So do not limit yourself to cash only, transfer part of the funds to a bank card. To plan your route wisely, find out if there are bank branches on your way, where in case of force majeure it can be cashed or blocked (for example, in case of loss or theft).
