When one decides to go out to know the world without previous experience, one of the first decisions we face is whether we should hire the services of a travel agency and acquire an “All Inclusive” plan. In fact, for many people, this is the only option.

But there is another way: Design the trip of your dreams to suit you for yourself. This can be intimidating. How can I do this if I have no previous travel experience? And what if my destination is a remote site or with large linguistic or cultural barriers?

In this article we will share the pros and cons from our experience between agency package trips and “self-designed” trips.

 

A bit of term precision

 

Let’s confront two styles of travel:

1. Go to a travel agency and buy a tour package.
2. Organize oneself/or the trip, with all that implies.

Let’s talk about the pros and cons of both approaches and, at the end, we’ll say what our favorite travel style is. Read.

Agency Package

 

It is simply about going to a travel agency and buying a “package tour” to our dream destination. These packages usually include airfare, stays, some guided tours of tourist sites, transfers, gratuities, taxes, etc.

It’s as easy as that. But let’s put the magnifying glass on it.

The Yes-Yes

• Zero worries. You only choose date and budget. This is especially important if you are going to an exotic country.

• You don’t have to worry about taxes, local laws, idiosyncrasies. The travel agency and the tour operator will be a “safety barrier”.

• The “issue” of language is overcome. The guide provided is the intermediary between the traveler and the locals. As in the previous point, it prevents “misunderstandings” with the local culture.

• Most agencies include medical and travel insurance in their packages. Check this with your agency.

• Agency packages may include some important and regular visits. The “places you should know if you visit…“. Ideal for short walks.

• Transfers included. Even airport-hotel-airport.

• Some agency tour packages leave one or more days off for you to do whatever you want. There you can get to know more about some aspect not covered or little covered in the main package.

• If you travel with children to an exotic location and have little travel experience, this may be your best option.

The No-No

• All the comfort and absence of complications described above come at a price. The packages are higher priced than their “self-managed” equivalent. The more things included (places, visits), the more expensive. It is true that agencies obtain special prices according to agreements with operators, hotels. But that is largely nullified for the traveler by paying fees to the agency.

• You can’t change the preset itineraries in the package. You can only visit the included sites and do the things described in it.

• Guided tours have limited time. They don’t wait for you. If you want to stay longer in a place with which you feel some special connection, you will not be able to do so.

• Visits and meals not included in the package are paid additionally. Logically, if you want more things, you must pay more.

• Travel agencies look for economy in airfares. So you will often be subjected to uncomfortable flight schedules: very early, midnight…

• Check-in can be slow because you have to do the procedure with all the people who have taken the same package. You want to get there and rest from a transatlantic or transpacific flight, but you have to wait for the whole group to be registered.

• They take you shopping at shops and restaurants for tourists that are more onerous. These sites have deals with tour operators, who receive commissions for bringing tourists to consume on the spot.

• You can get agencies that design a trip with all the routes and visits you want to do, but it is much more expensive. These “taylormade” trips have the advantages of both worlds: you can go and do whatever you want and the level of safety and carefreeness is high.But they are very expensive.

Traveling on your own

 

Here you are going to organize yourself / or your dream trip. All stages of the journey will run on your own. You must consider all its aspects, places to travel, budgets, possible difficulties, etc. see.

 

The Yes-Yes

• It’s cheaper. By designing your trip yourself, you will be able to choose the accommodation options and destinations that best suit your pocket.

• The expenses are progressive. This is especially positive for “digital nomads” who are generating income while traveling. You don’t need to pay for the whole trip at once. You can ration and choose/change your options according to how the financial aspect goes.

• Visit what you want, when you want and as long as you want. Not all tourist landmarks have the same interest for everyone. Although you can choose tour packages more akin to your interests and inclinations, that kind of freedom that comes from visiting places that “talk to you”, with which you feel a special connection, is priceless. And believe us when we tell you that while traveling you’re going to want to visit places you hadn’t even considered while you were planning.

• While organizing your own trip, you soak up the culture of your destination. We love this stage, because it increases the excitement, the adrenaline and the desire to be there.

• By being in an unfamiliar environment and having to fend for yourself, you develop your problem-solving ability. You increase your “situational awareness”,which is that state in which, although you are calm or relaxed, you are fully aware of your environment and are alert to any eventuality. That skill will be extremely useful for those who travel frequently to exotic sites.

• You know yourself. You leave your comfort zone. You challenge yourself. It feels immense pleasure when you can solve problems for yourself. This makes up much of what we know as “happiness.” And that, of course, translates into more anecdotes to tell.

• You save your budget and get in touch with authentic local culture when you go to local restaurants. The food is usually excellent and much more economical.

• Doing what the locals do, going to places that are not within the mainstream of tourism in the area, gives you a greater degree of freedom and enjoyment of your trip.

The No-No

• You have to spend a lot of time designing your trip. Look for the best options in airfare, accommodation, transfers, ticket tickets to tourist attractions. In addition to soaking up the culture, idiosyncrasies, laws, entry and permanence requirements… It’s a lot of research.

• You yourself will have to solve problems that arise in the country of destination. No one will do it for you. That’s why it’s vital that you get well-reported before you leave.

• There may be places where tourists alone are not allowed to go, which are not covered by a travel agency. When we arrived in Egypt, two years earlier there had been an attack that left several French tourists dead. The government tightened security and you could not visit the country but through a travel agency. Likewise, you will have to hire one if you want to reach places of not easy access, such as islands, oases, etc.

• You must process your travel medical insurance. It is advisable to have it.

• You may want to hire the services of a local guide to get to know the site better. These private guided tours, although very didactic, are very, very expensive. If you can, agree with other travelers with your same interests and hire a local guide among all. It comes out much cheaper.

 

Conclusion

 

Given the pros and cons, we’re going to tell you what our favorite travel option is.

We definitely enjoy the anticipated excitement and freedom to visit and delve into the local culture of designing our trips for ourselves.

We run away from clichés. And travel agencies generally assemble their packages based on destinations popularized by the media and on “general opinion.” That is, in marketing.

While it is true that there are certain “must-haves”, such as going to Paris and knowing the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre or dispensing a visit to the Vatican in Rome, there are an immense number of wonderful sites that are not included in most tour packages. For example, we can mention the “Red Pyramid” that we visited on our own in Cairo, which was, according to our experience, the most interesting of all.

And if any agency includes these hidden gems, they usually do so at exorbitant prices and with limited visit times.

So we hope we have convinced you to put aside your fears and take charge of your next trips.

And you will surely be grateful.

Have you had experience with agencies or traveling on your own?

Leave us your comments below.