Ol`gita Major: International Economic Relations Status: Workygirl I am fond of chocolates, flowers, friends, loud music, watching movies, taking pictures and traveling!!!

Independent Travel vs. Traveling on Budget Package
Olya Bezvushko

There is always a choice: to travel independently or with a package tour. This question is especially urgent if you travel on budget.

In package tours everything is set up for you in advance, while during traveling on budget suppose you to make your own airfare, hotel and sightseeing reservation.

There is definite answer to this question, as it depends to a large degree on your destination and specific services that ere available. For example, it is cheaper to travel to European destinations by yourself, especially in the off season, when the airlines are offering specials for European airfares.

However, it is cheaper to go to many exotic destinations, like South Africa, Egypt or Morocco when booked a tour through a travel agency. This is due to the fact, that many tour operators have special deals with the national airlines and good resort hotels, to provide substantial discounts for a permanent flow of business.
Sometimes, it is possible to find good deals by yourself and actually it is a great option, especially if you are going to travel alone. It is always a kind of problem to get a good deal on package, as required single supplements usually destroy the deal.

While making a research on your own, learn what is and what is not included in any package or program you are considering.

Remember, that many package deals have additional excursions built in. These extras can add considerable cost. Get a detailed list of those optional excursions, including full explanations and rates. After that you can make a comparison of the total price to what you can find on your own and a package option.    
If you decided to experience solo educational travel, it is better to start shopping earlier, especially if you want to travel by plane. Keep in mind, that airlines provide limited amount of low cost seat, so if you won’t act quickly you may miss your luck. Book the airfare and the place to live as early as possible to secure the lowest possible price.