The ABCs of the independent traveler: vacationing wisely

So, you decided to come up with your own exclusive adventure and move away from the predictability and limitations of package tours?! Congratulations, you are on the path of an independent traveler! Your trip is sure to be unforgettable and enjoyable, if armed with the knowledge of experienced travelers, which we want to share with you.

How to save on buying tickets

Buy a ticket – it would seem what could be easier?! But experienced travelers know how to save money. And you don’t have to deprive yourself of conveniences – like taking the train instead of the plane. Remember that online booking sites know more about you than you think they do. When accessing the site from an expensive device, be prepared that the web resource will show you inflated prices. Travel services also track the domain from which potential customers come: for example, for the same car rental Hamburg airport booking service will show different prices, say, for Singapore and America, and the American hire will cost more. This policy is called split pricing. You can fight this in two simple ways:

Tip: Go into incognito mode. You can do it in the browser settings Safari and with the help of hot keys: Ctrl + Shift + P Internet Explorer and Firefox or Ctrl + Shift + N Chrome and Opera . Such a measure will hide the type and brand of your device from the site, and it will not be able to juggle prices and availability.2 change your geo-position. Use one of the anonymizers, so you can cover your tracks and pretend to be from another country. Here are some paid and free resources that allow you to log in anonymously and offer VPN gateways: hideme, hidemyass.com, itshidden.eu, shadeyouvpn.com, hideguard, hotspotshield.com.

When choosing an overnight stay, don’t forget the important little things

So, we have the most fair prices and the best deals available. Now choose a place!

Option one: You are looking for a temporary home near civilization.

Whether you choose a hotel, a small guesthouse, a democratic hostel, or couchsurfing in general online search for free accommodation , don’t forget to evaluate the accommodation according to a few non-obvious criteria. Most travelers primarily concerned about proximity to the center, the major attractions and transport accessibility, and the little things like, for example, the orientation of the windows in the room, or sound insulation, do not think. And for nothing. Be meticulous and ask.

Oleg Barmin, founder of Agendavideo, travel blogger 70 flights this year and 100 flights in 2017 : “It’s important to me that there’s no noise! Room windows should “face” the courtyard, not the street. Curtains should be “lead” – unpleasant to wake up in the morning from the sun blinding your eyes. Once stayed in a hotel that had a noisy elevator, so now I also ask if the room is far from the elevator.”.

Similarly, you should approach your choices the same way if you practice couchsurfing. Of course, the little things aren’t as important when you only have a one-night stopover. And if more? For example, you are lucky to find the most attentive and hospitable person in Yerevan. But if every morning under his window conditional grandmother Anahit from 6 am begins to loudly praise the tomatoes at her counter, and you want to sleep, then it’s not good in it.

Option two: You decide to go on a nature trip.

Critically consider the capabilities of the trunk, especially when traveling with the family. It might be worth taking care of extra luggage space on the roof if the car is small.

Rina Greenberg, travel blogger and expert on tourist destinations in Bashkortostan: “The size of the trunk is “magic” and it does not depend on the needs and number of things. No matter how big it is, it will still be packed to capacity. I have a compact van, my husband has an even bigger car, but on similar trips the trunks of both cars are equally full, plus a couple more bags go into the cabin.”.

Be thoughtful in choosing where to park and stay overnight. It’s wise to set aside at least an hour to search, especially when you don’t know the area well. The site for the tent is better to choose on a hill, on dry ground, so that in case of rain you won’t end up in a puddle. Insect Sensitive? Then assess the place from this point of view: a reliable tent can protect you from the wind, but not always from the ubiquitous bloodsuckers.

It is good if the tent is well-proven, that is, you use it regularly and know the structure by heart. It so happens that a mobile home have to rent or from friends, and even buy specially “for the occasion”. Practice assembling the tent at home beforehand, get acquainted with the construction, study possible weak points – that way you will save time and nerves when you are already “in the field”.

Sleeping while traveling can be just as comfortable as at home

One of the most important things that is equally underestimated by both savage and package campers is the sleeping conditions. And a lot depends on its quality in the journey: from attention and reaction, necessary for driving a car to mood. Don’t hesitate to ask your host about the size and rigidity of your sleeping bag. Sometimes you can find this out at the booking stage: some aggregators provide a “choose a mattress” option.

Sleeping gear is a good tool to have on the road: sleep mask, inflatable pillow for the neck, earplugs. If you want the same comfortable sensations from sleep, as at home, pay attention to high-tech novelties, such as lightweight mattress-topper. This is a universal attribute for recreation in nature and in the hotel, which can be put either on top of the main mattress in a hotel room, or on a foam mat in a tent.

The most advanced toppers, such as those from the IQ Sleep series, create an extra layer that relieves the back pressure of an overly rigid surface on soft tissues and allows blood to circulate better. These mattresses will also help in case you have to spend the night on the couch – they smooth out the bumps and create the effect of sleeping on a comfortable bed. Toppers are compact and easily rolled up into a 32 to 35 cm high roll, so they won’t take up much space in your luggage and will fit even in your suitcase. Just do not forget to choose a model that takes into account your physiological characteristics.

Pack your luggage like James Bond!

And now about some useful things that will help you on your wild travels.

* An inflatable pillow. Useful for those who can’t fall asleep in an airplane or car seat, or just decided to doze off in the waiting room before a flight. Such a pillow takes up little space in your luggage, you do not need special gadgets to inflate. Rest easy and forget about neck pain!

* Solar-powered charger. indispensable if you are going to sunny destinations, you will have a charger that does not need a socket. These energy storage tanks are now offered by a number of manufacturers. Just look for models with a panel no smaller than the format of A5, and preferably A4. Small batteries may look stylish, but they charge poorly.

* Reusable water filter bottle. Such a gadget is twice as interesting. First, environmentally friendly because it is suitable for reusable. Secondly, you can fill it with tap water and not worry about your health. Most of these tanks use multi-layer carbon filters, which can last up to 150 liters, and some use a filter developed by NASA!

* Multitool card or multitool bracelet. Swiss Knife – a bygone era! Even the Swiss themselves admit it. A plate the size of a regular bank card holds a can opener, can opener, ruler, a few wrenches and screwdrivers. The similar arsenal contains a multitool bracelet, which is put on the wrist.

And now a know-how from a seasoned savage. Rina Grinberg, blogger-traveler, an expert on tourist routes in Bashkortostan: “We pack things in boxes or in voluminous semi-rigid bags. For example, all the food and things you need for cooking, in a box: it’s convenient to take it out and bring everything to the table, it’s easy to find all the necessary things. And there’s no need to think about tea, salt, etc. before every trip – we just add the missing items. It’s the same with personal belongings: basic fleece, hygiene products and the like after the trip check, tidy up, packed back – it saves time and reduces the chance of forgetting something.

And finally, the guiding principle for planning an independent travel: model in detail as possible the situations in which you can be during a voyage, and prepare for them in advance. You’ll have something to be thankful for later. Your adventure will be an adventure, but it’s up to you to make it fun and comfortable.

Sasha Koellner