There’s nothing easier than just strolling into a travel agency, paying for an all-inclusive package and letting them know where you’d like to go.
I chatted to a few tourists who just wanted to know what time they needed to be at the airport for their departure.
The agency’s guide, who’s always got a flag with them so they can keep track of everyone, even the most distracted, hands out the plane tickets, takes the tourists to the hotel and then up and down the comfortable luxury coach to quickly photograph the various attractions chosen, eats typical dishes (from their own country, so they don’t feel too far from home and their daily routine) and, at the end of the trip, takes a group photo, says thank you and goodbye at the airport.
The “flag-waving tourist” is the opposite of my way of travelling, but if you recognise yourself in this category, don’t leave my website just yet.
Some travel agencies get what their customers are like and go the extra mile to create a trip that’s exactly what they want.
Need some inspiration for your next trip?
Let me know how you want to organise it, and I’ll help your trusted agency out too.
I just want to encourage you to see the world through your own eyes.
If you’re interested in this way of travelling, I’d suggest you start by following these steps:
Travel in line with your interests, your passions, your dreams and your quirks
As you travel more and more, you’ll find that the Earth seems to get smaller, that landscapes start to look more similar, and that it becomes harder to be amazed by what you see.
But there is time for these thoughts. And there are still thousands of miles to go.
Write down some places you’d like to visit on a piece of paper (yes, I’m old-style, but a computer or phone will do). Include places that are far away and that you currently think are impossible to see.
Make sure you keep that list close by so you can add any destinations that catch your eye when you’re watching a video, looking at a photo or reading an article.
When you get back from your trip, cross off the dream you’ve realised.
In a few years you will remember where you started and where you haven’t arrived yet.
Now that you’ve got some goals on your list, make sure you give them a priority.
For a traveller, time is an enemy against you have always to fight.
I had to delay a trip I’d planned because I didn’t have enough time to do everything I wanted to do.
If you’ve got a weekend free, why not check out a city?
If you’ve got a week, you might be able to see two or three.
If you’ve got a month, you could visit a few cities in the same country.
When I travel a lot during the same trip to see lots of different cities or countries, I feel free for much longer than I actually have been away from home.
I’m not joking when I say that a month travelling feels like a year.
Then again, I never really relax on holiday, but I do always try to give it my all.
In just over a month, I have travelled through six countries (in 2019) or three continents (in 2025)…
It’s my way to travel
Once you have chosen your destination, it is essential to know which documents you need.
Is your ID card enough to get you into the country?
Do you need a passport or a visa?
If something happens to you, do you have free healthcare or is it better to take out medical insurance?
Do you need a licence to dive with sharks without cage?
When picking where to go, it’s important to know what documents you need.
Your ID and health cards are great, but they’re not always enough.
You’ll have to wait for your passport, so make sure you get everything organised in good time. If you don’t, you might have to change your destination.
When you’re booking your flight, you might have to give some passport details for your destination.
Depending on which country you’re going to, you might need more than your passport – you might also need a visa.
Sometimes, the visa is a sticker that the embassy or consulate puts on your passport.
You can sometimes get it put on your passport at the border (like when I went to Cambodia, Laos and Egypt), but usually you have to have it already in your passport before you get on the plane.
Just so you know, each country’s got its own rules, so you’ll need to find out what they are before you go.
You can usually trust the official embassy websites more than the ones for your own country.
Depending on where you live, you might not always have to go to the embassy or consulate in person.
There are agencies that do this for you.
Also, you’ll need to have medical insurance if you’re travelling to certain countries.
I think it’s a good idea to take out insurance for any trip.
Accidents, injuries and illnesses are always a possibility.
If that’s the case, you’ll have to pay a lot of money for your hospital treatment.
When I started travelling alone, hardly anyone bought insurance. I got used to taking it out because it was compulsory, so I always went for the annual multi-trip policy.
It used to cost about €100, but now that almost everyone takes it out, the cost of policies has gone up a lot.
Depending on the trip, I’d say you should think about taking out monthly or even weekly policies.
But don’t worry, as well as cover for healthcare, you’re also covered for lost luggage, theft, delays of more than 3 hours or trip cancellation.
In any case, I always make sure I have my driving license and diving patent with me.
Also, I’d rather have all my reservations and documents on paper.
Lonely Planet was the indispensable manual for every real traveler.
Recently, it’s become less relevant, probably because the advice isn’t always up to date.
But it can always be useful to you.
In addition to its status symbol, there is (something) more.
Now it’s time to make a booking. Choose the transport that suits your needs and your pockets.
It won’t be quick, but it can be fun.
I normally start by checking Momondo for flight connections.
I start by entering my departure city and my first destination.
Unless you’re flying with a low-cost airline, you’ll usually find that return flights cost less than one-way flights.
Try to book long-haul flights with the same airline or with partner airlines.
Direct flights cost more than those with one or more stopovers.
When you’re planning your trip, don’t just think about the airport closest to you. Look for other options that you can reach by car, train or low-cost flight.
Madrid, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt and London are the European airports with the most routes.
Moscow, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Istanbul or Dubai are airports where you will probably make a stopover to reach Asia and Oceania.
There is also Doha, where many flights to Africa leave from.
I always avoid airports in the United States.
Have a look for the best combo, making sure you factor in layover times.
Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, do the same search for the second and third destinations you had ‘ranked’ (and maybe even the fourth, fifth… it’s up to you how much time you want to spend making your final choice).
I’ve had to change my trip a few times because the flights were just too expensive at the time of booking. I put everything on hold and ended up booking what was my second choice (or third, fourth…).
The departure is coming up so it’s time to think about the luggage.
Hand luggage or checked baggage?
I started out travelling with a trolley.
At first, wheels seem like a no-brainer when you’re thinking about which option is better for your back.
But is this still true?
Have you ever had to carry your suitcase up a steep and endless stairway with all its weight on one side of your body and then been completely unbalanced?
To me, on the metro in Paris and in many other places …
Have you ever been caught in a flood in an area with sand roads and the wheels of the suitcase that just make things slower?
To me yes, in Isla Holbox in Mexico and in many other places…
These misadventures led me to travel with my backpack.
Or, better yet, backpacks.
I’ve never been too confident about airport baggage delivery, so I try not to carry the backpack
However, this is not always feasible, especially on the return journey.
So I organize myself like this: 2 backpacks with different uses.
I’ve got a special connection with some of my clothes: some t-shirts, sweatshirts, jumpers and scarves have travelled the world with me. They represent who I am wherever I go.
And then two changes of clothes, a pair of trousers, possibly a swimsuit, mask and snorkel.
For me, a phone is just a phone, and when I’m travelling, I often forget it’s even there.
I like taking photos, so I always have cameras to hand: a serious one, but pocket-sized and with an excellent zoom (Sony HX60).
The other is also serious but underwater (GoPro Hero3).
I always need SD cards and an accessory that has often saved me: a portable solar panel with multiple USB outputs to recharge anything.
As I said, I prefer to have my reservations and photocopies of documents with me in paper format.
Maybe you need a pen, a rope or a whistle.
I take some medicine with me, but I don’t take everything I’m not going to need.
If I needed to, I’d go to a pharmacy or hospital, or I’d trust traditional medicine.
Picking the right travel buddy is important, right?
This backpack is going to be your travel buddy for years, so you’ve got to pick it carefully.
I use a Ferrino backpack with a waterproof cover.
At the start, I put a towel, slippers, trousers and various changes of clothes.
Basically, I put in what I can wait for, just in case there’s a delay with delivery.
Sempre che non riesca a farlo passare come bagaglio a mano. In this case, I put the small backpack inside the large backpack.
On the way back I’ll use the space for the memories I’ve made on this trip…
When travelling, you don’t always sleep at night, or at least not deeply.
Every day have its organization.
Tomorrow will be more useful the hotel breakfast, the location of the hostel, fast airport check in or don’t waste time and sleep in a night bus?
– Night train or night bus: I often save time by using these transport options for long trips. This way, I save the money I would have spent on a night in a hotel, B&B or hostel, and I arrive at my destination ready to start the day.
Night buses have seats that are so large and comfortable that they feel like real beds.
However, try to be considerate of the person sitting behind you.
You may also have chosen the fully reclining seat, but if it means hurting those behind you, understand it without having to receive guerrilla all night.
In Peru, an ignorant person in front of me tried to recline his seat completely, even though it was hitting my legs.
Neither of us slept that night…
– Airport: I have spent hundreds of nights in various airports and railway stations, waiting for the first morning flight or train.
It may seem strange, but choosing to spend the night in a comfortable area of the airport with a power socket nearby can be an excellent option in terms of both cost and convenience.
If you’re still not convinced, the sleepinginairports.net web site will show you that many airports are reviewed based on the needs of an “airport bum”.
– Hostel: If you think that staying in a hostel means having to sleep with your eyes wide open and your luggage under the sheets because the other guests are there to steal from you, you couldn’t be more wrong.
Nowadays, many hostels also have private rooms with bathrooms, so you don’t have to share anything more than you would in a hotel.
If you choose a bed in a shared room, you might find that someone else has already taken it (but someone could free their bed at 2 am, or someone could arrive at 5.00 am). Those who choose this accommodation want:
1) save money
2) tell in the room or in the common areas
3) get to know other people with whom to share part of the journey
(and not everyone wants to go beyond the first option, you are not obliged to speak)
I’ve never had any problems in hostel.
Do your best to be respectful and tolerant. For example, try not to make too much noise if you have to leave the room in the middle of the night, and don’t turn on all the lights if you return to your room late at night. Also, remember that everyone snores sometimes, so don’t wake up those who are disturbing your sleep by throwing pillows at them.
– Hotel: Sometimes you can find cheaper deals for hotels than hostels.
For me, the most important thing is always the location: it must be very close to the metro, bus stops or points of interest.
Here’s a trick I use: if breakfast is optional, I only book it for the first day.
If it’s worth it, I’ll pay for the next directly at the hotel.
– B&B: I’m not a big fan of bed and breakfasts because they usually cost the same as hotels
Furthermore, I find their check-in and check-out policies too strict and restrictive.
Not to mention the comments I’ve heard from some owners who expect the bed to be made perfectly, the floor to be clean and the dishes to be washed.
Would you like a renovated house too?
That’s why I hardly ever stay in a B&B.
– Couchsurfing: another way to travel on a shoestring budget is to stay for free (usually in exchange for small gifts, help with cooking, etc.).
This way, you can experience the city through the eyes of the locals.
You can also contact people living in your destination to ask for advice, or even offer to host and help those coming to your city.
Many people avoid challenging trips because they think they won’t be able to overcome the language barrier.
Which languages do you speak?
The school only taught me English And that English didn’t help me almost anything.
I’ve always had a mental repulsion for English.
I understand it quite well when I read it and I can speak it well enough to be understood. However, I have never accepted its superiority due to an ‘Anglo-American-centric’ worldview.
Despite never having studied Spanish, I hear that I am practically a native speaker.
This is partly due to the influence that the Aragonese had on Sardinia , and therefore on the Sardinian language. But it is mainly due to the numerous trips I have made to the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America.
I have only taken one language course: Russian, which was excellently organised by the Belarusian consulate in Cagliari.
While this course certainly made my stays in Russia easier, it is not essential knowledge for anyone who wants to visit the former Soviet Union.
Content:
While it is definitely an advantage to travel with some knowledge of the local language — or English, depending on the destination — when I started travelling, I had only ever spoken English at school.
You learn languages by using them, so the best way to learn to travel is to travel.