Recently, people are increasingly and more often organize their holidays in Spain on their own. This happens for many reasons, the main of which is the simplicity of receiving a visa. Spain is very loyal in relation to Russian tourists, there are many visa centers of this country in Russia, therefore, as a rule, people get a visa quickly and without problems. The second reason is that by visiting Spain once, a person understands how well the tourist industry of this country is developed, and that it is very simple to organize an independent rest. The third, very important moment in my opinion is that many people want a slightly larger than the standard tour offered by the tour operator.
Choosing a region
Why do you need to start training for an independent journey? Of course, from choosing a resting place. Spain is a fairly large country, and each of its regions differs from each other not only by beaches and prices, but also by culture, attractions, infrastructure. What causes delight among some travelers can absolutely do not like others.
Flight tickets
The next moment is the monitoring of prices for air tickets. The cheapest tickets can usually be found on the flight to Barcelona, the most expensive - to Canary. You need to approach the choice of air tickets very responsibly, since if you fly a large company or family, the use of special offers from airlines will help you significantly reduce the cost of flight. It is convenient to look for tickets on the sale sites on all areas where you can see all possible options, including with docks. Then, having an idea of prices and opportunities, you can move directly to the site in which the airline you are interested in. As a rule, the best prices for tickets to Spain are offered by Vueling, Iberia, Airberlin, AirBaltic and Transaero. Prices for flights to both parties to Barcelona usually make up 12-15 thousand rubles, in Alicante and Malaga - 15-20 thousand rubles, on Tenerife - from 20 thousand rubles.
Hotel selection
Undoubtedly, one of the most important issues when planning recreation is the choice of accommodation. We should not forget that in Spain there are no beaches owned by hotels, so it is necessary to carefully examine the information about each resort, about the beaches, about the distance to them (not always the distance to the sea and the distance to the beach coincide). You can choose and book hotels on any well-known site offering such services (for example, Booking.com) or directly on the hotel's website. A lot of real estate agencies on the Spanish coast offer for rent apartments, which is very convenient if you travel with children.
As a rule, such firms require prepayment of 10-15%, and the final payment is carried out for the month - one and a half to arrival. Usually the cost of the apartment is calculated for the week, so consider this when planning recreation.
I recommend that you take advantage of the Internet features and carefully consider photos of hotels, beaches and the surrounding area to have an approximate idea of what awaits you. Be sure to ask you to send you the GPS coordinates of the hotel or apartments, since sometimes there are no names for some streets in the navigator. Apartments in the summer season starts from 350 euros per week, 3 Star hotels - from 650 euros for a double room with half board.
Visa
Booking a hotel and buying air tickets, you can go to the next to you the Visa Center of Spain, pre-collected the full package of documents required to obtain a visa. As a rule, the period of consideration of documents is 5-7 business days.
Transport
Usually those who plan their journey independently prefer to be mobile in everything and take the car rental. It is necessary to explore all offers on hire companies, especially you should pay attention to insurance. Very often, the amount that the computer gives you is not included. Full car insurance is incorporated, and it, meanwhile, can be half the cost of rental. If you give up full insurance, the franchise can reach 1000 euros and above. When planning a budget, do not forget that many rolling offices block some amount on your credit card, and you can only use it after passing the car, and sometimes somewhat later.
If you have decided to take a break from driving and use only public transport, find out how it is organized by his movement in the region you choose, as sometimes buses have rare enough, or your hotel can be located far stop.
If you plan to move around by train, I recommend you to worry about tickets in advance, since the most favorable prices for them appear 2 months before the departure date. See tickets and buy tickets at www.renfe.es.
Medical insurance
A very important point is the presence of medical insurance. Often those who already have a visa, forget to acquire a policy, which can lead to big unplanned spending on vacation, because medical care in Spain is quite expensive. A visit to the therapist with a trifle problem can do you in 200 euros.
Food
The following point when planning a trip to Spain is the organization of food. If your hotel offers half board, then you can only take care of the dinner, which will cost 12-15 euros in the resort locations. If you place the apartments and plan to cook yourself, then the cost of food will be from 100 -150 euros per week for two people.
Pros and cons of independent rest
So profitable or not to go to Spain yourself? Of course, yes, if you are driving a big family for a long time. With an independent trip, you can save on accommodation and nutrition, as well as entertainment and movement, if you rent a car. An independent holiday is also very profitable if you are traveling a large company to travel around the country and visit those cities and places where there is no mass tourism. If you are going for a week or two, very often tour operators have interesting offers that cost much cheaper than buying tickets and pay for your stay yourself.
The undoubted advantages of independent recreation include the possibility of choosing a region, the hotel (I do not always want to relax with compatriots, sometimes it is pleasant to immerse yourself in the authentic atmosphere of the country) to your taste. Interesting is the planning of the route. You come to Spain already prepared, knowing what you want to see in this place and what sights to visit.
As for the shortcomings of independent tourism, it can be attributed to the need to spend a sufficiently large amount of time for the competent organization of recreation, as well as economic inappropriateness in the event of a choice of traditional places, since most often the turpake package will cost you cheaper.