I have been an independent traveler for 12 years now. My first self-planned travel endeavor was a three-day trip to Ravenna, Rimini and San Marino in Italy, where I went with my family: I remember thinking what a big achievement it was to individually contact a hotel, successfully arrange and complete the trip – it was the time when, at least in my part of the world, we still used road maps, didn’t have smartphones and were afraid of telephoning abroad because of extravagant roaming costs. Ever since those simpler (and in a way, nicer) days, I have been independently organizing trips I take on my own, with my family and friends and have been strongly advocating this type of travel to anyone who wants to listen. Continue reading “Why you should travel independently at least once in your life”