SELF-GUIDING
With help or by yourself: your guide to going guide-free
HOW DOES IT WORK?
If you don’t fancy joining a group, and like more control over your break as a whole, self- guiding is the answer. If you book with a holiday provider, they will most likely arrange your itinerary, hotel(s), ground transport and some meals, as well as baggage transfer – and they should definitely give you route notes and mapping for each day’s walk, as well as contact details for queries and emergencies. All you have to do is follow the instructions, and, provided you get where you’re meant to be by the end of the day, you can go at your own pace.
Luke Smith and Elena Sleet, authors of the blog whatifwewalked and reps for Headwater, explain the appeal: “By following route notes already laid out for you, you are guided
to hidden gems you might never have seen otherwise.”
If you go fully independent, you have complete control over your destination, itinerary, accommodation, transport and routes; you just have to be confident in your own ability and financially prepared for any surprises.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
Liberating. There’s a thrill to being in control of your own itinerary, to decide your own duration, and be able to improvise as you like. You’ll miss out on the instant access to sound local expertise and fall-back ideas, but if you research well enough, and like chatting to the locals anyway, you should get all the enrichment you crave. Independent touring is also a great option if you want to take your own group, be it family or friends – assuming you can sort out the logistics between yourselves.
WHAT DO I NEED?
Good research, starting with a good guidebook. Insurance is an important consideration for any overseas holiday but it’s vital to get an all- encompassing policy when you’re self- guiding. This
should at the very least cover accidents, injury, health problems, travel cancellations, property damage and theft. Advice on legal entanglements is also useful, and you may need to apply for a temporary driving licence for your destination country. And if you’re doing a continuous trek, you’ll need a rucksack big enough to carry everything you need on your voyage.
CAN I MIX IT UP?
Yep. Some companies – for example Collett’s – offer self- guided holidays with optional (and sometimes free) guided days where you can join a group just for one day. This might be particularly handy if you’re confident of your abilities on most terrains but would like a guide for a more challenging route.
“THERE’S A THRILL TO BEING IN CONTROL OF YOUR OWN ITINERARY”