When you think of international travel, are you fearful of getting lost or are you one of the adventure seekers who prefers to get out there and experience the country like the locals do? This is an important decision to make when planning your travel but first you have to be sure each member of your family has a passport so if you have a child, be sure to check into getting a kid’s passport.

On the most basic level, a guided tour is just a vacation that is pre-planned. A tour guide generally accompanies you as you explore your destination, and an itinerary is usually either selected from a travel company or created by the vacationers. Sometimes, meals, hotel accommodations, and transportation are included in the base price of these itineraries. These itineraries just outline what you and your family will be participating in during your stay. This outline can include visits to famous landmarks, natural sites, or other locations.

It’s important to remember that if you decide to do it all yourself, not only travel to the country will be your responsibility but also travel within that country. Bus and train schedules can be difficult to navigate in a foreign country but independence also provides freedom so if you don’t like keeping to any schedule while on vacation, independent site-seeing will probably be the best bet for you. Quick passports are just a click away on your computer so be sure you get your passport in your hand before you start making your plans.

Guided tours have their pros and cons. Having such a strict regimen while traveling often leaves people feeling exhausted and wanting to take a vacation from their vacation. Schedules and set time slots take away the freedom of vacation, but it also grants freedom from having to plan more than you have to. With a tour guide you can trust, you know you will be visiting the best spots and experiencing a lot of what the country has to offer. However, sometimes these companies take tourists to the more “touristy” locations. And while this gives you a good look, and maybe even some special opportunities to explore deeper, it can feel like a superficial sort of adventure. However, on the other hand, some travel companies offer closer in-depth looks at a culture as opposed to visiting the obvious places.

Independent touring is certainly an adventure and if a few snags here and there won’t cause you to become unraveled, than maybe this is the way for you to go. Should you happen upon a site or community that encourages you to linger, you have the freedom to do just that. Stay in a city one day or the whole week if you like. It is important to remember, however, that lack of experience in a strange foreign land might cause you to miss some “must see” sites, but perhaps, for you, that is a trade off you are willing to make in the name of freedom.

When it comes down to it, deciding how you want to travel depends on what you want to do as well as your own personal travel style. If you don’t want to adhere to a schedule and want to have a free-style vacation, try to travel independently. However, if you want everything planned for you by a knowledgeable and experienced guide, consider a guided tour. Online passport services, from a quick USA passport to getting a kid’s passport make planning easier than ever.