The documentaries on Discovery channel made Shubhromoni De alter his plans to travel elsewhere. The pyramids, the sand, the sun and the mystery were just too tempting. A trip to Egypt was in order, he felt. But, thought the middle-aged Cambridge Books executive, organising a visa, foreign exchange, hotel bookings and air tickets would be too much to handle. Some inquiry later, he learnt that the trip would actually be as easy or cheap as one to north India. ?I didn?t think twice. A trip abroad is generally perceived to be a preserve of the rich. But it?s quite reasonable and hassle-free now, thanks to the travel agencies offering packages at incredibly low rates and concessions,? says De.

Retired navy officer Prabir Chakrabarty has been eyeing a trip abroad with his wife for some time. But he has been postponing it, thinking the costs would be forbidding and organising the journey a major hassle. A visit to the travel agent changed his impression. The charges were almost half of what he had imagined and the itinerary was just perfect for an elderly couple like them. ?Initially, the very thought of touring Europe was intimidating. But now it has become cheap, easy and extremely professional,? he says.

Dr Shubhomay Mukherjee, too, went on a European tour earlier this year. In just over a fortnight, Dr Mukherjee and his family covered 10 countries including UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands and Austria. From the snow-capped peaks of Jungfrau Jock in Switzerland and the Black Forest in Germany to the night life of Paris, they had seen them all in the space of 15 days. This meant travelling 500-600 km everyday by road and often without stopovers. ?But we didn?t feel the strain, perhaps because the roads were excellent and there were no traffic snarls. The excitement, too, could have been the reason but you do need to be physically fit to go through it, because it?s hectic,? says Dr Mukherjee. ?I did feel giddy,? he adds, ?while climbing a 14,000-ft peak by cog-wheel train in Switzerland, but the journey was breathtaking?.

Long flights followed by connecting flights and bus journeys with sight-seeing and shopping sprees thrown in could be tiring. Piyali Bose, a housewife, recalls a trip when she had to join the rest of her group for shopping after a tiring seven-hour flight. ?It was terrible. But they had no arrangement to send me to the hotel,? she says. That is why, says De, it?s important to ensure ?you are in experienced and professional hands?. ?Make sure your agency can space your journey out and make you comfortable. A good tour manager can make all the difference,? says De. Prabir Chakrabarty agrees. He cites his experience in Germany when some people had opted out of a short sight-seeing trip. This meant they fell short of the minimum number required for a group trip by the agency. ?But the tour manager still organised the trip through another agency,? he recalls.

While travelling in a group can be fun, things might go terribly wrong if you land up in ?bad company?. Young executive Sand- eep Das and his wife Sharbani were on their honeymoon in Singapore when a couple of youths in their team started misbehaving. Things came to such a pass that the couple had to cancel their trip halfway through and return home. ?That?s why flexi tours are now popular where you can call the shots, fix your own journey dates and ensure that nobody tags on to you,? Das says. But the positives far outnumber the negatives, most travellers abroad agree. ?And it?s great value for money because you get what had been promised,? believes De.

If you are finicky about food, make sure you are not forced to starve. Leading agencies like SOTC and Cox & Kings offer Indian food on tours. Some even have exclusive trips for vegetarians and have chefs accompanying groups. While most prefer to try out local food, make sure you can digest it. Arindam Chatterjee, a 20-year-old student had almost fainted after sampling Thai food in a Bangkok restaurant. ?I had to be put on saline,? he recounts, ?but I would still like to try out exotic dishes abroad,? he says.

There?s good news for the adventurous like him. Mauritius has recently waived its visa requirement for Indian tourists. ?This could set the trend for countries like Sri Lanka and Malaysia to follow,? predicts Shubhro Mukherjee of SOTC.

AT A COUNTER NEAR YOU

SOTC: Ten-day Europe trip for Rs 49,900 and Rs 59,900 for 14 days. Additional charges could be Rs 26,000. A nine-day journey through Egypt will cost Rs 50,000 (all inclusive). The Far East would be Rs 49,900 plus additionals. Australia and New Zealand will be Rs 1,78,000 plus additionals. (Australia alone a lakh.) A 16-day trip to the US costs Rs 1.8 lakh.

CLUB SEVEN: A trip to Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore will cost Rs 45,000 (all inclusive), Egypt, Rs 1.2 lakh, and a 17-night Australia-New Zealand package comes for Rs 1.7 lakh.

COX & KINGS: A trip to the Far East and Mauritius will cost Rs 45,000 and Rs 40,000 respectively. The Europe package comes for Rs 74,000, Australia costs Rs 1,00,000 and a combined tour of Australia-New Zealand is Rs 1,85,000.

FLEXI HOLS packages are offered by travel companies in which you won’t have to move in a group. You can fix your own travel dates, even book your own tickets. Your travel agent starts conducting the tour only after you have landed at the destination.