How to travel cheaply on your own, tips for beginners and more. How to start traveling around the world cheaply and independently: from Europe to the farthest corners Visa for traveling around Europe

Country selection

Choosing a place to travel is a purely individual thing; I usually focus on several points when choosing a country for a new trip. Firstly, it is desirable that it be a new country for me or a place where I have never been before, and secondly, you need to think about what you can do there, what attractions there are or what you can do there (I prefer leisure), and thirdly, you need to pay attention to various promotions from airlines, when the price of tickets to a certain place can be very profitable. Sometimes the choice of country happens completely by accident: friends might invite you, or you might get caught cheap ticket on a plane or I can read some interesting book about this country, there can be countless reasons, for me it doesn’t really matter where to fly, the main thing is that it is interesting. With basic information about different countries ah, you can check it out on the website.

Search for a flight ticket

The next step after choosing a destination is to find a suitable and preferably cheap air ticket. First of all, you need to check whether discount airlines (low-cost airlines) fly in the chosen direction, for example, in Asia it is AirAsia, and in Europe Ryanair, such companies usually offer the cheapest flights, but this is not profitable in all cases. After checking budget airlines, you must definitely search for air tickets on regular airlines; it is impossible to check all airlines, so it is better to use aggregator search engines that collect price information from many airlines and air ticket sales agencies and provide it to convenient form. With the help of such air ticket search engines, it is very easy to find the cheapest options (offers are sorted by price) on the desired route. There are several such search engines and for the most part they all have similar functionality, but I am used to using them and have been searching and buying tickets through them for 3 years now. Search cheap air ticket It’s very simple, just enter the destination we need and select the flight dates. (You can check out detailed instructions About, ). Promotions and promotions are also published on the website. Special offers from airlines - this is very convenient for those who have not yet decided where they want to travel. Sometimes you can fly to Europe for 5,000 rubles with all round-trip fees due to the promotion of some airline.

I’ve been buying air tickets exclusively on the Internet for 4 years now - it’s much simpler and more convenient, the whole purchasing process takes no more than 5 minutes and you don’t have to go anywhere. During this time, I bought hundreds of air tickets via the Internet and never had any problems with it. To purchase you only need bank card, which you can pay on the Internet.

Another tip for those who do not live in Moscow or St. Petersburg - check the price of an air ticket with departure (arrival) from Moscow (or other cities closest to you major cities), it may turn out to be much cheaper.

If you are looking for a flight ticket to a popular tourist destination, you can also check last minute flight deals on charter flights, this can be done for example.

Hotel search and selection

Different hotel booking sites work differently, some offer to pay for the hotel immediately, while others book without advance payment, but must be paid directly upon check-in. The first option gives more guarantees that the room will be booked for you, and the second In this case, it is easier to cancel the reservation.

The process of searching and booking hotels is similar to searching for air tickets; the main difficulty is finding the most suitable option (in the case of hotels, reviews can help with this).

Getting a visa on your own

There are 130 countries in the world where Russians do not need a visa or a visa is issued upon arrival - that’s more than half the world! (WITH full list visa-free countries can be found on Wikipedia)

At the same time, there are countries that are of great interest to travelers, but where you need to get a visa (USA, Europe, China, etc.), but the process of obtaining a visa is much simpler than it seems at first glance or as they want to present it travel agencies. I independently obtained visas to the USA (2 times), Europe (France), China, Myanmar, and in no case was there a need to contact a travel agency. All the work of travel agencies consists of sending documents to Visa Center and for this they charge quite a lot of money. When I needed a visa to France, I saw offers from travel agencies that reached up to 500-600 euros for help in obtaining a visa, this is just robbery! I collected it myself Required documents and went to the France visa center in Moscow. After 3 days I received a ready-made Schengen visa, it cost me 70 euros (35 euros consular fee and 35 euros for visa center services). You can contact the consulate directly, then obtaining a visa will take longer, but you can save 35 euros.

The process of obtaining a visa is very simple and is described on the websites of the embassies (or consulates) of the respective country. All you need is to find the website of the embassy (or the visa center closest to you, if there is one), look at it for the list of documents required to obtain a visa and make an appointment (if necessary). Most often, to obtain a visa, a passport, air tickets, hotel reservations and insurance are enough. After that, you just need to submit your documents and wait for them to give you a visa. There's nothing complicated about it. It is especially easy to obtain a Schengen visa on your own, given that in Lately Many new visa centers for European countries are opening throughout the country.

It is worth noting that in some countries (such as Japan) it is much more difficult to obtain a visa without the services of travel agencies, so in this case, contacting a travel company may be justified.

Language problem

One of the main problems that stops people from traveling independently is insufficient knowledge of English (de facto English is the international language). But it seems to me that most people overestimate the significance of this problem. Yes, not knowing English can make your trip a little more difficult, but it cannot make traveling on your own impossible. I've been to places where local population didn't speak English language and then I had to explain myself with gestures - this is of course more difficult, but this makes it even more interesting. In Thailand I often saw Russian tourists who came to relax on a tourist package and do not speak English at all, so these tourists walk around the city perfectly, buy fruit at local markets, while they speak Russian, and the Thais answer them in Thai, and everyone understands each other perfectly . Sign language is a very universal language and can explain almost everything. I will give two more examples from my experience. In China I once met an Irishman who was planning to travel from Irkutsk to Moscow in reserved seat carriage During our meeting, he learned five Russian words - that's all he knew in Russian. And another time, in a train compartment, I met a Swiss man who was traveling to Tobolsk alone, not only did he speak English very poorly (but in Russia, knowing English can be of little help to a foreigner, especially in the provinces), he didn’t speak at all in Russian, but this did not stop him from traveling from Moscow to Beijing by train, stopping in many Russian cities and exploring them on his own. Upon returning to Switzerland, he wrote to me that he really enjoyed this trip and was simply delighted.

There is no language problem - there is only fear of this problem.

Search for information. What to do and what to visit.

If you prefer to go on excursions in an organized manner, then in most popular tourist destinations such excursions can be booked on the spot from local companies (with a Russian-speaking guide); most often, it will be cheaper than booking excursions from the travel company where you bought the ticket. In countries such as Egypt, Thailand, Türkiye, there are many local companies that will be happy to organize for you excursion program, but I would suggest driving through the sights on your own, for this you just need to arm yourself with a guidebook.

But I would recommend hiring a local guide yourself for individual excursion, it may be a little more expensive than group excursion, but you will be able to receive individual service and, for sure, a very interesting experience. Self-guided programs are often more exclusive and will allow you to visit places you might never see on your own or with a group. There are several sites where you can find and book excursions from independent local guides; I recommend the Russian site, which has already proven itself to be good.

Travel insurance and safety

Purchasing a ticket from a travel agency provides absolutely no guarantees of safety. Your peace of mind is only in your hands, and the travel agency cannot provide any additional security. Most accidents happen to those who come on an organized tour, as they get a false sense of security and lose their vigilance.

When traveling abroad, always take out travel insurance, it can be done quickly and inexpensively (less than $1 per day). To obtain a visa to Europe (Schengen visa) and many others visa countries, purchase of insurance is required. You can get an insurance policy from almost any insurance company or, even easier, you can get insurance online. You can compare offers from insurance companies and apply for insurance online on the website, where you can choose the best offer from the largest insurance companies (you can read more about the instructions for choosing and purchasing insurance in the article -). An electronic insurance policy has the same legal force as a paper policy. If you have an insurance policy, in the event of an accident, you will need to call the phone number indicated in the policy and they will give you all the instructions on what to do next, and if necessary, call a doctor. Take care of your safety yourself, no one will do it but you.

What are the advantages of independent travel compared to tour packages?

The main advantages of independent travel are freedom and low cost. You are in complete control of your journey, you go where you want, and not where your guide tells you. You don't have to live in the same place for the entire holiday; if you want to move to another place or hotel, you can easily do so. When traveling on your own, you will never find yourself in a situation where your tour company goes bankrupt and does not pay for your hotel stay. I think everyone remembers when hundreds of tourists around the world could not return home and were not allowed out of hotels, demanding to pay for their accommodation - with independent tourism this is basically impossible, since only you control everything.

Traveling on your own is cheap, the price of your trip depends only on you and your preferences. You don't have to pay for unnecessary services travel companies, you can always choose the best offer. Let's compare the cost independent travel and a tour package using a specific example. Let's take one of the most popular destinations - the resort of Pattaya (Thailand) and the largest tour operator TezTour. Let's say we want to go to Pattaya in early November for 7 days (departure on November 6th), one of the tour company's offers includes a flight from Moscow, transfer and 7 nights in hotel WELCOME PLAZA 3 * with breakfast, the price for this tour package is 68,086 rubles for 2 people. Now let's see how much it would cost if we went on our own. We go to the website and look for a Moscow-Bangkok flight with a departure in early November for 2 people, as a result we get a price of 42,880 rubles for two. Then we look for a hotel on the website, enter the name Welcome Plaza and the dates in early November into the search bar, and we get a price of 9,035 rubles for 7 nights for double occupancy. A bus from Bangkok airport to Pattaya costs about 100 rubles per person. Thus, the total cost of the trip when planning independently is 52,115 rubles, which is 15,971 rubles cheaper than the tour package offered by the travel agency. It's simple math, it's up to you to decide.

Or, for example, one more popular destination- Cuba. At the beginning of October (departure 10/2/12), a package with flights, transfers and accommodation at the Vedado 3* hotel (reviews about the hotel, by the way, are not very good, but you won’t have a chance to change it) from TezTour costs 113,256 rubles for two. If we conduct a search, as we did above, we will find that the Moscow-Havana-Moscow flight for these dates costs 72,381 rubles, and the same hotel for 7 nights costs 11,311 rubles, which gives a total of 83,692 rubles, and this almost 30,000 rubles less than the tour company’s offer.

And if you take a non-standard route, which can be organized very easily if you plan it yourself, then purchasing it from a travel agency can be many times more expensive.

In rare cases, it happens that there are no inexpensive air tickets for a particular destination, and then it turns out that using a tourist package may be more profitable. But this happens quite rarely, and over time it will become even less common, especially given the fact that this year tour operators have significantly increased the cost tourist packages against the backdrop of bankruptcies of large travel companies and an increase in the dollar exchange rate.

In fact, you pay travel agencies for the following services:

1. Flight. Often old planes with poor maintenance, but you can't change anything and choose an airline.
2. Hotel. You won't be able to change the hotel if you don't like it or want to go somewhere else.
3. Transfer from the airport to the hotel by shared bus.
4. Visa. If the country requires a visa (and there are not many of them), then they will collect your documents and send them to a visa center, but they cannot guarantee the successful receipt of a visa.
5. Excursions. You may be offered excursions, but the price for them will be many times higher than if you went to the same places on your own or through local excursion bureaus.

This is where the services of tour operators end. No one will help you communicate in a store or market if you don’t know the language, you shouldn’t expect help from a guide, if you have an accident, they are not obliged to help you, this is not included in the list of their services. Really, after reading this article, you won’t be able to organize your trip yourself, making it cheaper and more interesting?

If I still haven’t convinced you that it’s better to travel on your own, and you still intend to go on vacation with a package, then I recommend that you read the instructions - “”, so as not to waste time on trips to travel agencies, but to easily and conveniently find and book everything online.

Conclusion

The most difficult thing is to take the first step, but you only have to go somewhere on your own once and you will never want to buy packages again. organized tours. Don’t put it off for later, start planning your next trip on your own and you will see that it is much easier, cheaper and more interesting than it seems at first glance.

PS: If you have any questions or want to clarify something, ask in the comments, it is important for us to know whether this material was useful and how it could be supplemented. Share this article with your friends via social media, let them also find out how easy it is to go abroad on their own.

The most useful sites and applications that we and our readers use. To plan a route, search for accommodation, tickets, best places for hitchhiking or looking for food in trash bins. In short, for all occasions.

👾Planning

• wikitravel.org— encyclopedia of independent travel. All information about interesting places, movement on public transport and between cities. How to use? Search for the city or country you are interested in.

Most information will be in English. But, for Spanish-speaking countries there is often more information in Spanish, for French-speaking countries - in French. So switch the language of the article and use a translator, si tu ne comprends pas;

• hitchwiki.org— encyclopedia of hitchhiking. Sea useful information not only for hitchhiking: for example, land border crossing points, where it is better to obtain a visa in neighboring countries. There are articles in Russian, but more information is usually in English;
• www.workaway.info is the most popular site for finding volunteer hosts in 170 countries. Registration as a volunteer is paid ($36 for one year and $46 for two);
• internationalsos.com- website with up-to-date information about dangerous regions (epidemic, Civil War etc)
• forum.awd.ru— the most popular Russian-language forum dedicated to independent travel. Advice: use search;
• turbina.ru— tips and notes from Russian-speaking travelers. Advice: use the country navigator;
• - the most profitable travel options for Russians. Cheap tickets are often the reason to travel, for example Advice: Subscribe and tell your neighbors and friends.

📚Guides

• Guides Lonely Planet— the most popular guidebooks in the world;
• Guides Dorling Kindersley- can be found on the root tracker as much as 22GB,
• Hunter Travel Guides— another line of guidebooks, link to root tracker;
• Even more useful texts can be found on the root tracker in the section "Travel and tourism;
• And here's another whole one a bunch of guidebooks;

🛂 Visa rules

• traveldoc.aero— a service with a database used by airlines to check current visa rules when boarding a flight. For the most part, the information is relevant for entry through international airports;
• Timatic— a good old timatic through which you can find out visa rules for visiting countries through international airports.
• Visa requirements for Russian citizens on Wikipedia. The article is updated quite quickly.

The same articles on Wikipedia can be found for citizens of other countries (for example, Belarus or Ukraine). You need to google “Visa requirements for ... [for example Belarus]”

• Other information and live experience should be sought on thematic forums. For example those listed above.

☔ Insurance

To obtain a Schengen visa, you will have to apply for one in any case. And it's usually cheaper to apply online. Check where it's cheaper from these sites:

Advice: have you ever visited Belarus?! Or if you are passing through, get insurance there. It can be 2 times cheaper than the same in Russia.

🎫 Search and purchase tickets

✈ Flights

There is probably no perfect airline ticket search engine. The best thing is a combination of several. Use what is more convenient.

Here's what our editors use:

• aviasales.ru— search engine for air tickets by default.
• azair.eu- search composite routes of low-cost airlines Worldwide. If it doesn’t matter where, indicate in the “To” field - xxx Anywhere. And remember, tickets are for low-cost airlines always cheaper on the airline's website;
• momondo.ru— airline ticket search engine. We know, we love, we use;
• skyscanner.net— search for air tickets. By specifying the city or country of departure, you can find out where it is cheapest to fly without filling out the “to” window. All gurus do this;
• Google Flights— flight ticket search engine from Google;
• Yandex Air— domestic search engine for air tickets from Yandex;
• Ctrip— a Chinese ticket aggregator when you want a little 你好吗. Sometimes you can find prices cheaper than on popular aggregators;
• matrix.itasoftware.com— a search engine for geeks, but you won’t be able to buy through it;

⛺ Overnight

• - the most popular site for booking accommodation. Operates all over the world;
• hotelscombines.com— the service compares prices for different housing booking systems. You can often find housing cheaper than
• airbnb.com— apartment rentals all over the world. An excellent option for traveling with a group of 3-5 people. By the way, when registering you can get 2000 rub. for the first booking;
• hostelworld.com— search for hostels around the world. Hostels help not only save money, but also find company or hear interesting stories from travelers;
• couchsurfing.com is an important site for the industry of independent travelers, the name of which has already become a household name. Community users exchange communication and a roof over their heads. Recently I need to go through paid account verification (20$) . In the free version you can send only 10 applications per month.

Advice: carefully read host accounts and reviews about them.

• trustroots.org— searching for wonderful people who are ready to provide accommodation or show their city. Remember that platforms like this and couchsurfing They exist not for free living, but for interesting communication and sharing good mood.
• planet.squat.net- one of the official (if such exist) sites for squatters in Europe.

📌 Maps and search for interesting places

🗺 Cards

• maps.google.com — online maps all over the world. Also creates routes taking into account public transport in many cities. And in the application ( iOS, Android) you can download map fragments for offline use.
• maps.me — best app with offline maps.
• Galileo— offline maps, some find more convenient than maps.me.
• GoogleTranslate- a translator who can also work offline; for this you need to download the languages ​​in advance.

Every experienced traveler will say that there is nothing complicated in planning your next trip. But for a beginner, this task may seem not so much difficult as new and frightening. After all, the success of the entire journey largely depends on preparation. Logistics, accommodation, on-site programs, country specifics, local prices and the “right” places to shop are just a small part of what needs to be found and implemented. And for this, we have collected useful resources and services that can be useful at the initial stage of real travel.

I don’t know what will force me to buy a ready-made trip from a tour operator now (except for a super unrealistic price that will cover the costs of flights and accommodation), because planning an independent trip is easy and simple. Often the trip turns out, if not cheaper, then much richer and more interesting. So let's get started!

How much?

Numbeo- a convenient option to find out how much housing, food, transportation, etc. cost in the country where you are going to go. Just select the desired criterion and estimate the budget for your trip.

How to get there

Kayak- We are looking for plane tickets. In my experience, he was the one who always gave me the cheapest prices for air travel. And, of course, don’t forget about flying out of Russia.

And if you don’t know where to go on a trip, you have a direct route to Drungli. This site will tell you where you can fly cheapest from your city on a specific date or display a price table for the entire month.

What to look for: what airport the plane arrives at (important for logistics or transfers), conditions for returning and exchanging tickets, baggage rules, meals on board.

Where to live

Hotels Combined - a decent metasearch engine for hotels in different countries, thanks to which you don’t have to check all the booking sites you know. On the site Bed and Breakfast you can find a B&B hotel (I just love them). Apart from searching for hotels, there is also a good content section with travel ideas and tips.

But hotels are not the only one possible variant for a stopover while traveling. On service Airbnb you can find an apartment, and on the website Hostels- find a cheap hostel. The website is useful for travelers with children Kids@Coe oriented towards family travel.

What to look for: Are local taxes, meals, and cancellation conditions included in the price?

What to do on the spot

Personally, I love getting to know real life in every new country and the city where I visit, so I always look for local friends on Couchsurfing. After all, they can not only give practical advice, but also arrange a tour, show you life from the inside, and even feed you lunch. In addition, you can always track parties and other activities organized by “surfers” in a particular city. Meeting similar travelers in person is always interesting and fun.

Second option - organize an official tour with a local resident, for example, using the service Tripster. By the way, here you can not only find a tour from the locals, but also ask the service participants a question of interest.

Smorodina- a startup guide to Russia that will tell you where to go and what to do without leaving your home country. Also from travelers for travelers.

In addition to Couchsurfing and Tripster, there are several other resources for finding travel tips and advice.

TripAdvisor- reviews of hotels, restaurants, beaches, etc. - a huge database of all kinds of objects and activities around the world. By the way, here you can find reviews about the hotel that you liked, for example, by price or location.

Gogobot - is somewhat similar to TripAdvisor, but also has a large community of traveler interests. On Gogobot you can ask a question or make a recommendation to others.

Travelers for travelers– another community of travelers from different countries focused on budget travel and getting to know local life and culture.

Find an expert

Don't have the desire or time to do everything yourself? Increase your budget by 10 - 20 € and order the desired service from others.

GO2- on this platform there is a good services section, where experienced travelers offer their assistance to beginners. For example, developing logistics, searching for plane tickets or housing options. There is no fixed price for any service, so you can negotiate with each expert individually.

Skillflick - A resource for finding local services in London, from excursions to clarinet lessons or professional wedding photography.

I think most of these services are familiar to experienced travelers or have alternatives. However, they will certainly be useful to those who are just taking their first steps in organizing independent trips.

Ecology of life. Leisure: Vacationing on your own for the first time is always scary. To make your decision easier, choose a country that is friendly and convenient for travel. Best of all - no language barrier. Start with any country from our list and you won’t notice how travel agencies will become unnecessary.

Going on vacation on your own for the first time is always scary. To make your decision easier, choose a country that is friendly and convenient for travel. Best of all - no language barrier. Start with any country from our list and you won’t notice how travel agencies will become unnecessary.

Preparing for an independent trip takes longer than buying a ready-made tour, but it is more interesting and not like others. To save on airfare, plan moves and find good housing. In this article, we have collected five ideal countries for your first vacation without a package tour.

Latvia

Why Latvia: Close and understandable Europe without language problems.

What about the visa: To travel to Latvia you need a regular Schengen visa.

When to go to Latvia: The best time in Latvia is from May to September. Come lie on the beach and splash in the Baltic Sea from the end of June to the end of August. And in December you will be taken straight to the Christmas markets.

Latvia is a foreign country, but not quite: everyone here speaks Russian, from schoolchildren to pensioners. So they can easily tell you how to get to the street where “Seventeen Moments of Spring” and “Sherlock Holmes” were filmed. Despite the Russian language, the atmosphere in Riga and other Latvian cities is European: narrow streets, organ music, castles, colorful houses, tower spiers and a pleasant crowd on the leisurely promenade. In order not to miss anything interesting, keep your inner fire burning with Latvian cuisine. In addition to caraway cheese and peas with bacon, you will find unexpected bread soup with raisins and cinnamon, and bread ice cream.

Even if you only come to Riga for the weekend, consider that your first experience of traveling in Europe was a success. Moreover, it’s not far from the capital to Jurmala: at the same time you can relax at the sea. The next level is to sit down with a map and plan a trip to the cities, beaches and national parks of Latvia. You can travel by buses and trains - try it, it's not difficult.

Route around Latvia:

1. Fall in love with Riga. Take a walk among the Latvian Art Nouveau houses, find the monument to the Bremen Town Musicians, listen to the organ in the Dome Cathedral and remember the taste of Riga Balsam.

2. Hang out in Sigulda. Take a ride on the bobsled and ski slopes, listen to the echoes in Gutman's Cave and explore the ruins of Sigulda Castle. Don't forget the ruins of Krimulda and the lovingly restored Turaida Castle.

3. Visit Cesis Castle. Climb the tower along the narrow spiral staircase. And then, in the flickering of candles in hand-held vintage lanterns, go down to the basement where there used to be a prison.

4. Wander through the streets of Bauska. Find the ornate town hall and see the ancient cannons at Bauska Castle. At the same time, admire the magnificent Rundāle Palace - it is a 15-minute drive away.

5. Escape from the sea foam in Jurmala. Swim in the sea and frolic in the water park, and when you want something different, follow the Great Kemeri Swamp trail and head to the pretty town of Tukums.

Georgia

Why Georgia: They speak Russian, cook amazing khachapuri and treat guests like family.

What about the visa: Russians can spend a whole year in Georgia without a visa. Just don't forget your passport.

When to go to Georgia: Georgia is especially beautiful in May-June and from September to early October. Trekking in the mountains is good from June to September, and December-April is the best time to ski.

Georgia is good and calm even for those who have never traveled beyond their own dacha before. The locals are so hospitable that it’s easier to find the way the old fashioned way without a navigator, and conversations themselves turn into toasts. Having relaxed, you notice that the handsome Kazbek is floating out of the clouds, ancient temples are looking down from the hills, and even an ordinary stall with churchkhela looks like a treasure chest. The menu in the restaurant makes you want to sing, not read: khinkali, lobio, pkhali, ajapsandali, ojakhuri.

There are activities for everyone in Georgia. Swim in the sea, go to the mountains, take a steam bath in sulfur baths, wander around cave cities or take a winery tour. If you want everything at once, so much the better. At the same time, make sure that your independent journey has nothing in common with the plot of the movie “The Revenant.”

Route in Georgia:

1. Become one of the people in Tbilisi. See the carved balconies in the Old Town, try the healing powers of the sulfur baths in the Abanotubani quarter, take the cable car to the Narikala Fortress, and finally buy a wine horn at the flea market.

2. Take a ride along the Georgian Military Road. Cross the Cross Pass, listen to the roar of the Terek and fall in love with mountain landscapes. Stop overnight in Stepantsminda or Gergeti and eat khachapuri with a view of Kazbek.

3. Try wonderful Georgian wines. In two days in Kakheti you will have time to taste drinks in five to ten wineries and wineries, and at the same time be impressed by the size of the qvevri. You can stay in Sighnaghi or Telavi, both towns are just like in the picture.

4. Visit Mtskheta - the oldest city countries. Place the candle in cathedral Svetitskhoveli: according to legend, the tunic of the Lord is buried under it. And also go up to the Jvari temple, about which Lermontov wrote in “Mtsyri”.

5. Delve deeper into cave cities. In Uplistsikhe, where Queen Tamara was crowned, do not miss the ancient pharmacy. In Vardzia, set aside at least half a day to thoroughly explore the secret tunnels, steep staircases and cave temples.

6. Relax by the sea in Batumi. Expose your sides to the sun right on the city beach. Or take a minibus and find yourself in Kvariati, Gonio or Sarpi, where the water is bluer and the scenery more beautiful.

Thailand

Why Thailand: Summer all year round, sun, exotic fruits and smiles.

What about the visa?: If you do not plan to stay in Thailand for more than a month, you do not need a visa.

When to go to Thailand: From November to February there is excellent weather in the north of Thailand. On the Andaman coast - Phuket, Krabi - the season lasts from November to the end of April, then the rains begin. In the Gulf of Thailand - Pattaya, Samui, Koh Chang, Hua Hin- good from January to August.

Everything good you've heard about Thailand is true. The islands and beaches are full of bounty, the palaces are luxurious, the food is unusual and tasty, the locals are friendly. Issues are resolved with smiles, and mutual language can be found with anyone, even if you know English at the first-grader level. Trains, buses and domestic flights are inexpensive and comfortable, and figuring out when the next flight to Bangkok is is easy. Ideal country for the first exotic travel

without a travel agency. The simplest thing is to choose a Thai resort, lie on the beach and make several forays around the surrounding area.

It’s more difficult, but more interesting, to first go around several cultural attractions of places, and then relax by the sea.

Thailand route: 1. Explore Bangkok.

Visit the reclining Buddha in Wat Pho, take a river taxi ride along the Klong canals, catch a monitor lizard in Lumpini Park and squint at the splendor of the Royal Palace. 2. Get to Ayutthaya - the ancient capital of Siam. Walk among the acting Buddhist temples

and atmospheric ruins overgrown with trees. You can stay overnight in Ayutthaya or return to Bangkok. Shop for cute trinkets at the Night Market, admire the pandas at the zoo, circle Wat Chedi Luang in the Old Town and watch the sunrise at Mount Doi Inthanon.

4. Stay in a bungalow among the rice fields. Come to Pai for pastoral peace, hot springs and waterfalls. If you want to see the entire valley at once, go up to the huge White Buddha on the mountainside.

5. Get a bronze tan in Phuket. Lounge on the beach and take a boat ride to the Similan Islands. Also try durian, ride elephants and leave a massage session a different person.

Czech

Why Czech Republic: One of the most inexpensive and beautiful countries Europe. Many people speak Russian, especially in Prague. And after a couple of glasses of Czech beer, you can already communicate fluently in any language.

What about the visa: You need Schengen, which is easy to get.

When to go to the Czech Republic: The most pleasant weather is from May to October. In December in Prague - around 0 ℃ and the Christmas markets sparkle and lavish magical aromas for the whole month.

The Czech Republic lives up to expectations: it’s a fairy tale country. The streets of Prague are beautiful and atmospheric, Karlovy Vary seems to have not changed since the times of Goethe and Beethoven, the castles are probably haunted, and the beer is much tastier than the Czech foam that we sell here. In addition, holidays in the Czech Republic are significantly cheaper than in neighboring Germany and Austria. And if you don’t immediately understand what dumplings and “boar’s knee” are, many restaurants will bring you a menu in Russian.

All it takes is a weekend in Prague to fall in love with the Czech Republic. This a good option for the first time: no need to bother with the route, transport and hotels in different cities. If you like it, look for tickets to the Czech Republic for a week or two and discover other facets of the country: from mineral resorts to the reserve with the true name “Czech Paradise”. You can travel by bus and train, or rent a car.

Route in the Czech Republic:

1. Feel the spirit of old Prague. In the capital of the Czech Republic, you should admire Prague Castle, make a wish on the Charles Bridge, climb the Petrin observation tower, feel the gloomy Kafka Museum and visit the lemurs at the zoo.

2. Travel back to the Middle Ages in the town of Kutna Hora. View the stained glass windows in St. Barbara's Cathedral, go down the silver mine and count the skulls on the chandelier in the Chapel of All Saints, lined with human bones.

3. Admire gothic castle Karlshtein. It stands majestically on a wooded hill near Prague. You are allowed inside the castle only with a guided tour, but you will learn the story of the Karlštejn ghost - the White Lady.

4. Improve your health in Karlovy Vary. Plunge into thermal waters and taste mineral water from a dozen springs. Don’t forget about the 13th: locals claim that Becherovka liqueur is also invigorating and youthful.

5. Find out how Czech beer is brewed. In Pilsen, the beer capital of the Czech Republic, don't limit yourself to tasting the drink in a pub. See the malt dryer and medieval cellars at the Brewery Museum, and walk through a real bottling hall at the Pilsner Urquell distillery.

6. Visit the festival in Cesky Krumlov. At the Festival of the Five-Petal Rose, everyone dresses up in medieval costumes, and knightly tournaments are held in the squares.

7. Get back to nature in Czech Paradise. This reserve features steep sandstone cliffs, dense forest, picturesque paths and miraculous-looking castles, the most famous of which is Trosky.

Montenegro

Why Montenegro: Seaside resort in Europe without a visa and language barrier.

What about the visa: If the trip is shorter than 30 days, a visa to Montenegro is not required. After arrival, you need to register within 24 hours - this is usually done by hotel owners.

When to go to Montenegro: It is best to come in May-June and September-October. In July and August it is hot on the coast and there are crowds of tourists, but it is nice in the mountains. You can swim from mid-May to early October.

Small and cozy Montenegro seems to have been copied from a postcard. Elegant medieval cities, the transparent Adriatic Sea, mountains with combed pine trees and magical lakes - everywhere in Montenegro is beautiful. It’s also inexpensive: you can have a thorough lunch in a cafe for $20 for two, and if you move away from the embankment, it’s even cheaper. There will be no problems with understanding: many speak Russian. And you can easily understand the local language: for example, coffee is kafa, and milk is mleko.

The best way to travel around Montenegro is by car. Ride from one bay to another, and explore the sights along the way. If you love mountains, leave more time for the continental part of the country. You can spend the night in a new place at least every day. And if you don’t want to waste time looking for housing, choose a “base” from where it will be convenient to travel to interesting places one day. This will not be difficult: in Montenegro everything is close.

Route around Montenegro:

1. Start in charming Kotor. Climb the fortress wall, trample the stone pavements, admire the Venetian style of palaces and churches and choose best route at the local market.

2. Take a ride through the cities of the Bay of Kotor. Just, mind you, without a rigid program. Stop wherever you want, look at the houses with red tile roofs and sit on the verandas of the cafes with a glass of wine.

3. Go to Mount Lovcen. At the top you will find an excellent view of almost the whole of Montenegro, especially from observation deck behind the Njegos Mausoleum. Don't forget to bring a windbreaker: the mountains are cool even in summer.

4. Enjoy the Adriatic Sea. Explore the coastline from Budva to Ulcinj, sunbathe in romantic coves and lose track of time in bougainvillea-covered towns.

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5. Admire nature in national park"Durmitor". Walk along the forest path to the Black Lake, take a swim and pick strawberries. And if you take trekking shoes with you and push hard, you can overcome Bobotov-Kuk.

6. Visit the Ostrog Monastery - one of the most important Orthodox shrines in Montenegro. Be sure to climb up to the Upper Monastery to see the temple in a cave on a steep cliff. published

Recently I began to receive a lot of letters and messages from a variety of people who were independently going to Myanmar. Everyone asks to talk about the practical aspects of organizing a trip. Since at one time I myself asked similar questions and looked for information on different sites, I decided to write a separate post. I include answers to the most common questions. If you don’t find answers to any questions in this article, I will always be happy to answer and tell you everything in personal correspondence. I hope this post will be useful to someone.

1. How to get a visa to Myanmar?

A visa is required to visit Myanmar; this is done at the embassy in Moscow. The visa processing time is 3-5 days. The visa is valid for 3 months. Cost – $20 (payable upon receipt). You can submit documents for yourself, your brother, your husband, or your friend. No powers of attorney are needed. Visas are issued without any problems, the only warning is that don’t write that you work in the media, and there won’t be any problems. They don’t like journalists, and they may well refuse them.

2. What is the best way to fly to Myanmar?

In Myanmar, you can fly to Yangon - which most people do - and to Mandalay. The last path is less popular, but it seems to me the most optimal. There are no direct flights from Moscow, so you will have to fly with a transfer. You can only get to Mandalay from Bangkok - AirAsia flies, if you buy in advance, the ticket will cost 1,500 rubles. There are much more options to get to Yangon; you can, for example, fly through Vietnam (Hanoi) or through China. In general, the Vietnamese have recently offered a number of inexpensive flight options from Moscow to Southeast Asian countries.

3. How to buy tickets for domestic flights?

It is impossible to buy tickets for domestic flights from Moscow in advance. For now, at least. Several local airlines operate domestic flights in Myanmar. I prefer to use Mandalay Air. Of those who are strongly not recommended - Bagan Air, however, I have not checked myself, only rumors.

How to buy tickets? We go to the airline’s website, write a letter indicating the required flights. In response we receive a schedule and prices. Then in Myanmar we go to the company’s office and buy tickets for cash. US dollars are usually accepted, not local money.

They fly quite accurately without delays or transfers, but, nevertheless, there may be shifts. In order not to miss your flight, be sure to check the departure time the day before departure. To do this, bring your ticket to the reception of your hotel and ask them to call the airline office - this is the easiest and most reliable option.

4. Seasons in Myanmar. When to go.

I would highlight two seasons. The rainy season is from May to October. And the dry season is from October to May. In my opinion, you can go at any time, since continuous rains are unlikely, and each season has its own charm.
I prefer to go in spring or autumn when the seasons change. The rains freshen the air at least a little, saving you from the intense heat. In addition, I am not a fan of suddenly changing winter to summer, so I would not go in December in the heat. But it depends on who likes it.

5. Money in Myanmar. What currency should I bring? What about the exchange? Do they accept cards?

More recently, there were two courses in Myanmar - official and black. Now this is behind us, there is only one official real course left, which has made life much easier for us tourists.

Definitely bring dollars. You can change it right at the airport. But not very much. The fact is that dollars are accepted almost everywhere, from large stores to hotels and taxi drivers. But a bottle of water or a tomato salad in some small eatery most likely will not be sold for dollars.

Credit cards have just started accepting banks in major cities. But I haven’t checked and for now I would still advise bringing cash.

6. What about the Internet?

Contrary to rumors, it exists, and it even works. Most hotels have free Wi-Fi. However, it usually does not work quickly. Often intermittently. It is not enough for normal operation, but it is enough to send a letter. You won't be left without communication. We even successfully sent SMS from the Beeline website to Moscow numbers.

We also heard that some sites in the country are being blocked. Perhaps this is so. We did not find such sites. In particular, LiveJournal works without problems.

7. Travel within the country. What to choose.

People often ask what is the best way to travel within the country. The answer is clear – not in cars. The roads there are terrible and traffic is slow. It is much better to make radial trips, and travel between cities by plane or boat. By boat, for example, you can travel along the river from Mandalay to Bagan (although the price for a first-class ticket is almost the same as for a plane). In addition, air travel will save a lot of time, which usually does not happen much.

8. Military dictatorship and security.

Yes, Myanmar is ruled by the military. However, as practice has shown, this is far from the worst option. In any case, you are unlikely to encounter any problems. We almost never met the military themselves. Only a few times I happened to watch a military plane landing at a civilian airport in Mandalay with a camouflage parachute opening at the back. This happened in a matter of moments and did not seem to make any impression on anyone except us.

With household safety, everything is also good. Most hotels have safes, but even without them, hotels usually don’t lose anything. Taxi drivers never cheat for additional fees and honestly follow the original agreement. By the way, you can safely leave your things in a rented taxi or boat while you go on an excursion, everything will be safe and sound. However, this, of course, does not mean that you don’t need to take care of your things and scatter your money anywhere. No one has canceled the basic safety rules.

9. Transfers.

Getting to know the country usually starts from the airport. And everywhere the picture is approximately the same: as soon as you leave the arrivals area, many strange people rush to you, offering their services. I don't know about you, but this always bothers me a little. In Myanmar, there are several options to get from the airport to your hotel without unnecessary worries.

The easiest option is to order a transfer to the hotel where you have booked a room. In this case, a person will be waiting for you at the airport with a sign with your name on it. Your things will be loaded into the taxi, and in a few minutes you will be enjoying the views from the car window. However, there is also a minus. The cost of a transfer does not depend on the class of car or travel distance, but on the class of the hotel. The more stars, the more expensive the transfer.

If you don't want to overpay, in Myanmar you can take a taxi directly from the airport. Prices are usually fixed, no one will cheat, in most cases you can travel with other tourists in a minibus, saving even more on the road. In any case, everyone will be taken to their hotels. No divorces or problems.

I especially want to write about the transfer from Heho (Inle Lake). This is the case when I strongly advise against ordering a transfer from a hotel. The fact is that you will most likely travel part of the way to the hotel on the lake by boat, and this is an excellent opportunity to negotiate with the boatman about upcoming trips on the lake. If you order a transfer from the hotel, then you will have to negotiate about the boat at the hotel itself, and here the price can be two or even three times yours (depending on the hotel).

10. Diseases and vaccinations.

The main danger is malaria. However, malaria is dangerous only during the rainy season, and then not in all regions of the country. There are no vaccinations against malaria, and the harm from preventive pills is much greater than what is written about on the Internet. I don't recommend them to anyone. Malaria is most often spread by mosquitoes. Therefore, make it a rule in the evening and in the morning to wear clothes that cover your arms and legs, and treat all exposed parts of your body with mosquito repellent. This is especially true in rural areas. In addition, all good hotels located in rural areas take this issue seriously and take protective measures. The hotel will almost always have mosquito spray, mosquito nets, and the area itself will be treated with a smoke cannon every evening. All this is another reason not to skimp on accommodation.

11. Hygiene issues.

Everything is standard here. Wash your hands as often as possible. Don't touch what you can't touch unnecessarily. Always carry antiseptic wipes with you and several bottles of alcohol-based antibacterial hand sanitizer - available at any pharmacy. Drink only bottled water. Don't buy food from questionable places. It is also better to use toilets either in hotels or at tourist restaurants. The hotels themselves are of a very good standard, and you will feel quite comfortable in them, even if the rest of the surrounding reality will sometimes cause a feeling of slight shock.

12. Food. Spicy - not spicy. Where there is.

In any hotel you will always find European cuisine. If you go a little further from tourist centers, you'll have to try local cuisine. For me, it is significantly superior to the neighboring Thai one, at least in that it is not at all spicy at all (again, not for everyone). In the simplest version, you will always find a wonderful tomato salad, noodles with chicken or pork, rice with the same meat and specially prepared vegetables. In more expensive places and the choice of dishes is much larger. I highly recommend the fish soup, which is very, very tasty in this country. Also, any local eatery will offer you a free kettle of local hot tea, which perfectly quenches your thirst in any weather.

13. The shops.

The level of stores directly depends on the place where you are. In cities like Yangon or Mandalay there are large modern supermarkets where you can buy everything you need, from food and medicine to household appliances, if you suddenly need them.

When leaving for villages, or even to the Inle Lake area, be prepared for the fact that you will have to take everything you need with you, and in terms of food you will be tied to the restaurant of your hotel.

14. Excursions. Organizational matters.

I consider the best option for exploring the surrounding area to be renting a boat or car with a driver for the whole day. You can make arrangements directly at the hotel where you are staying. However, if the hotel is very good, the price for such services may also be overpriced. Before the trip, it is important to discuss the route, since the cost directly depends on it. The more you need to travel, the more expensive the trip will be. This is due to the cost of gasoline. The wait costs almost nothing.

Before your trip, it is advisable to study the area or city you are going to. You can rely on the driver’s tastes, but keep in mind that they may differ between you and him. However, if your interests do not go beyond ordinary tourist sites, then studying the information can be neglected.

Never take a car one way in hopes of catching a taxi back. Such an event will only take place in Yangon, and even then not everywhere. People in Myanmar are not used to taking taxis, and this is strictly a tourist service. Sometimes you can find a taxi only near hotels or by pre-booking.

15. How local residents relate to photography?

Differently. In general, they are friendly. But it happens that someone doesn’t want to be photographed. It is always enough to point at the camera questioningly. It is not customary to photograph bathers. True, as with everything, there may be exceptions. You can also find colorful personalities who pose for tourists for money - but in Myanmar this is still very rare. In general, photography in Myanmar is a separate big topic that I could talk about for a very long time. This post is a little different.

16. What does it take to get into a monastery in Myanmar?

Nothing. Just go inside. Myanmar is a Buddhist country. You can go to any monastery. Of course, this does not apply to the personal premises of monks; here you need a special invitation, which, however, is not so difficult to obtain. At the same time, when entering the territory of the monastery, you must observe the basic rules of politeness and respect. As I already said, you should not enter the private quarters of monks where they live without an invitation. There is no need to disturb or distract monks from their daily activities. However, if it is a small monastery, most likely the monks themselves will be happy to give you maximum attention and show you everything that might be of interest to you. We are no less interesting to them than they are to us.

17. Prices.

Everyone's needs are different, I will name some average prices that we usually focus on on our trips. Tasks: indicate all prices, no, just show the order.

Meals $2 to $15 excluding wine per person. 2 is in small eateries around Manadal, 15 is a restaurant in a good hotel on Inle.
- Transfer from the airport in Mandalay to the city - from 4 dollars per person to 10-15 per car.
- Average hotel in the city – $50 per room, good hotel on Inle – $200 per room.
- Car with driver for a day – $35-60 depending on the city and route. Moreover, the cost is exactly the distance that needs to be traveled; waiting does not affect the cost.
- A boat on Inle for a day - also depends on the route, since gasoline is expensive - from 30 to 70 dollars.
- Geological fee in Bagan – $15 per person. In addition to Bagan, there are a lot of places that you have to pay to visit. This particularly applies to Inle. And some areas require escort, which also needs to be paid for in the form of a local additional guide.
- Hot air balloon flight in Bagan – $320-380 per person.
- A bell in the form of a souvenir – $15-30 depending on the place of purchase and size.

And finally, some useful links.

1. Embassy of Myanmar in Russia. (http://www.myanmarembassy.info/visa-2/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0/)
2. Manadalay Air website. (http://www.airmandalay.com/)
3. Balloons in Bagan. (http://www.easternsafaris.com/balloonsoverbagan_home.html)
4. Agoda – hotel booking. (http://www.agoda.com/)

Well, for those who for some reason do not want to go on their own, and especially for those who are interested in photography, I remind you that in October 2014 we are going to Myanmar in a group. I will post the program soon. If you are interested, send me a message, I will send you a link as soon as the program is completely ready.

P.S.
Photographs in this case do not carry any special semantic load, but are simply intended to dilute the text.

P.P.S.
The original post can be viewed at the link.
http://rider7.livejournal.com/75590.html
I only wrote what I personally verified. In the comments to the post, people wrote many important additions. Thank them very much for this. Therefore, I advise you to read the comments to the original post.