Results of 10 years traveling
The term of the passport issued for 10 years is coming to an end, which means it’s time to sum up.
Behind 18 countries, some of them are completely independent.
Travels full of adventure, emotion, discovery, excitement and sometimes fear.
During this time, I improved my English well, made friends on different continents and countries.
She expanded her horizons, saw the customs and traditions of other peoples.
Took a ton of photos and videos. Moreover, with each trip less and less. I no longer want to take pictures of everything under emotions, but only the most interesting and basic.
Starting back in 2012, I was afraid of literally everything. Besides, having a pathological tendency to get into all sorts of adventures, travel has never been boring.
I was left without pre-booked accommodation https://rutraveller.ru/note/4831
And they forgot to pick me up https://rutraveller.ru/note/5665
And I was late for the last transport, with night adventures https://rutraveller.ru/note/3686
And even a bus ticket could not always be bought https://rutraveller.ru/note/5667
I remember all my adventures with humor and light irony.
Traveling is delaying, you want more and more. Especially when you realize that everything is possible .. That people around do not bite, and in principle, are always ready to help. That the infrastructure is developed everywhere, it is not a problem to get, ask for directions, get information and help. You can organize any route and not be tied to a group. All fears are only in our head. And if you are open to the world, the world also opens up for you.
This is a special state, on long winter evenings, to plan a route, go through a ton of information on the Internet. Look for accommodation and tickets. Read a bunch of reviews.
The criteria for choosing housing are rating, cost, remoteness from the center / sea, the presence of a supermarket / bus stop nearby, the presence of a kitchen, one double bed or two single beds, a shared or individual bathroom, a renovation and interior that is not completely destroyed, most of the reviews are positive. Transport accessibility.
Budget travel is not for the fastidious. If you want comfort, pay. There is no way to pay, you have to sacrifice comfort, convenient departure time, direct flight, walking a lot, not eating in non-budget restaurants. Make a plan in advance and collect information so that there are no unnecessary expenses and unpleasant surprises.
It is not for nothing that they say that preparing for a trip takes more time than the trip itself. Now I spend much less time on it, but I prefer to find and make a list of places to visit, travel / routes to get to them, roughly calculate the budget. The cost of all attractions and parks, fare, approximate spending on the spot. All that is possible is booked / redeemed via the Internet. This saves me from queues and allows you to save money. To save money, I prefer to live in apartments with a kitchen, I carry some of the products (canned food, cereals, for tea, potato powder). Sometimes it helps a lot, for example, brought oatmeal for breakfast, you do not need to spend money on purchased. But, as practice shows, stocks last for 2-3 days, and the savings are not so significant. If only for breakfast and a couple of times at lunch. Then a trip to the supermarket.
Inexpensive restaurants and cafes are only considered in terms of trying the local food a couple of times. Budget travelers are like that, although if you’re lucky, you can find a place where it is cheaper to eat than going to the supermarket.
My daughter and I have a list of places where we would like to go. There are also very expensive countries. Norway (we were considering traveling with a tent), Scotland, England. There are countries for which a plan was already drawn up and a budget was calculated, but due to various circumstances, we did not go.
And of course I don’t think this is impossible, it just requires a more thoughtful approach and collecting life hacks to save money.
Once upon a time, when Misha Kirsanov and his other followers, sellers of travel courses, were not yet there, I already had a good experience and my friends suggested that I make budget travel plans for those who wish. Not everyone is ready to spend several months on the Internet to collect a budget travel assembly, make a plan on the spot for locations, transport and life hacks. But it’s one thing to compose for yourself, another to analyze other people’s requests. The only thing that is bad for me is to catch airline stocks. Usually, I’m tied to vacation dates and school holidays . I can move dates, but within reasonable limits. And I can only travel in the summer, the most expensive season, because of my daughter’s studies. This does not make travel cheaper, but opens up opportunities for various budget assemblies, changes of departure / arrival airports and other improvisations.
Over the years of traveling, I realized :
– the rating of a hotel and good reviews are not always an indicator of its quality. As well as bad reviews. Everything is subjective. You should not trust them too much. You need to double-check. Look for reviews on alternative sites, look at information on the Internet and on forums. Sometimes, photos of the hotel, taken from an advantageous angle, so distort reality in favor of the hotel that you will be surprised. The description also does not always correspond to the truth
Tested in Cyprus and Crimea
– summer is not a guarantee of good weather . For two weeks it may rain, be a dubak and you will enter the sea only a couple of times
Tested in Italy
– 2-3 km to the sea is not a problem , even in the heat. But housing is several times cheaper.
Tested in many countries.
– having a good supermarket and a bus stop nearby makes life easier.
– a rented room in an apartment is also a good option. We were always lucky with neighbors.
– it is better to change money before the trip, having found a bank with a favorable rate. It is better to change a little bit within six months before the trip, following the course. Now many people use cards with good cashback and conversion. Tinkoff, for example. But all these nuances are for frequent travelers.
– a plan drawn up in advance and a roughly calculated budget can save you from many problems and expenses on the spot, as well as at least minimally collected information about the location, sights, mentality and peculiarities of the country’s culture.
– it is better to take up tickets and housing in six months. This way you can save as much as possible and will have time to draw up transport assemblies.
I use Skyscanner. There is a comparison of prices by months and days of the month., The function “anywhere”, this is if you are not sure about the direction or want to compare prices from your city of departure, for example, on different routes.
– in order to understand how cheap air tickets you found for the promotion, cheap is one ruble per one kilometer of flight, or cheaper.
– in order to save more on your flight, choose a departure from the key hub of the low-cost airline. Yes, you need to figure it out a bit here, but it’s worth it.
– if you messed up in booking tickets, do not rush, first contact the airline. I had a case, when I parked, when booking night flights, I confused the date for the return flight, set the previous day. I discovered this only upon arrival at the destination, and even a suspiciously early letter with the opening of check-in for the flight did not bother me. In a panic, I began to book tickets for the required date, and when I contacted the airline to deregister the wrong flight and find out if anything could be returned (the tickets were non-refundable), I found out that it was possible to simply postpone the departure date.
– move dates to compare prices , check prices on different sites and aggregators, incl. official websites of airlines and hotels. Somewhere, for registration, they immediately give a discount. Split tickets into separate “there” and separate “back”. You can save money or find a better option for one segment (for example, “back”) with another airline. And if you are late for one segment, with such a division, the remaining segments will not disappear, because will be self-contained and not assembled.
– take a minimum of luggage , because, anyway, you buy something on the spot, and you should have extra space in your bag, and if you do not exceed the weight and size limit, the suitcase can be taken in hand luggage. this is especially true for complex routes.
– Before boarding the plane, ask to fill the empty bottle taken with you in advance with water. Airport water is expensive, but thirsty. And while you get to your destination or the nearest store, it is better to take care of it in advance.
– if your luggage has been lost, you need to find the office of the airline representative at the airport or a special baggage tracing desk. There, write a statement, describe the baggage, leave your details and indicate where the baggage should be delivered, if it is found. You should be given a zip package with I always take a photo of my luggage before traveling and attach a copy of my passport with a phone number and email.
There was an incident in Chile. The luggage was found, but since then I have been trying to make do with hand luggage.
– if you book an apartment, you will not be able to call in at any time. It is necessary to negotiate with the owner for a certain time or call / write off. In apartments, almost always, a deposit is provided, which is returned after check-out. If, during the operation of the apartment, any jambs are found, you must immediately inform the owner so that they will not be hanged on you. The owner must always be in touch.
– budget flights from St. Petersburg to Europe – through Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Kaunas and Warsaw. Warsaw is the farthest option, but also the owner of one of the lowest prices for European low-cost airlines. You can get into it through Kaliningrad. For the rest – the LuxExpress bus and the Chernyshevsky train through Vilnius.
– use public transport, not taxis. Usually, it is well developed everywhere. Study information about it in advance.
– download metro maps and maps into the navigator in advance. Place markers on the planned locations. Then it will be convenient to lay routes from point to point. See the opening hours of attractions and if there are free days for visits, discounts for children and teenagers. In Greece, for example, discounts for children under 18, followed by student discounts.
– immediately mark the place of residence on the maps of the navigator, so that later you can simply plot a route to it from any point and not get lost.
I use Mapsme and 2GIS, which has a very limited base of cities, but as a navigator it is quite good. And recently Mapsme changed owners and lost a lot in functionality, so it’s better not to update it. Apparently, soon we will have to look for an alternative to this really cool navigator.
Alternatively, I can mention Osmand and Redigo, in the latter there are also guidebooks with basic information about the sights. Osmand has a limited number of downloads, but when they ran out, I just reinstalled it and downloaded new ones. All navigators work offline if the maps were loaded in advance.
– visit cafes where locals go , and not in tourist areas
– if you move to distant beaches, there will be fewer people
– walking more. You can find many interesting things.
– be careful . There are a lot of scammers everywhere. You should never turn off your head and logic.
– tickets for transport are cheaper to buy from vending machines or kiosks, if any, than from drivers.
– even without knowing the language, you can turn to the locals for help. It is enough to say the name of the place where you need to, or to show it on a map, or write. Everything works. You will at least be shown the direction, then ask again. Any other questions can be explained on the fingers, people will always try to help.
For example, to buy a ticket for a long-distance bus, I simply gave a pre-written text in Spanish to the cashier. Perhaps this will not save you from additional questions, but the main point will already be clear.
Tested in Spain and France, where English is very bad, including I was not very good with it then.
– “the language will bring to Kiev” , communicate more with the locals, get more opportunities. Do not be silent if you need something. And do not forget to bargain. Sometimes you can bring down the price by more than 2 times.
– always have cash, not everywhere you can pay by card. Store your money in different places.
– In hotels, do not leave anything under the pillow. . Had experience, when changing linen, the maid gathered everything in an armful. It took a lot of effort to get my things back, given that no one spoke English and the hostess did not try to understand at all.
It was in Italy.
– download the necessary languages into the translator in advance to use it offline. I use google translate.
– if you are visiting the same hotel again , mention this at check -in. Hotels value their regular guests, and you can count on a welcome gift, a bottle of local wine, for example.
– Find out in advance about taxes included in the payment of accommodation. They are taken on the spot, and sometimes it is a very solid percentage.
– in some countries it is necessary to register upon arrival at the local authorities.
– take into account local holidays , museums may be closed, roads are closed, transport will not work. Also, do not forget about the time difference.
– charge your powerbanks and gadgets on time. Your navigation and communication (navigators and translator) depend on them. Use a charging station. It often happens that the place of residence has only one outlet, and that one for the TV. The charging station will help out a lot and will allow you to charge up to 4 gadgets at the same time.
– always take a fumigator and a clothesline
– do not forget to complete the first aid kit (antidiarrheal, anti-cold, and your individual)
– always make insurance. It is inexpensive, but it can help out very much. Insurance can be viewed here. The aggregator-search engine will analyze the data of your trip and compare prices, choosing the best option. You can order online, you do not need to go anywhere. Insurance will come by mail. For children it is better to do a more advanced insurance option.
– almost every country has a tourist information portal where you can view information on the country, buy tickets for attractions at a discount, buy transport cards and cards, which include transport and museums (City Card) for a different number of days with a good discount, and some museums It will be free of charge. Such cards can be the most profitable. After ordering on the website, they can be obtained directly at the airport or tourist centers, and already used as a travel card, or you can activate from any day convenient for you.
Tried it in Valencia. I liked it very much and saved a lot.
– children are not a hindrance to travel . A properly motivated child will actively help you, not interfere. And you will add children’s entertainment to the program. Read more about traveling with children here .
And some more useful content.
Hotellook is my favorite for booking accommodation . It compares prices across all booking systems and gives you the best prices. As simple and convenient as possible, there are filters that can be adjusted to suit your requests. Checked, you can find it cheaper than on Booking. But you should understand that this is not a booking system, but an aggregator-search engine, when you choose the option you need, it throws it into directly the booking system, maybe in the same Booking, if there was the most advantageous offer.
Through him, I learned about the ” Islet “, also a good booking system, I used it several times.
Hotels.com has also been in my practice. I can’t say anything bad, they have a support service.
And recently I opened Tvil , which specializes in housing in Russia. A very convenient and understandable booking system, I went to Crimea with it and I can safely recommend it. 3 different types of accommodation have been booked – hotel, hotel and private accommodation.
With Arnbnb, the experience has not yet developed, but I think everything is ahead.
Hoteltonight – not used, but knowledgeable people recommend this app for finding accommodation near you. Probably convenient.
Transport applications
Now any self-respecting transport company has its own application. Russian Railways, the international European network of low-cost buses Flixbus. The application of the Spanish railways Renfe , where it is convenient to buy a ticket and follow the information. You do not need to print anything, you just need to show it on the screen. It is convenient to check in for a flight on the applications of airlines so as not to stand in queues and not to arrive in advance, and if it is with a transfer, the application will show the route to the desired terminal.
The HSL app is convenient for buying transport tickets in Finland. The ticket can be displayed on the smartphone screen.
I have a PiratesRU app for tracking profitable tours. Along with Level Trevel and Travelata, you can find a tour where a package is cheaper than a flight. You can use it to get into the country, and build your own route inside.
This was practically the case for me in Italy. Arrival / departure was with a travel agency, and within the country we traveled independently, according to our plans.
There are many more useful sites, for example, a site where you can see the cost of products in different countries of the world, https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/
It is very convenient in preparing a trip to estimate the costs. Sometimes it happens that you find a cheap flight, but inside the country is so expensive that it would be better if you were just passing through or not.
A site where you can make different air assemblies and see the cost https://app.eightydays.me/
There, enter your locations and make routes.
Guide to restaurants, shops and attractions (just click on the highlighted text)
Checkmytrip is a service for managing your travels. Weather, transfers, local events, attractions, compensation for flight delays and cancellations. A kind of travel organizer, where everything is in one place.
Check visa requirements for any airport, incl. on transfers, you can use Timatic. It’s easier to get into this database through the KLM website
And if your flight is canceled, delayed, postponed here and here you can check if you can count on compensation.
But a number of conditions must be met,
– the period of delay / cancellation, etc. is not less than 3 years,
– the airline must have a representative office in the EU jurisdiction
-European a / k flies from anywhere to the European Union
-European a / c flies from the European Union anywhere
-European a / c flies within the European Union
-Non European a / c flies from the European Union anywhere
-Not European a / c flies within the European Union.
also, the reason for the delay was not weather conditions and other force majeure.
There are intermediary companies who knock out compensation from a / c for% … They take a percentage only if they succeed. But, in any case, it’s worth it.
So it makes sense to check all of your flights over the past 3 years.
Travel comfort is not the last thing depends on the convenience of navigating the terrain, knowledge of information about attractions, transport, renting accommodation, buying tickets. This is the beginning of planning any trip that will provide comfort and pleasant experience. Someone sells this information, accumulated over the years. on their author’s courses on budget travel, someone shares it just like that among their fellow travelers.
So, you can write in the comments what exactly you are using.
In any case, I wish you all good, bright trips and opening the borders as soon as possible.
