To Europe by car. Independent travel around Europe. Travelling by car. How to go on a long trip and not go broke Which city will you go on a trip to?

Many people are afraid to decide to travel because they do not know the actions that need to be taken to do this. I will say that there is no need to be afraid and preparing for the trip will not take much time and effort. Especially for site visitors, I have drawn up a plan, following which Anyone can go on a trip. Take a notepad and write down solutions for each item.

1) Decide what time specific place You will eat. Many people are excited that they are going to go (fly) to Thailand, but do not know where exactly. Choose a city, a place, and then it will be easier to plan your trip.

2) Decide how long you will stay there. The number of days needed for travel largely determines the cost of the trip. Yes, and you need time to get acquainted with the sights; if there is not a lot of it, then it is better to visit only the main attractions and leave the rest for later.

3) Decide what type of vacation you like best. Whether it's an economical trip with minimal spending or a luxury trip with visits to casinos, expensive restaurants and parties or a trip to the mountains - different types of travel require different costs.

4) Calculate how much you will spend “on the spot”. Will you go to restaurants or cook yourself, live in a hotel or hostel, use a taxi or public transport. You can find out prices for many goods and services on my blog. Write at least an approximate cost estimate, and plan at least 10% for unforeseen expenses.

5) Start earning more or saving. You can afford a trip in which you will not deny yourself anything. It's more enjoyable to travel without worrying too much about how much money you have left. I wrote in more detail about making money for travelers.

6) Start using your Aeroflot bonus card. Thanks to the bonus program, you can fly anywhere in the world with huge discounts; in some cases, you can fly to another country for 2 thousand rubles. In details .

7) Get a passport. After submitting the application, you need to wait about a month to receive a ready-made passport. The sooner you do this, the better.

8) Find out which days are cheaper to fly. It often happens that the price of tickets to the same place differs greatly depending on the day of departure, and the time difference can be only a few days, and the difference in prices can be 20-40%. To search for air tickets, use the service, and for hotels -. You can look at other services on the Internet, but I recommend these (it’s better to sign up for the mailing list of last-minute offers from these services, there are very attractive options).

9) Buy a plane ticket. Select the departure date and act, use bonus program Aeroflot.

10) Book your accommodation. Decide where you will live (hotel, hostel or somewhere else) and book this place.

11) Make a plan for visiting places. Write down the main places you want to visit, this will give more accurate budget and free time forecasts.

12) Pay fines and repay debts. If you have debts to the state, you will not be allowed to go abroad. Pay and fly.

13) Visit the bank. Find out about payments abroad from your bank account, what commissions are on the card, they will tell you a lot of useful information.

14) Pack your bag. Make a list of the things you need and pack them.

15) Hit the road in a good mood. The more positive your attitude, the more successful your trip. Take your documents and things and go on an adventure.

That's how, after completing just a few steps, you will go on your journey. Take action and enjoy life.

Video about beautiful places on the planet

Hello friends! Girls, this post is mainly for you, because it is still easier for men or couples to decide to travel independently, especially if they plan to spend more than one week on the road.

I wrote this article at one time in Vietnam, but only now got around to publishing it. At that moment, I left my travel companion in, arrived early in the morning in Ho Chi Minh City, carefully placed all my vials and jars of creams on the shelf, and laid out clean things in the room inexpensive hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, turned on Georgian music, which only I like, and decided to write this post.

Today we will talk about travel companions. Girls often write to me who want to go traveling, but are afraid because they have no one to go with.

I know from myself how difficult it is to find a person in your environment who, firstly, will be suitable for you to travel, and secondly, will be able to go to conquer distant countries and continents when you want it.

Many people ask questions about whether I’m afraid to travel alone, how to look for travel companions, what to do if I couldn’t find a companion, etc. I'll tell you how this usually happens for me.

Let's just clearly distinguish between the concepts of travel and vacation. Personally, I prefer to relax not alone, but with my beloved man, girlfriend or group of friends, but I can safely go on a trip in splendid isolation.

I started my first independent trip to Europe alone and was very worried about it. How will I get there? What if something happens, because no one can take care of me. Despite all my fears, I did not work out the route in advance, but simply bought a one-way ticket to Warsaw and left it to chance.

Was I scared? To tears and paralysis! I remember how no one came to see me off, because S. was on the other side of the country that day and did not have time to return. I got on the bus and burst into tears. Then, when the doors closed and the engine started, I saw him in red shorts and a white T-shirt, jumping out of a taxi and running around the station in search of my bus...

On the very first night, I met a girl, Nastya, with whom we hung out for several days in Krakow, and then we were off and running. At that time, I was actively using Couchsurfing, and in every country there was already someone waiting for me, ready to provide free overnight accommodation and show me their city.

Meeting Nastya Yudchits in Krakow
Couchsurfer Marko from Slovenia, Maribor

People met me in transport, on the streets, in cafes, I communicated with friends of new friends, as well as their relatives, acquaintances, co-workers and pets. So my solo journey turned into a series of endless meetings, conversations and joint trips by sights.

I spent about a month abroad and visited five countries (Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany). I want to make it clear right away that I am not one of those chatty girls who can walk up to any stranger and start a casual conversation.

I am rather a private person, but on the road I have to communicate, and over time meeting new people begins to bring great pleasure. In addition, Europeans and Asians, in my opinion, are more open, friendly and willing to talk with others than Russians or Belarusians.

Starting a solo trip to Europe. Krakow, Poland. Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia
My sofa with a couchsurfer from the city of Maribor in Slovenia
The sheepdog (Hungarian breed) is the pet of a couchsurfer from Linz in Austria.
Adela is my roommate in Tomas's apartment from Bratislava in Slovakia

After Europe, I became bolder to such an extent that I went alone to Asia for an unlimited period of time. At first I really enjoyed riding beautiful cities, learn something new, meet people, but after three weeks the understanding came that all the conversations were about the same thing: who came from, where they were and where they were going.

I was bored. I wanted someone with whom I could look at the stars and have a heart-to-heart talk. Someone who will support me in moments of weakness, who will bring me pills from the pharmacy if I suddenly come down with a fever.


On the island of Langkawi in Malaysia in an international company

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    Just think that there is a huge, unexplored world around you, where around every turn something new and surprising is hidden, and any road can lead to the most unexpected places. We bet you don't even really know your area. However, this is not surprising - you also think that if you go on a trip, then away from the boring gray streets and dull brick boxes.

    But this is what we want to offer you. Think about it, do you want to go on a trip alone? Just completely, without friends, without a girlfriend, when your only allies are a backpack and a substance in your skull? On YouTube, there are several good examples of people traveling by alternative means for years, without money in their pockets (Google “freight train travel”), but with enthusiasm in their souls and real freedom in decisions. True survival, after which you will no longer be who you were.

    But if such a radical option scares you, then you can try to do the opposite. For this you will need good savings, and even better - a constant source of income. The point is to have a blast without denying yourself anything at all. Really forget about any savings, settle in best hotels, ride in cool cars, indulge in substances and spend time as if you have nothing left to live. And if the issue is about money, then it can be solved, at least partially. For example, if you have an apartment, then simply rent it out and spend the proceeds on entertainment and pleasure. This is probably the ideal option, because otherwise the apartment will be idle. And you will have a place to return to. But we have already said a lot of words, it’s time to recommend suitable countries to which to travel alone - that’s it.

    1. America




    Just as vast and diverse, by the way. You can get stuck in New York alone for a long time, if, of course, funds allow. A huge number of museums, theaters, music, restaurants, pubs and cafes. And millions of people from all over the world. You will 100% find like-minded people there and simply interesting characters with whom it will be cool and fun. But beyond New York there are 50 states, which wouldn’t take a lifetime to explore, because each one is remarkable in some way.

    You can take a vacation on picturesque Hawaiian Islands, visit beautiful park Yellowstone in Wyoming, see the majestic Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. And when you’ve had enough of the beauty, settle down for a couple of weeks in some quiet rural town, where the local cafe makes the best burgers in the world, a mustachioed sheriff drives around the city, and local youth hang out around beautiful lake. By the way, no matter how the Americans may seem to you, they help travelers with much more pleasure than we do. So even without money you won’t be lost there.

    2. Japan





    Ask anyone where to find the strangest people on Earth, and they will send you to Japan. Perhaps even watching their advertisements or TV shows is enough for you to be impressed for a couple of weeks, but it’s still better to visit Japan in person. In the end, at least for the sake of attention from beautiful students who will not miss the opportunity to chat with you and take a selfie (especially if you are tall, blond).

    If we talk about attractions, then you will find: the second largest aquarium in the world, Churaumi, Japanese Disneyland, the bamboo forest in Kyoto, Hitachi Seaside Park, the Nakasendo Path, which will take you about 10 days and introduce you to Japanese history and the countryside, The Blue Pond of Hokkaido and hundreds of temples, each of which is unique in its own way. If we talk about Japan, then everything in it will be unique and unusual for a European person.

    3. Vietnam




    In general, if you go on a long trip to the east, it is worth visiting all the countries that are located in those parts. China, Thailand, India, Malaysia. But recently Vietnam has been gaining popularity. The guys are actively developing the tourism market, which benefits the country, albeit slowly. You can find there both quiet villages with pleasant and friendly residents, and pleasant ones rich in flora, entertainment and recreation tourist areas. Of course, there are some drawbacks: ordinary streets may not be very clean, and locals can be impudent with prices. However, the latter occurs often, but will this confuse a real traveler? But more often you will meet sociable and kind people who will be happy to help you, give you a gift or invite you to dinner.

    4. New Zealand





    IN New Zealand It’s worth going for stunning nature, beautiful and interesting, for inspiration and just a moral break from the world. No, we do not want to say that in this country nature prevails over civilization, it is simply protected here and is a treasure. New Zealand gained particular popularity after the filming of “The Lord of the Rings” - fans of Tolkien’s universe still actively travel here. In addition, active and extreme holiday, so you will have something to do in between vacations: diving, bungy jumping, tobogganing, boating on mountain rivers, zorbing, kiting and many other activities.

    And you will certainly be pleased by the leisurely locals, a good standard of living and low corruption. And in general this perfect place to find yourself - in the calm flow of life, in sports or, for example, in business. There are many startups here and they say it is not difficult to start a business.

    5. Ireland




    A country where many legends and stories were born about trolls, leprechauns and sorcerers living in abandoned castles and monasteries, of which there are simply great amount. There really is a reason to explore a culture that is rich and fascinating and will not leave you indifferent: the Vikings, the Celts, the abbeys and so on. So all history and architecture lovers should definitely visit Ireland. Locals here, by the way, have a positive attitude towards Russians, but rather because they are not the most popular country for tourism with us. But what else Ireland can boast of is nature. It feels more severe here, but no less attractive than in New Zealand. And the climate contributes to this - the weather changes very sharply, which gives a special contrast to the journey.

    But you know, traveling still has one significant drawback - you need to organize everything, think it through, resolve issues with hotels, visas, airports and the like. And if you like all this fuss the first time, then from the second you start to get bored. But I just want to teleport where I need to and not bother.

    This is roughly the kind of service a company can offer - a company that will organize your trip so that you don’t have to do almost anything. Firstly, they provide at airports - both for regular flights, and for private jets. This means that you will not only be greeted with a sign, but also all formalities such as passing passport control, security points and even urgently will help you go through visa procedures right at the airport. You don’t even have to carry your suitcases yourself - everything will be done for you, including transfers. Since the company operates in more than 800 airports, you can be sure of exactly the same level of service and approach in almost any country.

    By the way, everything just begins with airports. Almost any issue or task, no matter how complex, can be solved with the help of the Concierge service - from ordering a theater ticket to purchasing a yacht anywhere in the world. For example, only the company’s basic capabilities include:

    • Villas and castles for rent
    • Holidays for the whole family
    • Yacht and aircraft charter
    • Golf tours
    • Exclusive Resorts and Private Islands
    • SPA resorts
    • River and sea cruises

    In short, this is what you need when you have the means to provide yourself with comfort and simply enjoy visiting other countries. This is especially true for busy and business people. If you consider yourself one of those, then just try it - you won’t regret it.

    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 this is 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 we can find it 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 a bank card, which you can use to pay online.

    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. The whole job of travel agencies is to send documents to the 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 many new visa centers for European countries have recently opened 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 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 on 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, Turkey, 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 websites 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 other visa countries, the 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 most profitable proposition from the largest insurance companies (you can find more detailed instructions on 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 - at 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 of independent travel and a tour package for 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 at the WELCOME PLAZA 3 * hotel 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 of 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.

    We have compiled a list of the main services that provide the opportunity to take part in various events and projects around the world, including volunteering, training programs and helping local residents with accommodation and food.

    Help Exchange

    On this resource, local residents from around the world invite travelers who are willing to help them with housework or small business in exchange for free housing, food, sometimes excursions or even yoga classes. A great way to not only visit a new place, but also explore the local culture. Just choose the type of work that suits you and contact the owner. For example, you can join Italian farming, spending only two hours a day on it.

    WWOOF

    Here you can find advertisements local residents in different countries of the world that are engaged in organic farming and need free labor. Another way to travel is to work for accommodation and food.

    Sudan Volunteer Program

    A UK-based charity sends final year university and graduate linguistics students to volunteer in Sudan to teach English to Sudanese children. You can join a useful business and gain good practical experience. Preference is given to candidates for whom English language is native, but if you have practical teaching experience, your application will also be considered.

    SE7EN

    On SE7EN you can find a volunteer program or project in almost any country. For example, go to the Bahamas to work at an independent research station studying lemon sharks.

    VSO

    Another international charitable organization that offers many volunteer programs in different countries of the world in the fields of health, ecology, economics, education and others.

    Youth in Action

    This European Union educational program for young people (up to 30 years of age) annually issues grants to non-profit organizations for their projects in different countries, including Macedonia, Great Britain, Turkey, Georgia, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Croatia.

    As part of this program, I have visited Macedonia and the UK over the past two years. The essence of the program is that it provides free training, pays 70% of the flight, visa costs, internal transport, accommodation and meals during training and education. Plus, you always have additional days in the country, but at your own expense. In fact, to become a participant, you need to submit an application form for one of the training programs. Each training is dedicated to a specific topic. So, last year we trained in tolerance towards representatives of other countries in Wales.

    Inna, participant of the Youth in Action program

    Conservation Volunteers

    And this organization will appeal to ecotourism lovers who dream of visiting Australia or New Zealand. The goal is to protect nature. The site has many volunteer programs in different parts of Australia and New Zealand for both short and long periods.

    Couchsurfing

    Don’t forget about this fairly popular resource, where you can easily find free housing and new friends in different countries. Personally, I often use Couchsurfing to get to know each other better. local life and people in new places I visit. For super savings, you can combine Couchsurfing with.

    United Nations Volunteers

    In addition, you can become a UN volunteer if you are over 25 years old, there is higher education and proficiency in English, Spanish or French.

    AIESEC

    An international youth organization that provides various internship programs, exchange programs and volunteering opportunities for university students and graduates in 113 countries.

    Appalachian Trail

    Another non-profit organization accepts volunteers who love nature and are ready to take part in preserving the organization's heritage (which is 250,000 acres of land from Maine to Georgia in the United States).

    We hope this list inspires you to new format travel, not only to relax and lie on the beach, but also to join a useful business and gain new experiences and acquaintances.

    Tell us, have you ever taken part in public initiatives in other countries and what other ways do you know to travel almost for free?