How to start traveling around the world cheaply and independently: from Europe to the most distant corners. How to travel cheaply on your own, tips for beginners and more How to find budget accommodation in Istanbul

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 ah, traveling by 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— a 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. Great 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 willing 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. It also lays out 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— the best application 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.

How to travel cheaply on your own? Where to start, where to rent accommodation, how to buy cheap tickets? I will try to answer these and other questions below, based on my own experience.

Remember that to organize a good independent travel It takes a lot of time, but such a trip gives you complete freedom of action and can make your dreams come true.

Is it cheaper to travel on your own?

Traveling on your own will not always be cheaper (but in 60%-70% of cases it will be much cheaper) than going on a package tour, where you don’t have to think and everything has already been invented a long time ago. But the impressions from a “package vacation” will never compare with the impressions and emotions received from a trip planned by you personally. And this is the first and main advantage of independent travel.

If you're about to take your first solo trip, be sure to read on!

How to travel cheaply on your own and how to organize an unforgettable trip?

Airplane tickets

For me, organizing an independent trip usually starts with finding tickets to the desired destination. Moreover, it is not necessary that plane tickets be for this particular country/city.

For example, if we talk about Europe, then the distances between cities and even countries are relatively small. And the difference in ticket prices between them can amount to a significant amount.

It often happens that with the “won” difference in the cost of a plane ticket you can not only get from one city to another, but also live there for several days. And by the way, flights in Europe can be very cheap (often cheaper than other transport); a flight of 2.5 hours for 1000 rubles is the norm there.

Thus, open the map, see what cities are nearby and build a route. Of course, there will be people who don’t need all these hassles.

If the final price from the intermediary and the airline is the same or differs slightly, then it is better to buy tickets on the airline’s website to avoid troubles. By the way, when purchasing tickets from S7 through the application, the promo code S7APP (2-3% of the fare) is valid, a small thing, but nice.

We are looking for the best prices for flights;
we check prices for tickets from/to neighboring cities;
We compare the cost of tickets on the search engine’s website and on the official website of the selected airline;
Don’t forget to look for a promotional code for your purchase;
We use our imagination in developing the route!

Check ticket prices to neighboring cities and countries. Check prices on airline websites and multi-search. Try to loop the route.

Drawing up an independent travel route

When the starting and ending points become known, it’s time to start working out the travel route. You shouldn’t gallop and change cities every day, but I personally don’t like staying in one place for a long time. Study information on the Internet, forums, blogs - a sea of information and ideas.

I always use the forums on Otzyv.ru and the Vinsky forum. Various blogs are found by searching.

Forums and blogs are a great source for creating itineraries.

Tickets for transport between cities and/or countries should be looked for on the websites of local carriers. If you really want to save money, you will have to work hard to find the best deals. Or you can simply use the increasingly popular project, which will search for available tickets for buses, trains and planes, compare prices and duration of the trip (works in Europe)!

We are looking for information on the Internet, I recommend Otzyv.ru, Vinsky forum, tripavisor;

you can buy or download a guide with ready-made routes;

we find best options moving between cities.

Selection of attractions and interesting places for independent travel

To get your bearings in the city at least a little, it’s enough to make a list of the main attractions and other places of interest to you (you can also pre-mark them in Google Maps or print/buy a map). On this list, you need to mark in advance the places that you definitely want to see and plan to visit them in the first days of your stay in the city. You should first find out the opening hours, weekends, and days when admission is free (and this happens).

Again, use your imagination. You are no longer obliged to blindly follow the tourist program and run to see the sight with your tongue hanging out, because in an hour you will already meet at the bus. Independence and managing your own time is the fourth advantage of independent travel.

I again get information about attractions mainly from the Internet. In addition, for major cities you can download/buy a guidebook (I usually download and look for “missed” places on the Internet).

Sometimes choosing hotels can be quite difficult (for small towns). Then you can look for the official website of the city, where you can usually find a list of hotels - and search directly.

Can return 1000 rubles, having booked accommodation on Booking using my link.

If you are going to rent a car, study the parking information. In some European cities, entry into the city center by car is prohibited, and in many there are problems with parking (not to mention the fact that they are paid). For example, in the center of Amsterdam, just a day parking pass will cost 30 euros!

The ability to go anywhere and at any time using public transport, or even better, a rented car is the sixth plus of independent travel!

We study travel prices and possible travel card options;

We are wondering whether we should buy a tourist card?

For those who drive, be sure to check the parking situation!

Study the types of transport, tickets, and discount cards in advance. This will allow you to avoid wasting time on on-site proceedings.

Visa for traveling around Europe

Many people are scared by the word visa and pay two or three times more money to companies involved in visa processing. In fact, applying for a visa to Europe is not scary at all. IN major cities There have long been multi-visa centers where you can consult and submit documents yourself (primarily we are talking about Schengen).

The main rule when choosing a country to obtain a visa is that documents are submitted to the country in which you will be staying the longest. If the number of days in several countries is the same, preference is given to the country of first entry.

When you have decided on the country of submission, study the list of documents (for a tourist visa, usually these are plane tickets and other transport; hotel/apartment reservations; proof of solvency - a certificate from the bank, a letter from the sponsor, a certificate of currency purchase; medical insurance; a certificate of employment; photos).

You can get insurance without unnecessary legwork on the insurance comparison and selection website. All options are clearly laid out, you can compare several insurance companies. In my experience, buying through this site is even cheaper (I registered in the office for 10 days - it came out to 1010 rubles, another time I bought through the site for 15 days for 740 rubles and with big amount options)!

Well, then you collect it all and serve it, preferably in advance. In my experience, it takes an average of 2 weeks from submitting documents to receiving a passport. If you are not getting your first Schengen visa, then it is better to apply for a multiple visa, and the consul will sort it out.

The seventh advantage of independent travel is obtaining a visa at a “fair” price, the ability to choose insurance with the options you need from any insurance company, and even at a discount.

find out if there is a visa/consular center in your city;

select a country to obtain a visa;

find out the list of required documents;

download the form from the consulate’s website, print it out according to the specified rules (on both sides) and fill it out;

print out plane tickets, if available - for train, bus or car reservation confirmation;

print out hotel or apartment booking confirmations;

we take a certificate of employment at work;

at the bank we receive a certificate of account status (sometimes an ATM statement + a photocopy of the front side of the card is enough) or we leave a certificate of currency purchase;

select and arrange insurance, print it out;

we take photos for the visa (sometimes you can take them right at the visa center);

We take all this, the necessary amount of money to pay the fee and go to submit the documents!

If in your or the nearest city there is Visa Center– don’t overpay intermediaries, submit documents yourself! It's not difficult at all. And it’s better to immediately apply for a multiple visa.

What to take on an independent trip, or rather, what not to take on a trip

No need to take 3 suitcases of things with you. Think about how much clothing you will need for 2-3 weeks? Considering that everything and everywhere can be bought if necessary.

For many years I traveled with a small backpack - and there was always extra stuff! Remember that the trend now is that extra pounds and extra bags often come at a price. Typically the size of a suitcase (backpack) that can be carried as hand luggage is 55x40x20 cm, up to 10 kg.

It is also worth considering that liquids (including creams) in containers over 100 ml with a total volume of more than 1 liter cannot be carried into hand luggage. And it’s better to put all liquids in one bag/cosmetic bag and not put them far away - they may ask to show you. I just pour everything into small bottles left over from hotels. :) Similar bottles can be purchased in the store.

thinking about a reasonable list of things;

we buy medicine for the trip (just in case, of course);

Necessarily!!! study the airline rules (at least read what is written on the ticket);

remove all liquids over 100 ml from hand luggage(including cream) or pour into small bottles;

We are packing our suitcase, it is advisable to check the weight before leaving for the airport.

Take a reasonable minimum of things. This way you will be more mobile and save money on flights.

These are all the main points when planning an independent trip. Believe me, by following these simple tips, you can travel independently and cheaply!

Just think about how much money you overpay to travel agencies just because some uncle/aunt will “lead you by the hand” from the bus to the next attraction. And often you won’t even be able to really take a good look at the attraction, because it’s time to go to another one!

By planning your trip yourself, you can do everything the way you want!

Is it profitable? buy air tickets A special search engine can help.

And don't forget to fill out insurance every time you go on a trip! I always apply for a policy directly via the Internet, and I recommend choosing profitable options on a special website.

I hope this article helped you learn how to travel cheaply on your own. If the article was useful to you, please share it with your friends on social networks using the special button below.

Happy travels!

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 chance: 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, it is imperative to 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 major cities closest to you), 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 in this is to find 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 a 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 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 fruits for 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, 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 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 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 of independent travel and a tour package using a specific example. Let's take one of the most popular directions - Pattaya resort(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, we get a price of 9035 rubles for 7 nights at 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:

Flight. Often old planes with poor maintenance, but you can't change anything and choose an airline.
Hotel. You won't be able to change the hotel if you don't like it or want to go somewhere else.
Transfer from the airport to the hotel by shared bus.
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.
Excursions. You may be offered excursions, but the price 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.

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 whole range of inexpensive options flights 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 They have just begun to be accepted at 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 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 true. 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 by car. 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 had the opportunity to observe how in civil airport A military plane landed 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 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 such as 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 needed it.

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.

The most the best option To explore the surrounding area, I consider 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 have 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 the usual 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 a taxi, and it 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, it costs 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.

If you are tired of package tours and your soul craves freedom and new places, you can join the ranks of independent travelers. All you need is a basic English language, a thirst for travel and knowledge of some tricks like save on air tickets, housing, calls and much more:

Air travel

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Housing

5. Couchsurfing is not a site with free accommodation, it is a community of people around the world who are ready to host guests from other countries in their home completely free of charge for the purpose of communication and cultural exchange. You can not only learn more about the non-tourist life of the country and city you visit, but also make good friends all over the world! The site has a system of reviews about guests and hosts.

6. is the largest site for rental housing from homeowners in 192 countries. You can find very colorful inexpensive apartments and rooms, as well as live in completely non-standard dwellings, for example, in a “house for gnomes,” a yacht moored in the port, or a castle.

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Cheap tours and special offers

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Internal moves

12. AutoEurope – a resource that allows you to compare car rental prices from different companies in Europe.

13. ON the Seat61 website you can find out how to get from one point to another by train, and also see which company serves this section, so that you can then go to the company’s website and book or buy a ticket.

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16. MyWorldMap and World66 – services for compiling your general travel map. You can mark the countries and cities that you have visited, and the site will automatically draw your world map and show how much detail you have covered in a particular country.

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18. Evaphone – a resource that allows you to make free calls to anywhere in the world 2 times a day (1 minute call).

19. Dropbox – can store files up to 2GB for free. You can download all the materials you need for your trip, and then retrieve them using any computer connected to the World Wide Web.

I use Google.Drive and Cloud.Mail.ru. Google is good because it is compatible with everything else and the company’s services, and the Mail cloud gave away 1 Terabyte for free for the new year.

20. Travelpost and Atlarge (English) - will tell you what the quality of WiFi Internet is, whether it is free and whether it is available at all various airports peace