How to relax at sea completely free of charge: we will tell you incredibly useful tips. Where you can have a cheap vacation abroad: an overview of options, recommendations and reviews Countries for a beach holiday

How to organize a trip on your own? Is it possible to do without a tour operator and only win on this?

You can persuade yourself to take and organize a trip on your own, refusing the services of a travel agency, for a number of reasons: such a trip can not only cost much less, but turn out to be much more exciting. Judge for yourself: you will be able to go beyond standard resorts that are overcrowded during the season, plan a route according to your taste and schedule, avoid crowded excursion groups and gain useful organizational experience, which may later be useful to you in preparation ... world travel. Why not? Let's start by planning your independent rest step by step.


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If earlier you had to go directly to the airline office during business hours to get a plane ticket, now you can buy it in a few minutes from home, without getting up from the couch and without overpaying a commission to operators. Airline search engines search for the most profitable options for the flight dates and route you specify, and then redirect you to the airline's website, where you enter your bank card details and pay for the ticket. Reservation comes to the specified email address immediately after payment in the form in which you can demonstrate it at the embassy for a visa.

When buying flights online, don't overlook three things: how much luggage you can take with you for free (many first-time travelers in the hunt for cheap tickets end up with low-cost airlines that charge a hefty fee for any luggage larger than a small travel bag) , whether the ticket is exchangeable or refundable, and whether the flight finder assumes the responsibility of informing you of the postponement/cancellation of the flight. If not, then a few hours before departure, it is better for you to call the airline's hotline and find out about the status of the flight yourself.


Photo: Shutterstock.com

There are many Internet sites for choosing a hotel. The most famous of them- booking.com, agoda.com, venere.com, hotels.com. Experience shows that in order to achieve the best result, it is better to study everything at once, and make the final choice after you consult the price directly on the website of the hotel itself (do not be alarmed if it turns out to be higher there).- hotel search engines almost always benefit from their advantageous offers and discounts).

On any such site for booking there is all the information about the hotel with photos and reviews of guests, including in Russian. To confirm your booking, you will need to enter your bank card details and carefully read the cancellation policy. In the event of a visa denial or other unforeseen situation, look for a hotel that allows you to cancel your reservation without penalty up to 24 hours before your arrival date. Popular hotel search engines have a hotline with Russian-speaking operators, so if plans change, you can change or cancel your reservation by phone.

Before booking, be sure to read the terms and conditions of your stay to be aware of whether it will be possible to use Wi-Fi for free, order an extra bed for a child or park a rental car on site.

In one of the public in social networks, one of those that publish philosophical parables for middle managers, I came across a rather plausible story of one person. He voluntarily wandered for 20 years without a cent in his pocket, and at the same time traveled the whole world. Can't believe it? Me too. How to travel completely free, I do not know. But I can tell you how to do it as cheaply and interestingly as possible, without tour operators and vouchers.

There are many ways to save money on the road. I have distributed them according to the tasks facing each traveler, and according to the degree of extremeness. The risk here is inversely proportional to the price: the cheaper, the more adventurism will be required from you on the road.

Quest number 1: get there

Level one, for beginners: traditional low-cost airlines; second-class carriages where at the last moment you are always happy to offer the best place, 38th, on the upper side of the toilet; electric trains in which you can ride a hare, if you know how; night intercity buses, which also help to save money on an overnight stay, and so on. The whole wide range of budget vehicles is at your fingertips. Here you risk nothing but your comfort. Such transport, of course, can save costs, but it won’t make a difference if the final goal is an almost free trip.

Level two, for advanced. In many countries, especially in Europe, communities of fellow travelers are developed - sites like roadsharing.com (even in Yekaterinburg there was a “carriage truck” project, which, however, did not take root too much). Here you can find a driver with a car, people who need to get to the same point as you, share the cost of gas with them and have a nice chat on the road.

“I used this way to get from Berlin to Prague,” says Dasha, a Russian student from the Czech Republic.

- There were some pennies in my pocket, we were driving in a car with three Italians and a German. We talked in “intuitive English”, which I had forgotten a lot at the time, shared our impressions

Finally, the third level, for the brave in spirit: hitchhiking, a method sung by beatniks in the 50s of the last century, which has become almost the meaning of life for many. There is an opinion that this is a dangerous way of traveling, suitable only for athletic men. Olya, a 22-year-old student at Moscow State University, debunks stereotypes with her story:

- When I first rode in footsteps, I was 15 years old, we went with my seventeen-year-old friend, whom we met at a summer science camp for schoolchildren. We told our parents that we were going to a summer school, but they themselves rushed to Altai to watch the total solar eclipse. It was, of course, only an excuse to travel. We reached Novosibirsk in three days - it was very hot and we didn’t feel like eating at all, we bought only water. Our age did not surprise the drivers, they treated us very well, fed us. We spent the night in the cabs of truckers and in a tent.

We arrived in Novosibirsk at night and set up a tent in some wasteland in the center of the city. In the morning it turned out that it was someone's garden.

We lived in a tent in botanical garden and went to brush their teeth at the local museum, free for schoolchildren. And then they went to the mountains. There we lived in a tent for about a week, cooked on a fire and poured into nature. When it rained, I read Remarque aloud, and my friend braided my pigtails. Braided 64 pieces. Then it turned out that we had about a hundred rubles left for the two of us, and we drove back. The return trip took about four days. The drivers fed us, although we did not tell them anything about the lack of money.

In fact, it cannot be described - how you stand on the highway, wave your hand and sing, how you ride in the high cab of a truck, listening to Radio Chanson, the muttering of the truckers' walkie-talkie and their stories, how you understand that money is not needed at all, because the world is kind

Since then, I have not been afraid of hitchhiking. Traveled this way in more than 15 countries. I have never been in dangerous situations, but I always carry a pepper spray with me just in case. More like hypocrisy. Alone is also not bad - it turns out, as a rule, faster, and the drivers treat you sincerely.

Quest number 2: sleep

Level one, low-budget: hostels. This is the way even your parents will agree. A bed in a common room and a shower on the floor will cost several times cheaper than hotel room, and if the hostel is good, then in addition to this you will get free internet, hosts who know the city very well, a stand with maps and a kitchen where you can cook your own food, and not spend money in cafes. If you're lucky, you'll find interesting neighbors. Although once I lived in a room with an 80-year-old grandmother who came to Kyiv for treatment, I went to bed at 9 pm and forced all the shelves with pills. Also interesting, of course, but a bit not what I expected.

Level two, free: couchsurfing. A community of people around the world who are ready to receive guests "for no reason", because it's interesting and you want live communication. A great way to make new friends and get to know the place you are visiting better. Ekb Room tested this method on itself - you can read about the pros, cons and pitfalls here: http://website/v-poiskah-divana/

Level three, extreme: the house on your shoulders. If you don’t get along with couchsurfing, you can always drive away from the city, pitch a tent and spend the night, wrapped in a warm cozy sleeping bag. Here, of course, there are subtleties. In Russia, this is not always possible due to climatic conditions. What kind of tent, if it's winter in the Urals for seven months - your own unfrozen legs are still more expensive than a night in a hostel. In Europe, in most cases, you will have to pay to set up a tent on a neatly trimmed lawn with an equipped toilet and shower, and you can be fined for parking in the wrong place. In Asian countries, on the contrary, according to the stories, you can even break your tarpaulin house in a park in the middle of the city - no one will say a word to you.

One traveler friend of mine told me how in Africa they slept in a tent almost near the road, and when they opened their eyes in the morning, they were met by a crowd of armed natives, whose appearance somehow did not encourage pleasant conversations. So it is better to find out from the locals in advance how things are with camping in a particular country. Or buy a trailer-home on wheels, but this is no longer about free travel.

Quest number 3: eat and have fun

If you ask the locals, google carefully, or show a little ingenuity, you can do everything for free. Even in big tourist cities aimed at extracting money from visitors.

Pay for excursions, for example, (and even more so, buy excursion tours) is the last thing, in my opinion. What could be worse than for a decent amount of money to be in a crowd of Russian tourists, which a boring tour guide runs past postcard attractions, interspersed with boring facts from Wikipedia? It is much more convenient to take a good map guide or wander around the city at random. Even better is to ask one of the locals to show the city "from their point of view."

You can get into numerous museums much cheaper with various benefits, and if they are not available, you can convincingly depict them. For example, we say with honest eyes to Russian museum grandmothers that we are students in the Czech Republic, but they don’t give students there. Also in many cities once a week or a month there is something like an open day, when admission is free for everyone. Even the aforementioned excursions can be listened to for free, just discreetly following the tour group, which honestly paid for it.

It is easy to save a decent amount on moving around the city. AT major cities Western countries there is a so-called bicycle sharing: you can rent a bike for a small amount, on a deposit for documents, or even completely free of charge if you return vehicle in safe. It’s also a good idea to immediately find out from the locals how safe it is to ride a hare in public transport, whether the fines are large and how to avoid them: crawl under the turnstiles or portray a law-abiding girl from the Institute of Noble Maidens.

Free food is often included with an overnight stay: good-natured and hospitable hosts, even if they don’t show you miracles national cuisine, then they definitely won’t refuse a cup of tea with a sandwich. Another thing is that you often don’t want to abuse hospitality, and it’s easier to buy a pack of pasta at a local supermarket or bake potatoes in a fire, depending on the place of stay. Particularly resourceful seek freebies in big cities: tastings in stores, free beer snacks in bars, drinking fountains with water and even free tea and coffee machines are found in some places. You will not die of hunger, in general.

The most useful thing about traveling is learning to trust people and making casual acquaintances. This is a lifesaver that helps everywhere. Once, for example, in the seven minutes we spent on the ferry on the way to the Baltic Spit, we met a wonderful woman photographer who completely disinterestedly gave us tea and a jar of jam to go with her, showed us all the most interesting things in the area, offered her own bikes to ride and for a long time persuaded us to stay overnight with her.

Bonus for the Resolute: Turtle Teams and Strawberries

There are dozens of programs under which, having only a passport and a fair share of adventurism, you can travel around the world, starting with the well-known "Work and Travel" and ending with volunteering from the UN in some Sudan. In England, there are free weekend trips - people of the same interests unite using the site, choose a route and go hiking. You can visit the coasts for free Pacific Ocean in return for the simple work of preserving turtle populations, volunteers are recruited by the website seaturtles.org.

There is, for example, the WWOOF project - "Global Opportunities on Organic Farms". Under this program, volunteers work for a farmer for no more than six hours a day, and in return they are provided with housing and food. The organization exists in 53 countries around the world.

“I went to Finland five times to pick raspberries, strawberries and all sorts of different berries on farms,” Lena from Petrozavodsk told me. — I really liked it. Not only did the owners provide us with housing, it was also a good source of income. Work, of course, is not for everyone, but it is interesting. Many Russians go there every summer. There are also those who make a career out of it. Professional strawberries, so to speak.

How do you like the prospect of going to work in the vineyards in Italy? Or to Hawaii to collect ... I don’t even know what they collect there. Coconuts?

Photos taken from the Internet

The question of where to go on vacation in the summer usually does not arise for anyone. The best option for summer holidays is sea ​​coast! This type of vacation is not cheap, so not everyone will be able to afford it. We will tell you how to relax on the sea for free and what you can save on during your trip!


How to relax for free: 5 useful options

1. Where to go on vacation with a child? You can go for a few days to relatives who live by the sea. Surely you have such an aunt or great-aunt whom you have not visited for a long time. Also this a good option, where you can relax with your child for free, at the same time introduce him to numerous family members.

2. Couchsurfing site is suitable for young people. There are enough people who are ready to receive tourists at home and acquaint them with their language, culture and traditions in any country. You should register on a couchsurfer site and ask the people of the country or city where you are going for a shelter. Now you decide where to go on vacation, not your wallet.

3. How to relax cheaply and what can you save on? It is best not to spend heavily on housing. There is such a site as Hospitality club - a hospitality club or guest networks, as it is also called. In every country there are those who want to rent out their housing to you in exchange for the fact that you can take care of a house, apartment or pets. Now this voluntary exchange program is only developing in our country and is gradually recruiting into its database everyone who wants to provide travelers with accommodation while the owners are away. Sometimes on the site there are just ads of people who are ready to provide you with housing and all the benefits of civilization for free. So why not take advantage of this offer?

4. Where to go for a cheap vacation in the summer? AT camping! To do this, you do not even have to buy a tent. Almost in all resort towns there are places that offer tourists to stay in a cozy camp with all the necessary amenities. Try to search the Internet for the nearest tent camp where you can simply relax in the summer for free, and go there! AT tent camps you can charge your mobile phone, there is an equipped kitchen and toilets. So you can relax without renting a house.

5. Have you tried hitchhiking? In order not to think about where to go on vacation inexpensively, try to combine a free vacation through couchsurfing with a free road. You can hitchhike to any part of your country and even abroad if you have a passport. Try to go on such an unforgettable adventure. We advise you to stop truckers on trucks, they pick up hitchhikers much more willingly.

You see that there are many options where you can relax for free. Choose the one that suits you. Where to go to relax at sea, and which resort to choose? It is best to choose a country that will be close to you, and in which you can ask for help from passers-by without a dictionary. Keep in mind that not all countries speak English fluently.


Now you know where to relax on the sea for free. Portal My Tips wishes you an adrenaline rush and new discoveries! And if there are other interesting ways, be sure to write them to us below in the comments)))

On specialized online services

A huge number of services provide the possibility of such a search. It should be noted that they are quite popular among both men and women. The most banal reason why single tourists are looking for a companion is the desire to save money. Per Single Room singles are forced to overpay up to 30%, and not everyone can afford luxury.

Another benefit is the opportunity to relax not in splendid isolation. Most of our compatriots without a company abroad feel uncomfortable, embarrassed to go alone to restaurants or to the beach, not to mention excursions. Girls often look for a so-called sponsor who will pay for the trip. When choosing, try to determine as accurately as possible how comfortable you will be with this person, whether your wishes agree on some rules: for example, do not smoke and do not take anyone into the room. Agree in advance - save yourself from unpleasant surprises.

Through a travel agency


Many travel agencies also have a similar service or service on the official website. Knowing where, when and which of the clients is going, smart managers will be able to pick up a company for you or, with your prior consent, transfer contacts to someone who also does not really want to go alone.

Resting for two or three, you can save not only on a room, but also on a taxi, and in some cases, on food in cafes and restaurants, especially if the bill in the host country includes “table setting” or service as a separate item. So you can find not only a fellow traveler who will share a room with you, but also a company with which you will have fun in a hotel and travel around the country.

Via social network


Often, friends and friends of friends, in addition to photos, statuses and videos, publish information that they want to rent an apartment, ask for help in finding a specialist - an interior designer or a good host for a wedding. You can also place an ad that you are looking for a company on vacation. There is a high probability that someone is also in search.

Friends, colleagues, acquaintances


If you do not want to "notify" a wide circle, you can ask around selectively those whom you trust. This option can also be effective.

Online Dating


An option for those who are in search of a companion, not only on vacation, but also with a long-term perspective. Going on vacation with an unfamiliar person is fraught, but, subject to the rules of caution, it is indicative. People open up best when they are together for 24 hours over several days or even weeks. On a joint trip, you can see how neat, active, temperamental, emotionally stable, sociable, and interesting a person is. In general, almost everything. If it was successful, you didn’t get bored with each other, you never seriously quarreled, after that you can safely move in and build much more serious joint plans.

I’ll make a reservation right away: the phrase “Where to go on vacation abroad” implies that the rest should be rich and varied. Otherwise, it's better to buy a box of vodka and drill into the country: it will be cheaper, but the effect is the same.

So, we have considered the point "Nowhere". And now - about where to go on vacation abroad in 2020.


In recent years, due to the economic crisis, the fall of the ruble and the growth of the dollar, many refuse to foreign tours. Some people do this because they can't really afford a holiday abroad in 2020. But many refuse to travel only because they do not know where to go on vacation abroad on a budget. But there are many such places! And in this article we will consider three of them - the cheapest, in my opinion (we do not take Belarus into account).

Since we are talking about 2020, when the ruble exchange rate is low, we will consider only those cities and countries where you can travel inexpensively. I present to you three places where to go on vacation abroad in 2020 and not go broke.

Where to go cheap abroad in 2020? In this photo - one of the options described below.

Option 1: Thailand, Pattaya

One of the advantages of Pattaya is the low prices for food, transport, souvenirs, etc. You can see this by reading the article. Another difference between Pattaya is that from many regions of Russia it is often cheaper to fly here on your own than as part of a package tour.

And to the question “Where to go on vacation from Pattaya”, the answer is unequivocal - to the island of Koh Lan! Pictured is one of the best beaches islands, Tien Beach.

Here is what a cursory search on booking systems showed:

Where to go on vacation abroad? Option 2: Laos, Vang Vieng

You may not have heard that in this incomprehensible country you can relax in a civilized way. But for me, the answer to the question “where to go on vacation abroad at the current ruble exchange rate” is unequivocal: to Laos! And it’s not only about the exchange rate, it’s not in vain that this country has long been chosen by tourists from Europe, America and South Korea. Yes, Laos has two serious disadvantages:

1. The absence of the sea.
2. It's hard to get there directly.

But this country also has two main advantages:

1. Very beautiful nature.
2. Very low prices.

But if you want to see this beautiful nature, you don’t have to go to the capital of the country, Vientiane -. Go to the village, which is two hundred kilometers from the capital. And you can do this without stopping by Vientiane. You can get to Vang Vieng on a budget like this: buy cheap flights in Bangkok, take a bus to the northern Thai town of Nong Khai or Udon Thani, from where there are direct buses to Vang Vieng. Yes, the path is not easy, but believe me: it's worth it! Here are a couple of photos of Vang Vieng in confirmation:

Where to go on vacation abroad in 2020 after Turkey and Thailand? Of course, in Vang Vieng! Only there you can swim in this amazing lagoon ...

…and live in hotel with such a great view for mere pennies!

Prices for hotels in Vang Vieng are not at all high: for $ 15 per day you can rent an excellent room overlooking the river and dragon mountains of unearthly beauty. You can choose a hotel in Vang Vieng on different booking systems:

Entertainment in Vang Vieng is also worth a penny. For example, kayaking for the whole day on mountain rivers against the backdrop of amazing landscapes costs only $12! But I won’t paint for a long time, because we have a separate article about. By the way, with regard to food, in Laos for a Russian tourist it is even more familiar than Thai. The French colonialists taught them to love rolls and other European food, which they cook with pleasure and sell for mere pennies. Welcome to Laos friends!

Where to go on vacation abroad? Option 3: Turkey, Antalya

For many, Turkey has always been a country of “seal” relaxation by the pool or on a hotel beach. But in times of crisis, Turkey becomes one of the places where even those for whom a vacation is a real journey, rich and varied, can go on vacation abroad. After all, Turkey is very interesting country, if you go beyond the limits of the olinklusive. Have you seen the mountains in Turkey? And the waterfalls? What about ancient cities? If not, then it's time to discover this amazing country! You can get to Turkey not only on a package tour: you can find Cheap flights from Moscow to Antalya dollars for 300-400 for two round trip, the hotel can be found through the booking system.

More about independent travel to Turkey - in our articles:

In addition, prices in Turkey for Russians are very reasonable. After all, the exchange rate of the Turkish lira, like the ruble, has also fallen sharply recently. Therefore, if in the same Thailand, in terms of rubles, prices have doubled, then in Turkey - by 30 percent. Why not an argument in favor of Turkey when answering the question “Where to go on vacation abroad at the current ruble exchange rate?”

In Turkey, everything is inclusive: not only food and drink, but also beautiful nature, warm sea and rich story. Therefore, Antalya is one of those places where it is very worth it to go on vacation abroad at the current ruble exchange rate.

One of the main advantages Turkish hotels- the notorious "All Inclusive" system, which allows you not to spend money on food and alcohol separately. And when you don’t have a headache about how to save on the bare necessities, driving around is much easier. But All Inclusive exists in many countries. Why, when answering the question of where to go on vacation abroad in 2020, am I considering Turkey? Because at the beginning I said that by rest I don’t mean drinking under the warm southern sun, but combining this pleasant activity with excursions, hiking in the mountains, etc. When we rested in Turkey, we went to Pamukkale and in jeeps through the mountains , and off-road ATVs, and much more. It costs very little. Of course, provided that you buy excursions at a normal price, and not from hotel guide. And one more thing: when you are in Turkey, do not miss the opportunity to see its beautiful capital! An excellent guide site will help you find a hotel:

And you can pick up hotels in other cities on Booking:

As you can see, even in the crisis year of 2020, you can find many options for where to go on vacation abroad. You just need to be willing and look for options. And by subscribing to our new articles, you will always know how to have a fun and budget-friendly vacation in Asia. To receive our new publications by mail, you only need to enter your e-mail. Let's not get lost on the Internet, and let no crisis interfere with your plans!