How to go on vacation. How to relax for free: step-by-step instructions. Shopping and shops in Northern Cyprus

Tourists, like almost everything in this world, can be classified. And even break it down by type and subspecies. Then it will become clear that among them there are many people who are terrified of flying. But they love to travel. And such an aerophobic tourist is faced with the question of where, exactly, to go. And on what?

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Tourists, like almost everything in this world, can be classified. And even break it down by type and subspecies. Then it will become clear that among them there are many people who are terrified of flying. But they love to travel. And such an aerophobic tourist is faced with a difficult question - where, exactly, to go. And on what?

Of course, there are options. But we will not talk here about automobile tourism, just as we will not talk about bus tours. And even more so, we will not talk about hiking tourism. We will tell you where you can go abroad by train. And, in fact, you can go to almost any corner of Europe and Asia (Kim Jong Il came to us in his armored train). There would be time.

The first thing that comes to mind is, of course, Crimea. It seems that we are already abroad and there is a sea. But only the lazy don’t know about Crimea. Meanwhile, there are other places.

Bulgaria

How to get there
Two trains depart daily from Sofia - No. 382 at 19.20 and No. 3 at 21.34. Travel time is a little more than two days - about 58 hours.

What to do
Sofia, in itself, is a quite interesting city. There is a lot here that will remind you of the times when Bulgaria was considered the 16th republic of the USSR - both architecture and people. Many people speak Russian, and they treat Russians well.

And then everything depends on your imagination - you can book excursions to the ancient Bulgarian monasteries, which for the most part are in amazing beautiful places, among mountains and forests, and you need to get where you need to either by car or by bus. You can choose your own ski resort.

Or you can go to the sea. Bulgaria is not Siberia, and it takes less than a day to travel from one end of the country to the other. There are three main resorts on the coast - Albena, Golden Sands and sunny Beach.

Golden Sands is perhaps the most respectable resort. There are the most good five-star hotels there and the most high prices. Albena is a little more democratic, but even there almost all three-star hotels are decent. For those who like to remember the past, there are two-star hotels - they are not much different from typical Soviet boarding houses of the 70s and 80s. But they are also extremely cheap. The beaches there are sandy, the entrance to the sea is convenient, and the sea itself is clean.

By the way, if you go from Sofia to Albena or to Sands, it’s worth spending a day and stopping on the way to ancient capital Bulgaria called Veliko Tarnovo. The city is very beautiful, located in the mountains, and below, visible from almost everywhere, a river flows. Here, by the way, was previously the dacha of Zhivkov, the last Secretary General of Bulgaria. And the party elite, as you know, bad places I didn’t choose it for relaxation. There are many hotels in Tarnovo, most of them are inexpensive, but very cozy. How inexpensive the restaurants are here - dinner for two with all the delights local cuisine(a separate chapter needs to be written about it) and alcohol will cost about 20 dollars.

And finally, Sunny Beach. It is located closest to Sofia and is today almost the most developing resort in the country. Prices here are the lowest, there are many hotels to choose from for every budget and taste, and the beaches are sandy. For those who like to live outside of hotels, we can recommend going to the nearby ancient city of Nessebar - you can easily rent a house there cheaper than in Crimea, with all the amenities. And the sea there is the same - only on the other side.

In general, Bulgaria is almost an ideal option for an inexpensive holiday without flights.

Germany

How to get there
Two trains depart daily to Cologne - No. 11 at 22-15 and No. 249 at 18.19. Travel time is 37 hours. From there, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, train No. 13 leaves for Berlin at 8.38. Another Berlin train, number 247, leaves the station on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 13.30. Travel time is a little more than a day - about 28 hours.

What to do
In Cologne itself, by and large, there are two attractions. This is the cathedral of the same name, which is located next to the station, and the Cologne Carnival, which takes place here annually in the second half of February. Then a lot of tourists from all over the world come to the city and hotels need to be booked in advance.

But in general, few people go to Cologne. The local train station is a huge connecting terminal, and from here you can travel to any city in Germany, as well as almost any city in Europe. One of the most popular routes is Moscow - Cologne - Paris. Just a few hours after the Moscow train arrives in Cologne (you will have time for both the cathedral and beer), the train departs in the evening for Paris, where you will arrive early in the morning. In other words, Cologne should be considered as a transit route on the way to Europe by train. Well, where you want to go is up to you.

Of course, there are also trains from Berlin to Europe. But it’s stupid to go there in transit (especially since it’s more convenient to get to Paris through Cologne). You need to go there just to see the city. Moreover, Berlin is now called almost the most fashionable and modern city in Europe. Architecture of new styles and trends, many progressive clubs, etc. In short, this is a metropolis for a new generation. Or, as they write in fashion magazines, this is the mainstream of the youth movement. But it’s clear that other generations have something to do here too. Especially if you remember our history. By the way, here is almost the best zoo in all of Europe.

Finland

How to get there
Every day two trains depart from Helsinki - No. 31 at 17.42 and No. 32 at 22.50. Travel time is just under 14 hours.

What to do
The city itself is small but nice. As someone said about Finland, everything there is as it should be in our country, but it’s unlikely to be. Helsinki in particular and Finland in general should be treated with this thought. There are no special attractions here, but it’s nice to just wander around, go to a restaurant and taste old Russian cuisine. But once you get to Helsinki, you can take, for example, a ferry and go to Stockholm. As a matter of fact, there are many places you can go on cruise ships or ferry ships from Helsinki. But it is advisable to plan all this in Moscow.

Also in Moscow you can pre-order a small house on the lakes. Such pleasure costs from $500 for a house for 4 people for a week. And then you find yourself in a pristine forest, with lots of mushrooms and berries (in summer, of course), surrounded by a network of lakes with crystal clear water and lots of fish. Plus, the package usually includes a sauna and a motor boat. The only problem is that apart from berries, mushrooms and fish - that is, pasture food - food is not provided in such houses. And you need to take everything with you. For example, in a rented car.

Croatia

How to get there
Train No. 15 departs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 20.30. Another train No. 205 leaves for Zagreb at 7.10 on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Travel time is two days.

What to do
Zagreb itself is often called little Vienna for its resemblance to the capital of Austria. And that's true. It's worth spending at least a day there to see all the sights. Well, then - just a few hours away are all famous resorts Croatia, and here the only question is the choice - where to go. By the way, you can relax for a week in Croatia, then go to Montenegro for the second week, fortunately it is nearby and fortunately there are also trains from Belgrade to Moscow.

Montenegro

How to get there
From to Belgrade two trains depart daily - No. 15 at 20.30 and No. 344 at 8.20. Travel time is two days.

What to do
If our tourists have already actively explored Croatia for a long time, then Montenegro is still an unknown place for them. But in vain - because this, without any exaggeration, is one of best places in general in the world. The water here is the cleanest in the Mediterranean - it is so clear that the bottom can be seen even at a depth of 50 meters. There are magnificent beaches and mountains, the second largest canyon in the world on the Tara River, which is a national park, is located here, there is the beautiful Skadar Lake, surrounded by ancient monasteries. In a word, there is everything you need for relaxation. And, most importantly, it is still relatively cheap here.

Austria

How to get there
From to Vienna train No. 202 departs daily at 21.40. And on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays there is another train No. 21 - departure at 23.40. Travel time is a little over 30 hours.

What to do
You can write a separate book about Vienna, and more than one. One has only to say, no matter how banal it sounds, that this is one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe. With a lot of attractions, a lot of cultural events, and simply this is the city that you need to see at least once in your life if you want to feel involved in world history and culture. Well, after that you can go to ski resorts- there are more of them there than in Moscow casinos.

Slovakia

How to get there
Two trains leave for Bratislava every day - No. 21 at 23.40 and No. 705 at 19.50. Travel time is 33 hours.

What to do
Bratislava is a small city, but very picturesque, spread out on both sides of the Danube. In general, you should go to Slovakia either to ski resorts - here, if there are good slopes, it is more or less cheap, or you should go for treatment - almost all Slovak resorts are one way or another oriented towards medicine. But the country itself is beautiful - most of it is located in the mountains, and the views here are breathtaking. And since the tourism industry began to actively develop here several years ago, there have been no problems with service.

Hungary

How to get there
Two trains depart daily for Budapest - No. 15 at 20.30 and No. 16 at 18.25. Travel time is just under 40 hours.

What to do
Budapest is one of those few cities in the world that you immediately fall in love with. And forever, you just have to be there. Moreover, there are views here for every taste - on the right bank of the Danube, the city soars up, drowning in forests, and the left part of the city, flat, lies in front of you in full view. The Danube with its openwork bridges lies in full view. In a word, Budapest is such a self-sufficient city that there is no need to go anywhere else besides it. You can easily spend a week there and not get bored. But even for this case there are places in Hungary. Like, for example, the largest lake in central Europe, the name of which almost everyone has heard. Balaton is his name. And it completely replaces a vacation by the sea. In addition, Hungary ranks one of the first places in the world in terms of the number of explored and used sources of thermal medicinal waters - more than a hundred operate here balneological resorts. In short, there are a lot of options for relaxation here.

Romania

How to get there
Every day two trains leave for Bucharest - No. 3 at 23.34 and No. 382 at 7.39. It's almost two days to travel.

What to do
In fact, it is difficult to ask such a question in Romania. If only because there is also Mountain peaks The Carpathians, and the majestic Danube with its untouched nature, and the Black Sea beaches. Here you can ride alpine skiing and lie on the beaches, here you can wander around Bucharest for days with its unique Franco-Romanian style of architecture, or you can travel through the ancient Transylvanian cities. Where you will certainly be reminded of Dracula. Instead of blood, it is better to drink very good local wine. Here in Romania, the Byzantine style and the Orthodox monasteries of northern Moldavia and Bukovina are mixed. Western Romania looks like a surviving fragment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and, for example, in Constanta you can see the hand of both the Romans and Ottoman Empire. In short, Romania is like a kaleidoscope.

Czech

How to get there
Two trains depart daily to Prague - No. 21 at 23.40 and No. 209 at 22.18. Travel time is a little over 30 hours.

What to do
Thousands of guidebooks have been written about Prague, and they all have one thing in common - you should visit it at least once in your life. Nowhere else in the world can you sit in a beer hall located in a 13th century building, nowhere else can you find such a combination of undestroyed antiquity and rhythm modern city. But besides Prague in the Czech Republic there are also ancient castles, and health resorts(Karlovy Vary became a Russian health resort a long time ago), and the unique cuisine and... In a word, read Hasek again - it says everything about the Czechs.

China

How to get there
There are four trains to Beijing from. On Tuesdays No. 4 leaves at 21.57, on Wednesdays No. 3 leaves at 7.40, on Fridays No. 20 at 23.53 and on Saturdays No. 19 leaves at 22.50. Travel time is from 131 to 144 hours.

What to do
At first, you will be looking out the window for almost a week - China, as you know, is not close to us. And after such a journey you will rest for several more days. But further - if you have endured such a road, then you can take another train and head, for example, to the coast - this will be the only opportunity for you to see sea world South-East Asia without using an airplane. Believe me, there is a lot to see there - the beaches of China are not much different from Thailand or Bali. And the rest is China, a country with such an ancient and powerful culture that even a few years are not enough for a complete inspection. Although a trip to China by train in itself is already exotic.

Any trip abroad is a wonderful way to make new acquaintances, expand your horizons and even learn English language. Many people can travel abroad for free in 2020. Volunteer work, corporate trips abroad - all this allows you to travel completely free of charge.

The most popular volunteer programs of 2020 include:

Study and work programs

Study and work - these words do not sound tempting at all. However, in reality, it is one of the best ways to enjoy life to the fullest and expand your horizons abroad. Language courses, which are organized several times a year for residents of some countries, are very popular. Over a period of time, a group of people is recruited and sent abroad to improve knowledge. Typically standard courses last three months.

Many people know about these promotions. They represent short trips, a social package, an opportunity to make new acquaintances, relax at sea and even earn money. Of course, this work will not improve the tourist’s qualifications as a specialist in a certain field, but interesting vacation and improvement of intercultural communication experience is guaranteed.

Internships

An internship is another way to travel abroad for free. Typically, young people from 23 to 20 years old are sent for internships. higher education. Most large American companies look for employees abroad, provide them with training and internships, and then offer them to get a job and stay abroad forever.

To get an internship at one of these companies, you need to decide on the field of activity in which you can work.

Then, on the Internet or in advertisements, it is recommended to view relevant and recent posts. The last step is to write a letter to the director or organizer of the program. Standard conditions for courses and internships include payment for accommodation, travel, meals, ticket costs, consular fees, and visa processing. Companies may pay “bonuses” to particularly diligent and hardworking people during their internship. These are bonuses small size

, but they provide significant assistance to humans.

Trainings and seminars A corporate event abroad is a trip of an entire team of employees from a certain company abroad to participate in a seminar or conference. This is one of the methods of international cooperation that allows the exchange of information, new knowledge, developments and technologies. Such trips abroad will allow you to get acquainted with.

famous people

You can leave and participate in trainings only if such an opportunity has been presented to your company. You can also add your own company to the list of candidates for participation in the seminar. Then you need to wait for a response from the organizer.

Such events take a little time. Mostly they take from three days to two weeks. During this period, several days are devoted to conferences, discussion and solution of important problems.

Conducting training

The rest of the time can be spent relaxing at sea, sightseeing and taking part in excursions.
Organizers of trainings or seminars cover all expenses related to travel, accommodation and meals for participants.

Lotteries and drawings

Not everyone can travel abroad on their own. To visit foreign countries for free, you can participate in lotteries or sweepstakes in 2020 and try to win. This is one of the available options. As a rule, each program defines the conditions for participation.

The lottery involves a random selection of participants. There is no questionnaire to fill out before participation. You will need to answer the questions only after the lottery, if you manage to win. Winners are determined by random method, most often special programs are used for this.

Popular lotteries include.

Some people have the misconception that this map allows you to travel to the USA for free. In fact, this is a lottery that is very popular all over the world and allows you to legally stay in the country.

This action was approved by the US Congress and has legal status. Once a year, 50,000 people from all those who submitted applications are identified using a computer.

People from all over the world can participate in this lottery. Knowledge of language, education, age does not matter. However, this program also has one caveat - if more than fifty thousand immigrants have left for the United States from any country over the past five years, then it cannot participate in the drawing.

Participation in the lottery is absolutely free. The application is submitted online. This takes a few minutes, but obtaining a Green Card takes one or even a year and a half. It gives you the opportunity to legally reside and work in the United States.

Of course, this is not a free trip for entertainment purposes, but it will save you money and give you the opportunity to work there legally. For many, the Green Card becomes a lucky ticket to new life and opportunity forever.

Typical American street

Looking for cheap tour? Find out 7 secrets on how to find and buy a trip online at a profit in 2020. Independently and on your own best price. And let the travel agencies turn green with anger. Have a cheap holiday!

Attention! Read below about coronavirus and safe purchase of tours this year.

I don't like overpaying for a vacation. I'm sure you do too. There is always the opportunity to fly to a resort inexpensively: to Turkey for , to Greece for , to Thailand for , to the Dominican Republic for rubles. These are real examples of cheap travel packages that I have found. Find out where and how to find such last-minute tours.

This guide is already four years old. If you are a reader my travel blog, then you know that I am an avid traveler and a passionate hunter for cheap tours and tickets. In this review I outlined my experience and knowledge of search inexpensive travel packages. Learn how to relax without extra costs!

Rules for searching and purchasing the cheapest tours:

How to buy a tour safely during coronavirus

What a year it has been, friends!

The epidemic and closed borders prevent normal travel. The situation in the world is tense, almost all countries are closed to entry, tourism has come to a standstill. But all these are temporary measures. And although this spring we will definitely have to forget about traveling abroad and even limit movements within Russia, closer to summer the borders should open, and the world will live as before again. I believe in it!

The question arises: how to plan a vacation in such a difficult time?

It's actually quite simple.

Firstly, in April it’s definitely worth staying at home. It is not yet safe to ride even in Russia. Let's wait out the crisis and not let the epidemic spread across our country. If the quarantine is lifted in a month, then in May it will be possible.

Secondly, you can safely buy a tour for summer and autumn right now. Some tour operators now allow travel packages to be purchased with free cancellation. I advise you to look for such tours on the services and, where I most often buy tours myself. Just check the box next to the inscription "Free cancellation". Please read your tour operator's cancellation terms and conditions carefully to understand the rules. Still, there are restrictions there, and you should be aware of them. And don’t hesitate to ask questions to the managers of these sites: helping you with the purchase of a tour is their job.

On this moment Free cancellation is available for tours to Tunisia and Greece, and may soon appear for other destinations.

Please note that prices for tours have dropped significantly now - you can take advantage of this.

Below, read my tips for buying inexpensive tours.

Be healthy and have a speedy holiday for all of us!

1. Buy tours online

Travel agencies on the street sell tours at a higher price than online tour search engines. The last time I bought a ticket at a travel agency office was back in 2012. Then convenient and reliable online tour search services appeared - now I only use them. I no longer go to the offices of greedy travel agencies - it’s more convenient and profitable to buy tours on the Internet.

Why are travel agencies more expensive? The reason is human factor- cunning managers in travel agencies by all possible ways they encourage the client to buy a more expensive tour package. They fundamentally do not want to sell tours for 5, 10, 20 thousand - the percentage from such transactions is not enough for them, they need more gold!

Where to look for cheap tours online? I use three search engines: , and . All three are reliable and very comfortable. Choose which one you like best.

Install mobile app . Travelata has an excellent app: download it for or and use the current promotional code when purchasing a tour AF600MOBmake-trip- you will receive a discount of 600 rubles on any tours costing over 50,000 rubles.

How do tour search engines work? They compare prices among 130 popular tour operators and find the cheapest tours. Finding and booking a tour yourself is easy. You see complete information on the package: hotel, flight, meals, tourist reviews, and so on. You choose the tour that you like. Do you have any questions? Ask them to a consultant via chat or phone. Secure online payment by bank card. The tour can also be purchased in installments.

Offices and consultants. All three search engines have offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and others major cities. There is also a hotline support line. So it's easy to interact with them.

Pros of buying tours online:

Big choice. Compare prices from all tour operators to find the cheapest tour. Compare - save!
Convenient and fast. There is no need to go to travel agency offices, waste time on travel, waiting and communication. You can find and book a tour in 15-30 minutes at home or at work. When buying last-minute tours, speed is especially important: found cheap trip- bought it in a couple of clicks until it disappeared.
Safely. Search engines work only with reliable tour operators. Payment takes place using a secure protocol. There is a 24/7 support service.
Independence. I recommend searching and purchasing tours on your own. It’s more reliable this way - you know better than anyone what exactly you need and at what price. No interference from others - no opportunity to confuse you. In offices, managers are often cunning or simply incompetent.
Documents - immediately. When purchasing a tour online, all reservations and confirmations will be sent by email immediately after payment. In a regular agency, employees like to delay the issuance of documents - they did it, we know.
Reliable. I trust large online search engines, and with a large customer base and a well-known name. Travel agencies with motley names like “Cactus”, “Sea of Dreams” or “Marina Travel” scattered along the streets of Russian cities - no.

Our holiday in Greece on the island of Rhodes in June 2019 on a last-minute tour for 27,000 rubles for two. It was possible to take a tour for 21,000, but we chose a cool and cozy hotel a little more expensive. We really enjoyed:)

2. Be flexible with deadlines and dates.

We often have many restrictions: strictly fixed vacation days, personal matters and obligations. However, try to achieve as much freedom as possible in choosing dates - this will save money.

See different departure days. Your vacation starts on Monday and you found a tour for that day for 50 thousand? Check flights on Tuesday or Wednesday - maybe there will be tours for 30 thousand. I encounter this regularly.

Change the length of rest. Often (not sometimes, but often!) tours for 7 nights cost cheaper than tours for 5 nights, tours for 10 nights are cheaper than tours for 8 and so on. Don't limit yourself - check out all the options! Check the prices in the calendar.

I'm sailing along Indian Ocean. Photos from my trip to the Maldives in spring 2019. On paradise islands We had a super cheap vacation - for the price of a trip to Crimea!

3. Be flexible in your choice of resort

If you are a monogamous person who prefers to go on vacation to the same place every year, then choosing a destination is not a question for you. I recommend everyone else consider different resorts - your chances of buying a cheap tour will increase.

How does direction affect price?

Eat traditionally expensive destinations( , ). There are cheap destinations (,).
Seasonality plays an important role: it is cheaper to fly to some resorts in the summer, to others in the winter, and to others in the spring or autumn.
Random factors also work. For example, a tour operator sold few tours to one of the destinations and decided to reduce prices - last-minute tours appear.

Do you want to buy the cheapest tour? Look at as many destinations as possible. Compare not only countries, but also individual resorts within the same country.

Our holiday in the Maldives, island. The beaches there are luxurious!

4. Buy tours from Moscow

It is for flights from Moscow that you can find the cheapest tours. Competition and a developed air transportation system are driving prices down. Sometimes the difference in price compared to other cities is colossal.

What should a non-capital tourist do?

First, check if you can find a cheap tour from your city. Found it? Great - let's take it! If not, then it is worth expanding the geography of departure cities.

See if there are cheap tours from neighboring cities or from Moscow. You can get to the departure point yourself: by bus, train or plane. Pobeda flies to Moscow from many Russian cities - tickets cost from 1000 rubles. I myself live in the provinces, and fly from Moscow on vacation.

Every situation is different - there is no one solution. Compare prices and decide what is better for you: pay more and fly from your city or save money but spend time traveling to another city.

Look at the examples below. I compared the cost of trips to Cyprus from Moscow and Yekaterinburg. A tour from the capital can be bought much cheaper. If you fly to Moscow on your own, you can save a lot of money.

We are flying on a charter trip to Turkey. We ourselves live in Perm, but in 90% of cases we buy tours and tickets from Moscow - it’s much cheaper, even taking into account the cost of travel to the capital.

5. Use Smart Search

Our trip to the Dominican Republic last December.

7. Book in advance

Buy a tour in advance or catch last minute? This question is asked by many tourists. AND early booking, and buying a tour at the last minute provides an opportunity to save money. Each option has its pros and cons.

Early booking. Minus: discounts are usually not as big as when buying last-minute tours. Plus: you can choose any hotel to your taste, relax beautifully and pleasantly. This is a winning option in terms of price and quality.

Last minute tours. Buying a tour at the last minute is often very profitable. Pros: big discounts, sometimes trips are even sold for pennies. There are two minuses. Firstly, there is no guarantee that a cheap last minute tour will appear for your destination on the dates you need. At the last moment, prices can either decrease or jump significantly. This game is quite gambling. The second drawback is that at the height of the season everything best hotels will already be booked, you will have to choose from second-rate options.

Conclusion. If you need a tour anywhere and as cheaply as possible, grab last-minute tours just before departure. If the quality of your vacation is a priority, then buy a tour in advance (optimally - 2-3 months in advance). You will receive both an early booking discount and wide choose hotels.

Everyone can travel a lot and cheaply! Subscribe to my VKontakte group - get inspired and learn a lot of new things. Good luck!

First photo: Fezbot2000 | unsplash.com.

Tour operators with whom it works (in terms of reliability): Coral Travel, TUI, Tez Tour, Sunmar, AnexTour, Pegas Touristik, NTK-Intourist, Biblio Globus, Mouzenidis Travel, PAC group and others.

Cities, with departure from which you can choose a tour: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Perm, Tyumen and many others.

Holiday destinations: Russia (Sochi, Adler, Crimea, Anapa, etc.), Abkhazia, Cyprus, Greece, Thailand, India, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Tunisia, Vietnam, Israel and many others.

How to travel for free: for this you will need a pillow - in a dream you can travel around the world for free and even fly to the moon.
For other cases - when traveling you will need money.

I continue the series of articles addressed to the progressive class independent travelers started in this:

First, a couple of charts that you can create yourself by going to one of the “currency converter” sites
By playing with the ratios of different national currencies to the ruble, you can notice the peg of a certain region or country to the dollar or euro.

As you can see, the dollar has more influence in the world. The approximation of the national currency to the euro is noticeable only in Europe. Yes, there are still national currencies in Europe: the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Albania….

What money to take with you on a trip

If you are going abroad, forget about rubles. Well, will it be useful to you on a trip around the Republic of Belarus?
If you are going to spend Christmas or New Year in the Czech Republic or Hungary - take euros with you
And if your path lies in countries other than Europe, there is only a dollar
I don’t argue that the ruble is accepted in exchange offices in Thailand, but if you didn’t skip math at school and know how to solve fractions, you will see the advantages of preparing a dollar at home and then exchanging it for baht compared to direct exchange of rubles in the land of smiles - there will be no time for smiles

Card payments and ATMs

Only cash + cards linked to foreign currency accounts (in euros or dollars)!
No ruble cards
Firstly, you cannot guess whether your bank will be able to celebrate its next birthday; simply put, no one will tell you anything about its health
Secondly, having rubles on your card, you lose their dollar equivalent every day the national currency falls. In addition, you will lose abroad on conversion at the bank rate - nowadays banks factor into their exchange rate differences between Sale/Buy dollar (euro) / ruble more points with a margin - all this if you have a ruble card account
Thirdly, you will lose by withdrawing money from an ATM. In the case of Thailand, both the Thais - the owners of the ATM, and the Russian bank - where your money is, will take a bite

Important addition and correction to this paragraph:

Cards linked to an account in dollars or euros allow you to save on the dollar (euro) / national currency exchange rate

A fresh example from today's Alfa Bank statement, account in Euro:
Payment of expenses at the MADINAT JUMEIRAH DUBAI hotel: 1040 Dirham => 226.81 € debited from the account => Rate 4.5853
We look at the currency converter: http://www.oanda.com/lang/ru/currency/converter/

The cash exchange rate in Dubai is 4.46264 (in the parameters I set the interbank rate to 5%)
By setting a typical interbank +3% on the converter I get a rate of 4.55659 and for an ATM (+2%) 4.60356

Currency exchange - just not at the airport or hotel

The worst exchange rate for your dollars or euros will be at the airport or hotel.
Wow, the best exchange rate in Sri Lanka will be in jewelry stores, and in the capital of Burundi, Bujumbura, in the construction market.
Based on this, before your intended trip, find out the best places to exchange your money
Also check in exchange offices— is there a commission for the exchange operation?

Overhead, minimization

It's time to count the money. If earlier it was possible to make mistakes, now these mistakes are expensive.
When preparing for your trip, carefully study the booking conditions. Refuse additional fees - all kinds of insurance, fees for paying for air tickets credit card, additional expenses for breakfast in hotels (there are also free breakfasts, as well as free transfer from the airport), additional belongings in the form of an additional driver or GPS when

Bargain anytime, anywhere

Bargain from the moment you step off the plane. Trade even if there is a price tag attached to the item being traded. Use the acting skills that any enlightened person has: gesticulate, walk away and return, appeal to the audience... but don’t overact, otherwise you might get into trouble. That is, feel the enemy, and the seller - he is your opponent, the enemy, with whom you need to play a draw - neither you nor me. Otherwise, you can get screwed again. If the enemy defeats you, then you are a loser in his eyes and will remain one forever

Are there cheap countries in the world?

Of course there is. When going to Thailand, look away. When going to Brazil, know that

It might be useful to read: