Independent tourism and travel. How to start traveling around the world cheaply and independently: from Europe to the farthest corners

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

Air travel

1. Search engines cheap tickets and hotels on Aviasales you can catch super-profitable special offers from airlines and view the calendar low prices for the dates and destinations you choose. This company has an office in Phuket and regularly orders logo sweatshirts from UniFashion.

2. AzAir – search engine for low-cost airlines, which usually do not appear in standard search engines.

3. The Kayak resource searches for tickets to given destinations simultaneously on more than two hundred sites and is sure to find the best offer. There is also a trick: the site has an interesting weekend flight button, by clicking on which you will see offers of flights to the desired city and an analysis of prices for the next 4-5 weekend dates.

3. Momondo is a great site for finding low-cost flights. Compares prices from more than 600 sites.

4. Skyscanner has an interesting feature that allows you to select dates that are convenient for you, and then, using the “show me everything” option, searches for places where it will be cheapest to get to. This is my favorite site :)

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.

7. HostelWorld is the largest resource for finding hostels around the world. The system of ratings and reviews of travelers will allow you to choose the best option.

9. Booking is one of the most popular services for booking hotels. Lots of reviews, convenient phone app. Most often this is what I use.

10. TripAdvisor - a site where, in addition to the standard functions of searching for flights and accommodation, you can find a large number of reviews and real photos hotels from users from all over the world.

Cheap tours and special offers

11. Piratesru, TripToDream, Vandrouki, BudgetWorld - 4 of the best sites with ready-made special offers from all over the Internet. In Europe for 1 euro, in China for 15,000 rubles - all this can be found on these sites.

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.

14. On the Thalys website you can view the schedule and buy tickets for trains that travel between Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany. The sooner you worry about buying a ticket, the cheaper it will cost.

15. Viamichelin is an indispensable service for anyone planning a road trip around Europe. Here you can download a map of the country or region you are interested in, and also not only plan a route between two points. There are also interesting options - the shortest route, the most economical, passing through the largest number of attractions, and so on.

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.

17. Jetseller is a community of travelers who provide access to very up-to-date information and talk about exclusive offers on how to spend your holidays in different countries peace!

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 at various airports in the world

How to decide on your first independent trip abroad. Which country to choose so as not to experience problems, have fun and save money. Which countries are the easiest to travel to on your own if this is your first time?

Still studying travel agency advertisements and listen on the phone to the manager’s revelations about paradise holiday in Egypt And luxury beaches of Pattaya. You may be ready to change your hotel reservations Sharm El Sheikh And Antalya to the vastness of the central Turkey; and also, not the most best coast Pattaya with a walk along the evening Beach Road in the company of drunken compatriots on the deserted snow-white beaches small islands and the atmosphere of the northern provinces of Thailand. I don't know the language! I do not know how to drive! I'm afraid of the unknown in a foreign country! I'm afraid of being left without money! Where to start, in the end, which country should you go to for the first time if you have no experience of independent travel? These are roughly the questions that novice travelers ask themselves, who increasingly have thoughts of cheating on the tour operator and independent organization trips abroad. It’s no secret that often, along with a tour package, they have to look at the local garbage dump under their window and fall asleep not to the sound of the evening surf, but to the sounds of a bulldozer under their window, accompanied by rich expressions of local builders.

I analyzed about 50 countries that I could recommend to those who want to go organize your own trip - from the moment of purchasing a ticket and booking accommodation to planning the route. I took 7 main criteria to make it clearer why these countries actually exist. The 5-point rating scale is closer to me, so I will evaluate the criteria according to it. Then, by mathematically adding the points, I selected the countries. I would like to present the result of my research below.

One more thing. Why exactly 5 countries? And not, say, 7 or 10. Because after visiting these five countries, you will practically not care where to go next. You will only be faced with the question of choosing a direction.

So, the criteria by which I studied the possibility of an independent trip as a novice traveler. The order in which these criteria are laid out is random without any hidden meaning.

• Visa regime
• Language and friendliness of the residents.
• Transport accessibility and ease of movement within the country.
• The country is interesting for tourism in general.
• Price level.
• Safety.
• Infrastructure and service

Many countries that seem easy to visit are not included here based on the same criteria.

Türkiye

• Türkiye visa-free country for Ukrainians and Russians, so welcome ( 5 points)
• English and Russian are spoken here, although only in tourist places, but for the first time this is enough; Ignorance of foreign languages ​​in the Turkish outback is compensated by the friendliness of local residents and sign language - it helps ( 5 points)
• high-quality roads and a developed bus network, airports in key tourist spots, proximity to Ukraine, Russia, Belarus (5 points)
• tourism is Turkey's strong point and there is hardly any need to convince anyone of this (5 points)
• Turkish prices do not amaze with their low level, but they also do not make you think about the insignificance of your income (4 points)
• in Turkey it is dangerous, probably only for long-legged blondes, who also diligently show the local hot guys their other advantages; everyone else has nothing to worry about ( 4 points)
• tourist infrastructure and service are almost European and much higher than in South-East Asia; (5 points)

Total points - 33

How to find budget accommodation in Istanbul

Thailand

• visa on arrival ( 5 points)
• V Thailand everyone understands basic school English and is fluent in sign language - ( 4 points), since many at school studied French or German...
• organizing internal travel in Thailand is the dream of any traveler. Any place in the country can be reached by plane, bus, train, car or by water. In addition, all this is incredibly cheap, and there is plenty of information about traffic patterns on specialized forums or on the Internet. The only “but” is that it is a bit far from our region. That's why - ( 4 points)
• Personally, I don’t know a more interesting country for tourism than Thailand, if anyone knows, please share. Beaches, history, exotic, local cuisine... ( 5 points)
• island still remains a country of very low prices for everything: transport, housing, food and services; a small problem for car enthusiasts - driving on the left, which you get used to in half an hour, the path to Thailand is also not close, so - ( 4 points)
• V Thailand there is a specially created tourist police, so if you behave decently, there will be no problems, even in the case of indecent behavior, the probability of problems arising is equal to the probability of snow falling in the Sahara ( 5 points)
• here everything is the best - for tourists, the service in general will probably have a lot of problems for snobs and those who are accustomed to Arab luxury, but overall it’s a solid four - 4 points.

Total points - 31

How to find budget accommodation in Thailand

Cyprus

• Ukrainians, Baltic countries, Israelis do not need a visa, others can easily get an e-visa, visa on arrival (5 points)
• 100% of residents speak English, almost everywhere there are Russian-speaking staff (5 points)
• It is very easy to get to both the island itself - there are a lot of flights from the western and of Eastern Europe, as well as from the Middle East. It’s even easier to rent a car; without it, a trip to Cyprus will be incomplete. However, buses also go to the main attractions and there is always the opportunity to buy an excursion (5 points)
• local attractions are evenly distributed throughout the island, but the main thing in Cyprus is the beaches and weather, 300 sunny days per year and hundreds of kilometers of beaches along the perimeter. (5 points)
• prices are slightly higher than in Turkey, but lower than in Greece, for example. (4 points)
• Cyprus – absolutely safe island, unless, of course, you leave your wallet on the towel when you go swimming. But even in this case, there is a high probability that the wallet will remain in its place (checked personally) (5 points)
• excellent infrastructure, good service which is an order of magnitude higher than its cost (5 points)

Total points - 34

Hotels and apartments in Cyprus I search through the Booking.com search engine, the service compares prices from dozens of booking systems - we just have to choose the best offer. In each article or report, I provide links to hotels where I stayed and which I liked.

How to buy a budget flight to Cyprus

I am looking for air travel and buying it at aviasales. The service selects the most advantageous offers - we just have to choose the best by price, departure time or airline.

Croatia

• a visa-free country for citizens of Ukraine, Georgia, the Baltic countries, others need a Schengen visa - (4 points)
• Here they know English no better than most Russians or Ukrainians, the situation is saved by the commonality of languages ​​- even a traffic cop can learn a dozen necessary phrases. (4 points)
• The country is located along the sea, which is considered one of the cleanest in the world, mountains, lakes and a number of ancient monuments. (5 points)
• Croatian autobahns are some of the best in Europe and there is nothing to do here without a car, although the bus network is decent ( 4 points)
• prices are quite high compared to neighboring Montenegro (3 points)
• V Croatia absolutely safe (5 points)
• It’s probably not worth going here for Hiltons and other hotel amenities (with the exception of Dubrovnik), everything else is a solid four (4 points)

How to find budget accommodation in Croatia

B budget accommodation or hotels in Split , from aviasales- an aggregator that I use myself. The service selects the most advantageous offers - you just have to choose the best by price, departure time or airline.

Then this material is definitely for you! Rather, study our advice and turn into a free artist... or rather a traveler, however, this is about the same thing!

1. Start simple

You can start your journey from nearby regions

Try planning at least one trip yourself to make sure it's not a big deal. You can start with something simple: your native Russian penates, the nearest foreign countries (the Baltics or CIS countries) or some country already familiar from your package tour. But it’s better for beginners not to get involved with little-known and exotic destinations. By the way, for those who have not yet decided on an idea for their trip, we recommend using our new useful service.

2. Find yourself an “accomplice”

Going on a trip with a friend is much more fun than traveling alone

Getting involved in an adventure, which is the first solo trip, is much easier and more fun in the company of like-minded people. Choose a reliable and interesting companion who will not get confused in a difficult situation and will not let you get bored, sharing the joy of new experiences. The main thing is not to overdo it with the number of fellow travelers: the more people, the more difficult it is to organize them. Ideally, take a step into new world It’s better to work with experienced people, but this is by no means necessary.

3. Get your finances sorted

You need to be able to control your expenses while traveling

First of all, get yourself by bank card for purchasing air tickets and booking accommodation online. In order to avoid unnecessary currency conversions, we advise you to issue a ruble card. And when traveling, it is better to pay in cash, purchased in advance at a favorable rate. For maximum protection of financial Internet transactions, you can issue a special virtual card. These are often offered by ordinary banks or, for example, you can get a card from Yandex Money.

In addition, to control and systematize your travel expenses (not only by card, but also in cash), we recommend maintaining a travel budget. This can be either a regular notepad or spreadsheet in Excel, or a special mobile application, like Coinkeeper.

4. Prepare your passport

Don't forget about your visa!

Find out about the requirements for a foreign passport (validity period, number of blank pages) and the need for a visa to travel to the country where you are going. By the way, ours will be a good help in this.

To travel to most countries of the world, you can apply for a visa yourself and it’s not difficult at all. You just need to carefully study the list necessary documents, and in some cases we also recommend reading the advice of experienced travelers on the Internet.

5. Catch cheap flights

Every traveler should know how to save money on air tickets

One of the main expenses for a trip is air tickets, so saving on them is the sacred duty of every self-traveler. Here are the main rules that will help you find the best air fares:

• Buy tickets in advance, especially for high season travel (summer in Europe, winter in Asia, and New Year And May holidays); We recommend booking flights on average.
• consider flight options with a transfer, it is often cheaper than direct flights;
• be flexible in choosing dates; often tickets for neighboring days can cost much less;
• and it’s even better to be flexible in choosing countries and, having a list of desired destinations, buy tickets to where the most profitable options are found;
• Subscribe to the mailing list of sites searching for airline tickets and airlines, and also monitor travel forums and groups on social networks to always be aware of promotions and sales.

Learn all the ways to get to your checkpoint

An alternative to flying is often a train or bus. And if the trip is overnight, you can save on hotel costs, because you won’t have to pay for the previous night. Bus and railway companies just like air carriers constantly offer promotions and discounts. In the USA and Europe, for example, it is possible to move between cities for just $1. A ticket at this price, of course, needs to be booked as far in advance as possible, but, on the other hand, it’s not scary to risk that kind of money.

8. Take care of health and safety

Travel insurance is a must

The biggest mistake of self-travelers is the lack of a special one, which will save you, if not your life, then certainly your wallet. For a regular trip, a standard medical insurance policy is sufficient, and if you plan to do sports while traveling ( skiing, bike, surfing, etc.), be sure to take out an extended insurance option.

In case of other force majeure situations, we advise you to write down the contacts of the Russian Embassy in the destination country and emergency phone numbers, although this is usually needed more for your own peace of mind.

9. Prepare technically

In the 21st century, technical equipment can greatly simplify the life of a traveler. We recommend installing a mobile application with offline maps of the required cities in advance, and getting a SIM card to access the Internet on the spot, if necessary. City guides, such as our application, will also be very useful.

10. Find out everything about the destination country

Drawing up a cultural program is a responsible task

An important stage in preparation for independent trip is to draw up a cultural (or not so cultural) program. Here are the main things we recommend doing:

• Find out about local attractions and make a list based on them approximate route, but don’t be afraid to improvise on the spot;
• Search free excursions and other tourist attractions marked “free”, for which we recommend using our selection of free things in different cities;
• Study the local public transport system and the names of the types of travel tickets in the original language in advance;
• Read about national cuisine and write down the names of the main dishes so that you can try everything and at the same time have the opportunity to eat not only in expensive tourist restaurants with menus in English.

11. Prepare to meet the local population

As a rule, you can find out a lot of interesting and useful things from local residents

You will be surprised, but local residents- this is also a landmark that can tell about its country no worse than the Colosseum and Eiffel Tower. For minimal communication with foreigners, it is advisable to remember the school course in English or at least install a translator application on your phone. It would also be useful to familiarize yourself in advance with local peculiarities, such as mentality and rules of decency, as well as find out about the dangers that may await you in the new country.

If your level of courage and foreign language allows you to get to know the locals better, try to do this in advance via the Internet, for example, on the website of the Co uchsurfing hospitality club. This way you can get an individual guide for free and give yourself a real immersion in the culture of the country. By the way, a foreign language is an optional condition for such acquaintance, because “our people” live all over the world!

12. Start early

Do everything in advance!

You need to start preparing for independent travel in advance in order to have time to work out all the details. In addition, let us remind you that purchasing tickets and booking accommodation in advance often saves a lot of money, time and nerves.

And most importantly, enjoy the process of creating your own trip, otherwise nothing good will come of it!

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 is valid (2-3% of the fare), 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 search hard best offers. 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 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, possible options travel cards;
• 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 to 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 more 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 get 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 cost. 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 in social networks using the special button below.

Happy travels!

IN Lately 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 number of inexpensive flight options 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 happened to watch a military plane landing at a civilian airport 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 there is a much larger choice of dishes. 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 need 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 ordinary 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 taxis, and this is strictly a tourist service. Sometimes you can find a taxi only near hotels or by pre-order.

15. How do locals feel about 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 elsewhere, 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, the cost is 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 meaning, 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.