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If you do not have enough money for a vacation where you have dreamed of spending a vacation for so long, it is often the same as their complete absence. But there are also pleasant exceptions. In this article, the reader will learn how to travel without money, but interestingly and with pleasure!
Of course, not every person will agree to such travel. Tourists often go to other countries without money, not because their "finances sing romances", but in order to get new sensations.

If you are an adventurer, then extreme travel is just perfect! Moreover, after such an experience of communication with strangers communication skills will become one of your advantages.

How to get to your destination

The main waste of ordinary tourists is on vehicles. Most tourists prefer to buy a last minute ticket, considering that this is the cheapest option. And to travel on their own without spending a penny, perhaps, for example, on a ride.

Experienced tourists, who have had to travel like this more than once, argue that it is not as dangerous as it might seem. A positive attitude in this matter is very important.

Have you noticed that traveling cheap is easier when the person has a backpack behind him? Indeed, in this case, it is more likely that someone will give him a lift. After all, if you pack a large suitcase or bag, then you become less mobile. It is more convenient to stop rides, of course, with a backpack over your shoulders. But first, choose a place where it would be convenient for the driver to stop the car. This requires a wide shoulder and no uphills. There are countries where the local population is not aware of hitchhiking, so the driver should be warned immediately.

Such movement will not be fast, but sometimes impressions are much more important than how much time you spend on the road.

There are also countries in which a tourist easily gets on a train and travels without a ticket. But, for example, Japanese trains will not give such a freebie.

You can agree with every person, the main thing. Try to find common ground with the vehicle owner.

Looking for housing

Big cities are clearly not the place where you can find a place to sleep without spending money. The train station waiting room is not for everyone. You can stay here for the night if there are at least two people.

You can, but you will have to pay a lot for the room. Private sectors are a much better option. Ideally, a rural area where hospitable people live. There is no problem with a free corner. Moreover, good hosts will give you tasty food.

Nowadays it is quite possible to travel for free; this type of recreation is becoming more and more popular. There are special sites where people advertise that they are ready to receive tourists in their home.

And by the way, a local monastery or church is also a place where you will always be welcomed.

Hitch-hiking

And although hitchhiking is unpopular in the CIS, in Europe and America it is very popular and deserves trust. Drivers willingly take travelers to their destination, in addition, it is always more fun with a fellow traveler.

Hostel

A great way to save money is to sleep in a hostel. There are such establishments in almost every city. 4 to 8 people sleep in one room. Hostels have kitchens and showers, so you can have a good rest there.

Something to eat

You can earn money for food yourself in the same way as for transport. Shop owners will not refuse to help those who offer their services. Well, for example, wash the dishes or drag and drop something.

The countryside will also not leave you without one-time jobs. Work while on vacation is not to everyone's liking. In this case, a large market or a large shopping center where you can taste the products will help you.

Still, try so that you don't have to spend money on stomach treatments later.

Important for travel

As it turned out, you can travel for free not only where there are places with public sights. Many European museums receive tourists for free once a week. With no money at all, travel is unlikely. But you can tell yourself that there really is no money in your wallet. Then it will be easy to keep from the unnecessary and unnecessary costs that have become commonplace for ordinary tourists.

19/05/2011

“He doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't run after women - there must be some kind of drawback. Here I am traveling! " The writer and photographer Valery Shanin (pictured), who will turn 50 this year, has made three world tours and visited more than 80 countries. Having returned the other day from Central America, where he climbed to the tops of volcanoes, frightened crocodiles and wandered among the ancient ruins, the traveler looked into Petersburg. He told how to travel around the world for almost free, get enchanting memories and stay alive.

FROM trapped in gluttony

When Valery Shanin set off on his first trip around the world, a couple of weeks later, in South Asia, the money ran out, but the desire to move on remained. But Valery did not face death by starvation. According to Shanin, at first he suffered from overeating - everyone strove to feed. Then he learned to avoid gluttony. He just stopped carrying food from place to place and refused when he was told: "Take another bag of food with you!"

Since I hitchhiked, sometimes translation difficulties arose in different countries. How to explain in China that you are a hitchhiker? At first, I indicated by gestures that I had no money, and pointed with my hand towards the road. As a result, one Chinese man just opened a wallet and gave me money. That is, this method turned out to be ineffective (laughs). It is also interesting that if you want to eat, then our Russian gesture, when we put a spoon to our mouth, is incomprehensible to the Chinese. There, this will require a gesture, which we mean "you talk too much": the thumb connects several times with the rest, which symbolizes the movement of chopsticks.

"Let me go for one night"

As an experimental psychologist, Shanin decided to understand how a person would feel if he was accidentally without money in another country. Except in the dwellings of hospitable foreigners, he spent the night in churches, in temples, and in the open air.

Of course, it happened that they were not allowed. Usually the conversation goes like this: “Hello, can I sleep here? Not? Then a clarifying question: what to eat? " No matter what the holy place was, no one refused to eat. The Russian mentality is very different from the one abroad. If you come up to a security guard of our plant and ask for an overnight stay, he feels himself the owner of this place and lets it go without problems, but in another country no one expands his duties, first they consult with the authorities. I am a lazy person, I don't even take a tent with me - only a small backpack. I remember that I have to spend the night somewhere when it gets dark. It is important, when asking for an overnight stay, to learn not to be greedy and stay, as you promise, only for one night.

Shanin warns that you should not ask for money abroad. Better to say that you will be given a lift along the way or, for example, given water. But if you are offered money, don’t refuse. To move on, it's not a sin to earn extra money. Shanin, for example, is enthusiastic about New Zealand agriculture:

If it were not for the burden of two entities (psychologist and physicist), I would have stayed there to this day to work as a gardener, pick apples, cherries, kiwi.

They are met not for clothes, but according to legend

A prerequisite for travel, according to the traveler, is insurance. Otherwise, if something happens, your loved ones will have to collect huge money for your treatment.

Sometimes, says Shanin, it is difficult for foreigners to understand the realities of our life. Not everyone can understand why it suddenly occurred to you to embark on a trip around the world. Therefore, a legend must be prepared in advance that will explain to people who you are.

If a man travels with a woman, it is often better to say that you are a brother and sister, then they will understand that you can be accommodated in the same room. We can say that you decided to get somewhere without money on a bet, or that you were robbed. I have been "robbed" like that for a long time. But this time we were actually ransacked in Central America, our cameras and phones were taken away.

Shanin says that it is possible to travel on passing ships. Only this is many times more difficult than just hitchhiking, where you only need to negotiate with one driver.

And here you need to charm the owner of the ship, the captain and the agent of the company for which this ship works. If even one of the three says "No", then everything has failed. You can come up with a reasonable legend that you are a journalist writing a book about travel. This is how I contacted the Russian consul in Ecuador, he introduced me to the owner of the banana company, and I managed to persuade him to send me back to Russia on a banana ship. So, having passed the Atlantic, I arrived in St. Petersburg.

Often our people helped out abroad. It is better to start looking for them abroad with the Russian Orthodox Church there.

Don't be afraid and don't ask

You can travel at any age, if there is a desire, and the psychological attitude is also very important. A 74-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman recently traveled with me in Latin America.

If you want to travel around the world, then, Shanin recommends, you can take a three-week vacation once a year and for each next year go on a trip from the point at which you finished the previous one.

When asked about the best country in the world, Valeriy answered unexpectedly: Turkey.

If you put all the parameters together, then it is perfect. Visa-free regime for Russians, the climate is better than ours, but not the tropics, the cuisine is better, but not cockroaches. Turks are sincere and love their land very much. And, by the way, there are more Greek ruins than in Greece, you take a history textbook and go, - the traveler said.

Talking about the dangers of travel, Valery admitted that he often has to deal with fears.

Thailand is a quiet, safe country. Ten million people passed it without any problems, if two were raped, tourist panic immediately begins. When we crossed the Colombian border in the dark, we screwed ourselves up so badly. But everything went fine. Of course, you need to try not to get into dangerous places. For example, in Central America, they will be robbed or robbed. You don't even need to contact the police, unless you have lost your passport. My daughter and her husband were robbed in Nicaragua and threatened with knives. But the guys did not become discouraged, they said that they really liked the further part of the trip "light".

If you still decide to go around the world, then, given that you will meet a variety of people on your way, Shanin advises you to be an open person, but not to impose your point of view.

If you have met a fascist, then do not try to make him a communist. Traveling is, of course, dangerous. Several years ago, Muscovite Sergei Bereznitsky went missing in Afghanistan. But most of all travelers die in accidents, not in civil wars or from exotic diseases.

The adventure can be safe if you remember to turn on your head. As Shanin says: “You don’t need to start from the border of Colombia and Panama if this is your first outing, and you don’t need to climb Everest, you have only climbed the steps to the 2nd floor”.

reference:

Vladimir Shanin has long made travel his profession. In 1999-2002 he hitchhiked around the world. For 1080 days and 280 dollars crossed Mongolia, China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, East Timor, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador.

The second circumnavigation took place in 2007-2008 and took only 108 days. This time the route passed through Kazakhstan, China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Cuba, Spain, France, Italy.

The third round the world - took place from 2009 to 2010 to 39 visa-free countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, America. Shanin maintains his blog on the travel community website Tourbina.ru .

Anastasia Sokolovskaya ("MK in St. Petersburg")

Updated 12.26. Views 299 Comments 21

We have not published guest posts on our blog for a long time. Yes, sometimes we do it. The last one was from my mom about her. Today I bring to your attention an article from one of our readers, Elena Rezanova, who checked on her own experience how you can live a whole year in Europe without a residence permit, and who decided to share general information on this topic.

I remember that morning a year ago. Our first morning in Paris where we arrived with a one way ticket. We walked along Boulevard des Capucines with a croissant in one hand, a paper cup of coffee in the other, we walked because we could not sit in a cafe. The wind blew out of our heads the remnants of project deadlines, meetings, presentations. And the remnants of the Moscow air that we breathed yesterday.

Stop. You are not reading this to warm yourself with our memories. Surely you want to find out how you can go to Europe, spend a year there with an adequate budget, and at the same time not die the death of the brave while preparing the documents. Maybe? Yes.

Important! We are not talking here about immigration to Europe, but about the opportunity to spend six months or a year there. And then we'll see.

For a year to Europe without a suitcase of money and residence permit

Based on our experience, I offer you two options:

• Tourist

  To come on a tourist visa, to save money, settle in the provinces, leave Schengen (this is necessary) to the budgetary countries of Europe (Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, etc.). All this can be easily combined with remote work / study on the Internet.

• Student

  Come on a student visa, learn a language or something else, live in a city, travel only to free time... Requires more time to prepare documents, more difficult to obtain a visa, less flexibility in movement. But then you have a year without having to go somewhere.

Now more about visas:

The first and easiest option (my daughter and I did so): get a tourist visa, Schengen annual multivisa 90 days. This means that every six months you have the right to stay in Schengen for 90 days, and you need to spend the remaining 90 days outside the Schengen area.

Pros: the procedure for obtaining a tourist visa is simple, and even the absence of a certificate from work does not bother everyone. For example, the French accept a certificate from the bank with a bang, and this is enough to confirm the finances. Another plus is that the availability of funds in the bank is much less than for a long-term visa - from 500 euros.

Minuses - you have to plan exits and entrances, but if you wanted to travel, and not just sit in one country, then this is quite convenient. This is what we originally intended. And in addition to Schengen, they visited Croatia, the Seychelles, and Mauritius.

Second option - long-term visa. It was received by my husband, who was going to Paris to study to become a chef. This exercise is time consuming and nerve-wracking, but doable. Please note that you must show at least € 17,000 for each adult. This is France. Other countries may have other requests.

Pros: the most obvious plus is that you can stay all year round in the country where you want. The second plus is that the student visa can be extended on the spot.

Minuses: the package of documents is obscenely impressive. Better to do it all while you still have work. This will prove that you are a reliable companion.
Another disadvantage: if you are applying for a visa for training, and training is needed only nominally, for a visa, (for example, a foreign language), you still have to study. If you stop attending classes, the educational institution must report where needed, and your visa will be canceled.
And one more minus: at the time of obtaining a visa, and this must start three months in advance, you will need to show the contract for housing, and in Europe you will not be spoiled with this. Accordingly, if you want to change an apartment, pay a fine to the owner - at least a month of rent.

We wrote in detail about visa subtleties in our blog, they cannot be placed in one article, but I have outlined the general strategy.

About money

Minimum budget formula \u003d housing + food + transportation. Plus study if you go to study. In each of the categories, you can choose a lot of options - from the most budgetary to luxury. Depends on requests.

Housing... Our most affordable suite was to live in a studio in the center of Paris for 1550 euros / month. Then we moved to the 15th arrondissement in a kopeck piece for 1250, then left for Savoy, in the Alps, and there you can already find a studio from 400. If you live in any capital, put at least 1000 euros on housing. This is the bare minimum.

District 15 - a quiet, non-tourist place

Food - hypermarkets and markets at your service. If you cook at home, the budget for two adults per month is about 300 euros. Of course it depends on your preference.

Going to restaurants - a separate item of expenses. I think until you get rid of the holiday symptom, you will go there often. When you feel local, your costs will creep down.

Transport. You don't need to rent a car in Paris. There is a metro and a convenient bus system. A pass for everything costs 60 euros. In the provinces, on the contrary, you cannot do without a car. From 700 per month.

Now attention, a trap. If you are now NOT living on a limited budget, then get ready - it will not be easy to get used to budget life. And this will happen every time: in a restaurant, a store, on a trip. You will choose hotels, food, clothes that you are used to. There are two ways out - either budget with a margin, or tightly control yourself in daily expenses. You can train now.

Training: we have been preparing for nine months. The employer was warned six months earlier. Probably, it can be done faster, but if you leave as a family, then everything must be clearly planned.

Of course, the most intense were the last three months - to pack everything and transport it to the warehouse, sell the car, go to the visa center, find a decent room in Moscow for the eldest son, complete some treatment, prepare the parents, etc. Fortunately, the question of an apartment in Moscow did not arise with us, because we lived in a rented one. Dogs and hamsters did not start.

So, a year in good old Europe. If this was your usual dream, it may well become an objective reality. Proven on our own experience.
Well, a croissant?

Life hack # 1 - how to buy good insurance

It is unrealistically difficult to choose insurance now, therefore, to help all travelers. To do this, I constantly monitor forums, study insurance contracts and use insurance myself.

Do you have an incredible travel idea that you dream of realizing in the boundless future? In this case, it's time to move from thoughts to actions. After all, all you need is just to tell the world about your plan and get the necessary budget for your dream trip.

Probably everyone has heard about services like Kickstarter, where you can post a description of your startup and raise money for it. Finally, this practice has gone beyond business projects and made it to travel.

This is how the project works Trevolta- international crowdfunding for travelers from different countries. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe resource is to help travelers realize their most incredible expedition ideas by organizing a fundraiser.

Any registered user can do the following:

• Submit your travel idea
• Sponsor another idea you like. For example, this one:

More than crowd funding, it's a travel community

The service has several levels of gradation. For example, in order to receive a Traveler badge, you need to fill out your profile completely, and for the first dollar donated you will receive a Backer badge:

Platform members not only collect money and donate it to others, but also create their own internal network of contacts.

Valery Shanin: Travel without visas and without money!

One of the most famous Russian travelers Valery Shanin gave a master class "How to Travel the World Without Visas" in the assembly hall of the building of the Twelve Collegiums of St. Petersburg State University. For the first time, a Russian traveled around the world through visa-free countries, as well as those countries where the stamp is placed at the moment of crossing the border. Valeriy visited Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, America, having visited 39 countries. Shanin wrote more than thirty books and travel guides about his adventures, he is a popular blogger ...

One of the most famous Russian travelers Valery Shanin gave a master class "How to travel around the world without visas" in the assembly hall of the building of the Twelve Collegiums of St. Petersburg State University. For the first time, a Russian traveled around the world through visa-free countries, as well as those countries where the stamp is placed at the moment of crossing the border. Valeriy visited Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, America, having visited 39 countries. Shanin wrote more than thirty books and travel guides about his adventures, he is a popular blogger ...

On the eve of the summer vacation season, Valery Shanin told Fontanka about how to travel around the world without visas and practically without money ...

Valery, is this your know-how - the "World without Visas" project? Is it possible to travel around the world with a Russian passport without bothering with visas?

My idea! It never occurred to anyone. I am thinking of patenting the idea of \u200b\u200b"A world without visas". They ask me: "Probably the state helps you?" But why should the state tell us every time? I came up with an idea, built a route and traveled, say, the whole world - without visas! Traveled through Europe: Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Great Britain (in transit for two days); North Africa: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt; Middle East: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain; Asia: Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Hong Kong; Oceania: Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa; South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela; West Indies: Grenada, Barbados, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Cuba ... From Freedom Island on an Aeroflot flight, Havana-Moscow returned home.

Now I want to promote this idea and even call on Russians to boycott visa countries, travel or go on vacation, in principle, only in visa-free countries! And to contact with visa only in a situation of despair. Why do you need a visa country if there is a visa-free country nearby, and nothing worse!

At one time, you made another original journey around the world by hitchhiking. For 1080 days, having $ 280 in their pocket, they drove through Mongolia, China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, East Timor, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, from where they returned to Russia on a passing banana truck ... When you vote on the road, who stops most often?

- Is it really possible to travel without money?

- More precisely, almost no money. You need some kind of minimum amount to start in order to get away from your home as far as possible. The further you break away, the better people treat you, show more hospitality, as to some kind of exotic specimen. I have one friend who travels like that: he spends all the money in one direction, and when they run out, he makes the same way back, already completely without money. It is easier for people to explain why you go home with no money at all. And to explain that you have run out of money, but you still want to stop by in Paris, is not so easy ...
When for the first time you come across the fact that there is no money at all, then at first you get scared, you wait for starvation, but it turns out that there are many opportunities to spend the night and have a snack for free.

- How are you allowed to spend the night?

Most convenient are some factories, factories, institutions, schools, kindergartens - it is easier to negotiate an overnight stay there. In villages, people react normally when a traveler knocks on the house. It is easiest to spend the night in religious organizations, temples, mosques, churches of all directions. I say everywhere that I am Orthodox, and this has never become an obstacle. I was asked for my passport once in a thousand such nights ...

The main principle is not to be greedy. I spent the night once and leave, so that there is no desire to expel. I remember about an overnight stay only when it got dark, usually in the area of \u200b\u200b300-500 meters I find an option. I don't carry food with me either. You can find food in any country, or for the money that you have, and even if you don't have it, you won't die of hunger. It is interesting that in Buddhist monasteries you will be allowed to spend the night, but if you do not ask for anything else, they will not offer anything. So if you need to eat, then you have to ask for it, and so in everything. Churches tend to be more difficult to sleep in, but if you're allowed, you don't have to say anything else at all, because dinner and breakfast are already included. I even introduced such concepts for myself: Buddhist hospitality and Christian. In mosques they usually ask: "Why don't you go to the hotel?" You tell the truth: "There is no money!", They let you in and they also bring a stack of small coins. It becomes uncomfortable, I don’t ask for money, but you can’t refuse, because people have collected it from the bottom of their hearts ... I haven’t figured out how to explain to them that I don’t need money.

- How do you deal with safety issues in your travels?

Security is a delicate matter. If you hit the road, you must be prepared for the dangers. Some we cannot control: earthquakes, floods, terrorist acts. But more often than not, our stupidity creates danger. You wander into the wrong area, at the wrong time, and even begin to misbehave when meeting inappropriate people.

We recently traveled to Central America. Naturally, they heard that these are bandit countries. They tried to go around large cities, especially the capitals, a hotbed of crime. But the transport system there is so inconvenient that you are forced to call into big cities, and you come to one gangster area, the bus stops at the market, in the hottest place, and you need to move to another similar area. In Guatemala City, we arrived at the station, of course, did not walk around the city, took a taxi, and moved to another area. And now imagine, noon, bright sun, we are standing three meters outside the office of the bus company, around 20-30 local people. Out of nowhere along the side road, a car suddenly drives up, three guys with pistols jump out, point us at us ... Well, what to do ?! Start resisting? But thugs with weapons are ready to use them at any moment. I chose the second option: I need to give them something so that they grab it, and their psychology rebuilt - they say, it's time to wash away with the prey. The most valuable thing for a traveler is a passport, I always keep it separately from other things, in my pocket. And I took the camera off my neck, handing it to the menacing guys. Aggression has diminished. But in a fever, one still pulled out my cell phone. It turned out that I was simultaneously robbed and robbed. But, I think I did the right thing. The pressure dried up, the robbers decided to run away, all the more the people around are full ... With my camera they ran to the car, one turned and fired from a military weapon in our direction. Obviously he was not aiming at us, but he showed that they are serious guys, they weren't joking, and in general we got off well.

Then, after analyzing this situation, I came to the conclusion that, most likely, the robbers did not accidentally pass, not on the road to the beach, with three guns - they were probably pointed by one of the locals, informing by mobile phone that foreigners had arrived ... We were also lucky that we left our backpacks in the office, and we would have lost them too ...

- Valery, there are tourists, and there are travelers. What is the difference?

The fundamental difference is that tourists are like children, and travelers are like adults. We do everything ourselves, figure out where to go and how, and every day we have to solve the problem of accommodation, food. And the tourists, like small children, bought a ticket, they are carried, fed, given to drink ... Here people get on a trip with me, and, for example, a pouring rain found us in an open field. Inside I have no desire to complain to someone, but no one promised me anything, no one owes anything. And those who were originally a tourist immediately have a desire to whine: "What is this!"

- Is it better to travel alone or in a group?

I tried all the options. My approach is simple: if an interesting travel idea arises, then I am mentally ready to go there alone. Nevertheless, I always invite fellow travelers, it is more interesting for them and for me. It is interesting for me to share my experience, and, by the way, many who traveled with me now take students themselves.

I do not approve of the option of girls traveling without boys. Even if there are several girls. The best option is a guy with a girl. Moreover, they can be just friends, not necessarily in a relationship. The main thing is to have a person with whom you are always comfortable. Hitchhiking and travel is the best compatibility test. It is very important that there is complete trust.

- Is age important for a traveler?

On a recent trip to Central America, I was accompanied by a man born in 1934 and a 64-year-old pensioner from Sakhalin. Moreover, she turned out to be the strongest, although she left for the first time. We got along great. Amazing fellow traveler: absolutely happy with everything! We wander through the forest - great, we sleep in a hotel - super, in a tent by the river with crocodiles - hurt yourself, we eat three times a day - great, we don't eat at all all day - great ... I didn't take offense at anything, didn't complain, returned home happy. The Sakhalin lady lasted the longest, half a term, and the second half I was already driving alone. The most important thing is psychological age. For some people it is too late to travel at five years old, while for others it is about 80. I know many people that, only after retirement, they discover the world of travel.

- How do you solve the problem of insurance, vaccinations?

I have only had one vaccination in 12 years - against yellow fever. The topic is highly publicized, many people think that one has only to come somewhere, and some exotic diseases will come over you. It seems to me that the most important thing is to behave as correctly as possible, like local people. Eat like the locals, dress like them. They have already adapted ...

At first I was a crazy person, I traveled without insurance. But after several cases with my acquaintances, when people without insurance got into difficult situations, and then screamed over the Internet “save us, collect money for us,” I realized that this was the wrong approach. Now I take out medical insurance on all trips myself and require this from all my fellow travelers. Fortunately, there are many insurance companies now.

You see, if someone is going to travel around the world for $ 300, it is immediately clear that his adventures will not be measured. But if he decided to go without insurance, then he is looking for adventure and on the head of his friends, relatives, who must save him if something happens. This is not fair, not grown-up. So if you have $ 300 to travel around the world, please save $ 100 for insurance. Or draw up a notarized statement that in case of illness you ... need to be killed in the cheapest way and bury in the simplest place!

- A person who goes around the world for three years doesn't need a family?

How much needed! And who will be waiting for him at home! I have a wife and two daughters. From the age of five I took my daughters on trips, and when I stayed for three years in the round-the-world trip, I left my “Hitchhiking School” for them, and after graduating from school, they hurried off on the road. Now the daughters are studying at the university, and they travel on vacation. We met my wife in my student years, since then together. She is a housewife, supports the hearth, but at one point she got tired of all this, and in the summer my wife went for three weeks to African countries. And at that time I was the keeper of the hearth! Now I usually spend six months on the road, six months at home. But taking into account the fact that I do not need to go to the office, then I really am at home no less than some office plankton in Moscow that spends 8-10 hours in the office plus three or four for the road.

- How do you do it - to earn money while traveling and traveling?

In any country in the world you can always find temporary work, at a construction site, at harvesting ... The easiest way to find it is by meeting our emigrants, who will tell you everything. The second option is to make money on the journey itself, when you write articles, take photographs, shoot videos ... I have written three dozen books, travel guides, although travel for me is still not a business where you can get rich. Stay at home, I would earn more ... I worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a psychologist, I quit in the late 90s. Since then, I have been formally unemployed, but I earn money from books and articles.

- You have a small backpack behind you ... With it you will dare to travel around the world?

Yes, this small backpack is enough for any trip. It contains the minimum set: a thin rug, a sleeping bag, two or three T-shirts, and washing supplies. From shoes, I prefer sneakers with a mesh, they are neither hot nor cold. I take a small laptop with me (you can access the Internet by going to any expensive hotel and asking the receptionist for the code), a mobile phone. The main thing is not to carry too much with you. Everything you need can be found wherever you are. Hot countries have clothing for their climates, just like cold ones. If you find yourself in a cold country, then there are two options: the country is poor or rich. If she is poor, then people are wearing something, and there are cheap warm clothes, and if the country is rich, then it is not difficult to find free warm clothes there in charities. Be guided by the situation!

- How to plan your travel budget?

It is important to determine how much time you can spend traveling and how much money. Divide one thing into another, and you get your budget. The principle is simple: if you spend less than $ 10 a day, then you are saving on something important, if more than $ 50 a day, it means you pay for something unnecessary. You can travel with any budget, there is not so much money that was not enough to travel, and there is not so much time. Anyone can travel around the world, even someone who has two weeks of vacation a year and doesn't want to leave work. It is done very simply: you left St. Petersburg, left somewhere in two weeks, and then returned home from that point. A year later, having gone on vacation, you arrive at this point and continue your journey around the world. Thus, anyone can travel around the world, breaking the journey piece by piece. Talking about lack of money, time, visas is all the lot of those who do not want to travel. The most important thing that a traveler needs is optimism, the ability to treat everything that happens to you as an exciting adventure. And, of course, your openness, communication skills are important, with the help of which you can solve any problems as they arise.

- Valery, do you say everywhere that you are from Russia?

Everywhere! It helps a lot. First, everyone knows that such a country exists. For some time I traveled with a Hungarian, so everyone asked him: "Where is Hungary?" - “Between Germany and France! In Europe!" And they often don't even know Germany, France, vaguely imagine where Europe is. And everyone knows Russia, even in the wildest places. And at the same time, very few people visited us, many would like to visit, that would be to get to such an exotic country. And one more thing that surprised me: in the whole world, Russia really has no enemies. All are friendly, with keen interest.