We have compiled a list of the main services that provide an opportunity to participate in various events and projects in different countries peace, including volunteering, training programs, and helping locals for accommodation and food.
Help Exchange
On this resource, locals from around the world invite travelers who are ready to help them with housework or small business in exchange for free housing, food, sometimes excursions or even yoga classes. A great way to not only visit a new place, but also explore the local culture. Just choose the type of work that suits you and contact the owner. For example, you can get started with Italian farming in just two hours a day.
WWOOF
Here you can find classifieds from locals around the world who are organic farming and need free labor. Another way to travel by working for bed and food.
Sudan Volunteer Program
The UK charity is sending linguistic students of the last two years of universities and alumni as volunteers to Sudan to teach English to Sudanese children. You can join a useful business and get good practical experience. Preference is given to candidates for whom english language is native, but if you have practical teaching experience, your application will also be considered.
SE7EN
On SE7EN you can find a volunteer program or project in almost any country. For example, go to the Bahamas to work at an independent research station for the study of lemon sharks.
VSO
Another international charity that offers many volunteer programs in different countries of the world in the areas of health care, ecology, economics, education and others.
Youth in action
This European Union educational program for young people (under 30) annually gives grants to non-profit organizations for their projects in various countries, including Macedonia, Great Britain, Turkey, Georgia, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Croatia.
As part of this program, over the past two years, I have visited Macedonia and the UK. The essence of the program is that it provides free training, pays 70% of the flight, visa costs, internal transport, accommodation and meals during training and education. Plus, you always have extra days in the country, but at your own expense. In fact, to become a participant, you need to submit an application form to one of the training programs. Each training is dedicated to a specific topic. So, last year we studied tolerance towards representatives of other countries in Wales.
Inna, participant of the Youth in Action program
Conservation Volunteers
And this organization will appeal to ecotourism lovers who dream of visiting Australia or New Zealand. The goal is to protect nature. The site has many volunteer programs in different parts of Australia and New Zealand, both short and long term.
Couchsurfing
Do not forget about this rather popular resource, where you can easily find yourself free housing and new friends in different countries. Personally, I often use Couchsurfing to get to know the local life and people in new places where I visit. For super economy, you can combine Couchsurfing with.
United Nations Volunteers
In addition, you can become a UN volunteer if you are already 25 years old, have a higher education and speak English, Spanish or French.
AIESEC
An international youth organization providing a variety of internship programs, exchange programs and volunteering opportunities for students and graduates in 113 countries.
Appalachian Trail
Another non-profit organization accepts volunteers who love nature and are ready to take part in the preservation of the organization's heritage (which is 250,000 acres of land from Maine to Georgia in the United States).
We hope that this list will inspire you to a new travel format, not only to relax and lie on the beach, but also to join a useful business and gain new experiences and acquaintances.
Tell us, have you ever taken part in public initiatives in other countries and what other ways do you know to travel almost for free?
You are young and you are starting your first travels. You probably don't have a lot of money, so you need to look for cities that will greet you with many inexpensive hostels, exciting nightlife and meeting people from all over the world.
Moyan Brenn / Flickr.comAmsterdam, also called the Venice of the North, with its canals can be very romantic. But if you are 20, you will appreciate the other side of it: an atmosphere of tolerance and carelessness, "brown cafes" - a cozy mixture of a traditional cafe and a pub, a red-light district filled with waves of sex, drugs and rock and roll cycling culture. It is the most convenient place to explore Amsterdam.
Mariano Mantel / Flickr.com From Amsterdam, you can reach Berlin, one of the funniest and most eclectic cities in Europe, in 6 hours by train. Berlin is well-located for attractions, exhibitions and entertainment, making it easy to get from one point to another.
Filled with clubs, restaurants and museums, this vibrant city attracts many students, creatives, writers and artists who love Berlin for its affordable prices.
Nico Trinkhaus / Flickr.com From Berlin, the high-speed train of the Deutsche Bahn company will take you to Krakow in 8 hours, where the historical part of the city is perfectly preserved with narrow alleys, cobbled streets and medieval architecture not damaged during the Second World War. Despite the preserved beauty of the past years, Krakow is young. It has an atmosphere of youthful energy created by numerous students and travelers.
Bars and clubs with inexpensive alcohol are scattered throughout the city in basements and courtyards. And if you are bored of the parties, go sightseeing: Cloth Hall, St. Mary's Church, Barbican, Wawel Castle and Krakow Planty.
At 30
Pedro Szekely / Flickr.com London is one of the first cities to be visited by tourists traveling to Europe, but far from the cheapest. Therefore, it is better to postpone the trip until you have at least some money.
In London, you can enjoy delicious food and historical sites, and spend evenings with other tourists in a chic boutique hotel. Many museums in London are free, so you can look into them while walking without trying to inspect the entire exposition.
At 30, you will be able to appreciate the trendy districts of London like Walthamstow, Shoreditch, Peckham, and classics like Marylebone, Mayfair, Kensington. This is perhaps the best age to fully enjoy what London has to offer.
Moyan Brenn / Flickr.com From London to Paris, take the European train of the popular Eurostar company. Traveling to the capital of France is also quite expensive.
Paris is a place where someone can feel the true spirit of good old France, taking their time eating in a cafe or stopping by in a traditional bistro or bakery. Others can explore trendy shops, bars and restaurants by renting a bike.
Juanedc.com / Flickr.com It will take you less than 7 hours to travel from Paris to Barcelona on the TGV high-speed train. More cheap Barcelona welcomes you with impressive Gothic architecture, art and culture, superb restaurants and killer late dinners, bars and clubs.
In the Gothic Quarter and the Sarrià San Gervasi, Eixample, Poble Sec and Tres Torres districts, you will find many boutique family hotels with rooftop bars or pools and magnificent views of the Catalan landscape.
At 40
Simon Matzinger / Flickr.com By forty, you may have already visited some European capitals, but you might have missed the city, which houses the museum houses of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Freud. Vienna is an elegant city, imbued with a special graceful architecture in the Rococo or late Baroque style.
Wander Vienna's expansive streets, peeking into museums and castles, stopping for leisurely breaks at famous Viennese cafes (three in the afternoon is the traditional time for a tasty break) and head to the Vienna State Opera.
Gigi Griffis / Flickr.com From Vienna, you can fly to Split in 2 hours, which is located in the central part of the Adriatic coast. Split is older than Dubrovnik (another popular walled city), it is more atmospheric, as there are not many tourists and passengers cruise liners... In the historic center of the city is the extravagant palace of the Emperor Diocletian - the best-preserved palace in the world from the time of the Roman Empire.
In addition, Split delights with magnificent mountains and turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea, and prices are lower here than in Dubrovnik. You can go to the medieval fortress Klis, located on the rock. "" Fans will recognize her as the scenery for the fourth season.
Neil Thompson / Flickr.com Here you will see pastel villages, wooded mountains, olive groves reminiscent of Tuscany, and the best beaches... Younger travelers will love the south of the island, and people over 40 will enjoy the northeast coast resorts called "Kensington by the Sea."
At 50
The age when you are full of energy and would like to close a few more items from the list of "Places I want to visit".
Rob / Flickr.com 50 is a great age to visit the islands. Akureyri - the second largest big City countries and a good spot to observe the picturesque Northern Lights, which can be seen from September to April on clear nights.
Jacob Surland / Flickr.com From Akureyri, fly to Copenhagen, the Danish capital with colorful architecture and cobbled streets. It is the most famous and expensive city in Scandinavia, but the high prices are justified by the outstanding quality. Save up some money and relax in the best restaurants in Copenhagen, such as Gerani, the first Danish restaurant with three Michelin stars.
Icases / Flickr.com Finish your trip in Italy. Rent a car, but instead of southwest, drive southeast to Apulia, located at the heel of the famous Italian boot. Here you will see trulli - stone huts with whitewashed walls and conical roofs, you can taste simple Italian cuisine, visit nature reserves, wineries, caves, villages and ride along the shores of the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.
At 60
60 - new 40. At this time, you are already retired or at least work not so much, so you can choose any time of the year for adventure.
Yann Cœuru / Flickr.com Start your journey with a trip to the capital of Portugal - Lisbon. This city is known for pastel-colored houses, a mixture of architectural styles, ancient ruins, black and white mosaic of streets, cathedrals and fountains, seven hills overlooking the Tagus River, Pena Palace with a park that grows 500 species of trees from all over the world.
In the afternoon, small coffee shops turn into sangria bars. Filled with inexpensive alcohol and drink-loyal laws, Lisbon is full of ease and youthful emotions.
Rick Ligthelm / Flickr.com Spend a fun night in Lisbon before heading to Porto, a hilly town on the banks of the Douro River, famous for its miradors (viewpoints) and port wine.
Be sure to visit the São Bento Galerie Station, whose walls are adorned with azulejo tile paintings depicting historical events. Then, head to the Ribeira area, famous for bridges, baroque churches and castles and rabelu boats. The night before departure, dine at Cantinho do Avillez, a chic restaurant home to one of the best Portuguese chefs, Jose Avillez.
Martha de Jong-Lantink / Flickr.com Fly to Zurich and from there travel by train, enjoying the tranquility and alpine scenery. Travel companies offer excellent 10-day routes through scenic railways on the Glacier Express and Bernina Express trains.
The journey begins in Zurich, then you drive through the resort of Zermatt and see the Matterhorn mountain. In Zermatt, you can go downhill skiing, take a walk or take a ride on the ski lift. Your journey will continue to St. Moritz, then the train will head south, cross the Alps and take you to Lake Como in Italy.
Roman Boed / Flickr.com The next point of your trip is Prague. Travel to the Czech capital from Milan. Prague impresses with its Gothic architecture: Tyn Church, Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, which was built in the XIV century. It is better to go to the Charles Bridge early in the morning, when it is not filled with crowds of tourists.
You should definitely visit the Old Town Square and see the Prague Astronomical Clock with the world's oldest working astronomical clock. While enjoying the sights, stop by a nearby pub for a beer with beef tartare, garlic soup and chicken schnitzel.
Take the funicular up Petřín Hill to admire the view from observation deckand take a stroll through the Malá Strana Prague, which boasts excellent restaurants and modern art galleries.
If you are over 70, then you probably have a list of places that you dream of visiting for the first time or again. Follow your desires and do not forget that it is never too late to start traveling. And if in doubt about this, then re-read ours, which set off on her first journey at the age of 83, and celebrated her ninetieth birthday in the Dominican Republic.
Hello friends! Girls, this post is mainly for you, because it is still easier for men or couples to decide on independent travel, especially if you plan to spend more than one week on the road.
I wrote this article in my time in Vietnam, but I got around to publishing it only now. At that moment, I left my fellow traveler at, arrived early in the morning in Ho Chi Minh City, neatly placed all my bubbles and jars of creams on a shelf, laid out clean clothes in an inexpensive hotel room in Ho Chi Minh City, turned on Georgian music, which only I like, and decided to write this fast.
Today we will talk about travel companions. I often receive letters from girls who want to travel, but are afraid because there is no one with whom.
I myself know how difficult it is to find a person in your environment who, firstly, will be suitable for you for travel, and secondly, will be able to go to conquer distant countries and continents when you want it.
Many people ask questions about whether I am not afraid to travel alone, how to look for fellow travelers, what to do if a companion could not be found, etc. I'll tell you how it usually happens with me.
Let's just clearly distinguish between the concepts of travel and recreation. Personally, I prefer not to rest alone, but with my beloved man, girlfriend or a group of friends, but I can safely go on a trip in splendid isolation.
I started my first independent trip to Europe alone and was very worried about it. How will I be there? What if something happens, because no one can take care of me. Despite all my fears, I did not work out the route in advance, but simply bought a one-way ticket to Warsaw and relied on chance.
Was I scared? To tears and paralysis! I remember how no one came to see me off, because S. was on the other side of the country that day and did not have time to return. I got on the bus and burst into tears. Then, when the doors closed and the engine started, I saw him in red shorts and a white T-shirt, jumping out of a taxi and running around the station in search of my bus ...
On the very first night I met a girl Nastya, with whom we hung out for several days in Krakow, and then rushed off. At that time, I was actively using Couchsurfing, and in every country there was already someone waiting for me, ready to provide a free night and show their city.
Acquaintance with Nastya Yudchits in Krakow 
Couchsurfer Marko from Slovenia, city of Maribor
People got to know me in transport, on the streets, in cafes, I talked with friends of new friends, as well as their relatives, acquaintances, colleagues and pets. So my solo journey turned into a series of endless meetings, conversations and joint trips to the sights.
I spent about a month abroad and visited five countries (Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany). I want to make a reservation right away that I am not one of those talkers who are capable of approaching any stranger and starting a casual conversation.
I'm more of a closed person, but on the way I have to communicate, and over time, meeting new people starts to bring great pleasure. In addition, Europeans and Asians, in my opinion, are more open, friendly and inclined to talk with others than Russians or Belarusians.
The beginning of a solo journey through Europe. Krakow, Poland. 
Ljubljana - the capital of Slovenia 
My couch by a couchsurfer from Maribor, Slovenia 
Sheepdog (Hungarian breed) - pet of a couchsurfer from Linz in Austria 
Adela is my roommate in the apartment of Thomas from Bratislava in Slovakia After Europe, I grew bold to such an extent that I went alone to Asia for an unlimited period. At first I really liked to ride around beautiful cities, learn something new, meet people, but after three weeks I realized that all the conversations are about the same thing: who is from where, where he was and where he is going.
I was bored. I wanted someone with whom you can look at the stars and talk heart to heart. Someone who will support me in moments of weakness will bring pills from the pharmacy if I suddenly sleep with a temperature.
On the island of Langkawi in Malaysia in an international company Related posts about travel:
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- Don't fly on holidays and other significant events when housing prices skyrocket
times. Before booking flights, make sure that there are no activities that act as bait for tourists. For example, the carnival in Rio de Jainero or Queen's Day in the Netherlands - if, of course, you are not planning a trip specifically for them. During the industrial fair in Hanover, it is almost impossible to find a free hotel within a radius of 80 km. - If you want to flywill have to sit on suitcases until departure. The best last minute deals will appear closer to departure.
- , subscribe to newsletters, plan a route in advance. The hardest part will be for those who have a trip planned strictly on certain dates. Cheap tickets can be searched on
- With a sharp increase in the exchange rate, it is better to buy tickets immediately... Don't wait - the cost is updated every Wednesday at the euro exchange rate, which is set by IATA, rounded up to 50 kopecks. That is, if on the last Wednesday the IATA rate was 67.50, and after 5 days you needed to buy an air ticket and the Central Bank rate is already 70 rubles, then there is no point in waiting for an increase in the price of air tickets, buy now.
- It is best to book flights with the agent who sells them in rubles (provided that you buy with a ruble bank card, of course). Some unscrupulous agents sell air tickets not in rubles (although they indicate the cost in this currency), but at the exchange rate of the Central Bank. Due to the difference in the rate of your bank and the rate of the Central Bank, you may lose 3-5% after writing off the final amount.
- Don't forget about open jaw when buying air tickets... This is a scheme for buying a ticket when a passenger flies back from another city. One air ticket on the route "Moscow - Madrid, Paris - Moscow" can be cheaper than buying two tickets separately.
- Do not buy a ticket until you have specified the entire route of travel... You can buy a ticket for a low-cost airline for 30 euros cheaper and rejoice until it turns out that at 5 am getting to the city of Skavsta (150 km from Stockholm) is not cheap. It would be calmer and cheaper to fly from Stockholm's main airport, Arlanda, during the day.
- If the ruble rate falls, and a trip is already planned in the future, it is better book your stay with 100% payment nowto reduce future costs. This can be done if you book apartments through airbnb, hotels through hotels.com, iglobe.ru, or place your stay on booking with the terms “100% prepayment on the day of booking”.
- Stay in hostels more often, especially if you are traveling alone - the cost of living can sometimes be completely symbolic.
- Stay at campsites... If you are traveling by car during the warmer months, this type of accommodation can significantly reduce costs. equipped with showers with hot water, toilets and other amenities. In addition, they are often located near natural attractions, which saves time.
- Use hospitality services hospitalityclub and couchsurfing, where you can spend the night for free and make friends with local residents.
- Rent an apartment with a kitchenwhere you can prepare food (as in hostels). You can save on food if you eat in oriental (Turkish, Chinese, Indian and other) eateries, go to restaurants for business lunches during the day.
- Do not book hotels on the first lineif you can save a lot by renting a scooter. Do not book hotels near ski lifts on ski resorts, if a little further you can rent a house cheaper and use a free transfer.
- Try to write directly to the hotel, sometimes prices are directly lower than through an intermediary. Hotels can consider your request individually. Small hotels are accommodating and offer discounts (especially if you are traveling for a large number of days and rent several rooms).
- Choose accommodation as close as possible to those attractions or parts of the city where you will spend more time in order to save on public transport. Conversely, if you are staying in the suburbs, find out all the options for saving on travel passes.
- In Asia, book a hotel for the first one to two days of your stay (for example, through agoda.com). On the spot you can find a more inexpensive option, which is not included in the world's reservation systems.
- Do not book accommodation in the city center if you have rented a car... Why pay extra for driving into the center and parking if motels outside the city are cheaper?
- Travel in a large company, the number of people in which is a multiple of four, is an ideal option. It is convenient to share the cost of accommodation, car rental, the cost of gasoline for all participants. Airbnb also has great options for large apartments and houses, which will be cheaper than double and triple hotel rooms through booking. It is even better to choose a motorhome for traveling with a company, this is especially true for expensive countries with beautiful landscape roads. Best routes - the ring road in Iceland, the highway in Alaska, the roads along the fjords in Norway.
- Create routes via Budapest, Milan or Munichwhere they fly from Moscow. Be sure to read.
- A flight to neighboring cities can sometimes save a lot... For example, you need to get to - it's usually cheaper to fly to Milan than to Nice, from where you can take a train to the Côte d'Azur via Ventimiglia and San Remo. Flights to Germany are often significantly cheaper than to neighboring Belgium and the Czech Republic. And flying from Yekaterinburg to cities in Europe, Asia and America is more profitable than from the less developed neighboring airports of Perm, Chelyabinsk, Ufa, Tyumen.
- Build routes through neighboring countries , from where flights are several times cheaper due to the large number of low-cost airlines. For example, residents of St. Petersburg have long been accustomed to low-cost flights from the Finnish Tampere and Lappeenranta. The rest can fly through neighboring ones, or Poland. You can get to these countries inexpensively by trains and buses, besides, this is an excellent reason to diversify your route. For example, start your trip from Riga, Kaunas, Vilnius or Gdansk, from where you can fly in Europe for 10 euros.
- If your goal is “just to travel” and you have not yet decided on the country, then make a choice in favor of those places that you never thought about before... Believe me, the hospitality of Armenia, the snowy peaks of Kyrgyzstan and the beaches of the Curonian Spit in the Kaliningrad region and Lithuania will conquer you.
- Explore your own country... It's time to remember about domestic tourism. Instead of Stonehenge and Machu Picchu, there are pillars of weathering Manpupuner in Komi, instead of ski resorts in Chamonix and Zermatt, there are Caucasian Elbrus and Dombay, as well as Baikal, Primorye and much more.
- Don't get carried away with big names like Saint Tropez or Cannes... There will probably be more impressions in the neighboring untreated Menton. Avoid the most obvious tourist trails. There is always something nearby that is cheaper and not worse.
- Prepare carefully for your tripso that unexpected expenses do not come as a surprise to you. Find out the cost of the airport-city transfer, public transport and entrance fees to museums. There are always free options. For example, admission to the Getty Center in Los Angeles is free, and most paid museums have a free day on the schedule. For example, the Botanical Garden in Barcelona opens its gates every Sunday from 3 pm, and the first Sunday of the month you can visit the Louvre for free.
- In some countries there is a “black course”, which is much more profitable than the official one (for example, in Argentina, Venezuela or Uzbekistan), exchange money profitably for yourself... In the same countries, it will be extremely unprofitable to pay by card.
- If you often buy something for the euro currency, it is better to have a MasterCard, not Visa, with which your bank always charges in dollars. Remember to convert. When you pay with a card, three currencies can participate in this operation: the currency in which you store money on the card, the purchase currency and the billing currency (payments between the bank and the payment system). The most disadvantageous example: payment with a ruble VISA card for goods whose value is indicated in euros.
- Use the service to find fellow travelerssuch as or blablacar. You can save on trains and buses for both short and long distances.
What to save on
- Never save on, always take out insurance for at least a minimum amount (30,000 euros for the Schengen area), and when playing sports, do sports, otherwise if you get injured while snowboarding / kiting you will be denied free medical care. Insurance can be done now and.
- for a long period, so as not to spend money on its registration several times. Study your visa history and make the right decision. For example, Italians, who have two or more Schengen visas in the last 24 months, put a visa for 1-2 years. And the French with French visas can apply for a visa for 5 years.
And, perhaps, the most important thing
- Savings savings, but always remain a polite and friendly guest, do not ride for free on public transport, fine and shame are not what the trip should be remembered for.
Save wisely. Without fanaticism.
Edelka
Ilonka
life-in-asia
Igor + Vilkov
Flights
Residence
How to build a route
Money and shopping
Transport
Many people are afraid to decide to go on a trip, because they do not know the steps that need to be taken for this. I will say that there is no need to be afraid and preparation for the trip will not take much time and effort. Especially for visitors to the site, I made a plan, following which any person can go on a trip... Take a notebook and write down the solutions for each item.
1) Decide where you will go to. Many are burning that they are going to go (fly) to Thailand, but do not know where exactly. Choose a city, place, and then it will be easier to plan your trip.
2) Decide how long you will stay there. The cost of the trip is largely determined by the number of days it takes to travel. Yes, and it takes time to get acquainted with the sights, if it is not very much, then it is better to visit only the main attractions, and leave the rest for later.
3) Decide what type of vacation you like the most. Whether it's a low-cost economy trip or a luxury trip with casinos, high-end restaurants and parties, or hiking in the mountains, different types of travel require different costs.
4) Calculate how much you will spend on the spot. Will you go to restaurants or cook yourself, live in a hotel or hostel, take a taxi or by public transport... You can find out the prices for many goods and services on my blog. Write at least an approximate cost estimate, and plan at least 10% for unforeseen expenses.
5) Start earning more or save. You can afford a trip that you will not deny yourself anything. It's more enjoyable to travel without worrying much about how much money is left. I wrote in more detail about earning money for travelers.
6) Start using your Aeroflot bonus card. Thanks to the bonus program, you can fly to anywhere in the world with huge discounts, in some cases, you can fly to another country for 2 thousand rubles. In details .
7) Get your passport. After submitting the application, you need to wait about a month to receive a ready-made passport. The sooner you do this, the better.
8) Find out which days are cheaper to fly. It often happens that the prices for tickets to the same place differ greatly depending on the day of departure, and the time difference can be only a few days, and the price difference can be 20-40%. To search for air tickets use the service, and for hotels -. You can look at other services on the Internet, but I recommend these ones (it is better to subscribe to the mailing of last minute offers from these services, there are very attractive options).
9) Buy an air ticket. Choose a departure date and proceed, use the Aeroflot bonus program.
10) Book your accommodation. Decide where you will live (hotel, hostel or somewhere else) and book this place.
11) Make a plan for visiting places. Write down the main places you want to visit, this will give you more accurate forecasts of the budget and free time.
12) Pay fines and pay off debts. If you have debts to the state, then you will not be released abroad. Pay and fly.
13) Visit the bank. Find out about payments abroad from your bank account, what are the fees on the card, they will tell you a lot of useful information.
14) Collect the bag. Make a list of the items you need and pack them.
15) Hit the road in a good mood. The more positive your attitude, the more successful the trip. Take documents, things and go on an adventure.
This is how, after completing just a few steps, you will go on your journey. Take action and enjoy life.
Video about beautiful places on the planet
