How to travel if you have no money: 5 ideas

2023 can hardly be called an easy year for trips, especially budget ones. But the situation is not a stalemate. On the one hand, the list of countries where you can enter without a visa is still imposing, on the other hand, if you have not seen the Chuisky tract, Talnikovsky waterfall and the “Caspian monster”, you can ride around Russia. Here are some ways to help young travelers save money.

1. Become a volunteer

Some programs pay for travel, room and board, while others require small contributions. In any case, the cost of volunteering is usually less than a package tour. In addition, you can do useful work, and abroad you can also practice a foreign language.

To go on such a trip, you need to find a program and prepare documents. And most often this option is available only to adults. But there are options for students as well. So, work in the Hermitage succeed since the age of 15. And if an accompanying adult goes with a teenager, there will be even more interesting directions. For example, you can

participate in an archaeological expedition at the excavations of the ancient estate of Kulchuk.

You can find programs through a simple search or in social networks. For example, in a couple of minutes on VKontakte, I managed to find out that volunteers are now being recruited for natural parks.Volcanoes of Kamchatka"and invite you to ring the birds at the station"Baikal». True, the excitement for birds is high - free places are left only for the fall.

Here are a few more aggregators that will help you find interesting destinations:

• Dobro.rf. The largest catalog of Russian projects. You can find a job for a couple of days or apply to a global project. The "under 18" tag is useful if you want to find offers for minors.
• Ecotravel. Volunteer vacancies from national parks and reserves in Russia are published here. For example, now working hands are needed in Kaluga Zasek.
• Good Surfing. A convenient service for searching for international volunteer programs and expeditions. The map has current offers from Japan, Brazil, Peru and Vietnam.
• Health and Help. This international organization provides medical assistance to residents of Guatemala and Nicaragua. More often they are looking for doctors, but there are also options for people without a medical education. All positions require knowledge of Spanish.

2. Try backpacking

Simply put, travel wild. Everything that cuts costs comes into play here. For example, travelers often hitchhike or choose the cheapest possible transport, such as suburban buses or trains. And they also go to non-tourist locations, cook themselves and spend the night in tent camps or with locals. An important attribute of any backpacker is a backpack with a minimum set of essentials for a trip.

You can even travel around the world. The main thing is to remember that the romance of hiking lies in improvisation and the absence of the usual comfort. But before you throw a backpack on your shoulders, carefully study the procedure for entering selected countries, the requirements for insurance and vaccinations, and the features of hitchhiking. Even if you are traveling around Russia, it will not be superfluous to download an offline map and plan a route. Here are some more tips to help you save money along the way.

• If you don't plan to sleep in a tent (or there's just nowhere to pitch it), free accommodation can still be found on Couch Surfing. But verification is now paid.
• In summer, students can travel around the country, stopping on campuses and university dormitories. For example, last year it cost 300 rubles per night to live at the Altai State University, and 240 rubles per night in a hotel in the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.
• Subscribe to channels that non-stop monitor discounts on buses, trains and planes. For example, there are always interesting offers and promotional codes on vandroukah And TravelRadar. Fly from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar for the weekend for only a thousand and a few kopecks? Why not!
• Install WiFi Map apps. This database of passwords from public Wi-Fi points will help out if you do not want to spend money on a local SIM card.

3. Get an internship or go to study

This option is suitable for those who want to combine business with pleasure. This is an ideal format for students and graduates because many programs are designed for several months. With luck, a scholarship or salary will cover the cost of staying in another city.

Before you start looking, think about what is more important: to get real experience and job prospects, or still the geography of travel. If the former, then open job aggregators or websites of companies that interest you. In Russia, young professionals are invited toGazprom Neft», «Sibur», «Rusal», «Yandex». Is location more important? Then you can try to go on an exchange to foreign universities. For example, now there are announcements for the recruitment of students with scholarships at universities Thailand, China And Turkey.

If there are no special preferences or you want to see what the internship market is generally rich in, special services will help:

• FutureToday. The site is focused on young professionals who are just starting their careers. There are no seasonal offers or part-time jobs like a cashier, courier or merchandiser - only programs from leading Russian and foreign companies.
• Internship. This channel publishes posts about foreign internships, exchange studies and international volunteering.
• StudyQA. Major media about scholarships and grants around the world.

4. Get a seasonal job

To go as a counselor to a children's camp, go on a cruise as an animator or spend time in the vineyards - there are definitely options for those who want to see new places and earn extra money.

Summer vacancies are already open. For example, on the siteSeasonal work at sea» offers from hotels of the Black Sea coast are collected. They are looking for cooks, administrators, waiters, barkers and a dozen more specialists in different cities. In most cases, the hotel provides a room and pays for meals. And if you want a little road romance, you can work on the train - every year Russian Railways gaining conductors throughout the country. If you are lucky with the route, you will be able to admire the beauties of unfamiliar cities or make connections between flights somewhere on the coast.

5. Participate in contests

Exciting expeditions are often organized by large Russian companies and public organizations. For example, now all those who are not indifferent to the historical and cultural heritage of the country are invited to participate in the competition of the Russian Geographical Society "Local history mission». At stake is the opportunity to participate in cool expeditions of the Russian Geographical Society and cash prizes.

There are plenty of options for teenagers too. For example, last year, 66 students from all over Russia, thanks to the support of Rosatom, were able to go to the North Pole. And now Russian Railways invites high school students participate in the competition, the main prize of which is a trip to the camp "Ocean".

In addition, Russia has a youth tourism program “More than a Journey”. Finalists and winners of the contests of the platform "Russia - a country of opportunities" and the society "Knowledge" can count for free trips to the most interesting corners of the country - even in the Arctic.