Once, a few years ago, I went abroad for the first time. It was a bus tour, with a group leader who could quickly solve all the problems that arose. However, all the same, it was exciting - you never know what can be expected at the border or directly abroad. And the preparation for the trip was not so simple - choosing and buying a tour, preparing documents. In general, there was enough excitement.

There will always be those who go abroad for the first time. It is for such people that this article is written. In it, I tried to collect useful recommendations that will make your stay in foreign lands as pleasant as possible.

Choose a tour

It is worth saying that a trip abroad begins from the moment you choose a tour. Already during this period, you are mentally transported to a particular country, imagining your original and unforgettable vacation.

You can choose the direction of the trip at home, and already at the travel agency ask about the availability of interesting offers for your priority direction.

Of course, you need to conclude an agreement with a travel agency, which passes into your hands immediately after signing it and transferring the money for the tour to the agent. This document must contain all the details of your trip:

• the type of transport you will use (air flight, bus tour, etc.);
• the hotel or hotels where you will be staying;
• meals (breakfast only or other option);
• dates of stay abroad;
• other information.

Note. If you are traveling to a visa-free country, then in this case, your passports remain in your hands. Also, you do not give them to the travel agent if you have a valid visa. Otherwise, if you need a visa, you transfer to the travel agency not only your passports, but also all the necessary documents - certificates, photographs, copies, money for the visa fee, etc.

Advice. When booking a tour to a country where a visa is required, it is recommended to take out "insurance against non-departure" - in this case, you can get a refund for the tour if a visa is not issued to you for some reason.

Usually, in addition to the information specified in the contract, agency employees give additional sheets with the necessary information, as well as verbally talk about the features of your trip - including where, what time and how you are leaving for the tour.

Depending on the features of the tour, documents may be returned to you as follows:

• a few days before departure/departure, you will need to go to the company's office to pick them up;
• the group leader will have them if you have a group trip;
• they can wait for you at the airport.

The last moment can be somewhat tense and become a reason for unreasonable unrest - suddenly the agency employee does not come or there will be some problem with the documents. But do not panic - this method of transferring documents has been worked out to the smallest detail and not a single company will risk its reputation. To reduce the probability of force majeure to zero, arrive at the airport two and a half hours in advance and calmly meet with an agency representative.

And there was another case... When we went abroad for the first time, we didn’t even think about the fact that there might be some problems with a visa. We had a departure from Lviv - a bus tour of Europe. And when we were already on the train approaching Lviv, a representative of the agency called us and said that visas were in order. I'm even afraid to imagine what we would do if there were difficulties with the documents. Although, as more experienced tourists later told us, if there are problems with obtaining a visa, the agency informs about this in advance. Most likely, our agent, seeing that there were no problems with the documents, postponed the call for a more convenient time and forgot about it.

Let's hit the road

I propose to consider two options. The first is if you are going on a bus tour, and the second is if you are flying by plane.

We travel by bus. Bus tours do not at all imply that you will have to literally “live” in transport. Although there are such travel options - at night the bus rides, and during the day tourists walk. It is very tiring and after the first night you somehow do not really admire the beauties. Fortunately, I didn’t go on such a tour myself, but friends told me about it. The only positive thing is that they are cheaper and sometimes significantly, since you do not need to pay for hotel accommodation.

So, most often bus tours suggest that you settle in one particular city, and then go on excursions from it. Or you travel between cities in short journeys, but spend the night in hotels.

From Ukraine, buses depart from Lviv or Uzhgorod. Therefore, if you decide to choose this travel option, then you need to think over tickets to these cities. Routes from Kyiv are already being launched, but there is not yet such a large selection of destinations.

If you are traveling by bus, you should not worry if there are no problems with a visa. The team leader organizes everything so that the customs control will pass relatively quickly. Of course, if there is no queue at customs. The documents will be in the hands of the head, he will distribute them to you before leaving.

The manager will tell you which products and in what quantity you can carry, and which ones are better to put out of the bag before you arrive at customs. Or, if you have too many cigarettes with you, he will advise you to distribute them among non-smoking passengers who will kindly agree to help you.

Travels by plane. There are certain features here that should be taken into account.

First. On the day of departure, you are advised to arrive at the airport two and a half, or even better three hours before departure and find a representative of the tour operator from whom you bought the ticket. He will give you the necessary travel documents. They will be sealed in an envelope:

• round-trip air tickets (most likely this is one ticket);
• the place will be indicated at registration;
• insurance policy;
• a voucher for accommodation at the hotel, which indicates its name, number, type of food, date of stay and more;
• a passport, if it was necessary to provide for a visa.

Advice. Be sure to check the availability of all documents, as well as visas in the passport in the presence of a representative of the agency.

• customs inspection;
• check-in and baggage check-in;
• passport control.

Advice. Since you are traveling for the first time, you can follow the person who also received documents from a travel agency representative with you and repeat all the steps after him.

Now let's look at each procedure in more detail so that you know what exactly you have to face.

Customs inspection. As you can imagine, its purpose is to ensure that customs officers can make sure that you are not exporting anything prohibited. And a sufficient number of things and substances fall under the ban:

• weapons and explosives;
• a large amount of cash;
• drugs;
• antiques;
• art objects.

Some things require mandatory inclusion in the declaration - for example, the same art objects that can be exported.

During customs inspection, passengers are divided into two corridors - Red and Green. The first group includes those who declared one of the above. In the second - those who did not declare anything. Most often, tourists really have nothing to declare, and therefore more than ninety percent pass through the green corridor. This does not mean that customs officers simply let everyone through. Selectively, at their discretion, they can check one or another passenger.

In addition, airports in different countries may have different security requirements, and therefore more stringent control requirements.

Check-in and baggage check-in. During check-in, you will need to exchange your ticket for a boarding pass, according to which, in fact, you will be allowed on the plane. The place on board will also be indicated there. The ticket also indicates the exit number, the so-called Gate (Gate - gate), which should be approached before boarding the plane so as not to be late. It's better to do it in advance.

Note. If you are traveling in a large company or with the whole family, it is recommended to present all passports at once, and not in sequence.

Also, already during the check-in process, luggage is checked in - you can only take hand luggage with you on the plane.

What is hand luggage. At this point, I want to make a special stop. So, the concept of hand luggage means a bag of the following dimensions: width no more than 25 centimeters, length no more than 56 centimeters, height no more than 45 centimeters.

The maximum weight of hand luggage directly depends on the rules of a particular airline, but most often does not exceed 15 kilograms, although it can be 12 kilograms, and 7 kilograms, etc.

If you take cosmetic liquid products with you, then they should be in transparent packages no more than one hundred millimeters.

But liquids purchased at Duty Free can be carried even in your hands, but only if the packaging is not damaged. You can also take food.

You can also take electronic devices such as phones, players, laptops, tablets and more, but remember that some of them cannot be used in the cabin of the aircraft, as this may lead to malfunction of on-board instruments.

These are general rules and may vary slightly from airline to airline. The main recommendations are also given - for more information about what you can carry in hand luggage, check with the tour operator who will provide you with tickets for a particular airline.

The part of the luggage that is not included in hand luggage is loaded into the cargo compartment and can be received upon arrival on a special tape. To protect your belongings, it is recommended that you use sturdy bags for travel, and do not put fragile items in them. After all, loading things is not such a delicate procedure, and at many airports they don’t stand on ceremony with bags.

Advice. Many domestic tourists believe that if the luggage is covered with a film, then the customs officers will not want to mess with it and will not inspect it. The statement is not entirely correct. The film will make the bag more compact, tight, hiding all the protruding handles that can catch on the conveyor. But it will not affect the desire of customs officers to open the suitcase and check it if he or you seem suspicious.

Passport control. The last stage before departure. You should approach the appropriate counter strictly one at a time, presenting the documents to the officer - a passport, a boarding pass, and anything else that a customs officer may require. In the same place, you will be stamped in your passport about the passage of the state border.

Please note that the procedure itself may differ, depending on the country from which you are flying. But, despite the differences, first of all, you will need to carefully study the board with the flight schedule and find your own on it - the corresponding number must be indicated in the documents that you were provided by the travel agency. The following information will be displayed next to your flight:

• the number of the check-in counter, where the passport control of the passengers of your flight will be carried out.

After you pass through passport control, you can go for a walk to the part of the airport accessible for this purpose - the so-called neutral territory, where duty-free shops operate. You can pay for goods both in dollars and in euros.

Watch the time carefully so you don't miss a flight. Make sure you get to the Gate well in advance, as you will have to go through a hand luggage screening and a metal detector counter before entering the lounge.

In the waiting room itself, you can safely wait for the departure time, and upon landing, you will need to present your boarding pass and passport to the airport employees. The latter, by the way, is not always required.

Arrival at the airport after the flight. Here you will have to go through the above procedure, but in reverse order. With minor changes.

For example, if you already have a visa, then you should just go to passport control, where, in addition to your passport, you may be required to provide additional documents:

• confirmation of accommodation in hotels;
• return tickets, etc.

But if you arrived in a country where a visa is issued right at the airport upon arrival (for example, Turkey, Egypt, India, Mozambique, Bahrain, Bolivia and many others), then in this case, the passage through passport control will be as follows:

• buy a visa stamp - for this you should prepare the necessary amount of money in advance without change, which you should have been warned about at the travel agency;
• the stamp should be glued to any blank page of the foreign passport;
• in some cases, it may be necessary to fill out a migration card - your passport details, the name of the hotel and city of stay should be entered strictly in Latin letters;
• with a prepared passport and migration card, you need to go to the passport control desk;
• already there, the officer will consider your documents, may ask a couple of questions and put the appropriate stamp in your passport.

After the visa is stamped, you can go to the baggage claim - sometimes you need to wait a bit for the bags to be unloaded and carefully monitor the transport belt - so as not to miss your suitcase.

If you are traveling on a package tour, then most likely an employee of a company that accepts in a given country will be waiting for you at the airport. Usually such people hold signs with the corresponding inscriptions in their hands. Then you fall into the hands of this employee and he will already lead you to the car or bus. It is likely that you will have to wait a bit until all the tourists on your flight have gathered - if you came first, then about an hour.

note . As you already understood, there is nothing like that if you are traveling by bus. You will be driven directly to the hotel. There is no need to wander around the waiting rooms and other premises. Luggage is moved in a special section of the bus. However, not all countries can be traveled this way, and the plane is still much faster, even with the fuss at the control.

Features of the settlement and eviction from the hotel

This item is the same for all travelers, regardless of how they travel.

Accommodation in a hotel. During a trip or transfer from the airport, the guide or group leader must provide all the necessary information about the rules of conduct and stay in the country in general and in the hotel in particular.

When checking in, the guide is usually present with the group and helps tourists - for example, distributes the keys to the rooms, and also helps with documents if it is necessary to settle certain formalities.

If you settle on your own, since the guide cannot be present at the settlement, then you will need to transfer to the reception:

• passport;
• accommodation voucher.

You will then receive your room key as well as a meal voucher, depending on the option you choose.

Note. Quite often, passports remain at the reception until the next morning. This is quite a normal practice and this is done to formalize the settlement. Since when the whole group arrives, it is problematic to complete all the registration at once, the staff leaves the documents until the morning.

If during the journey to the hotel, the guide or group leader did not manage to inform you about the rules of stay and other subtleties, then in this case you will be scheduled an introductory meeting, during which you will learn:

• peculiarities of living in the country;
• what to do in case of force majeure of any type;
• where is the best place to exchange currencies;
• where to walk;
• what sightseeing tours are available, etc.

Check-out from the hotel is carried out at a certain time - in any case, you will be informed about this. Not the leader of the group, so at the reception. If you have a departure much later than the check-out time, then you can leave your things in a special room, and you can safely walk around the city or the hotel.

Note. You may be required to pay for additional services - these include drinks from the minibar, pay TV channels and more. So be careful with any of these services. First, find out if they are really included in the cost of living, otherwise there is a high probability of “flying in” for a large amount.

If you are traveling with a group, a bus will arrive at the appointed time and transfer you to the airport. Better not be late, otherwise you can let the whole group down.

If you traveled by bus, then in this case you are already going towards your native state, where you will again go through passport control, which does not take much time. Usually the officer collects all the passports from the group and checks them on his computer, putting down the necessary stamps. Bags are most often checked selectively, although it is possible that everything will be checked in a row, but this happens extremely rarely.

In conclusion

Here are the travel rules. As you can see, there is nothing complicated about them. Everything is simple and transparent. Of course, I cited the basic rules and requirements in the article. In some cases, certain nuances are possible.

The main thing is to adhere to all clear requirements established during customs and passport control. Since the officers do not like jokes - they are in the performance of their duties and are always quite strict. It concerns officers in all countries. So be nice to them, but do not joke, and even more so do not be rude. And then there will be no problems.

Also, do not get carried away with alcohol on the road - if you already want to break away so much, then wait until you arrive at the destination. Even if all your documents are perfect, you still don’t need to cause unnecessary problems and inconvenience to your travel companions. Especially if you are on the bus!

In general, go on a journey with a light heart and a pure soul, tuned in to positive and good impressions!

If you have made up your mind and bought a ticket abroad for the first time in your life. Needless to say, you will be worried about a lot of questions - how it all happens, where you can go, who is responsible for what, in what order and what should be done from the moment you pay the money for the upcoming tour until you return home.

The staff of the travel agency assisted you in choosing the best tour. After the final decision to go on vacation abroad and choosing a hotel, they confirm your application and book a tour. A similar booking can take a few minutes or a whole day. Upon successful booking of this tour, you pay for it and receive a copy of the receipt and an agreement with this travel agency.

In the case of a trip to a country that requires a visa, please note that you may not be able to get it, and you have already booked the tour. Therefore, it is advisable to immediately pay for "insurance against non-departure", in which case your money, if the visa is not issued, will be returned to you.

The contract with the travel agency indicates the country where you decide to go on vacation, the number of people and all passport details, arrival and departure dates, hotel, meals and some other information about your trip. Representatives of the travel agency at the time of issuing the contract are required to report the time, from which airport and on which flight the departure will be made.

You can pick up all documents for going on vacation: check-in vouchers, air tickets, insurance policies a day or two before departure from the travel agency office where the order was made. In some cases, they will be waiting for you at the airport on the day of departure. Many people are worried about such receipt of documents, a few hours before departure, what if something happens? This procedure has been worked out more than one thousand times, so the overlays are very unlikely. In such cases, upon arrival at the airport, you need to find the counter of your tour operator, which you will be informed about at the travel agency and will be told exactly where it will be located at the airport.

Departure

Having waited for the date of departure to rest, you must arrive at the airport no later than 2 hours before departure. Next, you need to find where the representative of the tour operator is located, from whom you receive an envelope with all the documents necessary for the rest. The envelope must be carefully checked: it must contain air tickets (to the place of rest and on the way back, the seats on the plane are written later when checking in on boarding passes), a voucher for checking into a hotel (you should check that the name of the hotel, food and length of stay match), as well as a medical insurance policy. Having received the documents, before getting on the plane, go through three inevitable procedures:

1. Customs control

2. Check-in for the flight and check-in of all luggage, except for small handbags

3. Passport control

It should be remembered that other passengers of your aircraft are with you, and if you have any questions, you can always ask them.

customs control

The purpose of customs control is to find out if you have items prohibited for export. You are required to declare such items on the customs declaration, such as antiquities, tools, large sums of money, etc. There are two zones under customs control called the Red Corridor and the Green Corridor. For passengers who have something to declare, a red corridor is provided, and for the rest - a green one. As a rule, 99% of tourists who have nothing to declare get into the green corridor. Sometimes, selectively, customs officers ask tourists to present luggage for inspection, but this is a very rare practice.

Flight check-in and baggage check-in

When you check in for a flight, you are exchanged tickets for boarding passes, which are your pass to board the aircraft. These coupons also indicate the seats in the cabin. If you are going on vacation abroad with a company or family, present all your air tickets and passports at once, and not one at a time.

You also check in your luggage, which will be loaded into the cargo hold of the aircraft, and in return you will be given a luggage. Here it is necessary to take into account that a certain weight is allowed for one luggage. When buying tickets, check with the travel agency in advance how many kg are allowed per person. You can get this baggage back only at the airport of arrival. It is advisable to pack your luggage in the most durable bag or suitcase. It is better not to put fragile and breakable things in a suitcase without making sure that they will not break in the process of falling from an insignificant height - unloading and loading things into luggage is not a very delicate matter. For an additional fee, a luggage wrapping service is provided, which is covered with several layers of film. It will be difficult for abstract intruders to penetrate into such baggage.

Passport control

And in conclusion, what you need to do in order to leave your homeland is to go through passport control. All passengers one by one approach the passport control windows, presenting their passport and other available documents (such as a boarding pass) to the border guards. It is here that at passport control you are stamped in your passport, which is a mark on the passage of the state border. The number of the check-in desk is indicated on the board in the line where your flight is indicated.

By purchasing a boarding pass and taking your hand luggage, passing through the passport control desk, you officially leave the country's borders and find yourself in neutral territory. As a rule, there will still be time before boarding the plane and you can buy anything in the duty free shop. You can pay for the goods only in dollars or euros. In the waiting room, you need to wait for the announcement to board the plane and, together with all the passengers, follow the ladder of the plane, along the way you may be required to present your passport and boarding pass - this is mandatory.

Passport and customs control

If you flew to Turkey or Egypt, where you need to buy a visa stamp, this is the first thing you should do upon arrival. It is better to prepare the required amount of dollars in advance without change. It is required to fill out an immigration card in English and stick the purchased stamp on any blank page of the passport. The card includes the data of the passport, country and city, as well as the hotel where you will rest. Having prepared the above documents, including a passport with a pasted visa, go to the passport control desk. Here the border guard puts a stamp on entry into the country and on this the customs control zone has been passed.

Baggage

After going to the baggage claim hall, you should wait a little and your suitcases and bags will soon appear on the conveyor belt. After picking up your luggage, at the exit of the airport, look for a person with a sign that says the name of your tour operator. All meeting guides collect all their tourists, register in their lists and offer to go to the transfer bus, which will take you to the desired hotel. While the bus takes you to the hotel, the guide gives a detailed initial briefing to tourists who have come to rest abroad. Upon arrival, arranges an introductory meeting for the next day in the lobby of your hotel.

Check in hotel

During check-in at the hotel, sometimes a guide is present, but often leaves tourists who have come to rest at the hotel reception with all the documents. You give the receptionist a check-in voucher and passports from which they make photocopies, and after a while he hands you the key (or card) to your room. In the event that you have "all inclusive", a plastic bracelet with the name of the hotel is put on the right or left hand. This bracelet is not removed until the end of the holiday. When checking into the room, check the serviceability of the property, do not hesitate to ask questions. If something is not solved, contact the guide.

The next day, in an introductory meeting with a guide, you will learn about living in this country, how to call a doctor, and your options. There will be offers of excursion programs, and most importantly, you will learn about the order of departure from the hotel

Departure from the hotel

Each hotel has a certain time by which you must vacate the room on the day of departure. As a rule, this is 12 hours, after packing their things, the porter takes them to a special room in the hotel lobby. At the reception, you must return the key to the room and, if necessary, pay the bill for the use of paid services.

At the hour appointed by the guide, a transfer bus will arrive and take you to the airport. At the airport, you will go through all the formalities in the same way and go after your rest to your homeland.

Our compatriots increasingly prefer to go on vacation abroad. And in order to fully enjoy the long-awaited vacation, get vivid impressions and a boost of vivacity, you need to plan everything clearly.

Where to go?

If you prefer beach holiday, it makes sense to pay attention to countries such as Bulgaria, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, or choose more expensive options - the UAE, Portugal, Italy, Spain. If you are traveling with children, you need to ask the tour operator about hotels with developed children's infrastructure (food, playgrounds, swimming pools, etc.). The most important requirement for a beach holiday is comfort. At the same time, couples most often choose quiet resorts, and young people choose cheerful places with an abundance of discos, restaurants and clubs.

lovers excursions they will surely rejoice at the opportunity to travel around Europe by bus - this option is considered the most budgetary. Literally in a week you can see several countries, walk the streets of Paris, Amsterdam and Hamburg, see the castles of France or Scotland. Any travel agency will offer you a choice of many interesting excursion programs. Before you buy a tour, think - can you spend long hours in the bus seat? If this is not too tiring for you, go on a trip.

If you want to combine a beach holiday with a sightseeing holiday, combined tours- so you can lie on the beach and visit interesting places of the chosen country. Many exciting excursions await you in Greece, Spain, Egypt, Malta, Montenegro or Croatia.

Sea and river cruises will be of interest to tourists who are not constrained in their means, who wish to spend their holidays on board a comfortable motor ship, from time to time going down the ladder to the shore of hospitable countries for sightseeing tours. Wealthy people prefer to travel around the Mediterranean or around the picturesque coast of Scandinavia. An equally interesting option is cruises along the Volga, Dnieper, Danube and other European rivers.

You can go to exotic vacation to Nepal, India, Bali or the Caribbean.

Another good option is to rest on SPA resorts where you can combine business with pleasure. Massages, mud baths, body wraps and other SPA treatments will help restore strength and health.

Finally, for lovers of extreme sports, there are trekking tours. On foot or on horseback through mountain passes, kayaking on turbulent rivers, scuba diving in Egypt or paragliding in Turkey - all these services are provided by modern travel agencies, while providing an interesting vacation with a lot of adrenaline.

How to behave abroad?

The main rule is that you must comply with the laws and customs of the country in which you went on vacation. If in your hometown you will not get anything for throwing a cigarette butt on the sidewalk, then in Germany, for example, you face a large fine for the same act. In the UAE and many other countries, it is illegal to drink alcohol in public places, and it is better for women not to walk the streets in shorts, miniskirts and crop tops. Similar features are also characteristic of other states, so take an interest in their traditions and legislation in advance.

Going for a walk, excursion or shopping, do not take documents and a large amount of cash with you. It is better to leave all this in a hotel safe, and it is enough to put a photocopy of your passport and a small amount of money in your bag.

If you need to take any medications, please bring them with you in the original packaging. Find out in advance whether they are considered drugs or illegal drugs in the country where you are going.

When visiting a supermarket, put everything only in a basket or cart, do not carry anything in your hands. Keep the check received from the cashier at least until you arrive at the hotel. So no one can accuse you of trying to smuggle unpaid goods past the checkout.

Resting in Egypt and other Eastern countries, be careful with your camera. Here you can not only pay a fine, but also go to jail for filming, for example, military installations or some government buildings.

In any country, of course, it is necessary to respect the local population, their way of life, beliefs and principles, not to offend national symbols and behave with the utmost restraint.

What to bring?

Try not to take too many things with you. Firstly, you definitely won’t wear half of them, and secondly, in most countries it is customary to dress simply and inconspicuously.

The main thing you should have with you is a change of underwear, T-shirts and T-shirts, shorts and trousers, a pair of comfortable sundresses and one or two elegant dresses for visiting a fashionable restaurant. In case of cold weather, you can grab jeans and a light sweater.

From shoes you can take comfortable sandals or sandals with low heels, ballet flats or light shoes, beach slippers.

Do not forget about a hat, in the summer you can not do without it. It is best to pick it up in advance, it should be light and comfortable - a wide-brimmed hat, baseball cap or panama.

Of course, take two or three bathing suits with you - so as not to wait until your only copy dries.

In some places - for example, in Montenegro and Croatia - when swimming in the sea, you must use special plastic slippers so as not to cripple your feet on sea urchins.

Be sure to complete your travel first aid kit: your usual medicines may not be abroad, or they may be sold strictly according to prescriptions. Take pills for headaches and indigestion, antipyretic, chloramphenicol, mezim or festal (after all, you need to take into account the reaction of the stomach to an unusual cuisine), adhesive plaster, iodine. Add to this set those medications that you take constantly.

Take mosquito repellent with you. If this is an electric fumigator, grab a universal outlet adapter.

Put a beach towel and a small blanket in your bag. Of course, all this can be bought on the spot, but such trifles near the beach are quite expensive.

Stock up on creams and lotions for sunburn and after sunburn, protective lip balm and other cosmetics needed in a hot country.

Buy a belt wallet in advance: this way you can relax on excursions and walks without constantly feeling for your purse in your bag. And one more tip: keep cash in different places. In general, experienced tourists recommend taking a plastic card with you.

The most important thing you should take with you is a good mood and a smile!

Enjoy every minute of a long-awaited vacation, do not pay attention to minor inconveniences and shortcomings, smile at the hotel and restaurant staff, thank you for everything with a sincere smile. Try to learn at least a dozen phrases in the local language - like "Thank you, everything was very tasty!", "We really enjoyed staying with you", "It's nice to get to know your country" and the like.

Statistics tirelessly repeats that outbound tourism is constantly growing. There is no doubt that this is so. However, until now, most Russians prefer to spend their holidays in their hometown or in the country. And if for some of them a summer vacation is a conscious choice, then for a certain number of people, organized tourism in and around the world simply remains a secret with seven seals. And it's not that hard to break them. This article will help you choose the most convenient vacation option for those who have not yet joined tourism.

beach holiday

Rest on the sandy shores of the blue-blue sea is perhaps the favorite time of pastime during the days of the long-awaited vacation for most Russians. If there are no special requests for a vacation, but you just want to soak up the warmth, lie down under palm trees, swim in the clear sea and get a bronze tan, then you are expected in, (budget vacation options are possible) or in, and other coastal countries and islands.

Requirements for a beach holiday are usually minimal and are defined in one word: comfort. The choice of options provided in Russian travel agencies is so great that you can always find a tour to your liking. For holidays with small children, experienced managers will advise hotels with good children's infrastructure (special baby food, children's pools and playgrounds, small water parks). For an entertaining holiday, you can choose a hotel in some popular youth city, where life is in full swing not only during the day on the beach, but also at night in bars and discos. Respectable couples usually choose more respectable resorts.

Excursion tours

Excursion tours were invented especially for those who from childhood dreamed of visiting places where the events of ancient Greek myths and chivalric novels unfolded. The main trails and routes have long been laid by experienced tour operators: you just have to make a choice. And he's really big. These are the already mentioned trips to, and travel to the castles of the Loire in, and sightseeing tours of the classical. No less interesting can be a vacation in, and if the recreation program is full of various excursions.

The cheapest type of sightseeing holiday is bus tours. However, before you pay money for such a trip, consider whether you are ready to spend long hours in a bus seat. If health allows, then to see almost everything through the bus window is pleasant and interesting.

Tours are suitable for tourists of all ages, including very young children. It is important for parents to choose places where their children will be interested. Moreover, sightseeing trips around or can be combined with recreational activities in amusement and adventure parks, which are really numerous in these countries.

Combined tours

If you want to lie on the beach and go on excursions, then it is better to ask the travel agency about the availability of combined tours in its assortment. Many countries with good beaches are ready to offer tourists a variety of excursions to their historical, cultural and natural monuments.

Trekking, extreme

If you still remember what camping in a forest is like, but you can’t cook dinner on a campfire and assemble a kayak yourself, specially trained people can do it for you. Taking part in a trekking tour, you travel through the forests, fields and mountains on foot, on horseback or kayaks, while all the most dreary work of choosing a route, setting up a camp and preparing food is taken over by specialists, and you just breathe fresh air, walk , collect mushrooms and fish - in general, relax.

In addition, now a large number of organized tours give tourists the opportunity to practice their favorite extreme sport. For example, you can go to Andorra to ski or scuba dive. Paragliding is organized in the Turkish town of Oludeniz, and fans of windsurfing traditionally go to Hawaii.

Sea and river cruises

Measured, elite and varied rest. Sounds like a fairy tale? In fact, this is the reality if you went on a cruise. Sea cruises are especially popular. It can be traveling around the Mediterranean Sea, and sailing on a ship around. But the essence of such a holiday is clear: most of the time you spend on a fashionable ship and only occasionally go down the ladder to the piers of hospitable cities to take small sightseeing walks.

However, river cruises can be just as interesting. Russian travel agencies offer travelers cruises along the Volga, Danube, Dnieper, Rhine and other rivers. For many, this can really be a good opportunity to have a good rest and see several countries at once. True, a cruise vacation cannot be called a budget one, but if financial resources allow, cruises can be a really chic option to spend a long-awaited vacation.

exotic vacation

Unforgettable, elite, fabulous and a great many other delightful epithets can be picked up to rest in those countries that are commonly called exotic destinations. Exotic countries are always a little more than just the sea, a little more than just beaches, a little more than just unique natural and cultural monuments. Holidays in exotic countries are always breathtaking, remembered for almost a lifetime and ... hit hard on the wallet.

What is considered exotic? For example, the most beautiful resorts in Bali and. Or rest in Buddhist monasteries. Or the mysterious caves of the islands. Exotic countries are what we see in the most colorful advertising brochures that create the illusion of heavenly life on earth. And if you properly organize your vacation, this illusion can be brought to life - at least during the rest.

beauty and health

Finally, another type of recreation is wellness. You can breathe fresh air, bask in the sun and swim in the healing waters of the seas and oceans on your own, or you can under the supervision of doctors. Massages, body wraps, baths and other spa treatments are the best way to relax and rejuvenate for many city dwellers, exhausted by dirty air and daily hustle and bustle.

Spa-resorts are now the most developing type of recreation in many countries of the world. It is a mistake to believe that spa-services are provided only in luxury hotels on the sea coasts. No less popular are spa resorts in the highlands and on the shores of the purest lakes in alpine villages.

Do you have plane tickets to another country in your hands, but you have never flown or even left the territory of your native land? Your head is spinning, your hands do not understand what to grab onto? Calm down, you are not the first to fly abroad for the first time. You can close the main part of the questions raging in your head. I will share my personal experience.

A few months ago I was lucky - for the first time in my 25 years of life - to fly for the first time abroad. Alone, without knowledge of English and without travel experience. Yes, this happens too. This experience was not just interesting. But I think that here the details of my experiences should be omitted, and I will share the advice collected from all the travelers I know, which should be adopted by a beginner.

Baggage. Weight and Quantity

Let's start with what you should generally start with. First of all, you need to find out (if you didn’t find out when buying a ticket or tour) what weight of hand luggage and luggage is allowed by your airline for transportation. No, it's second. And first you need to know what happens main luggage(unless you have bought a budget ticket where only hand luggage is allowed), which you check in at the airport, and hand luggage that you take with you to the salon.

The average weight of the main luggage varies within 20 kg per person, hand luggage - about 5 kg (sometimes 7-10 kg, but it's better not to risk it). Some carriers allow you to take only one bag / suitcase / backpack with you as hand luggage. In this case, the camera on your neck is already considered the second item, for which you will have to pay extra, even if the total weight of the two units is included in the established limit for hand luggage. Therefore, it is better to find out everything in advance, so as not to look for a way out of a difficult situation later.

Short: There are two types of baggage - the main one, which is checked into the luggage compartment of the aircraft (weighing about 20 kg) and hand luggage, which is taken with you on the plane (weighing about 5 kg).

Hand luggage. What is forbidden to take with you

It is not allowed to carry deodorants and other gas-forming substances in hand luggage. spray cans, gels, cosmetics(mascara, gloss, etc.), medications(if there is an urgent need for this, then a prescription and an extract from a doctor are needed), any liquids over 100 ml. That is, water, perfume, and in some cases creams may be asked to be transferred to the main luggage or even left. Therefore, it is better to pack such things immediately in a suitcase.

Also, in no case should you take in hand luggage manicure (and even more so sewing) scissors, sharp nail files and in general everything that one way or another can be used as a weapon. Well, of course, it is forbidden to take compact folding knives And weapon.

By the way, if your keys quite sharp, it is better to immediately send them to the suitcase. Personally, they did not try to take away the keys from me, but there were cases. Think about this when you close your apartment or house. Special attention to such items may arise from checking airports in those countries where the likelihood of terrorist attacks and assassination attempts is increased. There, people and their luggage are especially carefully checked. This is worth considering. (In my case, the super-tough security check at the Egyptian airport was very unsettling and made me nervous.)

Sometimes it is not allowed to take in hand luggage scotch And cling film. Again, this is my personal experience. In Ukraine and Turkey, they missed it, and in Egypt they took it away.

Doubts can be caused by autonomous charging device(power bank), autonomous columns. In Egypt, we were detained because a square stand-alone speaker seemed suspicious until I showed that music was playing in it. In the main luggage, such an item will cause no less suspicion. Therefore, decide whether you definitely need this thing in another country or whether headphones will suffice.

Short: it is forbidden to carry weapons, sharp cutting and piercing objects (needles, corkscrews, knives), adhesive tape, cling film, water, any gel-, gas-, cream- or water-like liquid with a volume of more than 100 ml (allowed maximum 5 containers of 100 ml).

If you are flying abroad for the first time, then you definitely take with you money, passport, phone, Maybe, camera and laptop. All this should be packed in hand luggage, because. no one is responsible for the perfect safety and "unbroken" of your things in the luggage compartment of the aircraft (and at the airport too).

Also, if you are bringing any fragile items(but oversized), it is better to carry them in hand luggage. Including jewelry, valuables, medical certificates and extracts.

If your trip is business, important and valuable paper, of course, it is also recommended to pack in hand luggage.

Even if you are on vacation, you must have vouchers for transfer to the hotel and check-in at the hotel. They must be taken with you so as not to look in your luggage.

Also, if the flight is long (and it can be considered long from two hours, especially for the first time), then you should take a little products to satisfy your hunger (you can buy something edible even after passing the control). It is desirable that your supplies do not have a too strong smell - people will sit next to you, and the windows in the plane do not open. And it is better to stick to the snacks you have tested that will satisfy your hunger, but will not lead to digestive problems.

Special mention should be made of accumulators for cameras. To be honest, I could not figure out exactly where you can take them. The experience that I had says that it is possible both in hand luggage and in checked baggage. Although, according to the experience of acquaintances, in China, batteries were forced to be laid out from hand luggage. It may be easier to pack the batteries, but only they should not come into contact with each other, so as not to cause a fire or explosion. Since I was not 100% sure what to do, the part packed one set in the main luggage, and took the second one with me (in the camera itself). I decided that in this case they would not take everything away :) As a result, both sets remained intact. But if I had got to the airport of Egypt with them, then most likely they would have been confiscated from me from my hand luggage. Therefore, it is worth additionally consulting how things are with this issue at the airports of the country where you are flying.

Also, for convenience, especially if you are flying at night, an inflatable pillow. This is a great way to sleep alone, and not fall asleep on the shoulder of an unfamiliar neighbor.

There are cases (more often when these are flights with transfers) when the main luggage is lost or your flight is late. Do not worry, they will definitely find him in a day or two, and he will come to you. But so that this does not become a disaster for you and does not spoil the first days of your stay in a new country, take the most necessary things with you in hand luggage. It can be glasses, a hat, a swimsuit (if you are going to the sea). Or a clean shirt and sweater if it's a business trip. Such things will not take up much space, but you will be calm.

Short: it is recommended to take valuables and papers (money, passports, documents, telephones, medical certificates), life-saving medicines, food, wet wipes, an inflatable pillow, the necessary minimum essentials (change of underwear, swimsuit, shirt, etc.) .P.).

Packing of the main luggage

You should not carry perishable products, fragile items and valuables in your main baggage. You have already read the explanation above. That is, checked baggage should not contain everything that is recommended to be carried in hand luggage. Everything is simple.

It is also forbidden to transport caustic substances that can cause corrosion (mercury, all types of alkalis, etc.), all types of gases in canisters, substances and objects that can cause fire (matches, lighters, varnishes, paints, etc. .), and of course no weapons can be transported. And once acquaintances had a chance to sit in a chair next to a climber holding an ice ax in his hands. Those were carefree times...

And so you packed your suitcase. Now be sure to weigh it so as not to get a surprise at the airport itself. I must say right away that 20 kg is quite a lot, an ordinary girl can hardly lift such a suitcase. This is in case you don't have a scale.

If everything is in order with the weight of the luggage, then it's time to pack the suitcase itself. Some do it at the airport (the service is paid, in November 2016 the cost was 70 UAH at Boryspil airport, terminal D), and some do not do it at all.

Personally, my opinion is that the suitcase still needs to be wrapped with a film. Firstly, it will protect it from the intervention of intruders, and secondly, it will preserve its appearance during loading and unloading. For this, ordinary cling film or one that is sold in hardware stores is suitable. One roll per 100 meters is enough for several trips.

Long roll can be cut in half. This will make it more convenient to wind, and you can take the second part with you to pack your suitcase on the way back. But there is a chance that it will eventually be taken from hand luggage, but it will still be cheaper than packing a suitcase there.

On top of the film, you can paste over the suitcase with colored tape. This will help not to tear the film during transportation and immediately recognize your luggage upon receipt at the airport.

By the way, when checking into a hotel, it’s better to immediately ask for scissors so as not to spoil your beautiful manicure and not get hurt by tearing the film manually.

Short: it is forbidden to pack any items and substances that can explode, ignite, or break into checked baggage. As well as especially valuable items and papers. You can not transport weapons and perishable products.

• Make sure you bring the essentials for your trip. If it is the sea, then a swimsuit, sunglasses, a hat / cap, beach slippers and a bag, sunblock. Due to the fact that I was traveling almost in winter and was already preparing to "hibernate", I took only a bathing suit. Well, thanks for that.
• If your trip is business and includes evening wear, make sure you take enough of them. It is understood - with a margin. It's worth taking a couple extra just in case.
• The same goes for shoes. One pair of shoes or sandals may not be enough. Especially when the heel breaks at the most inopportune moment, and the hotel shoemaker has already left. I speak as a victim - the situation was not the most pleasant.
• Find out also about the iron in the hotel. Will he be there, is this service paid. And if you have a business meeting, then keep in mind that, most likely, you will need to pay from 5 to 20 dollars for ironing. Or (weather permitting) the night before, you can thoroughly wet the thing, smooth it with your hands and hang it on a hanger. If this is a summer chiffon dress, or a T-shirt that does not require strict “smoothness”, then this option will help save a little. If the meeting is important, and the outfit must be perfect, you should ask for help. Or you can take a travel iron with you if you have one. Great option.
• If you are traveling to hot countries, bring hair protection with you. This is especially true for girls with braids. The hot sun burns your hair quite strongly, after which you remember a couple more months of rest “not with an evil, quiet word.”
• So that mosquitoes, flies and other insects do not spoil your trip, stock up on protective equipment. On my trip there were many different “flyers” on the beach - I was saved by a spray from mosquitoes and insects.
• Be sure to pack a first aid kit (you need to pack it in your main luggage). Focus on your weak points first. But the following list can serve as a basis:
  • painkiller (be sure to see contraindications, because my bitter experience shows that it is better to buy the drug more expensive than to hide in the shade for the whole vacation due to the reaction of the drug to the sun);
  • a remedy for diarrhea (even if you don’t eat anything “such”, it may just be acclimatization, so it’s better to protect yourself);
  • sorbent (activated carbon, sorbex, white coal - at your discretion);
  • allergy remedy (for food, water, sun, insects);
  • heart medications (weather fluctuations and a change in the climatic zone can affect well-being);
  • cotton wool or cotton sponges;
  • patch;
  • bandage;
  • hygiene products.
• Before leaving home, double-check your plane tickets, hotel vouchers and insurance (you should have taken it out when buying a tour).
• Also, it would not be superfluous to take cash with you, which will be an emergency reserve and, in case of force majeure, will help you get home or pay for the necessary assistance. Usually they remain unclaimed, but it is always better when there is an "airbag".

Well, and most importantly - stock up on a good mood and free memory on your gadgets, because you have new discoveries ahead of you!

Have a good flight (by the way, you should not drink alcohol before the flight - it still won’t relieve anxiety, but it will spoil your well-being).

I think more experienced travelers can add to this list of tips for those who go abroad for the first time, much better, so I suggest sharing life hacks in the comments.

Alina Derkach