Many of us at least once got so tired of work and everyday activities that we thought about how great it would be to drop everything and go on a long journey to the end of the world for a few months or even years. Almost always, thoughts never go further than dreams, but with proper skill, such a plan can be realized and brought to life! Many people from long journeys to another continent are stopped by spending money, but there are ways that will help to travel to the intended places with minimal spending.
Preparation
If the traveler managed to allocate several months of non-working time or even quit to go on a long journey, he should carefully prepare for the trip and settle several issues.
First of all, you need to decide what to do with the current living space. If an apartment or house is owned, the traveler can rent it out or sell it to get capital for the trip. You need to deal with all the things in the house, you need to keep with friends or in the storage room, and sell what you don't need.
If the journey is not by car, transport should be provided with gasoline, remove the terminals from the battery and remove the car to a guarded parking lot, covering with a cover.
Assembling a suitcase is the most important process of preparing for a long journey, because only these things in the luggage will be with the tourist in the coming months. You should carefully select the items that will go on the trip. Each extra thing will reduce the comfort of the tourist and increase the cost of luggage transportation. Experienced travelers take only one suitcase, where only the necessary things are placed: documents, chargers, a T-shirt, a jacket, sneakers, sandals or flip-flops, 2 warm sweaters, shorts and underwear. They buy care items and cosmetics on the spot, because it is more convenient and cheaper than overpaying for extra pounds of luggage. It is recommended to choose basic clothes so as not to stand out from the crowd and not to become a target of thieves.
Vaccinations
The coronavirus pandemic has almost come to an end, so a certificate of vaccination is almost nowhere required. However, COVID isn't the only disease that can ruin travel. On the territory of South and Central America, as well as in Africa, yellow fever occurs: in order for a traveler to get to these regions, he needs to be vaccinated, otherwise they will not be allowed into the countries.
Optional vaccines are vaccinations against encephalitis, diphtheria, hepatitis, poliomyelitis - when traveling to Europe and the United States, they do not need to be done, because there is almost no chance of getting sick. All vaccinations should be taken a month before the start of the trip.
The World Health Organization website has a list of mandatory vaccinations for each country, if any.
Budget Travel Options
The biggest expenses in travel are flight or relocation and accommodation. In order not to spend several tens of thousands of rubles on tickets, gasoline and hotel rooms, you can use profitable alternatives.
Hiking
Hiking – traveling long distances on foot. Hiking is recognized as the most affordable way to overcome long distances. Instead of a suitcase, a traveler can take a hiking backpack, a tent, a thermos, an expedition first-aid kit - and go to the designated point. In the medicine cabinet there should be items and drugs that can be useful to anyone on a trip - bandages, antispasmodics, antibiotics, antihistamine tablets and so on + you should take into account your characteristics of the body and take the appropriate medications.
The biggest expense when traveling on foot will be the transfer to another continent, if it is provided for by the route.
Couchsurfing
There is an international hospitality program in the world. Before leaving, the traveler can find citizens of the country to which he wants to go, and send them an application to temporarily settle with them. Practice shows that several hosts will definitely respond to the application and agree to host the guest.
The main advantages of this type of residence are not only savings on accommodation, but also the opportunity to see the non-tourist part of the desired city, communication and a chance to make friends with new people, language practice. Moreover, locals can always tell you which sights are worth visiting, and what can be deprived of attention. Accommodation with this system is free, but it is recommended to bring hotels and treats to the house to win over the host.
However, the choice of host should be treated very responsibly, with caution and attention. On the Internet, you can stumble upon stories when couchsurfing users have encountered terrible living conditions or aggressive hosts. Before accepting the offer, you should carefully read the reviews about the host from those who have already settled in with it. At the first days of life, a stranger should not lose vigilance, you need to be on the alert.
Camping
If a traveler has decided and gone on a hiking trip, he will definitely become a frequent visitor to campsites. Hiking is becoming more and more popular every year, which is why the number of campsites is growing around the world. The traveler will be able to stay and spend the night in his tent, and amenities in the form of a toilet, kitchen, places to relax, etc. are divided among all tourists. Camping is very inexpensive, but prices can be higher if the traveler has increased requirements for the toilet, the presence of a shower and so on. Also, the cost of camping can be higher if it has internet and an equipped kitchen.
Travel companies are recommended to rent campervens - cars with a built-in tent - as well as ordinary jeeps.
Nutrition
If the traveler's budget is not limited to a couple of hundred dollars per month, but not infinite, he can resort to the "help" of street food. In every tourist and ordinary city, you can find benches where national street food is prepared for a snack. It costs a little, and for a couple of dollars or euros, the traveler will receive a large portion of a local dish, the taste of which is likely to please him.
Street food, contrary to stereotypes, is not only shawarma and kebab. Street food has long grown into a special food culture, and in each country it is completely different and unique. The main advantage, in addition to the price, of this type of food is its format - dishes are prepared quickly, and the traveler can eat it even during a walk, without sitting at the table and without wasting time. The range is usually wide: if you search well, you can buy soups in paper packages, and pancakes, and kebabs, and desserts.
