Europe 2022: how to get there and how much it costs to go?
The opening of the land border of the Russian Federation allowed Russians to get to Europe much cheaper: combined transportation from Moscow and St. Petersburg is 2.5 times cheaper than flights connecting to Istanbul and the Middle East.
Dmitry Gorin, Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT): With the opening of the land border of the Russian Federation, alternative transmodal transportation appeared: a bus plus an airplane, a car plus an airplane. From the airports of Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius there is a large number of affordable transportation, including low-cost airlines.
The rule of first entry within the framework of issued Schengen visas now works conditionally, and tourists calmly plan a trip to Italy, France, Spain with a flight from Finland or Lithuania.
"Some tourists do this: they reach the border, cross it on foot and then get by other transport," the expert explained.
The high demand for travel to Europe was also reported in the flight booking service Aviasales.
From Finland, Russians consider flights to France - an increase of + 173%, the Netherlands and Spain (+ 146%), Portugal (+ 156%), Greece (160%), Italy (+ 165%), Cyprus (+ 167%) are in demand.
Now it is profitable to take tickets in advance, buy connections during the flight, so as not to wind up extra miles, and take into account tariffs.
Those wishing to fly to Europe are more profitable to use the airports of neighboring countries: air tickets within the EU are sold for 40-60 euros one way with a small baggage.
For comparison: a flight ticket for a flight in mid-August to Prague with a connection in Istanbul will cost about 87 thousand rubles per person "round-trip" without luggage.
A trip by bus Moscow - Helsinki in mid-August costs 12 thousand rubles in both directions. Plus, a direct flight to Prague with luggage and back - about 22 thousand rubles. This is 2.5 times cheaper than connecting in Turkey, but also longer.
When planning a trip, it is worth spending more time to pass the land border.
Belarus is in demand among Russians: you can get there by plane or train from Moscow, take a bus to Vilnius and fly to a European city.
International carriers Lux Express and Ecolines note the demand for bus flights from St. Petersburg to Tallinn and Helsinki.
The westernmost region of the country is also in demand among Russian tourists as a transshipment point before the EU countries.
From Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pskov you can go to the popular cities of Europe through Warsaw. To Warsaw there are buses from Kaliningrad, Moscow and St. Petersburg. Tickets are relatively inexpensive: from 5 thousand rubles.
“Residents of the south are most convenient to organize travel to the EU through Tbilisi and Batumi, where they want regular bus services from Grozny, Vladikavkaz, Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk, Essentukov, Mineral Waters, Pyatigorsk, Nalchik and Stavropol. The cost is from 3 to 10 thousand rubles. The road from Vladikavkaz takes an average of five hours, the press service of the company said.
When buying tickets with connections, it is important to consider whether the flight is carried out within the alliance or by codeshare, or it will be an independent transfer.
“It is often possible to save money by buying two different tickets instead of a single transfer booking. More time in flight, longer connections, but it will come out cheaper. But it is important to understand that when connecting independently, neither the agent nor the airline is responsible for the connecting flight.”
Due to the expulsion of some diplomats and high demand, consulates of European countries can not cope with the increased flow of applicants for visas and close the application record.
Tour operators advise Russians to plan trips for 2-3 months, and start obtaining a visa six months before the planned departure date.
Source: tourism.interfax
Dear friends!
You can order excursions in the cities of Russia and Europe from guides on our website.
Allow yourself to travel in a popular and popular format - an individual tour with a private guide.