- Important points
- Choosing wings
- Hotel or apartment
- Transport subtleties
- Nightingales are not fed with fables
- The perfect trip to Europe
Only 10% of the world's population lives in Europe, but this part of the world has traditionally been and remains the most attractive for tourists around the world. To travel to Europe means to touch the historical and cultural values of mankind, visit the best museums and theaters, concert halls and exhibitions, get acquainted with the masterpieces of national architecture and cuisine, haute couture and jewelry. And the Old World is hundreds of kilometers of beaches stretching along the shores of the most beautiful seas, and ski resorts, where enthusiastic exclamations of admirers of magnificent landscapes do not stop in winter. A trip to Europe is an ideal option to take a break from the hustle and bustle of working days and plunge into the atmosphere of a Christmas winter fairy tale, leisurely walks in autumn parks, beach bliss or spring blossoming of fruit orchards.
Important points
The European Union includes 26 states united by a single market, customs rules and currency, entry into which is possible with a Schengen visa:
- Obtaining a Schengen grant gives you the right to travel around Europe without additional formalities in the form of passing through passport control.
- In addition to the countries participating in the European Union, a Schengen visa allows you to visit Iceland, the Vatican, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland and Norway.
- The visa fee is uniform and amounts to 35 euros, and the package of documents is standard for visiting any Schengen member state.
There is good news for those who want to have a rest in Europe, but do not bother themselves with the procedure for obtaining a visa, which requires fingerprinting and other formalities. There are still countries in the Old World where Russian travelers can enter without a visa or get one using a simplified option:
- Albania cancels entry formalities annually from May to the end of September, if the Russian traveler arrives at the beaches of the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic for a period not exceeding 90 days.
- For such a time, Macedonia is also ready to receive guests without a visa. True, its entry rules prescribe that the tourist must have a completed tour or hotel reservation. The second option is to get an invitation from a local resident.
- In Bosnia and Herzegovina, they are also trying to get the tourism industry on its feet and attract travelers with visa-free travel for up to 30 days.
- It is important to meet these deadlines on vacation in Montenegro and Serbia, if you are a Russian tourist and getting a visa is not included in your plans.
Choosing wings
There are a great variety of flight options to Europe. Domestic airlines fly to almost all the capitals of the Old World, and European schedules include flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg and some other Russian airports.
Ticket prices to Europe are also very pleasant and, compared to the cost of traveling to exotic distant countries, Italy, Greece and even Portugal seem affordable and inexpensive. The duration of the flight will not tire young travelers either: the average travel time between the Russian and European capitals is from 3 to 4 hours.
Hotel or apartment
In most of the countries of the Old World, there are thousands of accommodation options suitable for both the humble student on vacation and the owner of factories, newspapers, steamers, and a large family. Hotels have both a star classification and the status of cozy home boarding houses, and therefore anyone can find an option for their own pacification here.
Beach hotels boast indispensable pools and restaurants, playgrounds and even their own water parks. Hotels in the area of historical attractions are usually located near the metro and other public transport stops. Chalets in ski resorts will delight you with comfort and coziness, and inexpensive hostels in the historical center of any capital will allow you to get acquainted with the culture and customs of other countries on a budget.
In Europe, it is customary to rent apartments, houses or rooms to travelers, and on specialized sites tourists are offered thousands of accommodation options for every taste and budget.
Transport subtleties
Most European capitals and other major cities have metro services. In Europe, it is absolutely safe, clean, and easy to use. Fares are usually paid with refillable metro cards sold in vending machines at stations. Each stop is provided with detailed diagrams, information on which is most often duplicated in English.
Ground transportation is represented in European cities by buses and trams, trolleybuses and funiculars. Tickets for it can be purchased either from the driver, or at automatic ticket offices at stops, or at newsagents. The price of one trip, on average, is from 1 to 1.5 euros, but the system of special travel and tourist city cards makes it possible to significantly save on traveling around European cities.
Intercity transport of the Old World includes numerous low-cost airlines, whose fares from 10 euros for flights throughout Europe pleasantly surprise Russian tourists who are accustomed to the high cost of domestic flights, and railways with comfortable high-speed trains. Bus service between cities in the Old World is another good way to travel independently and in comfort.
Car rental is no less pleasure for travelers in Europe. The roads in the European Union are maintained in excellent condition, the driving culture of neighbors on the Autobahn is ideal, gas stations are not only points of obtaining fuel, but also an opportunity to eat, buy what you need on the road and refresh yourself. The significant disadvantages of this method of transportation are not too cheap gasoline, toll roads, the need to look for parking in cities and the considerable cost of every hour of stopping.
Nightingales are not fed with fables
The countries of the European Union are a real gourmet paradise. Gastronomic travel to Europe in recent years has become one of the most frequent tourist destinations, and meeting with compatriots on a Tuscan farm, a Portuguese winery or a jamon factory in Spain is no longer surprising.
In Europe, they came up with pizza and bouillabaisse, Greek salad and profiteroles, pasta and fondue. Here you can taste fresh Icelandic herring, aged port, real olives and parmesan, and the list of wines and their attractive prices inspire respect and give rise to the desire to board the very first plane to any place in the Old World between 30 ° and 50 ° north latitude.
The perfect trip to Europe
Europe covers an area of about 10 million square meters. km and extends widely from south to north and from west to east. N. A temperate climate prevails in most of the territory, and a Mediterranean climate in the south. The best time to travel to the southern beaches of Europe is late spring and early autumn, but at the height of summer it can be hot in the local resorts. In the North Sea and the Baltic, on the contrary, a comfortable time for swimming and beach recreation in the last days of June is just beginning.
Ski resorts receive their first visitors at the end of November, and a stable snow cover on their slopes remains until mid-March. But the northernmost ones - Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish - are ready to offer a longer season.
Traveling around Europe for educational purposes is great at any time of the year. But in summer, the influx of tourists is too large, and therefore the optimal season for walking in French parks, Roman squares and Spanish castles comes in mid-autumn, when the time for vacations and vacations is coming to an end.
