Questions and answers

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

After publishing the post, I received a lot of messages with questions, and I’ll try to answer them and go on answering more in this topic. You can ask new questions in the comments.)

  1. What visas are you applying for?

I applied only for a Schengen visa for the first part of the itinerary, as most of it covers European countries, and countries like Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and others are visa-free for Russians.

  1. How are you going to travel?

I’m planning to travel by any transport passing in the same direction. Cars-buses-trains-commuter trains… I’ll use plains only when there is a water barrier, or the transfer through a country is dangerous or takes too much time.

  1. Where are you going to stay?

I’m planning to at least stay under a roof. I’m not taking a tent with me, though I assume that I’ll be able to buy it if necessary. Most of the time, I look for accommodation using https://www.couchsurfing.com/ or various hitchhiking groups (concerning which, I’ll write another post later). I’ll stay at hostels as the most affordable type of accommodation from time to time. Also, there are always camping sites to use.

  1. Who are you going with?

I’m travelling most of the itinerary alone. Several times, my friends from Russia will join me at various locations.) Maybe, I’ll manage to find travel buddies for the rest of the itinerary. However, I don’t suffer from loneliness and am used to travelling alone.

  1. When are you planning to do it all?

The first spot is Lithuania. I’m travelling there by bus (most probably) on the night from September 3 to 4, 2017.

So, where does the money come from?

It was my family who helped me collect the money for the air transfers and food, and I’m also looking for sponsors. The road travel and accommodation are free. Also, you can earn money for food in a short time, I checked it.

More about money: how much do you need to take with you?

No doubt that it depends on your itinerary, on the time you are going to spend, on the number of air transfers you are planning… Moreover, the cost of the visas matters. You can travel around the world very cheaply and visit few countries, or visit all the countries of the world, and the budget will be different. As for the first part of the itinerary, the Schengen visa cost me RUB 5000 (approx. $87), the air transfer from Finland to Sweden was RUB 3000 (approx. $52), and the flight from Turkey to Armenia made RUB 4600 (approx. $80). Accommodation and road travel are free, and everyone should calculate the cost of food for oneself. However, EUR 8 a day will be enough to avoid hunger for sure. As for road transport, there is a bus from Russia to Lithuania for RUB 2500 (approx. $43). It is also possible to fly from Azerbaijan to Moscow for RUB 3000 (approx. $52). So, I may spend RUB 15100-18100 (approx. $262-314) on the first part, not counting the food or buying any useful items I may not have. I must mention that if it’s your first backpacking trip, you’d better get a reliable backpack, a good sleeping bag and tough boots. The rest is up to you, considering the weather conditions. However, it’s also important to keep in mind the preparation expenses. If you are out of money, you can always earn some on the way by helping out at cafés, on gas stations or street-performing (any theatrical or musical talent will do).