Where to have an inexpensive holiday at sea abroad is the most popular question among tourists, and not only in crisis years. Many countries in Europe, Asia and America can offer you cheap holidays at sea: prices for food, hotels and entertainment there remain acceptable even at the current exchange rate of the ruble and dollar. But flying to many places will cost a huge amount. Therefore, today we offer you 5 countries, where you can relax at sea abroad inexpensively even taking into account the price of air tickets.
The Internet is now replete with articles from the category “Where to relax at sea abroad inexpensively.” But many authors, describing the cheapness of holidays in these places, miss the most important point. When choosing the cheapest countries for tourists, the compilers of the ratings cite the example of ridiculous prices for food and hotels, but forget about the cost of flights. And as a result, the lists of countries where it is cheaper to relax at sea abroad are topped by either Argentina or Guatemala. No doubt, these are indeed very inexpensive countries for a seaside holiday, but not for Russians. Because before you can spend $10 a night in Guatemala, you first need to get there.
Therefore, in our article about countries where you can have an inexpensive holiday at sea abroad even with the current exchange rate of the ruble, we will take into account three main points:
- flight cost,
- food expenses,
- price of hotel accommodation.
This is a mandatory expense for all tourists. Everything else (excursions, entertainment, transportation costs, souvenirs, etc.) is very individual, so we will not take these costs into account. Considering how wide our native country is, we will list prices for air tickets from three cities at once - the capital, the Northern capital and the capital of Siberia. So, where to have an inexpensive holiday at sea abroad: the cheapest countries for tourism in Europe and Asia.
Where to have an inexpensive holiday at sea abroad: TOP 5 countries for a cheap holiday
Bulgaria: everything is inexpensive, everything is clear
Bulgaria will not only always be among the countries where any tourist from Russia can inexpensively relax at sea abroad. Bulgaria is also a great place for your first trip abroad. Here everything seems familiar: in Bulgaria they write in Cyrillic, Bulgarian cuisine is very close to all residents of Eastern Europe, and if you move a little away from the bright resort area, you find yourself in a post-Soviet reality with gray houses and faces.
Prices for flights to Bulgaria: from $125
- Air ticket Moscow - Varna: from 125 dollars
- Air ticket St. Petersburg - Varna: from 130 dollars
- Air ticket Novosibirsk - Varna: from 240 dollars
Hotel prices in Bulgaria: from 15 dollars
Food prices in Bulgaria (for two): from $30 per day
Lunch (meat dish or local shawarma + coffee): $5-10
Dinner (meat dish in a restaurant + bottle of wine) – 20-30 dollars
Total: a week's holiday in Bulgaria costs from $895 for two
Airfare to Bulgaria and back: from $500
Hotel stay 7 days: from $105
Meal 7 days: from $210
Visas: $80
Bulgaria is perhaps the cheapest country in Europe for tourists. Therefore, it consistently falls into all ratings of countries where almost anyone can have an inexpensive holiday at sea abroad.
Photo: Photo: Interhotel Cherno More.
Georgia: wow, how cheap!
Georgia is not only mountains, sea, khinkali and Kindzmarauli. This, along with Bulgaria, is also one of those countries where you can have an inexpensive holiday at sea abroad without fear of language and cultural barriers. As in Soviet times, Georgia is still hospitable, still budget-friendly, and still speaks Russian – at least in those places where there are many tourists from Russia. The country's main seaside resort, Batumi, is just one of these places.
Prices for flights to Georgia: from $130
- Flight Moscow – Batumi: from 130 dollars
- Air ticket St. Petersburg - Batumi: from 139 dollars
- Flight Novosibirsk - Batumi: from 200 dollars
Hotel prices in Georgia: from 10 dollars
Prices for food in Georgia (for two): from $30 per day
Breakfast (omelet or sandwich + tea): 5-10 dollars
Lunch (10 khinkali + coffee): 5-10 dollars
Dinner (two servings of shish kebab with side dish and a bottle of wine): $20-30
Total: a week's holiday in Georgia costs from $800 for two
Airfare to Batumi and back: from $520
Hotel stay 7 days: from $70
Meal 7 days: from $210
Where to relax at sea abroad inexpensively: Batumi is famous Georgian hospitality and no less famous Georgian prices.
Photo: Rock Hotel First Line.
Türkiye: all in and nothing off
One of the goals of our site is to dispel misconceptions. One of the misconceptions of Russian tourists is that Turkey was “closed” and now it has allegedly been “opened”. Dear friends! Nothing of the kind: Turkey has always been open, visa-free and one of the cheapest countries where you can relax at sea abroad inexpensively. It was only prohibited to sell package tours there. Read more in our articles:
No one forbade and is not forbidding you to buy air tickets and fly on your own to vacation in this country of beautiful beaches, majestic mountains and a generous all-inclusive package. Moreover, from many Russian cities you can fly to Turkish resorts either directly or with a transfer in Moscow or Istanbul. And you can book a hotel with all-inclusive meals through the booking system.
Prices for flights to Turkey: from $80
- Air ticket Moscow - Antalya: from 80 dollars
- Air ticket St. Petersburg - Antalya: from 150 dollars
- Air ticket Novosibirsk - Antalya: from 200 dollars
- Flight Moscow - Alanya: from 80 dollars
- Air ticket St. Petersburg - Alanya: from 135 dollars
- Flight Novosibirsk - Alanya: from 200 dollars
Tips for finding flights to Turkey: if tickets from your city to Antalya or Alanya are too expensive, try searching cheap flights to Istanbul. And from there there are many inexpensive ways to get to the resorts of the Turkish Mediterranean - both by air and by land.
Prices for all-inclusive hotels in Turkey: from $45
We won’t calculate food prices in Turkey - why, if you can stay in a decent hotel and eat and drink on an all-inclusive basis? Moreover, it is very inexpensive! When you look at hotels, don't forget to check the "All inclusive" box:
Tips for booking all-inclusive hotels in Turkey: on the most popular booking system Booking.com All-inclusive hotels are sometimes too expensive. The same hotels with the same “opinclusive” can be found on other booking systems for many times cheaper. Therefore, we recommend looking for hotels not through Booking, but through hotel search engine Hotellook— it compares prices for the same hotels in different booking systems and gives you the best price options. In addition, Hotellook, unlike Booking, gives you the opportunity to sort hotels operating on the All Inclusive system. When you select a hotel, Hotellook will transfer you to the booking system website (Booking.com, Agoda.com, Ostrovok.ru, etc.), where the booking takes place.
Total: a week's holiday in Turkey costs from $635 for two
Airfare to Alanya and back: from $320
Hotel accommodation 7 days all inclusive: from $315
Where to relax at sea abroad inexpensively: Turkey has always been and will be a warm, hospitable country. And after the ban on the sale of package tours, tourists had the opportunity to see the local flavor and beautiful nature behind the endless “all inclusive” packages.
Thailand: affordable exotic
Of those countries where you can inexpensively relax at sea in summer and winter, Thailand is the most exotic. And at the same time very accessible and familiar: none of the countries in Southeast Asia is visited by tourists as much as Thailand; There are not so many flights from Russia to any of the Southeast Asian countries as to Thailand, and there is not so much varied information on the Internet about any of the neighboring countries. Including on our website. Here, as an example, are a few of our articles that will help you spend your holiday in Thailand brightly and at the same time inexpensively:
And now let’s learn more about prices in a country where you can have an inexpensive holiday at sea abroad at any time of the year.
Airfare to Thailand: from $200
- Air ticket Moscow - Bangkok: from 200 dollars
- Air ticket St. Petersburg - Bangkok: from 220 dollars
- Flight Novosibirsk - Bangkok: from 260 dollars
- Flight Moscow – Phuket: from 240 dollars
- Air ticket St. Petersburg - Phuket: from 265 dollars
- Air ticket Novosibirsk - Phuket: from 370 dollars
Hotel prices in Thailand: from 12 dollars
Food prices in Thailand (for two): from $16 per day
Breakfast (omelet or sandwich + coffee): $3
Lunch (rice with Khao Pad meat + water): $3
Dinner (soup + beer): $10
Total: a week's holiday in Thailand costs from $1000 for two
Airfare to Bangkok and back: from $800
Hotel stay 7 days: from $84
Meal 7 days: from $112
Thailand is one of those countries where you can have an inexpensive holiday at sea abroad at any time of the year.
Vietnam: how much does beer cost under communism?
Together with Thailand Vietnam is one of the countries where cheap seaside holidays are possible at any time of the year. For many, Vietnam is even more comfortable as a holiday destination than Thailand. One of the reasons is that local cuisine is much more familiar to the European stomach - years of communication with the French and Russians have had an effect. Moreover, the communication is so close that the main resorts of Vietnam today are completely Russified: you can’t walk a hundred meters in Nha Trang or Mui Ne without encountering the obligatory “Matryoshka” cafe or at least the “USSR” store. And prices for many products here are even lower than in Thailand. For example, beer or bread costs half a dollar, wine costs 5 dollars. Read more in our articles:
Where can you relax inexpensively at sea in the summer, except Turkey and Bulgaria? As always, in Vietnam! In June, July and August the weather here is hot, dry and windless.
Photo: InterContinental Nha Trang.Dear readers, can you recommend where to have an inexpensive holiday at sea abroad? You can leave reviews, or you can send us entire stories with photos on info@site– we will definitely publish them! And don’t forget - we send only the most necessary and useful things. Happy and budget-friendly trips to you!
What should a tourist do if he can’t get to the beaches of Turkey and Egypt, and he can’t go to Russian resorts? Use one of the most popular tourist destinations of 2016. They were chosen by the Skyscanner website, designed to search for inexpensive air tickets, based on a study of statistics from recent years.
Here are 10 countries where an influx of Russian tourists is expected in 2016. Countries you can go to instead of Turkey and Egypt.
10. Georgia
A land of medieval architecture and stunning scenery. The capital of the country, Tbilisi, is a mixture of old and new architecture, where the Zion Cathedral and Narikala Fortress coexist with modern hotels, khinkali and cafes. An air ticket from Moscow to Tbilisi (one way) will cost 6,149 rubles.
9. Moldova
Not far from Chisinau are the famous Cricova wine cellars, which store 30 million liters of wine. A tour of them usually ends with a tasting of 3-5 types of red and white wine. Moldova is also famous for its beautiful 10-meter waterfall - near the village of Saharna and the Monastery of the Holy Trinity. The cost of an air ticket to Chisinau is from 2,922 rubles.
8. Belgium
In Brussels there is a chocolate museum where you can watch how the sweet mass turns into the famous chocolate shells. There is also entertainment for beer lovers - a tour of the De Halve Maan brewing museum in Bruges. Tasting is included in the ticket price! A flight from Moscow to Brussels will cost 8,027 rubles.
7. Japan
The country may be number seven in the 2016 travel rankings, but it's always number one for travelers looking for an out-of-the-ordinary experience. Fans of Japanese comics have a direct route to the Manga Museum in Kyoto, art lovers to the Tokyo Kabuki-za theater, and those who prefer to study new scientific innovations to the Miraikan interactive “museum of the future” in Tokyo. The price of an air ticket from Moscow to Tokyo is from 26,870 rubles.
6. Canada
For those who enjoy active entertainment, the Grouse Mountain Resort in Vancouver awaits. Spend your holiday skiing, paragliding or snowboarding. An air ticket from Moscow to Vancouver costs from RUB 28,599.
5. Lithuania
Those who love impressive sights should visit the castle of Gediminas, the founding father of Vilnius. The museum, located in the castle tower, hosts an exhibition that includes reconstructed models from the 14th to 16th centuries. And tourists with children will enjoy visiting the zoo in Kaunas, where you can see rare species of monkeys, as well as predators, mammals, exotic birds and even snakes. A ticket from Moscow to Vilnius costs from 5,858 rubles.
4. Cambodia
The country is famous for its numerous ancient temples and the stunning Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. In the same city there is also the National Museum, which contains over 14,000 ancient exhibits and samples of folk life. Ticket price from Moscow to Phnom Penh is from 30,412 rubles.
3. Romania
The vast and varied landscapes of Romania, with a large number of castles and churches, will not disappoint lovers of a measured and relaxing holiday. And if you get tired of wandering around Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania, you can go down to the underground sanatorium, which is located in a salt mine in Turda or visit the Bucharest Botanical Garden. The price of an air ticket to Bucharest from Moscow is 10,897 rubles.
2. Slovenia
Three sights of Slovenia are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These are the Škocjan Caves - a cave system with natural bridges, windows and various shaped stalagmites, prehistoric pile settlements in the Alps (surprisingly, the wood used for their construction has been preserved in exceptionally good condition) and the former mercury mine in Idrija (one of the largest in the world) . Air travel to Slovenia will cost from 13,798 rubles.
1. Iran
The country, which has emerged from international isolation, is preparing for a “tsunami” of foreign tourists. Their attention will undoubtedly be drawn to attractions such as the palaces and mosques in Isfahan. For example, the Imam Mosque has unique acoustics: in one corner you can hear what a person in another corner is whispering. The Palace of Forty Columns Chehel Sotun, built in the 17th century, is richly decorated with frescoes depicting palace life and the battles in which Shah Abbas II participated. A flight to the most popular tourist destination to Isfahan from Moscow costs from RUB 17,737.
St. Petersburg retains first place in Russia; London leads the world rankings. Winners were determined based on reviews from the TripAdvisor travel community.
Photo: DR
The travel planning and booking site today announced the winners of the Travelers' Choice TM award in the category " Top Travel Destinations 2016" according to travelers. Award winners were determined through a proprietary algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings that TripAdvisor travelers gave to hotels, restaurants and attractions in destinations around the world over a 12-month period, as well as booking queries on TripAdvisor.
Russian cities conquer the European rankings
As last year, the list of the most popular destinations in Russia was topped by St. Petersburg. The northern capital not only retained its leadership in the local list, but also improved its position in the European (No. 8) and world rankings (No. 14). In addition, two more Russian cities – Moscow and Sochi – were included in the European list for the first time, confirming the growing popularity of Russia among tourists around the world.
Sochi, which appeared in the Russian Travelers’ Choice ranking only last year, has risen to second place in the ranking this year. The dynamic development of the city, which continues after the completion of the Olympic Games, helps the greater Sochi to attract more and more tourists from all over the world.
In 2016, a number of destinations entered the Russian Top 10 for the first time: Novosibirsk, Krasnodar, Kirov and Anapa.
“The top destinations rated by TripAdvisor travelers include not only beautiful cities, but also places with unique culture and rich history. We hope Traveler's Choice helps travelers discover the best destinations. It is worth noting that the average cost of a night’s stay in hotels that can be booked on TripAdvsior in some Russian winning cities not only did not increase over the past year, but also decreased by 5–10%,” noted the head of market development for Russia and Eastern Europe. Europe TripAdvisor Konstantin Kalabin.
Top 10 best destinations in Russia:
1. St. Petersburg, the average cost of a night in a hotel is 4,100 rubles.
The northern capital of Russia has topped the Russian Travelers’ Choice rating for three years in a row. The city's legendary museums and picturesque canals are popular with tourists from all over the world. Those who are planning a trip to St. Petersburg in the summer will be able to admire the white nights and attend concerts as part of the Stars of the White Nights music festival. A visit to the Scarlet Sails festival can also be an unusual activity.
Chairman of the Committee for Tourism Development of St. Petersburg Inna Shalyto noted:
“We are very grateful to all the travelers of the multi-million-strong TripAdvisor community who, year after year, leave their positive reviews about St. Petersburg on the site. This is the best assessment of the work we have done and an endless source of inspiration for new projects. This year, guests of St. Petersburg will be able to visit the Festival of Light, the musical river carnival and the Music on the Neva festival.
2. Sochi, the average cost of a night’s stay in a hotel is 3,600 rubles.
Sochi first appeared in the Top 10 of the Travelers’ Choice ranking last year and quickly rose to second place in 2016. Thanks to the legacy of the 2014 Winter Olympics, the popularity of this destination among Russian and foreign tourists has increased dramatically. The city can offer everything you need for a good holiday - from beaches and kiting to alpine skiing and snowboarding. In May, all motorsport fans will have a unique opportunity to attend the Russian Grand Prix, which will take place at Sochi Autodrom, the Formula 1 track.
Evgeny Kudelya, Minister of Resorts, Tourism and Olympic Heritage of the Krasnodar Territory, said:
“The TripAdvisor rating is an objective assessment of the work of the tourism industry, which is given by vacationers themselves. Therefore, such an award is especially valuable to us. This means that our efforts are not in vain; holidays at our resorts are indeed becoming more convenient and interesting. However, you shouldn't stop there. The demands of tourists are constantly growing, and we must improve the quality of services provided, develop new recreation areas and related areas.”
3. Moscow, the average cost of a night’s stay in a hotel is 4,900 rubles.
The Russian capital dropped from second place to third this year, but its global popularity has never been so high. In December 2015, Moscow was voted by TripAdvisor travelers as one of the best emerging destinations of 2016, ranking second in Europe and fifth worldwide. Art lovers will appreciate the multimedia exhibition “Bosch. Revived Visions”, allowing you to touch the mysterious world of the artist. Music connoisseurs will be delighted by various Moscow festivals - for example, the Usadba Jazz festival in June.
4. Kazan, the average cost of a night’s stay in a hotel is 3,100 rubles.
5. Yekaterinburg, the average cost of a night’s stay in a hotel is 3,900 rubles.
6. Novosibirsk, the average cost of a night’s stay in a hotel is 2900 rubles.
7. Kaliningrad, the average cost of a night’s stay in a hotel is 2,500 rubles.
8. Krasnodar, the average cost of a night’s stay in a hotel is 2,600 rubles.
9. Kirov, the average cost of a night’s stay in a hotel is 2,000 rubles.
10. Anapa, the average cost of a night’s stay in a hotel is 2,100 rubles.
Top 10 best destinations in the world
1. London, UK
Average nightly cost of London hotels bookable on TripAdvisor: $207
2.Istanbul, Türkiye
Average cost per night for Istanbul hotels bookable on TripAdvisor: $93
3. Marrakech, Morocco
Average nightly rate for Marrakech hotels bookable on TripAdvisor: $104
4. Paris, France
Average cost per night for Paris hotels bookable on TripAdvisor: $172
5. Siem Reap, Cambodia
Average cost per night for Siem Reap hotels bookable on TripAdvisor: $64
6. Prague, Czech Republic
Average cost per night for Prague hotels bookable on TripAdvisor: $94
7. Rome, Italy
Average nightly cost of Rome hotels bookable on TripAdvisor: $140
8. Hanoi, Vietnam
Average nightly rate for Hanoi hotels bookable on TripAdvisor: $77
9.New York, USA
Average nightly rate for New York City hotels bookable on TripAdvisor: $326
10. Ubud, Indonesia
Average nightly rate for Ubud hotels bookable on TripAdvisor: $134
The editors present the results of a study of the preferences of Moscow travel agencies. We found out which tourist destinations were the most popular last summer.
As expected on the eve of the summer season, the picture of geographical preferences of tourists remained virtually unchanged during the summer. In the context of the ban on the sale of tours to Egypt and Turkey, two Mediterranean countries - Greece and Cyprus - took the first two places in the top sales of travel agencies.
These two destinations accounted for exactly a third of the votes of Moscow travel agencies that took part in the survey, but there were also other favorite countries.
| Greece | 19,8 | 25,3 | ▼ 5.5 |
| Cyprus | 12,7 | 7,0 | ▲ 5.7 |
| Tunisia |
11,6 |
– |
– |
| Spain | 9,7 | 10,3 | ▼ 0.6 |
| Russia | 9,5 | 1,9 | ▲ 7.6 |
| Bulgaria | 7,0 | 3,7 | ▲ 3.3 |
| Italy | 4,7 | 3,0 | ▲ 1.7 |
| Montenegro | 3,7 | 1,2 | ▲ 2.5 |
| Türkiye | 3,5 | 27,5 | ▼ 24.0 |
| Thailand | 3,4 | – | – |
| Dominican Republic | 2,4 | – | – |
| Vietnam | 2,1 | – | – |
| Croatia | 1,9 | 0,7 | ▲ 1.2 |
| France | 1,5 | 1,1 | ▲ 0.4 |
*The table shows the popularity rating of destinations prepared by the BANKO Service based on the results of the summer 2016 season. It is presented in comparison with similar studies done following the results of the summer 2015 season. All data was obtained during a survey of top managers of more than 600 travel agencies in Moscow. Representative samples were compiled based on the BANKO Service database.
The total number of mentions of all directions was taken as 100%.
At the same time, Greece's rating decreased over the year. At the end of the summer of 2015, the direction gained over 25% of agent preferences, now - only 19.8%. The reason for this is probably due to problems at the start of the season at the consulate -. It got to the point that some tourists had their trips canceled. As a result, the direction suffered a serious image blow.
Cyprus found itself in a more advantageous situation in this regard. Despite the relative high cost of the holiday, thanks to the easy visa, it has attracted much more agent preference than a year ago. The popularity of Cyprus also had a downside - demand was so high that during the season there was practically no need for tour operators to issue special offers and reduce prices.
However, the real triumph fell not to Cyprus, but to Tunisia. This North African country was not even included in the ranking a year ago, as it was influenced by the consequences of two high-profile terrorist attacks. And at the end of the summer of 2016, it immediately received 11.6% of agent votes, taking third place in the rating - for the first time in the 19-year history of these studies. We can say that the security of resorts is now at a higher level. But, most likely, the price factor worked - tours to Tunisia were offered by tour operators throughout the summer at very attractive prices and, in the absence of Turkey and Egypt, became a good option for those who like to bask on the beach.
Two more countries were predicted to be in the top five. Russia and Spain shared fourth and fifth places in the ranking. The combination is unusual and at the same time symbolic. Holidays on the Black Sea this year have become an alternative to the Mediterranean. who had previously traveled to Europe or Turkey. Some chose Russia for financial reasons, others because foreign travel is prohibited for certain categories of citizens. What conclusions these tourists made for themselves is a topic for a separate article. For now, let’s record the result: Russia’s rating increased by 7.6% over the year. But in Spain it remained unchanged.
Let's list other countries that have definitely benefited from the presence of restrictions on the sale of tours to Turkey and Egypt this year. These are Bulgaria (+3.3%) and Montenegro (2.5%). In addition, judging by the rating in which “winter” countries appeared, last summer tourists were more willing to travel to Thailand, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic.
It is interesting that, despite restrictions on charter flights that were in effect until the end of August, Turkey was also included in the ranking of popular summer destinations. Thanks to the fact that the ban on the sale of tours on regular transportation was lifted in July, the destination received 3.5% of the votes of Moscow travel agencies - real proof that under any conditions, holidays in this country will be in demand.
How the survey was conducted
The survey of travel agencies was conducted in August on the professional portal TourDom.ru. Market participants were asked to identify the most popular tourist destinations, as well as name the tour operators with whom they most actively collaborated.
