"How I traveled around the world for 180 thousand rubles" - an interview with Vladimir Druganov

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The dream of circling the globe came to Vladimir Druganov at the age of 16. Now he is 25. He has visited 19 countries, traveled all over Russia, visited Pripyat and spent two weeks in the Atlantic Ocean on the sailing barque Kruzenshtern in company with Mikhail Kozhukhov. He told us in an interview about how Vladimir managed to realize his youthful dream, having spent only 180 thousand rubles.

What is Around the World?

I was born and raised in Tyumen. But I always wondered: this is how it is with us, but how is it there, in another city, another country, on another continent?

As a teenager, I decided that I would go around the world. My parents did not support my aspirations, but they did not forbid me either. At the age of 20, I first found myself abroad, and at 21 I went around the world.

Around the world in my understanding is when the start and finish are at one point, with the intersection of all meridians.

At first I was motivated simply by natural curiosity. Then travel became a part of life. The more I move around the world, the more I want to understand why I can, but my neighbor cannot? How to teach your neighbor to drop obstacles and know the happiness of travel?

In my free time I give master classes for those who want to get to know our planet. I like to inspire people. But I would travel even if my experience was not interesting to anyone and if there was no Internet to share my impressions.

How much does it cost to travel around the world?

I spent 180,000 rubles on my first trip around the world. This amount includes:

• air travel - 72,000 rubles;
• housing - 17,500 rubles;
• visas - 6,700 rubles;
• food - about 50,000 rubles;
• communications, entertainment and other minor expenses - the rest.

A detailed financial statement can be read. Just note that the dollar was then worth 36 rubles.

Another important nuance. I never take cash on a trip. Only foreign currency bank cards. Because if I lose the cash, I will be left without a livelihood. If I lose my card, I will transfer funds to the second one and calmly continue my journey.

How to prepare for your first solo trip?

I advise you not to use ready-made checklists from the Internet, but to compose your own. It is necessary to calculate the travel budget and prepare a backup option for each force majeure.

For example, I usually have an overnight alternative in case the hotel I planned to stay at is overcrowded. That being said, you need to be prepared to sleep at the airport or on the beach if things go wrong. By the way, there is even a rating of the most sleep-friendly airports and how to do it correctly.

The modern traveler is not obliged to be able to navigate by the compass (if I take away my iPhone, I will be stupid for a long time in an unfamiliar place), but must be unpretentious and open to the world. The second is the most important.

Take a minimum of things with you, and then cut this minimum by half.

I only travel with hand luggage. A foreign passport (I don’t take an internal one), bank cards, clothes (thermal underwear and a blanket are my must-haves), a laptop and a good phone that can replace a camera and a camcorder - this is what my trip cannot do without.

Another extremely necessary, but purely individual thing is a first aid kit. I always take with me an adhesive plaster, wound healing and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as activated carbon.

What about visas and other documents?

Many people are deterred from traveling by bureaucratic barriers.

You can travel with one passport, and store all other documents in the cloud so that you can access them from any Internet cafe or even from your phone.

It is important to study the rules for crossing the border of each of the countries where you are going, and to know some tricks. For example, that visas can be issued during the trip. It is not necessary to make them in Russia. A visa to Australia or the United States can be obtained in Thailand. By the way, a trip around the world with an American visa is one and a half times cheaper - flying through South America is very expensive and troublesome.

But it is better to get insurance at home. I do not go on any trip without an insurance policy. Having saved on this, you can fly into a lot of money for treatment in foreign hospitals and repatriation. I felt it myself when I broke my leg in Vietnam and had to return home with three transplants. Fortunately, there was insurance and people took part. Chinese airlines, for example, transferred them to business class free of charge.

When and how to buy tickets?

Contrary to the common life hack, I never buy air tickets 45 days in advance. I take a ticket only when I know exactly where I will go and I am sure that the trip will not fail. This usually happens two to three weeks before departure.

I am looking for tickets through SkyScanner (I like their "Takeoff" function, when the destination remains empty and all the places where you can fly are shown), and I buy through Aviasales or OneTwoTrip (I use their partner programs).

I control the upcoming flights through the AppintheAir application. There are very convenient reminders: when check-in for the flight opens, a push notification comes and I am among the first to choose a convenient seat on board.

If we talk about airlines, I like Pobeda (it made five flights for 99 rubles each) and S7 Airlines. Never fly UTair. I usually buy the cheapest tickets abroad, but if possible, I prefer Star Alliance.

What is a round-the-world ticket?

You don't need it. Devilishly expensive, because not a single alliance (and there are only three of them) cooperates with low-cost airlines.

Imagine, the cheapest round-the-world ticket (RTW ticket) will cost you $ 2,500 (more than 150,000 rubles). And that's in just four flights! The budget for my next trip around the world will be about 86,000 rubles, I will make 11 flights, including to Australia.

How to choose a hostel or hotel?

When traveling alone, I prefer hostels. Not only because of the cheapness, but also because you can meet other travelers.

Think back to train rides to figure out which hostel room is right for you. Is it comfortable only in the compartment? Choose hostels with 4 or 6 bed occupancy. Do you disdain the reserved seat? Welcome to any hostels in the world!

There are indirect signs by which you can find a good hostel.

• Rules of behavior. In decent establishments there is always a regulation: you cannot bring guests, make noise after eleven, leave things in the washing machine, and so on. The more rules the hostel has, the cleaner and more comfortable it will be.
• Stay limit. You can't stay in good hostels for more than a week or even a couple of days. If there are no restrictions, it is highly likely that guest workers or prostitutes have settled there.

I am looking for accommodation through Hotellook or "Islet". At the same time, I always tick the boxes "free breakfast" and "free Wi-Fi". You save a lot when these services are included in the price of your stay.

Does couch surfing work?

And how! I love Couchsurfing.com. I even made a video on how to use this service.

The most hospitable people from the countries I visited, by the way, are here, in Russia.

How to communicate with the local population?

At the time of the start of the first round-the-world trip, I knew English at the level of cat, home, sorry. But while traveling, I tightened my tongue well. If you do not understand what is happening around, then you risk your life and the brain is activated - you learn new words and phrases instantly.

I also recommend that you learn a few phrases in the language spoken in the country you are going to.

• "Hello!" "Thank you", "Sorry" - simple politeness, which is very much appreciated by the locals.
• Stop, that's enough! - useful in the market or, for example, in a massage parlor.
• "What is the price?" - if you ask in the local language, you can pass for a foreigner who is well versed in the local realities and who should not overcharge.
• "Where?" - helps out in many situations, you can find out where some attraction or toilet is.
• “I need help” - if you give an SOS signal in a language that people understand, they will come to your rescue faster. Well, you can start any conversation with this phrase in an unfamiliar country.

How to eat while traveling?

I never eat in tourist places. It is worth moving 200 meters from the Louvre, as in the cafe there are completely different prices. When traveling abroad, I always use Groupon - it helps to save on food.

If you have just arrived and are terribly hungry, do not rush to immediately get acquainted with the local cuisine. As they say, not knowing the ford, do not poke your nose into the water. Go to McDonald's or another well-known franchisee. Then the locals will tell you where the most delicious dishes are served, which restaurant they have been visiting with the whole family for seven years now.

What else can you save on?

1. Moving around the city. I try to book accommodation near the center and use public transport. I took a taxi only once during my trip around the world. I plan to try running excursions and bike rental in the future.
2. Connection. I always issue a SIM card with unlimited internet if I plan to stay in the country for more than four or five days. And I don't miss the opportunity to use the free Wi-Fi.
3. Excursions. I never use the services of a guide: I am interested in feeling the spirit of the place, and not listening to someone's chatter. If you need to know the history of a particular attraction, I open Wikipedia.
4. Souvenirs. Do you need it at all? But if necessary, try to pay in local currency (some cash can be withdrawn from an ATM).

Will there be a second trip around the world?

Yes, in January 2017. In time, it is designed for five months. Approximate route: Russia - UAE - Nepal - Maldives - Thailand - Malaysia - Singapore - Indonesia - Australia - USA - Colombia - Iceland - Spain - Russia.

With the current dollar exchange rate, the budget is 200,000 rubles. But this time it will be more complicated. I plan to make money while traveling and participate in two Ironman starts. Lifehacker inspired me to take part in it.:)

By the way, if the readers still have any questions about travel around the world (and not only), I'm ready to talk in the comments.