Fontanka compared prices for 18 holiday destinations in Russia and abroad and found out where it is cheapest to relax at sea this summer. Spoiler: in Dagestan.
ShareThe cost of summer holidays this year on the eve of the holiday season worries almost every Petersburger who plans to get to the resort. And the prices for tours, I must say, the market dictates really unprecedented: affordable options for where to go to the beach abroad, total 11in Russia with direct air travel and even less.
By version of the association of tour operators, Turkey entered the TOP-5 countries where the Russians bought the most tours in early June. Russian resorts are in second place. This is followed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Abkhazia. We decided to compare the cost of holidays at home and abroad. For analysis, we chose tours lasting 10 nights with a departure on June 20 from St. Petersburg and all-inclusive meals.
Initially, it was planned to study 20 destinations, comparing prices for expensive and budget holidays in Crimea with the rest.
But it turned out that almost no one sells vouchers there, and you can only get there by car: planes don’t fly there now, it’s almost impossible to buy a train ticket. It is impossible to buy vouchers from leading travel companies – even to calculate their cost – because it is not clear what to do with the flight. They only offer to book days in hotels and sanatoriums through them, but Petersburgers can perfectly do this themselves on the sites. So an organized vacation in an all-Union health resort this year can only turn out to be self-organized, and it is incorrect to compare it with the rest. Therefore, only 18.
How much does it cost abroad
Holidays in Egypt
The minimum price starts from 144 thousand rubles. This is for staying in a three-star hotel 300 meters from the sandy beach. You can pay some 12 thousand rubles and take a fatter package in the “five”. Under the same conditions – flight + all inclusive – you will get “your” sea in a hotel in Hurghada.
One of the most expensive packages will cost 321 thousand rubles. It will be a five-star hotel, stylized as an oriental palace, once more in Hurghada, standing right on the beach.
Holidays in the UAE
The most affordable tour can be purchased at a price of 136 thousand rubles. to a four-star hotel in Ajaman. Do not blame me, but this will be the “third” coastline – you will have to stomp 3 kilometers on foot to the beach or use the shuttle.
The most expensive package will cost 532 thousand rubles. For this money, you will be placed in a five-star hotel, standing right on the beach on an island in the Persian Gulf, Sir Bani Yas, belonging to the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Holidays in Turkey
The most affordable tour – from 86 thousand rubles – offers accommodation in a three-star hotel in the very center of Marmaris, on the second coastline, and a 200-meter walk to the sand and pebble beach.
The most expensive package will cost 262 thousand rubles, with accommodation in a five-star hotel in Belek. And then you have to walk to the beach, but the path is half as long.
Holidays in Cyprus
You can get to Cyprus for 120 thousand rubles. For this money you will be placed in a two-star hotel in Larnaca, 200 meters from the coastline. Of the minuses – you have to pay separately for Wi-Fi.
To rest in comfort, you will have to pay 311 thousand. For this money, you will be accommodated in a five-star hotel two minutes from the famous Nissi Beach in Ayia Napa.
Holidays in India
You can go to India for 179 thousand rubles for two. The voucher provides accommodation in a four-star hotel. Eating “from the belly” will not work – only breakfasts are included in the package. Another nuance is that the tour includes 10 days and 9 nights.
Holidays in Thailand
You can relax in Thailand for 246 thousand rubles. The tour involves accommodation in a five-star hotel on the white sandy beach of Phuket, 80 meters from the sea. The disadvantages of this venture are that the rainy season has begun in the country since mid-May, and it is impossible to predict how many sunny days will fall for you.
The most expensive tour to Thailand, which Fontanka managed to find, will cost 3.7 million rubles. The package includes accommodation in a five-star hotel in the resort town of Khao Lak, a secluded resort in Phang Nga province. For your money, you are entitled to the sea 90 meters from the hotel, panoramic views of the Andaman Sea, as well as free Wi-Fi, SPA and massage.
Holidays in Vietnam
Prices for trips to Vietnam start from 455 thousand rubles. The tour provides accommodation in a five-star hotel in the vicinity of Duongto, the country’s largest island, Phukok. Of course, the beach is also nearby.
Holidays in Cuba
A budget tour to Cuba can be purchased from 278 thousand. By the word “budget” it should be understood that they won’t rush with you like with a hand-written sack – the rooms in a two-star hotel in Varadero will be “succinctly decorated”, you will have to swim on a public beach, it will take regarding 15 minutes to walk to it.
If you want to relax in comfort, then the prices for tours start from 388 thousand rubles. The voucher provides accommodation in a five-star hotel in the most famous resort city of Cuba, Varadero. According to the tour operator, the service meets high standards, and gourmet dishes will pleasantly surprise you.
Holidays in Bulgaria
A trip to the Bulgarian beach will cost you from 212 thousand rubles. The five-star hotel where you will be accommodated is located on the first coastline. The tour operator warns: you should not expect much from a set of services – the rest promises to be simple.
Holidays in Montenegro
Those who neglect comfort and appreciate only the beauty of nature can purchase a tour to Montenegro from 136 thousand rubles. For this price, accommodation in a two-star hotel for 7 nights and breakfast only is expected.
For a comfortable stay and the same 7 nights, you will have to pay from 173 thousand rubles. But there is one “but” – only breakfasts are included in the tour. But at your service – a five-star hotel complex of 5 villas in the village of Sveti Stefan at an altitude of 250 meters above sea level and panoramic views. The beach, however, is far away – as much as 1.4 kilometers.
How much in Russia
Rest in Abkhazia
A tour to Abkhazia can be purchased from 92 thousand rubles. For this money at your service – a three-star boarding house “Bagripsh” in Gagra, which is located 150 meters from the Black Sea.
Rest in the Krasnodar Territory
Until flights to Anapa are opened, tour operators say, the Krasnodar Territory can only accept tourists to the resort city of Sochi. The cheapest trip to Dagomys will cost from 112 thousand rubles. The tour provides accommodation in a three-star hotel “Dagomys 43-39”.
The most expensive – 324 thousand rubles – will cost a tour with accommodation in a four-star hotel near the resort of Matsesta, which is known for its hydrogen sulfide sources.
Rest in Kaliningrad
To visit Kaliningrad will cost from 44 thousand rubles. There is no sea in the city itself. You should not count on gastronomic delights – only breakfasts are included in the price of the tour in a two-star hotel.
If you really want to go to the sea and certainly in the Kaliningrad region, you can go to Svetlogorsk. Rest in a five-star hotel on the coast of the Baltic Sea will cost 244 thousand rubles, but refueling is also only breakfast.
Rest in Dagestan
You can visit the country of mountains by paying for a tour from 63 thousand rubles. At your service is a three-star hotel in the Kilichny district, a 10-minute walk from the Caspian Sea. From the windows, the tour operator promises, amazing views of the mountains or the sea open up. The organization of leisure is on the conscience of the vacationers themselves, and at one breakfast. You will have to look for food for lunch and dinner outside the hotel.
Extreme travel
Such tours, as a rule, are chosen by people exhausted by Narzan and beach holidays. They didn’t mix the round with the warm, and we took them to an independent section. In organizing such trips, everything is a little different than in the usual beach package: you will need to get to the pick-up point on your own, and when calculating the vacation budget, include the fare to it as a separate article. It’s also impossible to choose the date of departure, whichever comes into your head – for example, in the case of the North Pole, you will have to adjust to the schedule of the nuclear-powered ship.
Rest in Altai
Acquaintance with the edge of the mountains, say experienced tourists, it is most comfortable to start with a sightseeing summer excursion. The tour is called “Introduction to Altai”. Travelers are promised to be transported along predetermined routes by car, a stop with a walk and a sightseeing tour is provided near the sights, and overnight stays are in comfortable hotels. The cost of the tour starts from 112 thousand for two, but you can buy for one.
Departure from Gorno-Altaisk on July 11, tour duration – 8 days. A ticket to the point of departure must be purchased independently.
Do not want to travel along the Chuysky tract, like everyone else? You can purchase an individual VIP tour with a helicopter program, prices start from 795 thousand for a mini-group of two people, if the number of participants changes, the price will be recalculated. The tour is designed for 8 days, the nearest departure is June 1 from Gorno-Altaisk.
Holidays at the North Pole
If you are not a fan of a beach holiday, you can take a cruise to the age-old ice of the North Pole. The program includes a trip to the Arctic Ocean and swimming in its icy waters, a hot air balloon ride over the Pole, a barbecue and watching polar bears. The cost of a 13-day tour starts from 2.4 million rubles, departure is August 1 from Murmansk, you need to get there on your own.
Want something special? You can take a VIP cruise for 16 days. It will be slightly more expensive – from 33,700 euros (or 2.43 million rubles). But there are more adventures: the cruise starts and ends in the capital of Svalbard – Longyearbyen (the price of the trip includes the flight Paris – Longyearbyen – Paris). The cruise starts and ends in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Rest on Baikal
The cheapest trip to the ultramarine expanse of the “Siberian Sea” will cost from 139 thousand for two, for one – half the price. The tour is designed for six days, departure from Irkutsk, travel to it is paid additionally. The program includes a boat ride on Lake Baikal, acquaintance with Buryat cuisine, visits to sacred places and Olkhon Island.
Not ready to travel in a group with strangers or want to develop your own itinerary for the same 7 days? An individual tour will cost from 200 thousand per person.
Rest in Kamchatka
Prices for tours to Kamchatka start from 154 thousand rubles for two for 7 days. The program includes walks at the foot of volcanoes to waterfalls and swimming in thermal springs, as well as a boat trip with access to the Pacific Ocean and acquaintance with the indigenous people. The transitions are so easy that the tour is suitable for families with children from 6 years old. The journey begins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the flight from the place of residence is paid separately.
The most expensive tour to date will cost 564 thousand per person. For this money, you will be taken on an expedition ship to see the 56 Kuril Islands. The cruise is designed for 11 days.
Natalia Vyazovkina, Fontanka.ru
