Yulia Suntsova
Greece has recently opened, and now you can safely plan a trip to it. Tour operators, for example, offer a cheap weekly tour to Crete with a departure on August 3 from Yekaterinburg at a price of 18,600 rubles per person (with a promotional code). The price of the tours includes: direct flights in both directions with luggage, hotel accommodation, transfers, medical insurance.
To enter Greece, it is imperative to have a negative PCR test (regardless of whether you are vaccinated or not). Plus, upon arrival at the airport, everyone must pass a free rapid antigen test.
We waited for Egypt too! Rosaviatsia has issued a permit for flights from Moscow (Sheremetyevo) to Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh since August 9. Flights are organized by the low-cost airline Rossiya with departures on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
For example, for 7 nights, from 11 to 18 August, you can take a tour to Egypt in a three-star room and all-inclusive service for 36,600 rubles per person. The price of the tours includes direct flights from Moscow to Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh with luggage, hotel accommodation, selected type of food, transfers, medical insurance.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry recently announced that it is opening entry for Russian citizens for tourist purposes who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, even if Sputnik V. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Siyjarto said on his Facebook that the republic will allow vaccinated Russians to enter from July 27. Visa applications will resume from 2 August.
So, to enter Hungary, Russians need:
Russia resumed flights with Hungary on June 10, and since July 24, the number of flights on the Moscow - Budapest route has increased from two to four per week. The route St. Petersburg - Budapest was also added with a frequency of two flights per week. Tickets for direct flights from St. Petersburg and Moscow to Budapest are offered, among other things, by the Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air .
Flights to Bulgaria will resume from July 31st. Flights to the popular Russian resort of Burgas will be operated from St. Petersburg four times a week - on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays by Airbus A319. The carrier is a low-cost airline Rossiya, a member of the Aeroflot group.
Finland is also opening its borders to the vaccinated. But the Russians will not be able to enter this country yet. A prerequisite for inclusion in the list of open countries is the approval of vaccines by at least one of the organizations - either the World Health Organization or the European Medicines Agency. At the moment, Russian drugs have not received approval from either of the two organizations, which is why restrictions on crossing the Finnish border will remain until August 22.
Turkey remains accessible to Russian tourists.
The country does not plan to impose restrictions or tighten sanitary and epidemiological measures for Russian tourists coming to rest in the republic, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia said on July 26.
To enter Turkey, either a PCR test or a certificate of vaccination completed more than two weeks ago or a certificate of the presence of antibodies are suitable. Turkey has also introduced the mandatory filling out of an online questionnaire - this must be done within the last 72 hours before departure, it is also recommended to print this form or save it electronically. After completing the online questionnaire, all passengers are assigned HES codes - they may be asked to present them upon check-in at the hotel, at the entrance to the shopping center or public transport.
This does not apply to transit passengers - they, as before, will need to fill out a paper form.
Cyprus is also ready to accept travelers from Russia with a number of conditions and so far leaves Russia in the red zone of countries in terms of epidemiological risk. Tourists are accepted both with PCR tests and with certificates of vaccination (including "Sputnik V" ).
Conditions of entry with tests: PCR not older than 72 hours and one more test at the Cyprus airport upon arrival (costs 15 euros). Conditions of entry for the vaccinated:
You also need a Cypriot pro-visa to enter (obtained online for free).
Since May, a new exotic tourist product has appeared for Russians - to the Margarita Island in Venezuela. Far, expensive, but ... for some, an option in the era of the closed world. The cost of the tours - from 239 thousand rubles for two for 12 nights (all inclusive - transfers, accommodation, meals).
The duration of the tours is still strictly 12 days due to being tied to flights. The airline Conviasa flies to Caracas from Moscow until once every two weeks. Fleet: one A340-200 ("Simón Bolívar El Libertador"), one A340-300 and a pair of VIP-aircraft. Conviasa received permission to fly to Russia last summer. An independent direct flight from Moscow to Caracas + a domestic flight across Venezuela to the island will cost about $ 930 one way. Accommodation in double rooms on the island - on Booking from 1500 rubles per night.
Entry rules to Venezuela: no visa required, but additional costs are substantial.
Before departure, you need to fill out an online application and receive a QR code. Take with you - PCR test with blue seal freshness no more than 72 hours. Medical insurance covering COVID-19. Upon arrival in Caracas, you need to take the test at your own expense (+ $ 60 in cash). On the eve of departure to Margarita Island, you need to pass one more test at your own expense (+ $ 60 in cash). Overkill, of course. Plus all the risks from a country in which a civil war has been going on for several years between supporters and opponents of Madura, where hyperinflation is off the charts, and crowds of poor or completely impoverished people walk the streets, fighting in lines for bread, soap and toilet paper ...
The Maldives has been officially open to foreign tourists since July 15 last year, including Russians. But to visit the country, you also need to meet many conditions:
A ticket for a charter flight from Moscow to Male, for example, on July 31, can be taken from 9,000 rubles one way. The price includes meals, hand luggage and luggage.
Since August 14, Bahrain's Gulf Air will also open flights from Moscow to Male, in addition to the Russian carrier. Flights from Moscow to Male, however, are also operated by other foreign airlines: Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines.
About the future
EU diplomats are now working with their Russian counterparts on the mutual recognition of digital certificates of vaccination against coronavirus, EU Ambassador to Russia Markus Ederer said.
“At this time, we are seeing how you are in Russia, and new waves of coronavirus are constantly appearing in the European Union. Therefore, this process will continue for some time, and I do not know exactly when the borders will be opened. We are currently working with our Russian colleagues on the mutual recognition of digital certificates. These certificates will contain information about vaccinations and tests so that at least this category of citizens will make it easier to travel”, - Ederer said.
Regardless of Russia, Europe appears to be hoping that 2022 will be a much better year than 2021. AirEuropa Airlines has opened air ticket sales to South America, though only from February 2022. Flights are planned from Milan to Panama, Colombia, Peru, Brazil.