Best Travel Advice From Russian Long Term Wanderers

Full time wanderers are inspiration for any travel lover. As much as these people travel, sometimes they stop by and give some valuable travel advice for the rest of the world. Practical tips, like things to do and see, things to avoid or how to save on a trip, are always needed. It would be silly not to use their valuable experience.


Let’s look at some inspirational long-term travelers and travel advice they have shared with the rest of the world.

Travel advice from Anton Krotov

Anton is a man who only works 2 months per year and travels for the rest of the time. 39-year old man from Moscow has visited 96 countries and hitch hiked 850.000 km. The idea behind traveling full time is staying close to local culture. Anton has developed a detailed guide on how to travel with minimal expenses. His travel advice – always hitch hike and stay with the locals, eat local food. Some people would think it is dangerous way of travel, but Anton has never been attacked during his travels and the biggest difficulty are usually government officials.


All you need is just to treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. The most important items to take with you on the road are your brains. You could also pack a sleeping bag, cup and travel water heater. No need to bring canned food, there is enough food in the world. It’s not hard to find a place to sleep. If nothing else works out, there are always religious establishments like churches, mosques or monasteries.

When asked how he funds his travels, Krotov says “I sell my knowledge”. He is an author of over 42 travel books and guides.

Around the world in two years

Sounds unbelievable, but for the 60-year old Sergey Lukljanov it was in fact just another trip of a lifetime. His route began in Saint Petersburg, eastbound through Russia and South-East Asia, then South America and finally Tunisia and Europe. He only used airplane twice, when flying over the oceans. Sergey walked all the way with a 70 kg heavy backpack and slept under bridges. He didn’t spend over 8EUR per day as his only budget was coming from his pension at home.


During the trip he learned to be kinder to others, more tolerant and learned to forgive. Everything in the world is possible, all you need is to find your way. You shouldn’t sit and wait to be healthy – sometimes you just need to stand up and go, travel and not be afraid of anything. Each moment is unique and you learn to appreciate your life when on the move.

Senior travels the world with a backpack

Always young at heart, Nina Palehova started traveling when she was 60 years old. She has visited 30 countries and always prefers active holidays. It’s quite possible to save on holiday – you need to book with traveler clubs, look for the cheapest accommodation and choose tours with long walking routes (10-15km daily). Thorough research is important before any trip.She admits it’s not always easy to keep up with the young. When climbing the mountains, she mostly comes last. But people still wait for her and cheer her up. So she is determined to never give up. Young at heart, she feel much better among young people than people of her own age.

Senior from Yekaterinburg covered 700 km around lake Baikal

As a solo traveler, Leonid Bukrin covered 700km along the thick ice of lake Baikal in 20 days. Most of that time he spent skiing and some part was covered with ice skating. Average temperatures during his trip were -7C..-8C during the day and -13C…-15C at night. He slept in a tent and never made a fire. During the trip Leonid met many fellow travelers including some foreigners.

The main reason for taking such a long trip in cold climate was to prove himself that he can do it. Total cost of the trip (including transport) was around 500€. The hardest part was packing up the frozen tent after the long night. The nature is stunning, according to fellow traveler he met from Sweden – even better than Norwegian fjords!

90-year old grandma flies to Dominican Republic

It’s incredible, how 90-year old granny Lena still has the energy and curiosity to travel the world. After spending most of her life working hard jobs, helping to build the country that no longer exists (USSR), she is still very active and productive. After becoming famous on local TV, her travels are partly funded by numerous supporters and fans.

Although she doesn’t speak much English, it has never been a problem – there are kind people everywhere. She enjoys long flights and doesn’t have any major health problems. Her hard life has taught her the most important skill – surviving in any conditions. Her next big adventure is a trip to Dominican Republic.

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