Probably, over time, anyone, even the most package tourist, develops certain habits that simplify not only such routine things as packing for a trip or booking tickets and hotels, but also behavior in various situations in a new country.

So, our 10 useful travel habits:

1. Make a list of things you plan to take on the road. This will greatly simplify and speed up your preparations and prevent you from forgetting something really important.
2. Don't take unnecessary things. If you are not traveling on a package tour, then extra things will be a burden and extra weight during transfers. During this time, as an experiment, we made do with small 35 liter backpacks.
3. Upload detailed offline maps of the area where you are going to your smartphone in advance. There are many specialized applications for this. We have already written.
4. Print out hotel reservations and tickets on paper in advance. We once had a situation where the mail, where the contacts of the next reservation were stored, was simply blocked, due, as it seemed to it, to suspicious authorization in another country.
5. Always take at least 2 bank cards from different banks when traveling and keep them in different places, for example, in different pockets. In our case, these are even 3 cards: Sberbank, Tinkof and Kukuruza. Also, be sure to have $300-500 in reserve in the form of cash in the third pocket.
6. Study the main prohibitions of the country you are going to. Walking in short shorts in non-tourist areas of Ankara or disrespecting even the portrait of the king in Thailand can lead to trouble.
7. Think and analyze more intensely than at home. Think twice before taking a tour in the first place you come across. Do not buy souvenirs where there is a lot of tourists, etc.
8. Have lunch at a local cafe. Without this, in our opinion, it is impossible to fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the country. The only thing better is dinner with a local family.
9. Make it a rule that the main thing is documents and money. Losing all other things is unpleasant, but not so critical. If money can be secured with bank cards, then the documents require special control and care.
10. Charge the batteries of your camera, smartphone and other necessary gadgets in the evening! It will be a shame to miss a lot of interesting shots due to a dead battery.

This one is not very good big list the basic habits that we have developed during our travels. We hope you find it useful.

Services we use on our independent travels:

Search and purchase of air tickets
Aviasales is number 1 for us among all search engines, we use only it because it is convenient and reliable, without any pitfalls.
One Two Trip! - an amazingly convenient search engine in which you can find and purchase not only air tickets, but also railway tickets. In addition, it is also easy to book a hotel or hotel there. By clicking on our link you will receive an additional 500 rubles discount on the purchase of an air ticket!

Search and book accommodation

1. - a world-famous search engine where you can find and book accommodation from guesthouses to luxury villas. Have used it many times and highly recommend it.
2. Hotellook is a service for searching and booking accommodation from the creators of Aviasales.
3. Airbnb - booking and renting apartments, rooms, houses from local residents. Tested on ourselves, everything is honest, we recommend. When booking using our link, you will receive a bonus of RUB 2,100, which you can use to pay for your accommodation. To do this, you will need to create your AirBnB account.

Car rental
- an excellent alternative to traveling on intercity buses and trains across Russia. Prices are often lower public transport, and comfort is significantly higher.

Service aggregator for car rentals from local rental companies. You choose a car as if at a local rental, but through the service, booking by bank card, from which only 15% of the cost is charged. The guarantor is MyRentacar. You can choose not only the car class, but also a specific car, down to the body color and radio type. But most importantly, the prices on this service are the same as if you went to your local rental company yourself!

Traveling around different countries, tourists get acquainted not only with the sights of the country, but also with its customs and traditions. There are many countries, nationalities, and therefore traditions on earth, and if you have not yet decided where you want to spend your vacation, then we offer you an overview of the traditions of some countries.

Italy, France

In Italy a large number of cultural values. In this country, traditions are very diverse. Italians love holidays very much and always celebrate them in a big way. If you visit Italian festivals, you will understand for yourself.

Italian traditions can be divided into New Year's, wedding, folk, culinary and family.

As for wedding traditions, marriage in this country takes place in any month except May; they also do not get married on fasting days. The best time to get married in Italy is autumn. According to Italian tradition, marriage is not recommended on Tuesday and Friday.

Folk traditions of Italy include leatherwork, wickerwork, glass and ceramics.

Italian men are very polite and gallant. In their wallet you will always find a photograph of their wife and children. In Italy, family is very important; for any Italian, it will always come first. Italians prefer to dine at home, with their family.

New Year in Italy it is a festive table, which is bursting with all sorts of dishes. According to tradition, at 24.00 New Year's Eve The family breaks the dishes; it is believed that in this way the negativity accumulated over the whole year is released.

France is also a country of art and culture. Famous writers, poets and artists lived and worked in this wonderful country.

In France, wedding traditions are very interesting - on the wedding day, the bride is obliged to cry and in any way try to escape from under the aisle.

France is famous for wine and cheese. But the French are also distinguished by an extremely sensitive attitude to how the table is set and how etiquette is observed at dinner or lunch.

Despite the fact that the main and main holidays of the French are Easter and Christmas, they most like to celebrate the New Year.

Korea and China

Korean traditions and customs are defined according to Confucianism. In this country, Confucianism occupies the most important place. Koreans also treat older people and those in high social position with respect. People of the upper class of society are the undisputed authority, and the younger ones respectfully listen to the advice of the older generation.

Before a Korean makes a friend, he learns everything possible about him. What is the marital status, habits, status, what kind of family does this person have, etc., and only then decides whether to make friends with him.

When meeting each other, Koreans do not show any emotions, they simply shake each other’s hands, even if they are best friends who have not seen each other for a long time. Therefore, you should not throw yourself on the neck of your Korean friend, they will not understand you.

When entering a house in Korea, you must take off your shoes; this tradition dates back to ancient times. Since ancient times, Koreans (and even now) eat food while sitting on the floor.

Everyone knows that China is the country where there are the most various ceremonies. There are a large number of philosophical schools in this country.

The Chinese love to celebrate New Year and Spring Festival most of all, they celebrate them on a grand scale.

The tea ceremony is one of the main traditions of China; every day the Chinese family must gather at the table to drink tea according to all the rules and traditions.

One of the unusual Chinese traditions is the following. On their wedding day, the newlyweds must hang a lock on the Great Wall of China. Previously, if a couple separated, this lock was removed and thrown open, now, of course, no one removes the locks, but they hang them up.

Great Britain. Germany

The people of Britain are very proud that they are not like other nations of the world. To this day, the British play cricket and measure distance in miles.

Despite their composure, the British have a good sense of humor and are generally very sociable people.

When planning to have lunch or dinner, a self-respecting Briton will definitely change his clothes. All residents of the country strictly adhere to all traditions and customs.

There are many festivals in the UK, so they are also considered traditions. At these events the British show different kinds arts, most often these are choral art, theater and drama. The Queen's Birthday is considered the most solemn and wonderful holiday.

The British are very sensitive to royal, wedding and tea traditions.

Germany can be called a country of philosophy, music and literature.

All the traditions of this country are similar to the traditions of others European countries, but there are also some customs that can only be found in Germany.

The Germans celebrate weddings only on Friday or Saturday; the newlyweds and their guests must have myrtle branches on the table. A wonderful tradition - newlyweds must plant a tree or bush together.

German men try to arrange everything in their home on their own; they instill their skills and pass them on to their children.

Children grow up and leave their parents' home early, then they very rarely appear there. When parents reach old age, they move into nursing homes.

Most of all, Germans love to eat meat and potatoes, and, of course, drink beer; in this country, the foamy drink is of excellent quality and at a very low price.

Malaysia. Mexico. South America

There are many nationalities living in Malaysia, but the bulk of the population are Malays, they speak Bahasa and revere Allah.

A traditional Malay dish is meat kebabs generously seasoned with spicy peanut sauce.

In this country, any holidays are celebrated on a grand scale, one might even say all the holidays that exist in the world. Malay, Hindu, Muslim, Christian and others. Moreover, on the days of any holidays, Malaysians do not work, but have fun.

Mexico is an amazing country, in addition to the fact that a huge number of unique and interesting historical monuments are concentrated there, very interesting and talented personalities also live there. The visiting card of the country are historical writings, rock and wall paintings.

Most great tradition Mexico is considered to have colorful and unforgettable festivals, during which the inhabitants of the country dance and this enchanting show ends with no less bright and colorful fireworks.

Conquerors South America brought their customs, architecture, language and religion to this continent. Speaking about the traditions of this country, we can say that this is a kind of symbiosis of African, Portuguese and Indian customs.

Residents of South America love to weave various household items - hammocks, rugs, etc., and I must say they do it very well.

The main traditions of the peoples of South America are rituals that arose against the backdrop of amazing legends and myths.

This country loves noisy and cheerful holidays and often organizes carnivals.

As for sports, the country has excellent football, basketball and rafting.

Caucasus

Many nationalities live in the Caucasus; wedding, family and culinary traditions are highly respected in this region.

The Caucasus is very hospitable, here it is customary to respect guests, protect them, give them shelter and set the table.

Residents of Caucasian villages very zealously honor and observe the traditions and rituals of wedding celebrations. It is noteworthy that the bride and groom celebrate this event with a feast in different houses; this tradition is called “wedding hiding”.

The most popular dishes are shish kebab, pilaf, lula kebab, sherbet, kutaba, baklava, etc. Mainly in the Caucasus there are Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kazakh and Georgian cuisines.

Africa

African culture is unlike any other culture in the world.

The traditions and customs of this country are conveyed in music and dance. Each tribe has its own characteristics, but in any tribe the most important thing is family.

Everywhere in Africa, a husband must fully support his wife. Weddings in Africa are celebrated only on the full moon; it is believed that if the moon is not full, then the marriage will not be happy. But a wedding in Africa is not a holiday, but a sad event, and it is celebrated very quietly and sadly. An African man can have several wives, but only if he can adequately provide for them all. Wives in a harem share all housework equally.

As for the taste traditions of the Black Continent, they mainly eat meat, fruits and dairy products. The only alcoholic drink is wine.

Traditions in Africa are very strong and durable, they have remained exactly the same as they were in ancient times.

The world is diverse, there are many peoples inhabiting our planet, and learning about their traditions is very interesting and educational, so travel and get to know the world!

The first trip, the one I remember the most:
This happened when our daughter was about ten years old. However, many years have passed, and I can get confused with age.
One weekend, my husband, who by that time had bought a badly beaten up jalopy with the proud name Zaporozhets, announced: “We’re going to the forest!”
He also said that he was taking us to the Grafsky Reserve to buy strawberries.
Since he did not take the initiative in travel issues so often, for the sake of creating family traditions and strengthening the social unit, I, of course, agreed. First, I only timidly asked if there was a river nearby. It was 35 degrees, and I wanted to swim until I was stupefied.
I was indignantly answered that the main thing on this trip was picking sweet, dearly beloved berries to his heart, and not some stupid river.
I was young, inexperienced, and not scandalous (at that time!))), so I did not object further. I sat down with my daughter in the hot torture chamber, depicted joy and anticipation of the journey on my face, and we crawled away to the enthusiastic hooting of the local boys, who had already written “Wash me!” on the dirty door of our car.
We drove for a long time. About three hours, stopping every half hour along the way to cool the smoking engine.
We asked passers-by for directions, they, sincerely trying to help, directed us first to the right, then to the left, as a result, we almost got lost, but after much ordeal we finally arrived in the forest!
A narrow track, broken by tractors, led into the grove; moreover, it was in a shallow ravine, and there was no way to get out into the clearing. The car's belly scraped along the ground, but there was simply no strength left to remain in its hot captivity.
I suggested that my husband let my daughter and I out so that he could drive on and find a parking place, while we took a short walk.
No sooner said than done! Joyfully fluttering out of our metal bug, we happily walked along the side of the road. Misha moved on. A few seconds later I suddenly heard a strange buzzing...
It became stronger and stronger and got on my nerves terribly.
Trying to determine the source of the noise, my daughter and I began to vigorously turn our heads, then wave our arms, then scream heart-rendingly!
In general, it was absolutely impossible to do everything that you should do when meeting an angry swarm of hornets!))) I still don’t know whether my husband crushed their nest with a wheel, or whether my spirits were so irritated... We rushed away from the swarm, howling heart-rendingly away, to our car, which was blushing in the distance.
Most of all, I was afraid that these creatures would bite the child. I ran and shouted: “Misha! Misha! Misha! pi..pi...pi..pi.. Give back the car!”
Do you want to know your husband's reaction? he stood and smiled, waving his hand to us))
When I, sweaty, red, and out of breath, pushed myself and the child into the car, I unleashed on him... you yourself understand that (now my vocabulary is already much wider than it once was!)))! And she asked why he didn’t come pick us up, do you know what he told me??
“But I didn’t hear! I thought you were running and waving your arms, making me happy!”))) Silent scene.))))

But our trials did not end there! We drove about half a kilometer to break away from the swarm. (And I'm not making this up!) It's a miracle we weren't bitten!
Finally, we stopped in a forest clearing and decided to finally do what we actually came for. My daughter and husband went looking for strawberries. The child walked into the bushes and... screamed in an inhuman voice out of fear. Almost - almost stepping on a huge viper.
My patience finally ran out, and I demanded that we be taken away from this viper immediately.
Since my daughter fully supported me, dad decided not to argue with two angry women, put us in our ancient car, and drove... forward. He said it would be shorter this way! After a few meters we got stuck in the sand, and I had to push the car))) Dear Mom!!! We pulled her out, but my poor back still remembers this feat!
We left the forest and saw a wonderful lake ahead. I began to beg to stop the car.
The husband, gritting his teeth, said that he would not stop, and in general, he was tired, and it was time for us to go home.
To which I vindictively replied that we will still come back here! After getting lost for about twenty minutes and not finding the way, we actually returned, after which we were mercifully allowed to swim. Well, we had a blast!)))
After that, one of the locals, to my and my daughter’s great joy, again showed us some kind of roundabout road along which we were returning home for about four hours, and I already began to doubt that we were going to our native Voronezh, and not to Moscow. Why to joy? Yes, because this road passed through all the children's camps and holiday homes, and great places There was quite a lot for swimming there. So the goal of the trip, even if not the one that was planned at the beginning, was still achieved by us!)))) (My husband is reading from under my hand while I write, sniffles angrily, and says that the car was not ancient !))) If you consider that in winter the stove didn’t work in it, and I, on the contrary, worked as a windshield wiper, then he’s probably right!)))) The main thing is that we love it with any car!!!

04.02.2014 LLC "LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez"

A good long-term tradition of LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez, when a group of employees together with their children goes on a winter holiday school holidays on a trip to Russian cities and everyone, was supported by the trade union committee of the enterprise this time too.

This year, for the first time, our journey lay in Nizhny Novgorod region. On the eve of Orthodox Christmas we arrived in Serafimov Diveyevo in the name of the Holy Trinity convent- an Orthodox convent in the village of Diveevo. This place is considered the fourth earthly Destiny of the Most Holy Theotokos (after Iberia, Athos and the Kiev Pechersk Lavra), and is also associated with the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov.

Preparations for Christmas were in full swing on the territory of the monastery. You can talk a lot and for a long time about the history of the monastery and the miraculous healings that happened to people after visiting these amazing places. But it’s better to see it all with your own eyes. I will only add that in addition to the majestic churches that are located on the territory of the monastery, we also visited the world-famous Canal of the Virgin Mary. There is a belief that if you walk along the groove and read the prayer 150 times, your deepest desires will come true and miracles of healing will occur.

We met the morning of January 6 in Arzamas. At the time of our arrival, no services were taking place in the Resurrection Cathedral, which is considered the main decoration of the city. However, especially for us, the ministers opened the doors of this magnificent, majestic five-domed cathedral. The temple has preserved its originality to this day thanks to the residents of Arzamas, who saved it in hard times, surrounding it with a tight ring.

On the same day we discovered a new page of our journey called “Boldino”. We all know the Boldino autumn very well - one of the most fruitful periods in the work of Alexander Pushkin.

Our journey ended as it began, in Nizhny Novgorod. This a beautiful city located at the confluence of two great Russian rivers - the Oka and the Volga. This is a city where antiquity and modernity are closely intertwined with each other. On the one hand, there are all the signs of modernity: the metro, the cable car across the Oka (which we, of course, did not miss the opportunity to ride), skyscrapers under construction. On the other hand, majestic temples are reflected here in the waters of the Volga and Oka rivers, the Potemkin Stairs (just like in Odessa, only a couple of steps are missing), and on Pedestrian Street, paved with paving stones, you can meet representatives of various subcultures.

The journey will be remembered for a long time by all its participants. Someone will remember this special feeling of the soul that arose when visiting majestic temples, someone was amazed by the places associated with the life and work of the great Russian poet, and someone will have vivid impressions of a trip to cable car and much, much more...

Elena SKVOROK

Iceland is one of the most unusual and original countries on our planet. This Island state, inhabited by the descendants of the Vikings at the end of the 9th century, is lost in the vastness Atlantic Ocean. The isolation and seclusion of the island influenced the customs and traditions of the Icelanders, which are quite rare and unique.

Family traditions

It will be unusual for any foreigner in Iceland to learn that Icelanders do not have surnames. What Europeans are accustomed to understanding as a surname is a patronymic among the inhabitants of the island. Thus, if a person is, for example, Ragnar Olafson, this means that Ragnar is the son of Olaf. However, Icelanders do not like to call each other by their last name. Communication with each other is limited to names.

Culinary traditions

Despite the scarcity of local flora and fauna, due to the harsh northern climate, Iceland's cuisine is extremely diverse. Most vegetables and fruits are imported into the country, but Icelanders grow carrots, cabbage, potatoes and cucumbers and tomatoes on their island. Traditional and popular dishes in the country include sour milk, fried puffins (a type of bird) and their eggs, ox eggs soaked in curdled milk, smoked lamb, salmon marinated in spices, chopped sheep liver and rotten shark meat. Coffee is very popular on the island. When visiting a cafe, you are charged only for the first cup of coffee; all others are free. Travel traditions

Icelanders love the natural beauty of their region. The island's adults have SUVs and small farms or nature cabins outside the city limits. The descendants of the Vikings love to travel. For their voyages, they often choose not other countries or resorts, but the territory of their own country. It has become a good tradition to visit each year historical places and natural monuments.

Folk traditions

There are only two seasons in Iceland - winter and summer. Six months in the country it is day, six months it is night. In order to somehow diversify their lives during long, boring evenings, Icelanders, in addition to various family games, have become addicted to knitting. Currently, in cities this tradition has already become obsolete, but residents of farms, both men and women, enjoy knitting. It was because of this mass passion for knitting, from an ordinary hobby that turned into a national tradition, that the famous Icelandic sweater, called “lopapeysa” or abbreviated “lopi”, appeared. Such things look like warm jumpers or sweaters, decorated at the top and near the throat with national ornaments. For export, such clothes are made from imported wool, since the yarn from the wool of local sheep is very prickly. Due to the fact that sweaters are very warm and practically impermeable to moisture, they are often used as outerwear.

Literary and musical traditions

Icelanders are especially proud of their national traditions in literature and music. Real events from the life of ancestors are passed down from generation to generation and performed to music using national musical instruments. Such instruments are the organ and the harmonium.

In modern music, which is closely related to Scandinavian music, you can clearly hear ethnic tunes characteristic of Icelanders. The country has several musical groups that have received worldwide recognition.

National pride in literary terms is, of course, the winner of the 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Icelandic writer Halldór Lasness. His works, inspired by the plots of the sagas, brought the author worldwide fame.
Holiday Traditions

The main Icelandic holiday is considered Winter holiday. His tradition was to wear pants on only one leg and jump barefoot on his bare leg around his own house. The Icelandic Winter Festival is celebrated widely with plenty of food and alcohol at the table. Jumping in the cold in the snow around the house is not prohibited, but it is not mandatory either.

Traditionally, one of the main and beloved holidays has become the New Year. During its celebration, Icelanders light bonfires and dance around them, singing merry songs.

After the New Year, the island's residents celebrate their most traditional holiday called "Yule". When celebrating it, bonfires are necessarily lit, but in specially designated places, due to the fact that the holiday is dedicated to the goddesses of fate. Yule traditions are very similar to Christmas traditions. Icelanders also decorate the Christmas tree and hide gifts under it.

Icelanders celebrate the first day of summer - Sumardagurin Firsti - on a grand scale. A number of folk beliefs are associated with this pagan festival. Frosts on a holiday night were a good sign. Icelanders believe that the thickness of ice on water will be the same as the thickness of cream on milk throughout the year.

In celebration of the first day of summer, Iceland celebrates the first day of winter. During its celebration, Icelanders organize various competitions and organize many festivals.

Main public holidays are the Independence Day of the country, celebrated on December 1, the Day of the Head of State and the Day of the Proclamation of the Icelandic Republic.

Icelanders are no strangers to celebrating some internationally recognized holidays, such as St. Nicholas Day, Catholic Christmas, Valentine's Day and Lutheran Easter.
Other traditions

Icelanders are extremely punctual. When making an appointment, it is better to arrive on time or even a little earlier. Being late to meetings is considered bad manners.

It is also considered bad form to use the word “peasant” in communication, in any language. It is generally considered offensive. In Icelandic it was replaced by the word "farmer". Settlements that are customary on the European continent to be called a village or hamlet are here called a farm. On the island, according to its inhabitants, there are generally only two types of settlements - urban settlements and farming settlements.

When invited to visit, it is customary to give the hosts any gift, even a purely symbolic one. Icelanders are very welcoming and hospitable.