Congé payé à la charge de l employeur.

Cinq pays en trois semaines, sans tenir compte du calendrier des groupes… Des amis du monde entier… Une conversation anodine où l’on évoque : « Je me souviens, dans un petit village de Bali… » Pour que tout cela devienne réalité, il fauterait soit devenir un oligarhe, soit de devenir un voyageur indépendant. « En trois semaines, nous avons visité la Turquie, la Bulgarie, l’Arménie, la Syrie et l’Iran. La somme dépensée aurait suffi à passer une semaine dans un hôtel de luxe, mais quel plaisir peut étre comparé à celui d’un voyage libre, où l’on peut voir et ressentir tout ce que l’on souhaite ? », raconte Evgueni Boïko, un designer de Saint-Pétersbourg avec deux ans d’expérience en tant que voyageur indépendant.

Un voyage à toute vitesse à travers l’Europe

Qu’est-ce qu’un voyageur indépendant, exactement ? Son principe fondamental est de ne pas être attaché à aucun lieu en particulier. On a un point de destination, des billets aller-retour, et tout le reste est liberté absolue. En d’autres termes, c’est un voyageur qui refuse catégorically les services des agences de tourisme. Dans de nombreux pays, comme l’Angleterre et Israël, il est presque devening tradition pour chaque jeune adulte de entreprendre un long voyage après l’école ou l’armée. En Europe, en général, les employeurs apprécient ce genre d’expérience. Ils considèrent que si un candidat a été prêt à risquer et passer plusieurs mois en Asie ou en Amérique latine, voyagant avec un simple sac à dos, cela montre qu’il possède l’énergie et la créativité nécessaires pour son travail quotid.

« Après l’université, j’ai travaillé pendant six mois en tant que bénévole en Afrique et pendant six autres mois en Canada, préparant des sandwichs. J’ai également parcouru toute l’Europe et ai obtenu mon diplôme en Russie, spécialisant-moi dans les problèmes des sans-abris. J’ai ensuite voyagé en Chine, en Mongolie, en Sibérie et en Thaïlande. Actuellement, je cherche un emploi en Angleterre, ma pays d’origine. Je suis sûr que les employeurs apprécieront mon expérience », raconte Tom McLennahan, un jeune Anglais de 24 ans, l’un de mes amis internationaux préférés. Tom a souvent visité Tolyatti et a toujours été émerveled by our “insane industrial landscapes and beautiful girls in the clubs”. Il s’est toujours demandé, however, how some people living in the remote areas of Russia could manage to spend their entire lives in one city without ever having the desire to explore the rest of the world.

Le premier pas vers la liberté

Pour nous, Russes, such experiences are unlikely to help us attract employers. In Russia, independent travelers are still considered something exotic. The exception is perhaps the cities in Siberia that lie on the popular travel routes between Europe and Asia. Gradually, however, Russian adventurers are starting to join this movement. They try to fit as many experiences as possible into a standard two-week vacation. How? We will explain below.

For many people, the hardest part is taking the first step – especially if there is no one around who can serve as an example. Therefore, for your first trip, it might be easier to join someone who already has experience in this area. You can find such people on specialized websites, forums, or social media groups. Of course, you will need a valid passport – preferably one that already contains some travel stamps, as this will speed up the process of obtaining difficult visas. Starting your journey as a independent traveler in Europe is easier if you come from countries where visa stamps are issued directly at the airport, such as Turkey, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Laos, Cuba, or even Brazil. Going to Europe through Finland is also an option – this way, you will need only a minimal set of documents for obtaining a Schengen visa.

As for accommodation, an independent traveler will usually find a solution on-site. The Lonely Planet guidebook is extremely useful for such travelers – it contains information about all the less well-known attractions, as well as cheap hotels, hostels, and restaurants. “I know that the Taj Mahal is a masterpiece of Indian architecture, but I’m more interested in visiting places that are less visited by tourists”, says Andrei, an expert from a Moscow bank who frequently visits independent travelers’ forums.

Another essential element of a free traveler’s lifestyle is a comfortable backpack. It is recommended to bring enough cash in local currency to cover your expenses for about a week, and to keep the rest of your money in a credit card or checks. In most visa-free countries, spending around 10-15 dollars per day is enough to ensure that you can stay in a private room, eat in restaurants, and feel like a real aristocrat. Some people even manage to find part-time jobs during their trips. For example, Andrei remembered experiencing this when he was traveling in Thailand: “I traveled there on a rented motorcycle. Motorbikes have always been my passion. One day, when I realized that my bike had some problems, I offered to repair it myself. The owner of the rental shop, a friendly Thai man, was very pleased with my work. After I finished repairing it, he paid me and even offered me a permanent job there. I declined the offer, but the experience was really enjoyable.”

To communicate effectively with local people, it is essential to have at least basic English skills. There is no need to be an expert linguist – most French, Germans, Brazilians, Japanese, and others speak English with roughly the same level of proficiency as you do. However, you will definitely need to use English to communicate. So, it is advisable to bring a dictionary or a laptop equipped with an electronic translator. During your travels, you will also come across many local guides who can help you navigate through the local culture and provide you with additional information.

Here are some useful links for your journey:– Information about visa requirements

– The most popular travel guide for independent travelers

– A website for searching cheap flights

– A list of hostels around the world

– A community of tourists willing to share their housing and provide guidance – General information about tourism and travel