Quite often, tourists refuse to travel to a particular country due to the fact that they do not want to waste time on visa formalities. At the moment, Russian tourists have the opportunity to visit six destinations where they are allowed to go on vacation without a passport.
Despite the fact that many people prefer to plan their vacation in advance, not everyone has the opportunity to go abroad. One of the reasons may be the lack of a passport. And if some cannot do it for some formal reason (the presence of debts, a criminal record, unpaid taxes or lack of time to complete it), then others deliberately do not think about creating an additional document.
Each person has his own criteria for choosing a trip. Some people prefer an expensive trip as a guarantee of quality, others care about the excursion component, and others don’t need anything other than the sea and sun. And while some have managed to prepare for the upcoming vacation and fill out travel documents in advance, for others the vacation falls like a lump on their head. In this situation, there is simply no way to quickly make a “foreign trip”. Then the question arises: “Where can you go without a passport?” At the same time, it seems to many that it is impossible to have a normal rest inside or near their homeland. In fact, this is a big misconception, because the cities of the CIS offer excellent conditions for spending a vacation, going to ski resorts in the winter and swimming in the summer.
Today the borders of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Kazakhstan are open to our compatriots. Travel under a Russian document within Russia, including the Crimea peninsula annexed in 2014, is unconditional. Until 2015, the list of countries where a foreign passport is not required included two more states.
Previously, it was possible to travel with an internal passport to Ukraine, but the political situation between countries has changed such loyalty.
Tajikistan has also made changes and now you can only enter its territory by traveling abroad.
The list of countries above implies visiting these states without having a “foreign passport”, while staying on their territory is allowed for no more than 90 days. When crossing borders, you must present a general passport and, if possible, a pre-filled questionnaire or declaration.
Travel to Belarus
Belarus is not often considered by tourists as a holiday destination. And this is not at all connected with the lack of tourism infrastructure. The thing is that Russians have little interest in the tourism potential of Belarus, what can be seen there and what memorable places to visit.
The city and resort infrastructure of the settlements of the fraternal republic is designed in such a way that it allows you to fully relax and get acquainted with culture and history. In Belarus you can find many monuments of architecture and art. The mention of the main natural attraction - Belovezhskaya Pushcha - deserves enthusiastic words. Animals listed in the Red Book live here, and rare plants and trees grow.
If we talk about types of recreation, then urban and sanatorium-resort tourism are typical for Belarus. There are prefabricated individual tours to Minsk for 3-5 days, allowing you to get acquainted with the main attractions - Minsk City Hall, the Red Church, the Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, ancient castles in Zaslavl and Mir. Excellent conditions for active tourism in winter have been created at the local ski resorts of Silichi, Logoisk and the Yakut Mountains.
There are many excellent sanatoriums and boarding houses in the Republic with excellent medical facilities, providing treatment and rehabilitation of diseases in various fields.
Trip to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is also one of the destinations where Russians do not need a passport. And unlike Belarus, where there is no possibility of full-fledged beach relaxation, Kazakhstan offers to combine several types of tourism and places where to go without a passport.
Firstly, these are educational tours. Almaty and Astana are cities rich in cultural values and history. The famous Beket-ata Mosque, Kok-Tobe Mountain, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Baitere Tower, and the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation are located here.
Secondly, this is a full-fledged beach destination. The blue lakes of Kazakhstan have long become the hallmark of summer tourism. Holidays on Lake Borovoe, Balkhash, Alakol and Shchuchye will appeal to any traveler who goes here in the summer.
Thirdly, Kazakhstan is a land of mountains, and, therefore, active tourism is well developed here, including hiking, horseback riding, cycling tours and rafting. Among the most popular routes are Trans-Ili Alatau, Chimbulak and Kyongey-Alatau.
Travel to Abkhazia
At a time when for a visit, the leader in the list of destinations where to go on vacation without a passport is Abkhazia. The most important advantage of an independent state is that the Black Sea resorts are located here, which means that a full-fledged beach holiday is guaranteed.
In recent years, the authorities of Abkhazia have made every effort to make their region attractive for vacationers. Quite quickly, Soviet boarding houses were replaced by fashionable hotels, architectural monuments were restored, and more attention was paid to natural reserves.
By the way, the popularity of Abkhazia is quite understandable for many reasons, including the natural component, the lack of formalities for crossing borders, affordable prices for trips, a variety of accommodation options, and the versatility of the destination.
The most popular Abkhaz resorts are Pitsunda, Lake Ritsa, New Athos, Gagra. The capital of the republic, the city of Sukhum, invites its guests to visit a botanical garden with a two-hundred-year history. Tourists can also be amazed by such places as the New Athos Monastery, numerous caves, Pitsunda, surrounded by greenery, the beautiful Lake Ritsa, and the Zhoekvar Gorge. But the most important thing that attracts Abkhazia is the sea. There are many hotels, sanatoriums, boarding houses, and cottages here, which, in comparison with neighboring Sochi, operate at very affordable prices.
Holidays in Kyrgyzstan
The calling card of Kyrgyzstan is its thermal springs. And if the beach destinations of neighboring republics are open to Russians only in the summer, then you can relax on the thermal springs of one of the deepest lakes on the planet - Issyk-Kul - even in October, even in April. A large number of sanatoriums have been built here, offering treatment for various disease profiles using healing Issykul water.
Vacationers will remember Kyrgyzstan for its originality. This is a region with a strong Asian accent: there are huge conceptual clothing markets here, the largest of which is Dordoy. In addition, trips to such excursion places as the Burana Tower and the Mausoleum of Gumbez Manas will be interesting. The ancient ridges of the Pamirs and Tien Shan, the Inylchek glacier, the relict forests of Mount Arslanbob and many other natural reserves of the homeland of Genghis Khan stretch across the territory of the republic.
A trip to Kyrgyzstan will not leave indifferent any person who wants to combine an educational, calm and contemplative vacation.
Trip to South Ossetia
The tourist infrastructure of South Ossetia, which was developed in the past, lost its appearance during the period of hostilities. Today this direction is little considered for tourism purposes. The issue with accommodation facilities is acute here, but the unique nature and architectural monuments - medieval castles, temples and towers are open to the eyes of visitors.
A significant disadvantage of visiting the state is that Russia has no air or rail connections with South Ossetia. You can only get here by car, but without a visa or passport.
Among the most popular natural sites are the Kelskoe plateau, which is a place of once extinct volcanoes, the high-mountain village of Kroz and the Nagutni hydropathic clinic in the Znaursky district - the only place in the state that can accommodate vacationers.
Travel to Tajikistan
ATTENTION! According to changes in 2015, an internal passport is no longer sufficient for traveling to Tajikistan. Vacations without a foreign passport have become closed for Russians.
We did not exclude it from the list; we left it as a striking example of the variability of the rules and a reason to think about preparing documents for longer travels and expanding our own geography.
One of the oldest world states. Tours here are carried out mainly as excursions.
A popular tourist route is a tour to the capital of Tajikistan - Dushanbe, where the Gissar fortress is located, the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography, which houses a monument to the founder of the state with a real crown weighing 10 kg. Interesting trips will be to the Khujan fortress, built in the 5th century BC, the Masjidi Jami mosque and the city of the Great Silk Road - Penjikent.
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