Did you know there’s a simple (and 100 per cent legitimate) way to visit St Petersburg without going through the visa process? The only catch is you have to enter the city by cruise ship. But hey, cruises can be pretty fun.
I first heard about the loophole through a friend – who had heard it from someone he met at a hostel when he was in Moscow. The loophole allows you to visit Russia for up to 72 hours as long as you’re part of an organised tour starting from a cruise.
My first thought was this couldn’t be true – you board a ship and you’re able to get around the visa rule? My antenna was up and it sounded like a scam. But I did a bit of research and it seemed like it was true and so I booked my passage on a cruise ship from Helsinki in Finland.
Meet Fanni Bartanics. Together with her travel buddy Suzy, Fanni is currently on an inspiring trip through Central America. Over the past few months, she has hitchhiked her way across Central America. Her travel blog My Seven Worlds aims to inspire, motivate and educate fellow adventurers about the world of travel and uncover the inner workings of why we travel and how it makes us who we are. Here she shares her tips on hitchhiking through Central America.