How can I afford to travel to Russia to meet the woman I love?

Disclaimer: This is 100% real. I’m not asking for donations or sympathy, just advice on how to afford a trip that means everything to me. I know parts of it might sound like some cheesy naive sob story, but I've given it a lot of thought for a long time, and I'm set on my destination.

TL;DR: I (35M) met a Russian woman (33F) in 2020 during the pandemic (32M and 30F respectively), and we fell deeply for each other despite the distance. Life, war, and financial issues kept us from meeting, and we eventually drifted. I can’t let this end without at least meeting her once. I’m determined to travel to St. Petersburg by June 2025 to see her. I work as an interpreter in Buenos Aires, where round-trip tickets cost $3,000, but I only make $1,000 a month and work is tight. I need advice on the best ways to earn/save enough money in time or somesuch Hail-Mary alternatives. I'm pretty desperate and would do almost anything at this point.

Full story:

Back in 2020, I met a Russian lady while playing SwTor (an MMO). It started casually and at first I was naturally cautious about this stranger, but over time, we actually got to know each other quite well and ended up forming a deep connection over months without me realizing it. We spent hours every day talking, sharing our cultures (I’m Venezuelan, was living in Peru from 2018 to 2024), and eventually, we fell into a long-distance relationship. We had video calls every day, complete openness to one another, and an understanding that we wanted to meet in person someday.

But life kept throwing obstacles in the way. I ran into financial struggles and the death of my father back in Venezuela (hadn't seen him in years and couldn't even attend a funeral), and then the war made traveling even harder. The distance wore us down, and eventually, we argued and drifted apart. I regret not doing more to meet her when I had the chance, and I refuse to live with the regret of never even trying.

She’s skeptical that we’ll ever meet, but I know that if I show up, she’ll see me. I’ve even been learning Russian over the last year. I need to prove, to her and to myself, that all this wasn't in vain, that at least I could keep my promise, that I made it possible for us to finally meet after talking so much about it and all the disappointment. Even if nothing else comes of it, at least I'll be able to close that chapter properly and not regret things for the rest of my life.

Here’s the issue: Flights to Saint Petersburg cost around $3,000, and I only make about $1,000 a month. I recently moved to Buenos Aires, and between immigration costs and basic expenses, I haven’t been able to save much. On top of that, an ex-employer still owes me $4,400, which threw me into financial trouble. I tried sending emails to Turkish Airlines (stupid, I know, but again, I'm desperate), and I'm wracking my head every day on how I could actually make this possible now before it's too late.

I’ve thought about side gigs, freelancing, and even crowdfunding, but I need a solid plan to raise the money. I can't ask her to help with this, since this is something I have to do on my own. If necessary, I could meet her in Moscow or Volgodonsk (where her best friend, who's a self-confessed romantic who's rooting for us, always a bad sign, lives), but I still need to afford the trip.

So, Reddit, I am desperate for advice:

• What are the best ways to get $3,000 (or 2.500$, or cheaper tickets!) in the next few months while living in Buenos Aires?
• Any ideas on alternative, cheaper routes to get to Russia?
• Has anyone pulled off something similar before?

I know this might sound crazy, but I’d rather try and fail than live my life wondering what if. Any help or insight would mean the world to me. If I don't do this, I won't have peace.

We have 2 weeks in June and want to go somewhere fun, but flights for a family of 4 (2 kids ages 5 and 12, 2 adults) get pricey pretty quickly. Is there a tool that can show me the cheapest international flights? Sounds obvious, but I haven't found it yet. Or, do folks have recommendations for places to go that are interesting/fun but not super expensive?

i am trying to find some hotels that are clean and decent for her.

i dont know the exact budget, but the lower the better. but no hostels. i would say at most $100-$200/night.

although i live in washington, since i live here, i dont really know what hotels are good or not.

Im looking for information on how to fly to Thailand from Denver as cheaply as possible. Do I make a pit stop in another city or county in order to get a cheaper flight there? I'm completely new to this, so please forgive me if it's a silly question or there is no hard and fast rule.

Idk if this is the right sub, but If I were to cross the Canadian border by foot, car, or train, when they ask me why I'm there, would it be acceptable to say that I'm catching a flight in Canada? Or would that somehow be suspicious or unacceptable?

For example in egypt I sometimes cant be arsed to haggle and just pay the price because a dollar extra for me is nothing. touts, drivers, etc, will upsell me and lie to my face quite often. Love the locals though; people offered to pay for my food and shared food for free and ppl are very welcoming❤️, just hate the touts/ppl try to scam you lol But!!

I hear a take from another traveler that it gives leeway for those people to try keep scamming others and for a higher price. What are your guys' thoughts on it, I feel a bit bad now lol. Although I sort of became a better negotiator/know how to see scams coming out of egypt hahah

Hi y’all, I’m trying to plan a Europe trip that isn’t too costly. I’ll be going in late March (flying out of Chicago), hopefully for around 5-7 days, and bringing my partner. We are an interracial (black + white) lesbian couple, and my partner is considered “visibly queer”/gender-nonconforming, so safety is a primary concern. Because of our safety concerns, hostels are not ideal either. So based on flight cost and safety, these are our possibilities right now:

⁃	Barcelona and/or Madrid
⁃	Milan and/or Venice
⁃	Vienna and/or Budapest
⁃	Lisbon
⁃	Dublin
⁃	Iverness and Edinburgh
⁃	Swiss Alps (fly into Geneva)

Which would be the least costly? I’ve read that Switzerland is very expensive but I’ve found plenty of affordable places to stay in the Alps that are cheaper than places in Italy or Dublin. I’m struggling with narrowing down my list and deciding so I would really appreciate the help!

25M American with elementary English solo traveling CN for the first time!

Let me know what you think -- I intentionally added extra days to parts of the trip for rest since I'm going to many parts of the country.

• Hong Kong - 4 days

• Shenzhen - 1 Day (20min train from HK)

• Guangzhou - 3 Days (1.5hr train from SZ)

• Yunnan Province

• • Dali - 3 Days (3hr flight from GZ)
• • Lijiang - 2 Days (2.5hr train from Dali)
• • Shangri-La + Tiger Leaping Gorge - Day trip

• Chongqing - 3 Days (2hr flight from Lijiang)

• Zhangjiajie - 3 Days (1hr flight from Chongqing)

• Chengdu - 5 Days (2hr flight from Zhangjiajie)

• Xi’an - 4 Days (2hr flight from Chengdu [only on T, Th, Sat])

• Beijing - 5 Days (2.5hr flight from Xi’an)

• Nanjing - 2 Days (3.5hr train from Beijing)

• Hangzhou - 3 Days (1.5hr train from Nanjing)

• Shanghai - 5 Days (1hr train from Hangzhou)

• • Suzhou - Day trip

Would you add or modify anything? :) I go in March!

A few friends and I are going on a trip to japan. It won't be for long maybe 7-10 days at most but I'm just wanting to know how much I should have in savings and how much most of you have spent. I already purchased my plane ticket and passport. I just wanna know how much for accommodation and other iffy things, I wanna be as prepared as possible. Around 4 of us will go so how much should we each save up? If there are any other questions I'll gladly answer

In March I travel to Paris. My trip home to Dallas has 2 separate flights. My flight from Paris connects in Montreal and then lands in Newark. I have a separately booked flight on American from Newark to Dallas.

My flight from Paris lands in Newark at 8:45 pm. My flight to Dallas departs at 5:45. That whole thing makes me tired just thinking about it.

I am trying to decide if it is worth booking a nearby hotel room OR if it is worth staying at the airport all night and trying to hopefully catch ZZZ's there. One issue will be that I will probably have a checked bag, so I'll have to go out to baggage claim when I land from Paris and I am NOT sure if they'll let me back in on the secure side since my flight is not until the next morning.

Anyone have any advice on this ? I mean-- yea I'd love a bed, but by the time I grab an Uber or Lyft and get to a hotel and get checked in - I'm gonna get little sleep when I have to get up very early to be back at the airport for the flight back to Dallas.

I would have chosen a later flight, but this one was chosen for me...... ugh.....

Any more traveled flyers than me on this issue ? I welcome your advice ?

I'm going to travel alone to Europe with my savings and I need 50GB of mobile internet. I have enough money to visit 4 countries, and the fifth will be Germany, where I'm going to meet up with my dad. He's is currently using TooSim and yeah, it's quite cheap for Europe and he's happy with the quality, but is there anything else cheaper? I need a stable provider, since I play several mobile games and I don't want to lose my login rewards

I’m traveling to the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Viernam for around 5,5/6 months. (Only staying in Singapore for like 3 day) I’m planning on just staying in hostels and i’m not on a super cheap budget but I’m definitely not doing luxury backpacking, just the usual. Would €15K be enough?

Thanks :)

I hope to record my journey -- I love trying new foods both on the street and restaurants. But, I want to travel minimalistically and use my Pixel 8 Pro phone.

Anyone tried this before? What accessories are needed? I've heard this:

• Microphone: (like DJI mic 2)
• Gimbal: (like DJI Osmo)
• Tripod: (not sure what's good for this eating purpose)
• Lighting: Maybe portable for food pics or attached to a phone?
• External storage: Or maybe Google Drive upload is better?

Apps?

• What about recording and photo apps? (like FilmicPro or BlackMagic over stock?)

Making life easier?

• Every time you record, do you create folders to organize and make it easier to edit and upload later?

Would love to learn from you -- I would like to do short-form content like Reels, TikTok, or even XiaoHongShu.

Looking to get to Amsterdam from DC March 7th-March 16th. I’m thinking of flying into London and taking a flight from there. Round trip to London im seeing ~850 and ~150 for London -> Amsterdam. Is this the best I can get? Note: trying to avoid long layovers that will cut into travel time.

I’m not certain if this is the appropriate forum for my question, so I welcome any recommendations for a more suitable subreddit. However, I believe that credit card points fall within the shoestring travel category. I’m seeking advice on how to maximize the value of the points I’ve accumulated. Currently, I have 165,000 Amex Cobalt points, which I would like to use for a one-way flight to Southeast Asia in mid-September 2025, departing from either Montreal or Ottawa. I am flexible with the exact location and date, as long as I can find an affordable flight from my destination in Southeast Asia to Indonesia, which is where I plan to start my trip.

I find the process of booking travel with points somewhat confusing, particularly when trying to determine how to get the most value from them. I understand that I can transfer my points to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio, which seems to be a viable option based on my research. However, I’ve also read that booking business class may provide better value when using points. As this will be my first time booking with points, I want to ensure that I don’t miss out on maximizing their value. I would greatly appreciate any guidance.

Hostel owner who runs a guide service is insisting that I am required to have a guide. I was under the impression that the law requiring foreign trekkers to have a guide is not being enforced? I am doing ABC, Langtang valley and three passes. I understand that hiring a guide gives back to the local economy but I am on a shoestring budget, and if I don’t HAVE to get a guide, then I won’t. Please no unsolicited financial advice or guilt tripping.

I live in Switzerland, the rental prices are incredibly high and the houses are also very old. How much would it cost me to stay in a simple single house with just one room for 3 months in L.A. during the summer season? Prefabricated style things are simple, ergonomic and peaceful. Also, my other question is that I want to visit the beautiful natural deserts of California. How much would a car cost me per day including tax and insurance? Could it be $30-40, for example?

Hey all,

25F taking a gap year starting from June and will be coming back and forth to the UK to take breaks and visit family for a few days - weeks at a time.

I plan to go to the below places, can anyone please give advice on how I can stick within my budget, if it is realistic/possible. My maximum budget is £10k, even better if I could do £8k or below. I am also using working abroad opportunities to cover some expenses (food/accomodation etc.)

• 10 weeks USA work abroad Summer Camp with additional 7-9 days to explore Boston and Rhode Island
• 13 weeks work abroad in 4-5 cities in Australia
• 19-27weeks in SEA or Africa (undecided)

During my breaks, returning to UK, I can find temporary work from retail recruitment agencies if need be.

25M solo from California with elementary mandarin planning my trip.

I'm wondering:

1. I want to see these places, but which cities should I add more days to chill and rest a bit so I'm not exhausted city hopping?
2. What is the optimal route between these cities?
3. How much travel time should I account for?

This is what I have so far:

• Hong Kong: 5D
• Shenzhen: 1D
• Yunnan Province (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang): 5D
• Chengdu: 3D + Jiahaigou: 1D
• Chonqing: 3D
• Zhangjiajie: 2D
• Xi'an: 4D
• Beijing: 4D
• Nanjing: 2D
• Hangzhou: 2D
• Shanghai: 3D
• Fly back to California from SH

That's ~35D, not accounting for travel, I wouldn't mind adding 10 more days to make this plan more restful!

I’ve been thinking about traveling lately. I think whats most important to me with traveling is nature and trying new food. But buying food at a market like fruit, not as much restaurants. I basically want to act like a local for a bit and be in nature haha.

The reason I am thinking of England is because of all of the hidden forests and national conservation parks. Theres so many rate biomes that are overlooked. I’d love to just be in the English rainforests and country side.

I looked into Dartmor and Somerset.

Is England expensive to travel in?

I was thinking costa rica because I prefer warm weather. Also I hear there are many good fruit markets and agricultural efforts here.

Is Costa Rico expensive or unsafe to travel ?

25M American with elementary Mandarin skills exploring China for the first time!

First, I'll do 3 weeks in Taiwan, 4 days in Hong Kong, and then for the 5 weeks...

• Shenzhen: 1D (I want to visit a friend)
• Guangzhou: 2D
• Chengdu: 3D
• Chongqing: 3D
• Xi'an: 3D
• Beijing: 4D
• Nanjing: 2D
• Suzhou: 2D
• Hangzhou: 2D
• Shanghai: 3D (SH has the best flights back to Taiwan before I return to San Francisco)

A few questions:

1. Is anything above worth adding or removing days?
2. Is Yunnan province worth adding, if so for how long? Lijiang, Dali, and Luoping look beautiful
3. I am going in March into mid-April. Anything special at this time?

Food is my favorite thing while traveling, unique landscapes and nature are cool too, I also enjoy clothing shopping and talking with locals.

just wondering how it happened hahaha.

Hi, I'm looking to plan a trip to Vegas for under $1000.

What are the best cheap things to do?

What's the deal with all the hotels charging a 'resort fee'?

What about reasonable places to eat?

Thanks :)

Hey all,

I (20M) just booked a 20 day trip (May 2-23) to central Europe from Canada. I will be flying in and out of Prague.

I am just wondering if anyone has advice on how to narrow down my destinations?! Central Europe is a destination I have REALLY been wanting to go. I love the medieval-esque to it.

I was thinking something like Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Kosice, Wroclaw, Krakow. As much as I would LOVE to visit all of those places, I think its probably to much. I like moving quick, but I think that's just to much train travel with the limited time I have. I guess another option could just be Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow, hitting a lot of the major cities. But idk, at that point I feel like I've barely scratched the surface (just visiting one city for example). Like, I could say I've been to Hungary if I go to Budapest, but have I really? I only went to one place. I think I like to properly explore countries so I can say I've actually been there. I guess I can always go back though and properly explore at another date!

I'm wondering on this trip (and my first time visiting central Europe), should I do those big cities, or pick maybe 2/3 countries and properly explore them? I'd love to hit up as many places as possible, but I wonder if I should just do something like Czechia, Austria, Slovenia, or Czechia, Poland, Slovakia (something like that)? I would really love to see some of the gorgeous nature central Europe has to offer (Bled, Alps/mountains, Hallstatt). I won't be renting a car though, so I'm not sure how difficult that would be.

I've only been to Italy and Scotland in Europe. I wasn't crazy about Italy (I think just with how I planned the trip) and really regretted not going to the Dolomites. I did really love Cinque Terre though! I LOVED Scotland. I went on that trip with my brother and we rented a car (he drove the whole time) and it was just so amazing. I think honestly because we did so much nature stuff (even just pulling over to look at a landscape). Scotland was a nice mix between cool medieval European cities (Edinburgh, Glasgow, etc) and awesome nature.

Any insight on how I should go about narrowing the trip down is appreciated!

Hey all,

I am planning to work abroad in Australia for 4 months this year. Could I please have some help on the below:

How easy is it to find and get hired for casual jobs?

What’s the easiest part time jobs to do?

Would it be possible for me to get a job in 1-2weeks of arriving?

Are there any jobs I could line up for when I get there?

Ideally I would like to travel to different cities in Australia so even better if I can get part time jobs in the major cities.

Would it be easier to sign up to a temporary recruitment agency and work flexibly based on each city I am in?

Hi all! Does anyone have budget tips for planning a more affordable friends trip to the US Virgin Islands? It would be for 6 people between April - July. I was thinking 5 nights although it could stretch to 6-7 nights if within the budget. Is $1000 USD per person a pipe dream? 😭 Give it to me straight ! If there are other destinations (domestic or international) that would give similar vibe, I’m open to suggestions.

Main Expenses

• Rental Car: Should we get this at St. Thomas and use the car ferry or just directly on St. John?
• Lodging: Vrbo/Airbnb? Would you recommend Cruz Bay or Coral Bay for a group of 6 (Ages from 23-31)?
• Flights (From DFW): Thinking it could be cheaper to buy two one-way tickets? Round trip seems to inflate costs. Plan to use Skyscanner although I’m not sure the best timing for purchase.
• Food: We were thinking about cooking at least half our meals. Anyone have a specific grocery store recommendation on St. John?

THANKS IN ADVANCE !

ideally want to stay near kyoto or tokyo, and in one location for the whole duration, such as a sizable airbnb. any website recs to find a good location, or tips to get anything for cheaper (flight, food recs, airbnb recs in kyoto or tokyo area)?

Theres a post 5 years ago about this service but looking for an updated response. Is this any good? Worth £48?

Hi all, I have 4 days over April to travel somewhere. Open to anywhere with stunning nature, preferably not too far away, Europe? Suggestions of locations as well as great hostels would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

Looking to plan at least a few trips for myself this year. I’m flexible on dates and locations. What places are the cheapest to go to from Boston airport?