Budget Travel for Students

Student years are the best time for travel. Summer means holidays, many friends, and no desire to sleep. If you add finances to these starting conditions, you can see the whole country in four years of study. But when has a lack of money ever stopped students? Especially considering that there are now all opportunities for budget trips. Pack your bags and let's go!

Subsidized Fares

Before you turn 23, you should take advantage of special airfare rates. What are subsidized air tickets? These are tickets where a portion of the cost is covered by the state. Everyone benefits: airlines get money, passengers get flights to distant lands, and the state promotes tourism. The main destinations are the Far East and Kaliningrad. The list is approved annually and should be checked on the website of the Federal Air Transport Agency. For example, a ticket from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk in 2025 costs only 1,800 ₽, and you can fly from Yakutsk to Sochi for 7,800 ₽.

Cheap Tickets

If the previous point didn't work out, you can always just look for inexpensive tickets. And there are several ways to do this.

Book in advance. For summer – the earlier, the better. For the rest of the year – on average a couple of months before the trip.

Build a complex route with long layovers. You can get to Vladivostok, for example, by spending a couple of days in Irkutsk beforehand. Tickets for this need to be booked separately for each flight, but a long layover guarantees that you won't miss the second part of your route.

Subscribe to price changes. In this case, newsletters are your friend. You can patiently wait for the ticket price to drop, and then buy at the right moment.

Fly without checked luggage. Does a student really need that much for a great vacation? Good company is far more important than three pairs of shoes in a suitcase. Therefore, a backpack with the necessary minimum in hand luggage is sufficient.

Fly at night. It's important for families with children to depart and arrive during comfortable daytime hours, but students have the energy for night flights. Especially since prices for evening and night flights are usually lower.

Read more about how to buy a cheap flight ticket on Kupibilet, in our blog.

Studtourism

The state has its own tourism programs for students. "Studtourism" is one of them. It has been active since 2021, allowing students to stay in the campuses of other universities across the country. It's like a "dorm exchange." All you need to do is choose a region, book spots in a campus for the desired dates, and receive confirmation from the host institution. During holidays, you can travel for cultural, educational, or recreational ("leisure") purposes; during the academic year, you can travel for career guidance and popular science directions. For example, you can stay in the hotel complex of the Far Eastern University. Each university has its own list of required documents, so be sure to check it.

More Than a Trip

Rosmolodezh (Federal Agency for Youth Affairs) sends not only students but also schoolchildren, young specialists from regions, and family members of military personnel on trips across Russia. In brief, the principle of operation is as follows:

Win a competition –> receive a certificate –> get on a verified list –> activate your personal account –> receive a tour booking confirmation letter –> go on the trip.

A logical question: "Which competition do I need to win?" The list can be viewed on the website. 

Discovering Russia Anew

To see the country as part of an expedition – sounds unconventional! Participants are selected on a competitive basis, the main thing is to meet the criteria of a specific research project. For example, for a trip to the Arkhangelsk region in August 2025, history, archaeology, and biology students are sought. And the stunning Malkinsky Gorge can be seen if you join an expedition to Kabardino-Balkaria in August.

RZD Bonus

Expeditions, flights... But how can students travel by rail? For this, "RZD Bonus" has a student card. Under this program, full-time students and postgraduate students receive a 25% discount on tickets for seating cars and compartment cars on long-distance trains. Getting it is easy, the main thing is to get a certificate from the dean's office on the educational institution's letterhead. The discount is valid until September 1 of the next academic year. 

Sapsan trains offer a special Junior youth fare, designed for passengers aged 10 to 21. With it, tickets become 30% cheaper.

All that's left is to successfully pass your exams, and you can go!