Last days of summer: where to go on vacation abroad and how much it will set you back

Warm summer days and the holiday season are coming to an end. But there’s still time for a quick getaway, as more and more countries are opening borders for tourists.

hromadske together with the EKTA insurance service have gathered five destinations worthy of spending your last summer days.

Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, October 17, 2018. Photo: Darren Wood / Flickr

Montenegro

In this country, everyone is sure to find something for themselves. Here you can enjoy mountain views, swim in the Adriatic Sea and explore historical sites.

We recommend visiting the Bay of Kotor. It is one of the most beautiful bays in the world and the only fjord in southern Europe. Not far from it lies the ancient city of Kotor - the pearl of the Adriatic coast. Do not miss the largest canyon in Europe - Tara. Rafting fans will find this place especially interesting. We recommend ending your walk on the Djurdjevic Bridge. This is an enormous concrete structure located above an abyss.

Also be sure to visit the Durmitor National Park with stunning views, mountain rivers, the monasteries of Ostrog and Moracha, located at an altitude of 900 metres above sea level, as well as Lake Skadar and Grlo Sokolovo.

Prices from August 25 to September 1:

Flights from Kyiv to Tivat start from UAH 8,960 for a return ticket.

The average price per room in a three-star hotel is UAH 1,460, in a five-star hotel - UAH 7,366.

A 7-night tour from Kyiv to Budva starts from UAH 16,060 for two adults without meals.

You can enter the country without restrictions - you only need insurance. However, bear in mind that restaurants and nightclubs can only be visited with a vaccination certificate or a negative coronavirus test result.

Visitors enjoy the park near Antonio Gaudi's Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, on May 31, 2020. Photo: AP / Emilio Morenatti

Spain

The country recently opened its borders to Ukrainians. Here you can choose something to your liking: the beach resorts of the Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa del Sol or Costa de Valencia, located on the Mediterranean Sea. Or tourist cities: Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Toledo.

Here is our must-see list for Barcelona:

Sagrada Familia is a church that has been in the process of construction since 1882 with donations from parishioners. Its architecture and grandeur are striking.

Guell Park is a garden city with an original design and parrots flying overhead.

The Casa Batlló is a building almost devoid of straight lines that resembles a dragon in shape.

Also visit the Picasso Museum, Barcelona’s Center for Contemporary Culture and the Science Museum.

Prices from August 25 to September 1:

Flights from Kyiv to Barcelona start from UAH 11,221 return per person.

The average price per room in a three-star hotel is UAH 3,037, in a five-star hotel - UAH 5,838.

A 7-night tour to Barcelona for 7 nights starts from UAH 51,743 for two adults, with breakfast included.

You can enter the country without restrictions, all you need is a completed health control form and a certificate of insurance.

Cappadocia International Hot-Air Balloon Festival, Turkey, August 7, 2018. Photo: AP / Emrah Gurel

Turkey

Turkey can be worlds apart from the one we are used to. Cappadocia is a clear testament to this. And if you have long dreamed of flying in a hot air balloon, you should definitely come here and enjoy one of the last summer dawns.

Also in Cappadocia, you can ride horses through the valleys with a Martian landscape, take a tour of the underground cities where people once lived, or visit the Monks or Pigeon Valley with thousands of nests in the rocks.

Prices from August 25 to September 1:

A tour to Cappadocia for 3-4 days will cost on average from $310 to $1,000 per person. Hot air balloon flight sets you back $ 65-90.

You can enter the country with a negative PCR test for coronavirus taken no later than 72 hours before arrival, a rapid antigen test done at least 48 hours before crossing the border, a vaccination certificate or a document that you have contracted COVID-19 in the last six months.

An electronic form must be completed 72 hours before the trip on the website of the Ministry of Health of Turkey. You will also need to take out insurance to cover your COVID-19 treatment.

Mon Repos Palace, now a museum where British Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born on June 10, 1921, can be seen from above on the island of Corfu, Greece, on April 12, 2021. Photo: AP / Thanassis Stavrakis

Greece

In Greece, we recommend visiting the island of Corfu with its narrow streets, small villages and incredible nature.

To see and explore as much as possible, rent a car and go on a road trip.

You will see the best landscapes in Palaiokastritsa, the "Channel of Love” ​​in Sidari, the Saint Spyridon Church in Corfu. Also take a look at the palace of Achilleion, where Elisabeth of Austria once lived, and climb Mount Pantokrator.

Order a rabbit with onions, a rooster in wine, ginger beer and a dried fig pie at a local café. For souvenirs, buy Mavromatis kumquat liqueur or jam, olive oil, spices and sheep cheese.

Prices from August 25 to September 1:

Flights from Kyiv to Corfu start from UAH 8,432 return per person.

The average cost of a room per night in a three-star hotel is UAH 2,486, in a five-star hotel - UAH 9,969.

A 7-night tour with breakfast will cost from 35,479 UAH for two people.

To enter the country, you must have insurance, a negative PCR test for coronavirus made no later than 72 hours before arrival, a rapid antigen test done 48 hours before crossing the border, a vaccination certificate or evidence of coronavirus disease and recovery or the presence of antibodies after coronavirus disease.

Before arrival, you also need to fill out a PLF form on the website of the Ministry of Tourism of Greece, where you should provide information about yourself, the address where you will live and a contact person in Ukraine.

The Peace Bridge is reflected in the Kura River in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Tuesday, February 14, 2017. Photo: AP / Shakh Aivazov

Georgia

In this country, you will feel as if you have come to visit distant relatives whom you have not seen for a long time. Everyone around will be happy to meet, sing, dance, hug and invite you to the table. Here you should try khachapuri, satsivi, khinkali, churchkhela, achma puff pastry and wine.

Here are our must-seen ideas for Georgia: the Bridge of Peace in Tbilisi, Ujarma Fortress, Gremi Castle and Kindzmarauli Winery in Kakheti, the local bazaar in Telavi, the Gergeti Trinity Church and the Zhinvali Reservoir, the Vardzia Cave Monastery and the Rabati Fortress. Enjoy the country and remember that it is the small towns that best convey true Georgian hospitality.

Prices from August 25 to September 1:

Flights from Kyiv to Tbilisi start from UAH 5,198 UAH return per person.

The average price per room per night in a three-star hotel is UAH 968, in a five-star hotel - UAH 4,252.

A three-night tour will cost from UAH 21,880 for two people with breakfast.

Georgia accepts a negative PCR test for coronavirus, made no later than 72 hours before arrival or a vaccination certificate and a special questionnaire. You also need to have a certificate of insurance to enter.

Recently, the number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases started growing. So if you want to protect yourself while traveling, take out insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment. Besides, these are the recommendations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Choose only reliable insurance companies with a simple registration procedure and be sure to check the availability of COVID-19 treatment coverage in your tariff. EKTA Insurance Company is the first non-life insurance company in Ukraine to introduce data transfer of the insured through the "Diia" application. To obtain an insurance policy, you do not need to enter data and provide copies of documents, it is much easier and more convenient to confirm their transfer through “Diia".

 To get an insurance policy, go to ektatraveling.com or use Viber (https://www.viber.com/ekta_insure) or Telegram (@ic_ekta_bot, https://t.me/ic_ekta_bot).

Video guide: https://youtu.be/jMXiFsp4d6o

/This material was sponsored.