Valentine's Day is approaching, and search engines have revealed where Russians will be traveling on February 14 and how much it will cost. We'll also find out which cities are ideal for solo travel.
According to Tutu.ru, the average cost of a flight The cost of the holiday this year is around 19 thousand rubles; over the past 12 months, this figure has remained virtually unchanged.
Nine of the top ten most popular destinations this year depart from Moscow. The only exception is the flight from St. Petersburg to Prague, which ranks fourth. Prague tops the list, accounting for 5.81% of all tickets sold from Moscow. Travelers paid an average of 17,500 rubles for round-trip tickets (an increase of 9.91% compared to the previous year).
Rome came in second place (5% bookings, 21.2 thousand rubles for tickets), and Barcelona came in third (3.6% bookings, 18.4 thousand rubles for tickets).
Flights from Moscow to Verona have seen the biggest price drops over the year, down 741 TP3T to 17,300 rubles, as well as to Tivat (down 501 TP3T) and Vienna (down 451 TP3T).
|
Direction
|
Rating, February 14, 2017
|
Rating, February 14, 2018
|
Share, February 14, 2017
|
Share, February 14, 2018
|
Price, February 14, 2017
|
Price, February 14, 2018
|
Price difference, %
|
|
Moscow-Prague
|
6
|
1
|
3,6%
|
5,8%
|
15730
|
17462
|
+9,92%
|
|
Moscow-Rome
|
4
|
2
|
4,0%
|
5,0%
|
19534
|
21227
|
+7,98%
|
|
Moscow-Barcelona
|
13
|
3
|
2,0%
|
3,6%
|
21302
|
18380
|
-15,90%
|
|
Moscow-Munich
|
3
|
4
|
5,0%
|
3,6%
|
15810
|
15446
|
-2,36%
|
|
St. Petersburg-Prague
|
16
|
5
|
2,0%
|
3,6%
|
13494
|
14182
|
+4,85%
|
|
Moscow-Milan
|
2
|
6
|
5,6%
|
3,2%
|
18597
|
14621
|
-27,19%
|
|
Moscow-Vienna
|
11
|
7
|
2,1%
|
2,4%
|
15197
|
10477
|
-45,05%
|
|
Moscow-Verona
|
5
|
8
|
3,7%
|
2,4%
|
30120
|
17315
|
-73,95%
|
|
Moscow-Tivat
|
19
|
9
|
1,9%
|
2,4%
|
18117
|
12091
|
-49,84%
|
|
Moscow-Berlin
|
18
|
10
|
1,9%
|
2,2%
|
11974
|
12450
|
+3,82%
|
According to Biletix, the two most popular and romantic destinations for Russian couples are Sochi and Barcelona. This data is based on an analysis of airline tickets purchased for couples (male and female) without children for trips of up to four days between February 14 and 18. Such sales increased by 14% in 2018.
Among Russian destinations, Sochi, Krasnodar, and St. Petersburg are the most popular for romantic couples. Among international destinations, Barcelona, Istanbul, and Tel Aviv lead the way. The average age of couples traveling in pairs is 28. A roundtrip flight from Moscow within Russia for two people in mid-February averages 10,960 rubles (last year: 9,100 rubles), while an international flight costs 29,458 rubles (last year: 23,514 rubles).
The most affordable domestic flights in Russia in mid-February are Kazan (from 2,580 rubles roundtrip), St. Petersburg (from 2,980 rubles), Nizhny Novgorod (from 3,891 rubles), Samara (3,098 rubles), and Ufa (4,946 rubles). Among international destinations departing from Moscow, the most affordable are Chisinau (from 8,505 rubles), Vienna (from 9,512 rubles), and Istanbul (from 8,510 rubles for a roundtrip ticket).
Not everyone has a significant other, but traveling can help them meet one. Ahead of Valentine's Day, Skyscanner.ru surveyed Russian travelers to find out which cities they consider ideal for solo travel.
The northern capital emerged as the clear leader, with 21.71% of respondents choosing St. Petersburg.
New York is in second place (14.7%), and Rome is close behind in third (14.6%). Tokyo is fourth (8.9%), and Istanbul is fifth (7.7%).
Interestingly, the top five cities according to male audiences differed slightly from the women's favorites. Men named St. Petersburg, New York, Tokyo, Rome, and London as the best cities for a solo trip. Women, however, chose St. Petersburg, Rome, New York, Istanbul, and Tbilisi. It turned out that the top three cities were the same: St. Petersburg, New York, and Rome.
Source: trn-news.ru