Vacation reason: why Russians arrange mini-vacations in the fall

Russians plan to spend the November holidays not only at home: despite one official day off, many pre-book trips for several days. The Moscow and Leningrad regions, the Krasnodar Territory, Tatarstan and the Nizhny Novgorod Region are popular domestically, while Egypt and Turkey are leading the way abroad. About the most popular routes, the cost of rest and ways to extend the weekend — in the material of Izvestia.

Where to spend the holidays in Russia

This year, National Unity Day, November 4, falls on a Wednesday, so Russians should not count on a long weekend. However, many people plan trips not only on holidays, told Izvestia in Avito Travels.

The most popular regions for outdoor recreation are the Moscow and Leningrad Regions, the Krasnodar Territory, Tatarstan and the Nizhny Novgorod Region. The top 10 also includes the Sverdlovsk Region, Karelia, Samara and Chelyabinsk regions, and Bashkortostan. The demand for rental of country houses increased most noticeably in Tatarstan (+53%), Saratov region (+37%) and Karelia (+25%).

When traveling, people usually stay in houses and cottages — they account for 96% of bookings. Interest in guest houses has grown especially over the past year: they have been rented three times more often. The average cost is about 17.3 thousand rubles per night.

St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod became the leaders in the number of daily apartment bookings for the November holidays. Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Kislovodsk, Sochi and Kaliningrad also entered the top 10. The demand for apartments increased the most in Krasnoyarsk (+210%), Yaroslavl (+149%), Kislovodsk (+73%), Tula (+48%) and Tyumen (+37%). The average rental price is 4.2 thousand rubles per day.

Not before the holidays: what will happen to children's holidays in Crimea

The regional authorities have banned the booking and accommodation of schoolchildren in camps and hotels until the end of the summer.

— The November holidays are a good reason to get out into nature for a few days or see a new city, — said Vladislav Sakina, Commercial Director of Avito Travel. — Russians plan even short trips in advance and, on average, book accommodation in two months. This shows that small trips are becoming a familiar vacation format that people include in their plans.

The demand for trips with arrivals from October 30 to November 3 increased by 27% compared to the same period last year, according to analysts of the service "Fly.ru". In the segment of domestic tourism, the Krasnodar Territory retains the first place with a share of 20%, although a year earlier it accounted for 24.5%.

Moscow rose to the second place with significant growth, with a share of 18% compared to 3.5% last year. The share of Caucasian Mineral Waters has more than doubled, from 5% to 11%, equaling St. Petersburg. Primorsky Krai rounded out the top five domestic destinations with a 6.5% share, displacing the Kaliningrad Region and Crimea, which were in the top in 2025.

According to the data Level.Travel Sochi is the leader among domestic resorts, although its share has decreased from 72% to 67%. The average check on the seashore is 66 thousand rubles, and in the mountain cluster — 77 thousand rubles.

St. Petersburg has made a real breakthrough: interest in traveling to the Northern Capital has more than doubled, accounting for 19% of all bookings in the country. At the same time, holidays in the city on the Neva River rose in price by 59%, to 54 thousand rubles, and the trips themselves became noticeably shorter — an average of 4.9 nights. Another 10% of the market was occupied by Caucasian Mineral Waters with an average check of 123 thousand rubles. Moscow and the Kaliningrad region are actively booking.

Where will Russians go abroad

Thailand has overtaken the UAE in the share of bookings for tours with flights for the November holidays. According to the Onlinetours package tour booking service, the kingdom accounts for 17.6% of tours with arrivals from October 31 to November 4, 2026, compared to 11.6% a year earlier. The UAE's share decreased from 15.9% to 7.6% over the same period.

Egypt remained the most popular destination, accounting for 31.2% of bookings. Turkey is in second place with a share of 20.9%, although a year ago the figure was 26.4%. China increased significantly, from 1.7% to 7.6%. Vietnam also increased its share from 2.3% to 4.6%.

"In general, the number of bookings for holiday tours increased by 7% year-on-year. The average check was 248.5 thousand rubles, which is 1.2% higher than last year's figure. In Thailand, the average cost of booking reached 284.5 thousand rubles, in Egypt — 248.1 thousand, in Turkey — 205.2 thousand rubles," the service said.

The reservation is strong: how Russian tourists' plans, routes, and habits change

Premium holidays within the country are gaining popularity, and foreign tours are becoming more spontaneous.

The main foreign destination of the season, according to "Fly.<url>" became Egypt, which took 33% of the sales structure against 25% in 2025. Thailand took the second place with 17% (an increase from 15%), while Turkey dropped to third place from 13%, losing six percentage points. Vietnam (8%) and China (7%) complete the top five, while the UAE, which occupied 13% of the market last year, left the rating.

At the same time, Tanzania showed the greatest growth in applications, where demand increased fourfold against the background of a low base last year. Bookings to India increased 3.3 times, to Abkhazia - 2.4 times, to Vietnam — twice, and to Egypt — 1.7 times. There was also a noticeable increase in demand in the Maldives (+45%), Thailand (+41%) and China (+31%).

The cost of tours to popular foreign destinations varied in different ways. The most noticeable increase was in prices for trips to Vietnam — by 57%, to 198.5 thousand rubles, and to China — by 37%, to 227.3 thousand rubles. Holidays in Turkey rose in price by 5%, amounting to 163.1 thousand rubles. At the same time, trips to Egypt fell slightly in price — by 1%, to 203.5 thousand rubles, and the average check for tours to Thailand decreased by 9.5%, dropping to 165 thousand rubles.

And here at Level.Travel other data. Most notably, according to their calculations, travel packages to Turkey have risen in price — by 37% at once, to 258 thousand rubles, to the UAE — by 35%, to 354 thousand rubles, and to Egypt — by 19%, to 300 thousand rubles. Vietnam, where the average check was 266 thousand rubles, and China, with a check of 254 thousand rubles, showed a less pronounced increase in prices.

Why are short trips gaining popularity

This year, November 4 falls on a Wednesday, so there will be no additional days off due to postponements, Anatoly Bakin, a lawyer and a member of the Association of Intellectual Volunteers, reminded. However, with proper planning, you can easily arrange a mini-vacation.

— The best option is to take a vacation on November 5th and 6th, Thursday and Friday. Then the rest will last from Wednesday to Sunday, and only two days will leave the vacation," the expert noted.

From a financial point of view, a paid vacation is more profitable than days at your own expense. The November 4th holiday is not included in the calculation. And in order not to lose the weekend, the application should specify only the working dates.

— Taking days at your own expense is the least profitable: they are not paid, and the employer has the right to refuse such a request, — the lawyer added. — This option makes sense only if the paid vacation has already been fully used. An alternative is to take time off for previously worked weekends or overwork: if you take them on November 5 and 6 or November 2 and 3, the rest can be extended without using vacation days.

It is important to remember that an unplanned vacation must be agreed with the employer. If he is on schedule, the company has no right to refuse. It is worth considering the nuance with the pre-holiday on November 3: the working day will be shortened by an hour, but when taking a vacation on this date, a full day will be deducted from the limit.

The route has been revised: Russians are abandoning resorts in favor of small towns

Popular destinations include Kyakhta in Buryatia, Istra near Moscow, and Thais in the Leningrad Region.

In Level.Travel It was noted that in early autumn, tourists took a wait-and-see attitude and will now choose the right moment to book trips for autumn and winter. According to the service, delayed demand may appear in late autumn: even after a waiting period, people planning a vacation will return to looking for suitable options.

The growing popularity of short trips on holidays reflects an important cultural shift in society: today, people are increasingly opting for emotional rebooting and self-care instead of adhering to formal traditions, says psychologist and family therapist Olga Kushnareva.

— Modern people live in constant tension — informational, emotional, and work. Even holidays often become an additional stress due to the need to cook, receive guests and organize leisure activities," the expert emphasized.

According to the expert, even a two- or three-day change of environment makes it possible to effectively restore psychological resources, and the value of vivid joint experiences increasingly displaces interest in material gifts.