Index – Abroad – If you had the money, most Hungarians would travel



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Like many fans, András Földvári’s story began with the novel Around Earth in Eighty Days.

When I was a child, I received the Verne volume as a gift from my aunt. As soon as I started reading, I knew that one day I would travel the world too

András Földvári tells the Index. The 68-year-old far exceeded his childhood goal. It has already traveled 799 airports around the world in the 193 countries recognized by the UN; The 80th airport on the start list will be Brandenburg Airport, now opening in Berlin. And during the decades of adventures, he traveled up to twelve times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

For someone to be among the most traveled Hungarians, conscious construction is required. Földvári said that after graduating from the College of Commerce with a degree in marketing, his father recommended him to the then state trust in the beer industry.

I just don’t like beer so I figured I wouldn’t be the best person to sell the product.

– He says. Fortunately, one of the employees of the North American group Malév Air Tours then resigned, so that he could start his career at the Hungarian airline instead of at the state brewery. Destination countries were left without boots from the long list of boots thanks to official travel and staff tickets, but Földvári did not stop after his retirement in 2018. He embarked on a tour of the southern hemisphere of the world and was visiting the Solomon Islands when he decided to write a book about his adventures.

An acquaintance of mine urged me to be able to publish my life story with a small investment. I replied that if I had the money I would travel it

– so Földvári.

Finally, through a friend of a journalist in the XXI. Century Publisher saw fantasy in history. Although the publication was first postponed citing the coronavirus epidemic, in the end, it was the quarantined readers who were most satisfied with the volume. The book is slowly reaching its fourth edition.

The coronavirus stopped not only the publication of books, but also Földvár. The retired traveler is currently preparing for Costa Rica, where he will accompany a puppy to its new owner. And in addition to assignments like this, he constantly searches for cheap tickets, reconciling low-cost flight deals with epidemiological restrictions with great routine.

The pages are printed in three languages.

This requires an innate interest or learning. He does not persuade

Földvári says to the question of why it is good to travel. We agree that if we go abroad from time to time, it helps to be frustrated and distant, but according to Földvári, this hobby is not for everyone either.

According to

Some are anxious in strange surroundings, others are afraid of flying, of sailing. It is important to be open to the world first and travel only later.

Of course, the experienced traveler may also encounter more difficult terrain, such as Lagos in Nigeria and Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

In Lagos, it often happens that a foreigner is immediately seen as a colonizer, the people are quite arrogant

– he says, and in Dhaka, Földvári collided with all-encompassing waste. His favorite country is Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, East Africa: he loves strangers in an island country proud of its multicultural roots, while its cuisine is diverse and, of course, it boasts incredible beaches.

“After all, Mauritius is not a typical beach country. It is full of Hindu and Christian temples, for example, but there are also synagogues ”.

The atmosphere in the country is characterized by the fact that newspapers are printed in three languages: English is the official language, French is spoken on the street, and Creole is the language of the majority of the people. mother tongue.

Traveling during an epidemic and beyond

It is not true that a more serious journey requires wealth. Low-cost airlines are already launching intercontinental flights, and ticket prices have dropped dramatically due to the coronavirus epidemic. We also asked András Földvári about what to look for in more unstable areas. Here are the travel and survival tips for the world traveler in points:

  • So save. On a mission to Kuwait, Földvári decided not to travel with checked luggage again. “I also had to bring dozens of t-shirts and various suits, but the last time I saw the suitcase was at the airport. The whole package was probably stolen, ”he says. According to the traveler, we not only save costs by limiting packing to hand luggage: the suitcase slows down and complicates the entire trip. However, to get detergent everywhere, you can also find cheaper cleaners. And if you’re concerned about being overweight, ask for a larger bag at the duty-free store and pack it; it does not count towards the weight limit.
  • The coronavirus is not an obstacle. While the epidemic will undoubtedly complicate travel, in other ways it has opened up new possibilities. “Tickets are sometimes ridiculously cheap,” says Földvári, who says fairer airlines also quickly pay compensation for canceled flights. Companies have to pilot planes and crew for administrative reasons, so even if flights are scarce, we can book cheap, high-quality flights with persistent search.
  • Let’s plan the trip. Földvári is not a fan of random travel, the world traveler likes to thoroughly prepare his trips. “Lonely Planet’s print publications are very good, but Wikitravel can be used well.” Földvári not only reads the sights before the trip, but also afterwards: in this way experiences are better recorded, he also wrote his recently published book from memory. Another method could be to keep a journal; as he himself said, he only regularly wrote about his experiences on Route 66, which crosses North America.
  • The ugly cellux may be our best travel companion. Nothing big! Thieves travel swanky tourists from everywhere. Therefore, Földvári does not wear any jewelery other than a plastic watch and tarnishes his valuables with cellux. “I also disguise my phone, the iPadem, as thieves always steal items with higher resale value.” The less we stand out from the crowd, the more confident we can get to know ourselves and our package.
  • Let’s stay within a climatic zone. “I once traveled from Thailand to Siberia. It didn’t turn out to be a good suit ”; this time, the world traveler was primarily concerned with packaging. Mostly the huge boots he wore in various countries in a bag labeled Duty Free. On multi-stop roads, stay within the same climate zone.
  • It is better to travel if we can share the experience. It is not always possible to find an airline with a busy schedule. You must pay attention to your luggage, routine and safe language skills are also important. Therefore, the world traveler suggests that if we can, we should always take someone with us as a companion. “It feels good to push someone to just watch, but it’s beautiful!”



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