Part 1
- Do you like to travel?
-Yes, I do. I am keen on broading my horizons and there is nothing that helps to do it more comprehensively than travelling.
- What kind of places have you visited in your life?
-Sadly, I didn’t get to see many destinations inside and outside of my native country. I have traveled a bit in the South of Russia and went to see parts of Switzerland, Italy, France, Ukraine, Serbia, Belarus and Germany.
- Which place would you really like to visit? Why?
– I had first thought about this when I was in middle school, much before I first left Russia. I remember seeing Machu-Pikchu in one of our books about nature and falling in love with it. Since then, I have always wanted to go to Peru and this old Inks city.
- What’s the best place you’ve ever visited?
-The city that has really astonished me with its beautiful architecture and history was Paris. This is not only the capital of culture, economics and education, but also the place full of vivid art and romance.
- How do you prefer to travel on long journeys?
-When it takes a lot of time to get to a destination, I definitely prefer to travel by a sleeping train. These are trains with comfortable beds where it’s possible to relax and recharge before reaching new places.
Part 2
Describe an interesting journey you have been on. You should say:
- where you went
- how you travelled there
- who you went with
and say how it affected your life at the time
One of my favourite trips is the one I did in March to Paris. There is a peculiar thing about me – I don’t like travelling without a clear purpose. I would rather go to a conference abroad than just fly to another country with no purpose other than wandering streets. So, this is exactly what happened on my journey to France. I was invited to attend a 3-days workshop on corporate mergers and acquisitions with BCG that stands for Boston Consulting Group.
The hosting company paid all my expenses including a round flight to Paris, however I had a hard time receiving a visa, so I had to reschedule initial itineraries. After I finally landed in the French capital, a transfer driver picked me up and drove to a chateau, which turned out to be a beautiful countryside hotel set up in an old mansion.
There was not only me, but also 50 other young people – students from the best European universities. The acceptance rate to this annual event is only 4%, so I felt very privileged to be there. I have not only made friends from all over the world, but also solved a real-life business case where we had to value and sell a company, presenting the strategy to the management board afterwards. And the best final part of the event was a sight-seeing trip around Paris, where I admired the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame de Paris, and many other breathtaking cathedrals and palaces that France is so famous for.
Part 3
- Which method of travel do you consider safest?
Well, in my opinion, travelling by train is the safest. So far, it has been the means of transportation that is the least prone to accidents. Since it runs along its own railway, it is not very likely for two trains to crash. I reckon, most accidents that happen with trains are due to mechanical or technical issues which could be avoided if the system is checked and monitored properly.
- Has travel become safer in recent years?
Yes, I believe so. The modern technological progress allows for constant improvement of transportation quality, especially because the demand for journeys is rising. This is due to the ability to use enhanced materials that can endure higher loads and tougher exploitation conditions. Another breakthrough is the Artificial Intelligence solutions that make transport more reliable – it is able to predict accidents, crashes and break-downs.
- What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel?
Low-cost air travel allows people with budget constraints to cover long distances in short periods of time. However, when travelling on board of low-costers one should remember that they trade their comfort for cheap tickets. Usually, meals and baggage fees are not included into initial price. Planes might be old and seats may not be that comfortable. There is also a possibility of poor customer service on board.
