Zaika in the Monteco Lab: Road Trip Insights with Kirill

Hello everyone! My name is Rita Zaika. I am the community manager of the MONTECO coworking space. I am pleased to present our video podcast “Zaika in the MONTECO Lab.” This is my first time doing something like this. I hope you enjoy it, and we will continue to invite interesting speakers. I am confident that you will have a great time with us today and learn something new.

Introduction

Among my many hobbies and passions, my favorite is traveling. Once, I hitchhiked from Moscow to Bali. Today, we will talk with Kirill about road trips — why and how to do them with ease and joy.

Interview with Kirill

Hello Kirill! Tell me a little about yourself.

Yes, my name is Kirill. I am one of the founders of the Road Travel project, also known as Co-Pilot. It is a platform for travel guides for independent road trips. I don’t have a specific specialization; I do a bit of everything. Mostly, I create content for the travel guides and work with travel experts who produce them. Additionally, I manage projects, work with businesses, and handle some finance and HR tasks. Our team has grown quite large. We started as a small group of just three people back in 2013, and the Road Travel brand officially launched in 2018.

How did you get into traveling? How did you end up in this line of work?

I studied at the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences. Our education was quite flexible, encouraging us to seek jobs and internships from the third year. I posted my resume on HeadHunter and forgot about it until I got a call from The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) for an interview. I got the job, and that’s where my journey into tourism began. After that, I worked in concierge services for companies like American Express and Quintessentially. That’s how I got into travel.

How did the Road Travel project come about? Where did the idea come from?

It’s an interesting story. I was working at American Express when my boss resigned. Around the same time, my friend Nikita, who is the founder and CEO of Road Travel, and I often hung out at a club in Moscow. We never imagined working together. One day, Nikita called and invited me to join a new project he was starting with a former colleague. We started developing a travel planning tool, which was challenging but rewarding. We aimed to create an easy-to-use travel planner, but initially, our efforts in the B2C market were unsuccessful. However, after presenting our project at an event in Germany, we found a new direction creating ready-made routes for road trips, which led to the birth of Road Travel in 2018.

How did you cope with COVID?

COVID was a pivotal time for us. Although it might not be the best to say, it worked in our favor. People were confined at home and wanted to travel but couldn’t fly. They realized they could still travel by car. We started working with various destinations, including Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism. We saw a surge in demand for road trips and began partnering with car brands like BMW, Audi, and Ford to create in-car travel content. We developed an app for in-car navigation systems, providing routes and points of interest.

Why are road trips important to you?

Traveling brings new experiences. Road trips allow you to visit places not typically accessible by other means of transport. New experiences bring back the feeling of childhood when days felt longer. Traveling extends your days, so travel more and live longer.

What are some common myths about road trips?

The biggest myth is that road trips are complicated and require extensive planning. People are afraid of driving in other countries, thinking it’s different and problematic. However, traveling by car is not as daunting as it seems. We provide travel guides that handle the planning for you.

How do you choose music for road trips?

Music varies depending on the situation. In foggy winter Madeira, ambient or drone music is fitting. For staying alert, drum and bass or liquid funk is great. Music enhances the travel experience.

What’s your favorite travel memory?

My most vivid memory is a trip to Madeira with colleagues. We tackled one of the island’s most challenging hiking trails. It was incredibly beautiful. At one point, we encountered a snow-blocked path, but some locals cleared it for us, allowing us to continue. It was an adventurous and emotional experience.

What common issues and challenges can travelers face?

Some common problems include:

• Car rental issues: Many rental companies require a credit card in the driver’s name.
• Lack of connectivity in remote areas: Always have offline maps and emergency contacts.
• Business hours of establishments: Plan your route to visit places during their working hours.

Speed limits: Follow local speed limits to avoid fines.What resources and apps would you recommend for travel planning?

Here are some essential tools:

• Google Maps for trip planning.
• Foursquare for popular spots.
• Map.me for hiking trails.
• WikiLog for crowdsourced hiking routes.
• PlugShare and Google Maps for EV charging stations.

If you have a new BMW, our app will soon be available to provide routes and points of interest.

What safety tips can you offer for travelers?

Some important tips include:

• Leave valuables in the hotel safe or reception.
• Lock car doors.
• Use waist bags for valuables.
• Have emergency contacts and car rental details handy.
• Keep gadgets charged.
• Choose secure parking spots.
• Plan fuel for remote trips.

How do you manage finances for a trip?

I don’t stress too much, but it’s important to:

• Calculate expenses for travel services (flights, hotels, car rental).
• Research fuel and restaurant prices.
• Estimate a daily budget and multiply by the number of travel days.

How can road trips be made more accessible to everyone?

Just try it. Start with short routes for a day or weekend to overcome fears and see how easy and enjoyable it is. Use ready-made routes to save planning time.

If you could describe your travel experience in one word, what would it be?

Freedom. Road trips offer the freedom to go wherever you want and reach the world’s most secluded corners.

Conclusion

I am thrilled that we had this conversation. Thank you, Kirill! Thank you all for watching. Special thanks to the Monteco coworking space in Budva, which is a fantastic place to work if you are in town, and to Evgeny from the Live Budva studio for the video production. Remember: peace, love, and understanding. Life is short — travel more and often.

Watch the full interview on Youtube