Do I need a visa to go to Antarctica? What should I pay attention to when traveling to Antarctica?

Actually, it's quite interesting to travel to Antarctica. Everyone knows that going to the South Pole means going abroad. However, how to visit scenic spots abroad, and the most important thing is whether you need such a visa to go to Antarctica. Let's go and have a look.

When will you go?

Antarctica has no four seasons, only warm and cold seasons. Warm season 1 1 till March; April to 10 cold season. In warm seasons, the average temperature in coastal areas rarely exceeds 0℃. The average temperature in warm season is between +5 and -5 degrees Celsius, and the extreme weather may be-10 degrees Celsius.

The Antarctic travel season lasts about five months. Every year is a warm season, and each month has its own unique highlights.

1 1 June, the ice broke and penguins courted.

65438+February and 65438+ 10 are the warmest days on the Antarctic continent. You can enjoy up to 20 hours of sunshine every day, and the most important Antarctic tourism tide of the year comes at this time.

The best time to watch whales is from February to March, when baby penguins begin to grow feathers.

When is the appointment?

At least half a year in advance! 65438+ 10 to May is the best scheduled time period. Tickets at good times sell quickly, so the earlier you book tickets, the more choices you have and the more discounts you can enjoy. Choose the right flight according to your holiday; Choose different cabins according to your preferences and strength. Choose different routes according to your own time and taste;

way to travel

1. Cruise travel

This is the way that 90% tourists choose to go to the South Pole, and most of them start from ushuaia. The cruise ship you choose must be a member of IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators). IAATO advocates Antarctic environmental protection tourism, which is strict with ship operators and can ensure the safety of your trip. The general price is between 7W and 20W, depending on the selected airline, shipping space and departure time.

Ships to the South Pole are divided into two types according to their size:

Small ship, carrying about 100 passengers. It takes much longer to travel ashore, and you can approach the islands near the North and South Poles, and you can sail in some famous fjords and enjoy the magnificent polar natural scenery on board. Navigation routes and activity schedules can be arranged more flexibly according to weather and ice floes, so as to make full use of every day in the North and South poles. A large ship with more than 200 people. Generally speaking, this kind of cruise ship is more comfortable, more stable on stormy seas, and can cross the Drake Strait faster, but large ships have a greater impact on the environment.

(PS: Generally, no more than 100 people are allowed to land at the Antarctic landing site at a time. Ships with less than 200 people can dock in most places, and cruise ships with more than 500 people are prohibited from docking anywhere.

The following picture shows the travel route under normal circumstances. In addition to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu are all commonly used starting points for domestic sections. You don't have to start from Beijing.

There are three common routes to the South Pole by cruise ship:

Line 1 (red line: most of the regular trips can be called Antarctic Peninsula cruise. The estimated distance from the domestic date is about 16 days;

Line 2 (Blue Line: Crossing the Antarctic Circle, this trip will cross the Antarctic Circle, which is longer than line 1 and you can see more scenery. It can be called a trip through the Antarctic circle. The estimated distance from the domestic date 19 days or so;

See below.

Line 3: Three Antarctic islands: Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctic Peninsula. It is expected to be around 25 days;

See below.

As can be seen from the time, the prices of the three lines are increasing in turn. Of course, in addition to the line, it is the cabin that affects the price! Ship tickets are the main expenses for traveling to Antarctica.

The three routes of the cruise ship above contain almost all the Antarctic tourist routes.

Advantages: More sailing time and wide choice.

Disadvantages: you need to go through the 900-kilometer-long Drake Strait, the world-famous "Roaring Strait"! Because it is in the westerly belt, the wind and waves are rough, and most people will get seasick more or less. Most of my guests will feel sick these two years. Of course, there are people who have no physiological reaction at all, very few. The four-day round trip to the Drake Strait is the biggest psychological obstacle for many people to travel to Antarctica. In fact, don't worry at all, this discomfort is not coming.

Antarctic peninsula

In the future, it will be instantly replaced by boundless tranquility and shocking scenery. Really: the end of the world, the beginning of everything!

If you don't want to cross the Drake Strait by boat, you can start your journey by plane and then board the tanker. But this method is rare and expensive. AntarticaXXI used a 70-seat BAE- 146 plane to fly from punta arenas, Chile to Frey Station on King George Island (1.5 hours. Before I came back, I took the 68-seat OceanNova to the South Pole for a few days. Such a tour can not only avoid crossing the Drake Strait and seasickness, but also save at least four days to cross the Strait.

The trip from Europe to Santiago de Chile (Argentina is not a regular route! . Fly from San Diego to Punta Arena in the south, where you can fly over the Drake Strait to king george island. Take a cruise in king george island to start a trip to the South Pole. The return trip is similar.

The advantage of this trip is that you don't have to cross the Drake Strait by boat to get seasick! And it can save four days.

Disadvantages: the price is more expensive. Wechat platform: xzy-trip, including this trip.

3. Hiking in Antarctica or Antarctica usually takes air travel. Arrive at Union Glacier by plane, and then fly to South Pole. In the Antarctic, you have enough time to feel the end of the world and take pictures. At Union Glacier, you can experience hiking, skiing, camping and other polar experiences. This kind of travel is less and more expensive. Antarctic and Antarctic hiking prices will generally be 40W+, so I won't introduce them in detail.

Antarctic preventive measures

The following are the special precautions for Antarctic tourism:

1. Weather

It's winter in China, but it's summer in the southern hemisphere, so we will experience different climatic conditions during our trip.

The Antarctic Peninsula is usually dry, cold, windy and sometimes snows. The average temperature in summer is between +5 and -5 degrees Celsius, and it may be-10 degrees Celsius in extreme weather. However, even on warm days, it may be cloudy and windy. The Antarctic Peninsula is very windy, with a wind speed of about 6 kilometers per hour in summer and considerable humidity. You need to bring a good, breathable, rain-proof and velvet coat. It's best to prepare two coats in case you sweat or get wet accidentally.

The trip to the Antarctic is likely to go to Argentina and Chile, both of which are in summer. Be sure to prepare one or two T-shirts and light coats in spring and autumn.

2. Items that need to be prepared in advance

It is the local summer when I go to South America, so I need to prepare clothes for winter and summer. Cruise is equivalent to a hotel, and the temperature is very comfortable, generally set at 20℃_ 26℃. It is recommended to prepare some comfortable casual clothes.

During the Antarctic landing, the minimum temperature is generally not lower than minus 65438±00c.

Carrying equipment

1, coat: waterproof and windproof fleece coat.

2, warm pants: it is best to wear ski pants or warm casual pants inside waterproof pants.

3. Waterproof pants: Wear waterproof rain pants over your ordinary clothes.

4. Sweaters: especially high-necked cashmere sweaters.

5, thermal underwear: used for warm and light wear.

6, warm gloves: mittens, convenient for photography.

7, hat scarf: the length of the hat should be enough to protect the ears.

8, warm socks: high-quality cotton socks or wool socks, you can bring more pairs.

9, waterproof backpack: keep the camera from being flooded.

10, sunglasses: dealing with glare reflected by a lot of ice and water.

1 1, telescope: binoculars are also recommended (it is best to zoom in 7 times or 8×30.

12. Sun protection: The ultraviolet rays of the Antarctic sun are very strong. Please take good sun protection measures to avoid sunburn.

13. Medicines: seasickness patch, wrist strap for preventing seasickness by acupoint massage, and personal standing medicines. There is little possibility of seasickness on the flight route, but there is also the possibility of slight seasickness.

14, swimsuit: There are polar swimming events in Antarctic tourism, so prepare swimsuits.

15, trekking pole: it is very useful when landing on the Antarctic continent and climbing snow-capped mountains.

16. Photographic equipment: camera, telephoto lens, ultraviolet filter, spare battery and charger. Prepare twice the expected digital photo storage space. Polarizing filter can solve the problem of water glare and darken the sky. Also prepare waterproof zipper plastic bags for these equipment. With a telephoto of more than 400mm, shooting Antarctic animals is excellent.

17. Patience: Your trip is determined by weather, ice and unpredictable oceans, so more patience will make your trip to the South Pole more relaxed and enjoyable.

18, others: waterproof boots will be prepared on board, which are free to use and do not need to be brought.

3. Communication: There is no cell phone signal in Antarctica, and all communication is conducted by satellite. Generally, you can register an e-mail account separately on board, send and receive English e-mails without attachments through satellite communication, and charge according to the number of bytes of the mail; There are satellite phones available for emergency contact, which are charged by the minute. There is also WIFI on board, about 100 USD, 130M. Speed, it's normal to send a circle of friends in Nine palace map, and it takes an hour or two.

4. The most important rule when landing: Don't leave anything but footprints! Don't take anything away except memories!

Please protect Antarctic wildlife. Respect the protected area. Respect scientific investigation.

2. Observe all safety tips.

Please help maintain the original state of the Antarctic: pay special attention not to throw rubbish at the Antarctic, and don't carve your name on rocks or buildings.

Special note: the staff of the Antarctic cruise ship are very experienced and will always stare at the tourists when they land. Once someone tries to take a stone, they will be stopped by the staff loudly! Travel is an experience. You have been there before, so why do you have to leave something behind or take it away? It must be a shame to throw such a thing to the whole world when there may be tourists from all over the world in the borderless and pure Antarctic continent! It is seriously recommended that you don't try to take away even a stone when you travel to Antarctica!

visa

Antarctica does not belong to any country, so you don't need a visa to enter it. Visa processing mainly depends on where you leave for Antarctica. At present, going to the South Pole usually starts from Argentina, but also from Chile, Australia and New Zealand. South America visa itself is difficult, especially Argentina. It can be said that it is the most difficult visa to apply for a China passport. First of all, visas are not open for individual travel; Secondly, there are a lot of materials to be prepared and the process is very complicated; And there are many cases of refusal. If you can't sign it, the money for the previous ferry ticket will really be wasted. But the operation steps cannot be reversed! Because the reservation of air tickets and ship tickets is confirmed, it is easier to get visas. (a tangled process! Therefore, the most important thing in the whole preparatory work is to carefully prepare the visa application materials. The processing time is at least one and a half months in advance. It is recommended to find a professional travel agency with visa experience in South America.

supplementary question

Budget for poor travel;

Personally, I think the trip to Antarctica is not complicated, but the things prepared are very complicated. The popular way of poor travel in Europe and America is to live in ushuaia, wait for which ship is about to leave, but there are still seats available, and buy a special so-called "last-minute ticket" to board the ship. Maybe you will be lucky the next day, but if you are unlucky, you won't get a low-priced ticket after waiting for a month (accommodation is also money). With the warming of Antarctic travel in recent years, such opportunities are becoming less and less. Tickets with a slightly better sailing date may be sold out 1 year in advance. Even so, it only saves a part of the fare. Because there are many flights, it is difficult to master special fares and arrange trips. Suitable for senior poor travel players with extremely free time. An accurate budget is really hard to predict.