Tips for planning your trip to Russia
Tips for during your tour in Russia
Tips for planning your trip
Getting a
visa
If you are going to Russia, the first thing you should start
thinking about is Russian visa. This will be our first travel
tip.
Getting a Russian visa is not very difficult, but you will need
to fill out some documents and pay about $200 for a standard
one-month tourist visa. The good news is that Travel All
Russia includes complimentary visas for every tour. For more
information about the visa process, please check out our Russian visa section. If you are wondering why
you need a visa to travel to Russia, you may be interested in
reading this story: "Visas
to Russia and to America"
Deciding when to
go
Since Russia could be very cold the next Russia travel tip has to
address the issue of timing your trip. Russia is the coldest
country on earth, but it is not always cold. In fact, summers are
very warm, even hot. Unfortunately, summers are also a high tourist
season and prices on flights and hotels are up to 50% higher. Be
strategic about the time of your visit to Russia if you want to
save some money - ask your tour manager for advice or find more
Russia travel tips about timing your trip in this story: "
Best
time to go to Russia"
What to bring with
you
You should not need anything different than the typical things you
bring with you on other trips. Note, if you are traveling to Russia
in the winter, you should read "
How
do Russians survive in a bitter cold"). You will not stand out
from the crowd if you are wearing jeans, but Russians will be able
to tell that you are an American if you are wearing sneakers. You
will want to bring a travel adapter (buy from Circuit City or Best
Buy) as they use different plugs in Russia. Also, make sure that
you bring some cash with you as many of places don't take credit
cards.
Tips for during the trip
Is Russia safe for
travel?
This is a common question and the answer is Yes, it is safe.
Firstly, Russia is not a third-world country and the turbulent 90s
are long gone. Russia has a functioning police force and a
civilized population that is friendly to foreign visitors.
Secondly, throughout your whole trip you will have a private
vehicle with a driver and a personal tour guide. You will also have
our emergency contact number and the US Embassy contact number with
you at all times. Should you run into any problems, you can always
and we will do our best to resolve the issue.
The Russians...
Russians can be some of the friendliest people that you will
ever meet, but at other times, they may seem very cold and distant.
You might be interested in reading this story "On
the Soviet and not-so Soviet traditions." Russians who live in
metropolitan areas often speak decent English as many of them have
traveled the world. We will be expanding this section in the coming
months to give you a better idea about the people you will soon be
observing.
Your credit cards will be accepted in several, more expensive
places and, like in America, ATMs are scattered all over and easy
to access. When you make a credit card purchase or ATM withdrawal
the transaction will be made in Russian rubles at the official rate
for that day. It is a good idea to bring some US dollars with you,
but not too much; just enough to last until you find an ATM close
to your hotel. Just ask your tour guide about where to find the
nearest ATM machine.
The amount of cash you should bring will depend entirely on your
own spending habits. Generally speaking $100 per person per day
will suffice for food and for souvenirs. We don't recommend that
you carry anymore than $500 with you while in Russia. We also don't
recommend bringing travelers checks as it may be difficult to find
a bank that will accept them. Also, your bank will not have
branches in Moscow so you won't be able to make any direct
withdrawals. You can also leave your check books at home as no
place will accept your checks.
You won't need to exchange dollars into Russian rubles before you
leave. There will be exchange booths almost anywhere you go. We
don't recommend exchanging money in airports as the exchange rate
tends to be higher. It's best to ask your tour guide about a good
place to exchange your dollars and its best to find out what the
official rate is before you depart.
There is no definitive advice on tipping and if you would like to
learn more about tipping traditions in Russia, you may be
interested in this story - "
To
tip or not to tip."
Calling
home
If you are planning to use your cell phone in Russia, you might be
in for a surprise. One of our staff members once paid close to $800
for using her T-Mobile phone in Russia for just 30 minutes. Ask
your phone operator about international roaming and hidden charges
before you go. You can also call home from your hotel. It will
usually cost from 1 to 2 dollars per minute. You can also get a
cell phone in Russia for just $30 or on a pre-paid plan. *Note: You
won't be able to use your American cell phone with a Russian SIM
card because it is most likely that your cell phone is locked by
your provider.
Getting around Russia's cities is easy and difficult at the
same time and is an experience on its own, whether you are taking a
cab or the subway. In regards to taxis, you can read this story to
learn more about "
Guide to
Russian taxi," but if you are booking with us, you don't have
to worry about a thing since most of our tours come with a private
car with a driver who will meet you at the airport, drive you
around as you visit different sights and take you back to the
airport when its time to return home. Another way of getting around
is visa famous
Moscow subway. You
will have a chance to see it as many of our tours include a visit
to the Moscow Subway.
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