Moscow is unlike anywhere else on earth. On one hand it is diverse and vibrant as it is the economic nerve center for 1/6 of the world’s land mass and over 120 ethnic groups and nationalities. Its architecture is a strange combination of ancient traditional Russian and recent Soviet tastelessness. Moscow is extremely wealthy and surprisingly inconvenient for tourists. Its main sights are located in a small area surrounding the Kremlin, but this area is so interesting and so unique that it easily compensates for the lack of other sights. This concentration of sights makes it easy to visit all the must-see places of Moscow in just a few days.

Moscow is a giant city, Europe’s largest in fact, and its traffic jams are just as big. In Moscow, it seems that all of the world’s black expensive cars are here. It also seems that Russians do not understand the difference between sidewalks and parking lots. While the traffic situation leaves much to be desired, the Moscow subway system is superb. Its advanced Metro system carries up to 3 million passengers a day and its trains run every few minutes. With stations that could rival art museums, the Moscow Metro is a city in its own right – like nothing you have seen before.

Traffic jams can be avoided when you book a hotel near the center of Moscow. But hotels can get pricy. With tourists, businessmen and students pouring into Moscow from every country on the planet and from every city in Russia, there is a serious lack of hotel rooms. A standard US Holiday Inn level room will cost about $250 per night (Holiday Inn Moscow is more luxurious than normal Holiday Inns so it costs from $400). When deciding which Moscow hotel to stay in, it is a good idea to ask a qualified travel specialist (like Travel All Russia). To make your dollar go further, you could also consider staying in a short-term rental apartment. They are usually centrally located and offer a very good level of quality.

The restaurant landscape of Moscow is dominated by Russian and Japanese cuisine. Moscovites seem to be big fans of Sushi. We recommend experimenting with Russian food. First of all, it has the same ingredients as the dishes at home and secondly, Russians prefer to cook at home, so restaurants are rarely overcrowded.

The best time to visit Russia is from April to October. Getting to Moscow from the US requires a non-stop 9-hour flight from New York, Atlanta or Chicago.