Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and KLM. For a cheaper option, try the Eastern European airlines, such as Poland's
LOT, or Hungary's Malév; or Asian carriers such as Air India. For contact information
for airlines serving Moscow and/or St. Petersburg, see p. 575.
BY TRAIN
Rail travel into and around Russia is romantic and often comfortable, but time-con-
suming. The most direct train route from London to Moscow, for example, takes 48
hours. Customs procedures are unpredictable on trains. If you're traveling through
Belarus or Ukraine you will need a transit visa; contact your nearest embassy or con-
sulate for details.
BY CAR
The country's vast expanse makes arriving by car a daunting proposition. Roads out-
side central Moscow and St. Petersburg are dismal, signage is poor and often only in
the Cyrillic alphabet, and roadside services—including gas stations—are scarce. Be
sure you have international documentation, including car registration and insurance,
and an international driver's license. Your visa should indicate you are bringing a car
into the country. Renting a car once you arrive is a more reliable and pleasant option.
BY BUS
Several European tour companies offer bus trips to Moscow, usually from Germany;
or to St. Petersburg, usually from Finland. The journey from Berlin to Moscow is
long, about 2 days, and involves poorly maintained Russian highways and long waits
at the borders. You will need transit visas if you travel through Belarus, as most
Moscow-bound routes go. The Helsinki-to-St. Petersburg journey takes about 7 hours
and is often included on Scandinavian-based tours.
PACKAGES FOR THE INDEPENDENT TRAVELER
Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other ele-
ments of your trip at the same time and often at discounted prices. Tour companies
to try are
Eastern Tours,
focusing on reasonably priced tours to Moscow, St. Peters-
burg, and Kiev (
&
800/339-6967;
www.traveltorussia.com); and
Cosmos Tours
(
&
800/276-1241;
www.cosmos.com). Most major airlines offer air/land packages,
and several big online travel agencies—Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Site59, and Last-
minute.com—also do a brisk business in packages.
ESCORTED TOURS
Russia's tourism industry is only beginning to tap the travel possibilities across the
world's largest country, and this makes an escorted tour—with a group leader, includ-
ing airfare, hotels, meals, admission costs, and local transportation—quite appealing.
The main drawback of an escorted tour is its high cost.
For general-interest tours,
Escorted Russian Tours
(
&
800/942-3301;
www.escorted
russiantours.com) provides a range of offerings focusing on Moscow and St. Petersburg,
as do the U.K.-based
Russian Gateway
(
&
07050-803-160;
www.russiangateway.co.uk)
and the Russian-based
www.tourstorussia.com
.
One popular excursion is a
cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
It takes your
boat about 10 days to wind through rivers and canals, with stops at the island
monastery at Valaam, the fairy tale-like wooden village of Kizhi, lakes Ladoga and
Onega, and the Volga river towns of Yaroslavl and Kostroma.
Russian Tours
(www.
rus-tours.com) and
Russiana
(www.russiana.co.uk) are two places to start.
