Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
thetrans-Siberianones,MoscowisservedbytrainsfromRīga,Tallinn,Warsaw,Berlinand
Budapest, while European train routes into St Petersburg include arrivals from Helsinki,
Rīga and Vilnius. Train stations in both Moscow and St Petersburg are well connected to
themetro;allMoscow's
vokzal
(trainstations)linktoastoponthe(brown)circle line.The
most convenient way to come to St Petersburg for travellers arriving from the Baltic States
may be by
bus
, as they are more frequent than trains.
Ferries
into St Petersburg from Hel-
sinki arrive at the Vasilyevskiy Island ferry terminal.
All tourists travelling to Russia require a
tourist visa
, which entitles visitors to a 30-day
stay in the country. To obtain a visa, travellers need to have been “invited” by a hotel or
hostel (note that hostels charge a fee for invitation letters). If booking
accommodation
in
advance, your hotel or hostel can provide this document for you. Should you wish to find
accommodation upon arrival, you can obtain a letter of invitation through a
visa agency
forafee,whichstatesthatyouwillbestayingatarandomlyselectedhotel-thereisnoob-
ligation to actually do so once in Russia. Once you arrive in the country, your hotel/hostel
will
register your visa
(hostels charge for this). Note that it's important to register within
seven working days of your arrival. At the airport you will also be given an
immigration
card
which you must keep and present on departure. Foreigners are expected to carry their
passport, immigration card and registration at all times as the police sometimes carry out
random checks. However, many travellers prefer to carry
photocopies
instead.
