Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VISA CONTACTS
russianembassy.net
Russian embassies and consulates.
www.scottstours.co.uk
Visa service as well as tailor-made tours, handy for travellers combining
Russia with Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltics or Central Asia.
visatorussia.com
Provides an efficient visa service.
GETTING AROUND
The
train
and
bus
network is extensive and largely efficient, with up to twenty trains a day
in each direction connecting the two main cities. Express trains such as Sapsan, Aurora and
Er-200 make the journey in under five hours in the early evening, but cheapest and most
atmospheric are the
overnight
services, a quintessentially Russian experience, which take
around eight hours. Trains are generally safe, reliable and cheap (one-way from approxim-
ately R400 seated only, R2500 in a couchette). Buy tickets in advance from Leningradskiy
station in Moscow or Moskovskiy station in St Petersburg. Regular buses connect the two
cities,butthelongten-totwelve-hourjourney(R1000)rarelymakesitworththewhile.
City
transport
inMoscowandStPetersburgcentresonthepunctualmetro;overgroundtransport
includes buses, trams, trolleybuses and minibuses (
marshrútki
). Official taxis can be very
expensive, whereas unofficial ones are not necessarily safe - people do use them, but un-
pleasantincidentsarenotunknown.
Bike
rentalinStPetersburgoffersapleasantwaytosee
the city's quieter outer corners, but cycle in Moscow at your peril. As you make your way
around the cities, know that the word “ulitsa” (street) is often abbreviated as “ul.”, “pereu-
lok” (lane) becomes “per.”, “ploshchad” (square) becomes “pl.”, and “naberezhnaya” (em-
bankment) becomes “nab.”.
ACCOMMODATION
Hostels
tend to be safer, cleaner and more pleasant than cheap
hotels
, many of which have
“economy” rooms unaltered since Soviet times. The standard rate is around R700-800 for a
dorm bed for a night; aim to reserve three to four weeks in advance in the summer. Booking
ahead by phone will guarantee you a bed for the night. Note that most places quote prices in
rubles, while others prefer to keep their prices fixed in US dollars.
FOOD AND DRINK
Moscow and St Petersburg are bursting at the seams with cafés and restaurants covering
everything from budget blowouts to
elitni
(elite) extravagance. Japanese is the favoured
cuisine, so sushi abounds, but traditional Russian food is still at the heart of many locals'
