Moscow and St Petersburg

Russia Guide

Russia’s absurd Fabergé eggs, onion domes and caviar crepe are just a few things that accompany the visit to this fascinated country. St Petersburg, called the ‘Venice of the North’ is one of the most Romantic places in Europe.

The best time to travel is in May, June and July to experience the long, White Nights and in Sept and Oct when the city is booming with cultural activities.

Russian Cuisine
You can eat well and inexpensively nowadays, especially in cafés and fast food places in the cities.
Do choose places that look clean and are busy, poor hygiene could result in intestinal blowout.
Moscow and St Petersburg in particular have seen an astronomical growth in cafés, bars and restaurants, including classic Chinese, Japanese and Italian offerings, western fast food chains and traditional Russian cuisine.

Russian food tends to be rich and on the heavy side in winter, such as meaty dumplings, meaty cabbage rolls, cabbage soup with sour cream, and the national icons - borscht (beetroot soup), blinis (pancakes) and caviar, while lighter foods like superb soups and salads are around in the summer.
Avoid eating shellfish except in St Petersburg and street ice-cream anywhere.

Drinks in Russia
Most of us know the varied pleasures of vodka, particularly drunk chilled and in one gulp, but Russia also does a fine line in local beers with lively flavors, good champagne, not such good wine, passable tea and effective coffee.

Russians love to press drinks on foreigners so prepare your excuses now. Or practice chugging.

Safety in Russia

Travel to Chechenya and the north Caucasus is not recommended; check the Foreign Office site or tour operators for up-to-date information. Otherwise stay on the regular tourist routes.
Don't flash your cash!

Pickpocketing and bag filching may occur on crowded public transport while hotel rooms are by no means thief-proof. Lock everything into your bags before leaving the room and use a safe deposit if there is one.
Take care with taxis. Don't get in if there is anyone other than the driver inside, and don't necessarily trust the driver.

Health in Russia

Do not drink Russian tap water, not even for cleaning your teeth.
Check you are up to date with all jabs, and consider including vaccinations for diphtheria, typhoid, hepatitis A and B. A flu jab is also useful if you plan to travel to Russia in spring or autumn when the bugs are rampant. Beware mosquito-borne diseases in Siberia's summertime. Foreigners usually prefer to be treated at private clinics, which are very costly. Get Insurance!

Change money for roubles only at official exchanges or banks. Cash is easier to change than travelers checks.

Language - Some locals speak English, French, or German but ability to recognize the Cyrillic alphabet and a few words of Russian would help your experience along.

Internet - Russia has plenty of good value web cafés now in all but the most remote locations.

Visas for Russia

All visitors need a visa which will require at least a one day hotel or hostel booking. The hotel will then help organize the visa.

Accommodation in Russia

There's a wide range of accommodation from luxury hotels at silly prices to cheapish hostels at around $20, but it's important to book well ahead for the June-September season.

Local transport
The big cities have good metro and bus services at low prices. Locals enjoy life as illegal taxi drivers for extra cash. Beware though, some are pure evil, others wonderful, hospitable guides.
Hitch-hiking is common for Russians but not advisable for tourists.

Intercity travel
Trains connecting Moscow to St Petersburg are common, efficient and inexpensive. The Aurora day train takes 6 hours, the evening train 4 hours. For exploring the countryside around big cities consider car hire, with or without a driver/guide. It's not expensive and very convenient.

International travel
Moscow and St Petersburg are both easy to reach from many European cities by fast, efficient trains and buses; other Russia cities are more difficult to access directly.

St Petersburg & Moscow Guide

St Petersburg is one of the world's most beautiful cities, with many splendid buildings and museums, including the spectacular Hermitage, with a sophisticated service industry.

Moscow is a diverse and interesting city with masses of history, action and must-see spectacles.

Saint Petersburg

The famous 4km Nevsky Prospekt street is an easy choice for a first St Petersburg walk, starting at the Admiralty with spectacular interior and city views from nearby St. Isaac's Cathedral, and the massive, baroque Winter Palace in equally massive Palace Square (including the Hermitage Museum); the sculpted Anichkov bridge; the Beloselsky Palace and ending at Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Along the way is the city's main shopping area.

TIP: The Hermitage Museum houses nearly three million artifacts which would require nine years to see, so do some research and choose your targets carefully, but don’t skip a visit to the amazing state rooms of the Winter Palace.

Also near Nevsky Prospekt is the gorgeous, multi colored Church of the Spilled Blood and the Mikhail Palace/Russian Museum. The city's oldest building, Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral [particularly the interior], is a short walk across the river, along with the Strelka district on Vasilevsky island and its grand old buildings and great views.

There are plenty more interesting streets and quirky sights to see as you travel around St Petersburg, including the apartment/ museums of famous Russians, such as Rasputin, Pushkin, Rimsky-Korsakov and Dostoyevsky.

Moscow

Starting in Moscow's heart at historic Red Square, with St Basil's cathedral; Lenin's Mausoleum (tomb), where you can see his corpse (not Monday or Friday); the Kremlin, a famous political complex that offers a collection of magnificent palaces, churches and the ultimate in jewelry collections - including Fabergé eggs - at the Armory Chamber. Opposite the Kremlin is the old GUM shopping center.

Visit the famed Tretyakov Gallery and its superb collection of Russian icons.
Among other attractions are the Novodevichy Convent, KGB Museum and the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Away from Red Square, take the metro to Arbatskaya station for a stroll along Arbat pedestrian street, with many and varied sights around.
North of the center is VDNK, once a state-of-art Russian goods exhibition, now more of a cheapo flea market but still set in grand Soviet style and worth an hour or two.

Otherwise the best things any tourist can do are travel the magnificent Moscow metro, jumping off at random chandeliers and mural stations, or simply stroll the streets, absorbing the chaos and contrasts of this great city.

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More Information

Russian National Group Semi-official travel, tourism and visa application site.
WhereRussia.com
National portal for foreign tourists and businessmen, first of all Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Travel Russia Travel information on Russia and St. Petersburg.
Moscow Official web site.
Saint Petersburg City Official English-language portal to St. Petersburg, offering a wide variety of information about the city and its life.