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USEFUL HINTS
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Passport and visa. It is required to have a valid international passport and Russian visa. Russian visa can be obtained in Russian
consulates in your country. A letter of invitation from your travel agency is needed together with your passport, pictures, application form and payment to get
a tourist visa. It is recommendable to have a copy of your passport and visa in a separate place from originals when you travel within Russia. It is much faster to
renew your passport in case you loose it if you have a copy of your passport. Always carry your passport and hotel card with you when you leave the hotel. Hotel cards have the address of the hotel
which is very convenient if you loose the sight of your group.
Insurance. We suggest that you be fully covered with theft, loss, and disability policies prior to your arrival to Russia. This
does not mean that thefts are more prevalent here than elsewhere but you will be covering a lot of territory and we advise it for
precaution's sake.
Making phone calls. It is usially very costly to make a international phone call from a hotel room. Expect your bill to be USD3-8 per minute. We
advise your relatives to call you in the hotel. Or you can buy a Russian sim card for your GSM phone. All incoming phone calls in the city where you bought your sim card
are free of charge. As soon as you leave the city where you bought your card you will have to pay for roaming which might be expensive. Just buy another sim card
in the next city. To call internationally you need to dial 8-10 to get international line, than 1 for US, 44 for UK, than area code and phone number. We appreciate you talking
a lot to your relatives helping Russian economy.
Airport and train station. We advise to arrive to the airport
3 hours prior to the international and 1,5 hours to domestic planes and 45 minutes to the train
departure. Do not leave your belongings unattended. Do not take packages from people you do not know. Remember you are responsible for anything you take across the boarder.
Custom regulations. Migration card is a very important document together with your passport and visa. It is given to you during the flight or when crossing the boarder.
You will have to state the name of the company which issued your invitation letter together with address and phone number on your migration card. Come prepared.
DO NOT LOOSE YOUR MIGRATION CARD. It is advisable to stapple it in your passport not to loose it. Hotels will stamp the card when registing your. The amount of USD3000 per person can be brought to Russia without declaring it. In case you bring more money you must fill a declaration form and proceed through red channel. In case you bring musical instruments or antique items to Russia you must declare them and go through red channel. MAKE SURE THAT THE CUSTOM OFFICER STAMPS YOUR DECLARATION FORM.
It is your responsibility to declare these items.
You cannot take out of Russia works of art such as paintings, sculptures, antiques, icons painted before 1950. Only 2 cans of caviar and 1 litter (usually 2 bottles of vodka) of liqueur is allowed to be taken out of the country officially. In case you take contemporary works of art such as paintings on canvas you should get a permit from the Ministry of Culture. Receipt from the shop is not good for taking works of art out of the country.
No one is allowed to take rouble banknotes out of Russia. But if you take some we would thank you for helping our currency to get stronger.
Weight limitation. Officially there is a limitation of weight of the luggage a foreign traveler can bring with him on a trip duty free. It is 50 kg (100 pounds) per person. But usually if a traveler has not more than two suitcases with him the luggage is not weighted. Allowance on domestic flights and trains is only 25kg (50 pounds) per person.
Water. It is recommendable to drink only boiled water, bottled water or use water purification tablets. You can only carry 300ml of water with
you on board a plane. The bottle must fit into a small plastic bag.
Precaution measures. Moscow is a big city and all visitors should realize and always remember this fact. General precautions
should be taken to escape unpleasant situations. Do not leave valuables in your hotel room - use hotel safes, do not go to dark
areas and parks at night, do not talk to strange people, do not show that you have a lot of cash with you, do not carry cash in
purses or bags - have it in your inside pockets, do not take a cab if there is someone else in the car except the driver, do not
give money to gypsies.
A lot of gipsy kids and some gypsy women near you can be very dangerous even during broad daylight.
In case you decide to go somewhere by yourself it is advisable to inform your roommate or the tour leader where you are going
and approximately the time when you are planning to be back in hotel.
Street crossing. Be very careful when crossing streets. Cars in Russia do not wait for pedestrians.
Tips. Regular tip in restaurants is 7-10%. Porterage tips in hotels is USD1 per bag. Guides - USD1-2 per day per person in
case of group travel. Drivers - USD0,5-1 per day in case of group travel.
Currency. The official currency in Russia is rouble. The coins are kopecks. There are 100 kopecks in one rouble. There is an
exchange office in each hotel. Though the rate of exchange in hotels is usually much lower than one can find in exchange offices
out of the hotel.
You have to show your passport to exchange money. You can not use foreign currency in shops or restaurants. Though going
shopping to Izmailovo fleamarket or Arbat street you can use dollars, euros. But remember it is illegal. Credit cards are
excepted in many places but this is usually a feature of an expensive place.
IT IS ADVISABLE TO BRING NEW, CRISPY BANKNOTES. Some banks and exchange offices especially outside big
cities will not accept marked, damaged or soiled notes.
Registration. According to Russian laws, you must register your tourist visa within 3 working days upon arrival to Russia.
Registration can be done either in the hotel where you stay or in the police station. If you plan to stay in a hotel, your registration
will be completed by the hotel and the fee is usually included in the cost of the room (that is why the hotel keeps your passport
for 2-3 hours after you checked in). If you plan to rent an apartment or stay with your friends you are responsible for your registration. Your landlord or your
friends should go to the postoffice to complete the registration procedure. Do not understimate the importance of registration. Not only
you will have to pay a fine but also spend up to 3 hours in police station.
Transportation. In case you decide to go somewhere by yourself you can use metro (subway) or taxi. Subway operates from
5:30AM till 01:00AM. But one should at least read Russian to use it since all the signs and information is in Cyrillic alphabet.
One can order a taxi through hotel. But if you are adventures it is cheaper to get a cab in the street. Go to the street and hitchhike. Russian
cabs usually do not have meters. It is advisable to negotiate the fee before taking a ride. Almost any car in
Russia can be a taxi. Russians can give you a ride for some cash if they go the same direction. The common rule is not to take a
cab or a car if there is someone else inside except the driver.
Electric current is 220 volt. Sockets normally take Continental-type pins; electric razors and hairdryers need a plug adapter.
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