mobrown

My fiance' and I were invited to screen our micro-budget feature film at a film festival in Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia. We are taking a non-stop flight from LAX on AeroFlot to arrive on a Sunday evening. We have four free days before we catch our charter flight to Siberia. Then, we have two free days in Moscow before we fly home.

My questions:
1. If we arrive at 6:00 PM on Sunday, how should we get to our hotel? What hotels do you recommend? We would are looking for a good combo of safety and price.

2. We are thinking of taking the overnight train to St. Pete. I've reviewed the forums to get the best trains/cabins. Any suggestions for when/where to buy tix? Before we get there? At our first night hotel.

3. We have three nights in ST. P. Any hotel recommendations?

Thanks for your help!

tower

well, look who's here!!

Hi Molly...as I told you I can't be of much personal help on hotels in either city...when I visited in 1985, we had no choice..stayed where the infamouus Intorist put us...and I would recommend neither of them..in fact, both are out of "business" now..good thing. As Said, the overnight is a fun ride...and I'm sure it's been improved since USSR days....your hotel should be able to answer your train ticket question or refer you to the right place.

BUT if anyplace can help you, this Forum is IT...as we planned, see ya when you return. Happy you discovered this wonderful place..I should have suggested it. My bad.

Stu (write before you [email protected])

Odin

1. You can get to your hotel by taxi, prebooked preferably wth a company such as IBS Taxi car service in Moscow. There are 100s of hotels to choose from depending on budget. Sovietsky is good hotel centrally located, moderate class.

2. The Moscow Times lists agencies where you can buy train tickets. Hotels might be the most convenient but expensive way of purchasing rail tickets.

3. Grand Hotel Europe or the SAS Radisson but there are many other options

mobrown

Thanks Stu and Odin. Sorry for my semi-lame post - it was my first try. I have a feeling I'll be back!

I have written an inquiry to IBS Car Service. I also found the route/price/instructions for using a combination of Metro and Aero Express public transportation.

For our first night, I found a hotel near Sokolniki metro. Should be a good place to rest on our first night and then investigate train tix the next day.

Thanks for the head's up to The Moscow Times. Yes, they had a great page re: trains. Better than I had seen so far in my research. I'll probably visit one of the two administrative offices that they list. It is a different experience for me to not book in advance. But, I can go with the flow!

So, I'm getting close to reserving my hotel in Pieter. Waiting on a quote from Art Hotel. SAS Radisson will be my 2nd choice - they have a great rate right now.

Thanks again!

lanejohann

we are going in late may to moscow and st petes

we worked with a travel agent - i really didnt fancy booking anything online even though i have spoken to three separate hotels in moscow on the phone

our agent got us an apartment in moscow and st petes and the train ticket as a deal and the invitation/visa(150aud each)


we paid in jan and got a 5% discount
we had to agree to transfers from the airport and the train station so that we could get the keys

the apartment was about 412AUD a night but is in the location we wanted - between old and new arbat streets- it is actually too big for us but they gave it at the same price as one we turned down in the tsevtnoy boulevarde ( boulevard deluxe)-only because i really wanted to be in the arbat region after seeing pilots guide to russia dvd

the transfer from the airport is 135AUD for both of us

the overnight train from moscow to st petes was 278 each which seemed a lot for 2nd class but the cost of a first class ticket ( twin) was about 450 plus!
in 2nd class you share with two other people.....

ok so onto st petes

my g/f and her family were very happy with the dostoevsky but we opted for an apartment again cos we are staying five nights
we got one - same agency called nevsky 66 but then it suddenly was unavailable and we were offered a slightly dearer one in the same group - some artists place for about the same money ( with the 5%discount for paying so early haha)
the transfer from the station is 90aud for both of us

nevsky is the convenient place to stay apparently but i have been told to bring mosquito repellent- the river is close
for the five nights we are paying about 1230 aud altogether- cheaper than moscow

you can google these apartments and have a look at some smaller ones
i just feel safer having my own travel agent deal with the bookings
id hate to turn up and there has been some misunderstanding and then trying to sort it out

thats why i bought the tickets through my agent too

but i will try to find someone to take us to suzdal for a daytrip
have to suss it out though- thoses roads arent the best and traffic is nuts so i dont want to go out in a car with just anyone- even someone claiming to be a tour guide

my g/f stayed far out of the centre of moscow and hated it
the standard of hotels is quite poor- theyre either great or shabby - not much in between it seems
so we are hoping the apartment haseverything in good order ( kind a scary if the water isnt working - at least there is staff in a hotel...)

st petes is better apparently and the dostoevsky was heavenly compared to the hotel in moscow my g/f said
the dostoevsky is in a shopping centre so handy for getting food etc and is also close to nevsky prospect and the sights
anyway good luck
i was really nervous choosing places even through our agent but it is done now and we will make the best of it
it is incredibly expensive for what youre getting


re the visa= for anyone else wondering- we just handed over a copy of our passport and the agent took care of things
have to find out how to register in the city when we arrive - i think we mighthave to go to a police station to say howdy or something
ill check with my agent

cheers and all the best!

Odin

You might be able to book the train tickets in advance via Amex in Moscow. Last trip we booked them before we got to Russia and picked them up from Amex although they probably deliver for a fee. Things change all the time in Russia though. Some trains get fully booked esp around the weekends. Worked out great as they are near Novodevichy and a good lunch spot at U Pirosmani.

Sokolniki seems like a great idea, if you are looking for a hotel near to SVO, the Holiday Inn at Vinogradovo is about 30mins away.

We've been on a lot of trains between Moscow and St Pete but I can only remember the name of the last one, Nikolavesky Express which was fantastic. There are so many trains to choose from depending on what is the most appealing style. We usually reserve the entire cabin.