freddofrog04

Hi

We are planning to travel to Russia later this year for approx 10 days and would like to travel around Moscow & St Peterburg independently.

Is it fairly easy to get around ourselves or can we book day tours upon arrival ?

Also, can anyone recommend a travel agent/company that can assist with days tours, train, transfers etc (we're based in OZ) ?


Thanks

Michael

We were in St. Petersburg in 1995 and did on our own. We had no problems. On the last day we hired a guide who explained the history of what we had seen. In some says it was better than having him on the first day.

lerasp

be prepared that there's not a lot of things in english (street signs, metro stops, etc). Make sure you are comfortable at least with Russian alphabet so you can figure out what street you are on and what metro stop to get off on. other than that, completely doable. Also, many (most?) food places won't have menu in english. However, people on the street speak english more and more. If you have to ask someone, try to stop a younger person. they are more likely to speak english. Both cities are large, modern cities with fully developed infrastructures, just in a different language

nytraveler

Have been to Russia independently twice and had no problems doing things at all.

All you need to organize in advance is hotel - since they need to send you an invitation to go along with your Russian visa application. Once you're there it's easy to get around cities by foot or taxi (I find subway too crowded - even in comparison with NYC). And your hotel can sign you up for guided day trips outside the city if you want.

The key thing (and unfortunately now very expensive) is to get a good quality centrally located hotel.

hopscotch

mark

Odin

"Is it fairly easy to get around ourselves or can we book day tours upon arrival ?"

You can do both. It's easy to get around in both cities, although some hotels in St Petersburg are not as central as others, so might need to walk to the nearest metro. You can also book tours or places like the Kremlin/Hermitage, tour guides are outside waiting for customers.

For transfers in Moscow, I can recommend IBS
http://www.ibs-t.ru/about_eng.htm

I used them all the time in Moscow when I lived there some years back. They also have tour guides.

Regarding having to know a little Russian, yes of course it is helpful but alot of people go there without any knowledge and get by just fine.

afterall

Sorry, this isn't a reply but a questio - hope you don't mind freddo.

Odin (anyone else?) seeing as how you've lived there, do you have any inside info on cheap places to stay in Moscow? Single room - shared bathroom is OK. Don't need TV or phone but must have a window!

Cheers.

PS. by cheap I mean the sort of price you can find all over Europe, even in London or Amsterdam or Copenhagen, like c. 50eur a night?

Thx.

neeps

Afterall - I'm currently living in Moscow and the only places I know of here that would be that cheap are the hostels. Some have private rooms and there are a few with excellent locations. But they fill up fast so book early. The other option would be a serviced apartment. Quality and location varies widely.

afterall

Neeps. Thx.

Any idea which hostels have private rooms? I've already browsed hostelworld and hostelbookers, and maybe I saw them but, the thing is, they never say if there is a window.

It's quite common for single rooms in SE Asia not to have one. So I put it on my mental list of things I must ask. But, hey, I remember how taken aback someone offering me a room in a pension in Florence was when I did. "Of course!" he said. But you can never count on it, and I've no idea whether it would be the norm or the exception in Russia, this being a first visit.

I shall go and look at the hostels again. I may be back on this thread shortly!

Cheers.

Odin

Moscow is not really a place for cheap accommodation. B&B/pension doesn't really exist, you can do homestays or rent an apartment. I'd rather stay at one of the Izmailovo hotels or the Cosmos and neither of those would make a good impression to a first time vistor.

Try this site: http://www.hostels.ru/en/

Odin

Also the Moscow Times is a good source of info under classifieds

annaguide

For B&B or mini-hotels or economy-class hotels in Moscow You con browse these:
http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/moscow.htm
http://www.besthotelsrussia.com/
And I have a choice of links to St.Petersburg accomodation here:
http://www.petersburgguide.com/links.html
You can also find a link to Russian Embassy/Consulate info there and some important tips for tourists if You browse the site.
Good luck.

fleurt36

I see you want to travel around independently, but if you need a guide to help you make the most of St Pete, I can highly recommend Tatiana Churikova's services. Just spent last weekend in Petersburg with three (difficult-to-please!) friends and all of us agreed we had an excellent time, mainly thanks to this guide. There is a lot to see just outside of the centre, so she saved us travelling and queuing time.

From 8 o'clock in the morning when she met us off the train, till six in the evening when she showed us a decent, reasonably-priced place to eat, nothing was too much trouble.
She was flexible and didn't push us into seeing anything we didn't want to see. She didn't give us boring facts and figures about each and every sight, rather she picked a few paintings in the Hermitage for example, and gave us an interesting insight into each one. We were not bored or tired for one minute, as she brought places, paintings, statues etc. to life. (It was also great to be able to walk into the museums, churches and stately homes without any queuing!)
Was satisfied too with her rate. I had to double-check that the price she quoted me was for real. Kept asking her about any hidden charges, but no, what she quoted for her services and that of a very comfortable Mercedes van including driver ( not that I expected that kind of luxury on my budget!) , was incredibly good value compared with other quotes received. Naturally her fee didn't include museums etc.
Also appreciated the speedy replies to my emails. Didn't have to wait long for a response, important when planning a trip with others.
Anyway, if you want a genuinely warm, approachable and flexible guide, willing to cater to YOUR needs and YOUR wishes in St Petersburg, choose this lady. Don't think you will be disappointed.


Tatyana Churikova - [email protected]

fleurt36

For the person looking for cheap accomodation, you could check out expat.ru or redtape.ru

Maybe you could place an advertisement in their accommodation sections for room wanted for a few days, maybe in return for bringing a jar of Marmite, packets of salt and vinegar crisps etc! Half joking!

People on those forums might also be able to point you in the direction of reasonable accommodation.

I did read sth abt a new place near Pushkinskaya ploschad in the centre of Moscow. Central location. Will try and remember the name of it.

annaguide

There are a couple of Russian forums that can be of real help:
http://www.waytorussia.net/TalkLounge/index.php
and http://anastasiaworld.com/forum/index.php

afterall

Thx to all.

Annaguide - I'll check out the links you gave. Much appreciated.

Fleurt. Your comment about the Marmite and Salt n Vinegar crisps was hilarious. I wonder if anyone would be desperate enough to do a deal! Anyway, expat.ru looks interesting - and all info is useful.

Cheers.

Cheers.

lanejohann

Hey Fredo frog ..will be following this thread closely cos we are based in Oz and are just at the beginning of our itinerary planning...same amount of time as youve allocated
i am a little hesitant to book anything online but i did correspond with a girl who has an apartment for 75 euros ..if you want i can email you her details..the apartment looks really nice ..in moscow..but i dont know the district ...its supposedly near the metro and has restaurants nearby
i am pretty clear that we will either fly helsinki air into moscow or st petes or even maybe catch the train over from helsinki
Who are you flying with by the way???
we arent intending to go til 2009 late may so im planning to go to the consulate in woollahra sydney maybe in july this year...have you got your visa yet? how much? and the invitation?
the travel agent at flight centre recommended dealing with Bentours an oz agency..for peace of mind it may be worth it...at least theres someone you can phone if something goes awry with the accommodation there
they do tours but apparently also help independent travellers
i rang moscow the other night...talked to a lady at a central hotel ...the name escapes me ...something to do with aquamarine it was...ok got it..hotel Akvarel..was 300 euros per night but nice and central too
the receptionist told me that thats a pretty standard price
just found the other apartments i was talking about ..apartments in Serpuhovskaya metro station
and i also tried to reach Maykovskaya metro station but the link didnt work
novgorod is a must see apparently...a day trip
and you can do a few of the golden ring towns from moscow...as day trips
the girl with whom i have corresponded said there were plenty of tours available daily just for foreigners
elki palki is a nice chain of restaurants apparently...bit cheesy with the folk outfits but food is good
if i pick up any other hints ..ill post here
if ud like to correspond...pass on your email...thatd be great

lanejohann

ok just remembered something else that people have been suggesting
and that is to use the trains rather than the planes internally
more comfortable and by the time you factor in the 2hr security/ check in time and actual transport from the airports the time works out just about the same
you can book before you go or do it over there...but of course i think youre taking your chances..there are plenty of trains going apparently from moscow to st petes and some overnighters
the trip isnt all that spectacular scenery wise but i still think Oh and i will enjoy it more than a plane trip...a chance to stretch or to sleep and talk to people

if staying in st petes..stay as centrally as possible they say ...since the quality of accommodation really falls away the further out you go so something around Nevsky Prospect which is in the heart of st petes...

have seen good reviews about the Nord Hostel...around 24 euros a night ..great location and i think for us at least thats a big plus
i know my contribution amounts to nothing really cos i havent been yet but if you hear anything that backs up any of this please let me know

lanejohann

also check the dates youre travelling and find out if there are any trade fairs going on at the same time
the price of accommodation goes up then significantly
and of course it will be more crowded
i found the dates of trade fairs for may and june 2009 but thats not helping you ...may 10-14 and june 23-26...there were more but they werent relevant to the time i was going to the be there

trsny

"You can also book tours or places like the Kremlin/Hermitage, tour guides are outside waiting for customers."

Hi Odin, I don't know if you're on this thread much or if anyone else can comment on the above.

I've read on other sites that have mentioned in passing that tour guides are often available for on the spot hire outside of main attractions. I was curious about hiring tour guides this way versus pre-booking a guide.

My main question is how comparable would these tour guides be reputation and pricewise to say, one that you hire through a company?

For Moscow, I would be pre-booking because I need a specific itinerary. For St Petersburg, I plan on doing most sites independently, but would only need some help getting to and from some of the palaces and don't know if I would want to pre-plan down to the exact day and time for these excursions. Thanks!