djkbooks

Terminal 2E reopened last year after repairs and is quite efficient, though enormous. There are actually two terminals within 2E, one for gates 72-77 and another for gates 81-87 and it's a bit of a hike between the two. There's a detailed map at www.easycdg.com and another on the Air France web site.

While your bags will probably be checked through, it may be necessary to go through security again, but it's best to check with your airline.

Even so, 90 minutes should be adequate.

You should receive a boarding pass when you check in for your original flight - but, double check the gate number on arrival at CDG, and keep checking, because the gate numbers change, and often just ahead of boarding time.

Stainless

djk,

Thanks for the additional info and a more precise map of CDG. Will keep in mind to make sure the departing gate hasn't changed.

jel1031

Thank you for this report. We are planning to take this trip in October 2009. Your report has been helpful and makes me look forward to our trip.

Luisah

Grand Circle has canceled the Russian Waterways trip but Russia Revealed, which is entirely on the boat -- no hotels, is still available.

gmlawyer

Have not looked at this Board in awhile. My wife and I took this trip last June and absolutely loved every aspect of the trip. She is a professiional writer and her description of our trip can be read on her blog at debradarvick.wordpress.com Once on the site, in the middle of the page, her writeup is "In the land of the Firebird." You are going to love your trip. Plus 36 rubles to the dollar vs 23 rubles last June.

jel1031

Thanks for the link to the trip description. it was a wonderful piece and makes me look forward to our trip.

lanejohann

thanks for your efforts sdtravels!
we will be leaving for russia in late may 2009

but travelling independently and wont be doing the museums and palaces to any great degree ( so we think at this stage)

im glad you talked about the weather - a shame that it was raining in moscow but we are determined and have bought waterproof shoes and good raincoats - so bring it on hahaha!

I was sorry to hear that kvas tasted like prune juice - it is hard to describe something made of bread because it doesnt taste like anything i know - im not overly fond of prune juice- cloying sweet which kvas isnt supposed to be at all
did it have sultanas in it? used to love the fizzy sultanas a-bobbing in a glass!

thanks for reminding me about the locks and keys trees - since we wont have a guide or car, we will have to find it ourselves ..just noted that it is around the tverskaya area - will ask friendly local policeman who will check our passports and visas, find fault and drag us away for special 'interview' and fine lol
seriously, glad you didnt mention any meetings with the police! im trying to dress down and do like a local lol

we will be staying in the arbat area - in an apartment and later round nevsky prospect in another apartment- transfers have been arranged through the russian agency our own local agent was dealing with - keys after they meet us at the airport i guess
we had to get visa support through this agency too - hopefully it is all registered and we wont have to queue up at a post office or police station to announce our arrival!

your talk of the moscow circus got me thinking - wasnt thinking of going - seen so many russina performances in my days but just maybe OHmight like it - he likes cirque de soleil .... wonder how id go about getting good seats quickly- will ask a local i guess or just lob into a hotel- im sure they will welcome my random queries!!!

glad you enjoyed your trip

the menu sounds a bit westernised as expected - i used think pavlova was a russian dessert when i was a kid, given the name ...lol
might try to find a decent russian restaurant locally before we go - but as an ex-pat said : 'that's in fairytales'!
cant think why russian cuisine hasnt taken off like the italian and asian have!

thursdaysd

"we had to get visa support through this agency too - hopefully it is all registered" Your visa has to be registered after you arrive (within three business days max.). Make SURE that your agency has agreed to do this, or you may indeed have a less than pleasant encounter with the police.

lanejohann

thursdaysyd - thanks for that
it is one of the things im dreading about this trip
we are dealing with a local travel agent here at home and even then there was some misunderstaning
we paid for the 'visa' but i kept thinking- where is the actual questionnaire/application

so my mindreader-of-an -agent rings me and says:hey guess what? we have only paid for the letter of support and registration ( universal tours in russia)

so we rush to get the papers for the visa application and now are waiting to get them back - we chose to do it via the agent and courier rather than try to sit at the consulate for an unknown time
cost us an extra forty but what the hey
waiting...waiting...
i will ring the consulate and ask them directly what happens because it is so hard to find anyone who is an expert in these affairs

see how i fare with the kindly folk of the consulate lol
yes sir no sir three bags full sir
please let me come in!

thursdaysd

lanejohann - do you know about this site: www.waytorussia.net/index.html? If you haven't seen it, you might want to take a look at their info on visas and visa registration. Does your travel agent have experience with Russian travel? Which guidebook(s) are you using?

lyb

I realize that this post is almost a year old, but did you post your pictures somewhere? I would love to see them.
Russia is on my list and I think this is the one time that a tour would make it easier.

sdtravels

Yes, my photos are on www.garyandsusan.shutterfly.com You will find Russia in one of the tabs at the top. Funny that we really thought we would need tour due to the written language. After a couple of days we were pretty comfortable. So much so we are planning on going to China independently. Lanejohann, if you haven't been to Russia before you absolutely must do some of the museums. The Hermitage for one. The tour groups don't spend an entire day there.

lyb

thanks for the pictures, they're great, i've put your website as one of my favorites so I can go back and see all the other pictures.

lanejohann

ok sd travels
museums...ill try
see im not a fan of opulence
and somehow
once i saw versailles i kinda had enough but i do acknowledge that it is all very beautiful

but i like the gardens and id like to visit the gravesites
id rather see the places where artists and writers lived and worked or played
i want to see some of the good guys in history


ill visit some war memorials to pay my respects

and we are getting a padlock for the iron trees you mentioned - that is the sweeeeetest sentiment expressed hey?

thursdaysd hi

my agent doesnt have much experience -'has been to russia for a few days
thats the extent of the expertise

im using eyewitness and lonely planet and lots of forums
i know of way to russia
ill have to explore it a bit - thanks for reminding me



i got a reply via email about my visa application
ill print it off and carry it on my person
i have found out you definitely need originals of all documents not photocopies to show any policeman
it seems that our tour agency in russia that organised the apartments will be doing the registering
i will double check when they pick us up from the airport

thursdaysd

lanejohann - It would be a good idea to carry written confirmation that your ground agent will register your visa, in case of argument.... (Preferably from the ground agent, not the local agent.) Take photocopies of your passport and visa and try those first if you're stopped, also take a cell phone with the number of your embassy programmed in.

sdtravels

I forgot to mention: a note on the police. Maybe we were lucky but we were never stopped even when we were by ourselves. One of our travel companions even went up to one and asked for directions! Needless to say I was scurrying in the other direction trying to distance myself from her, but there were no issues. He just gave her directions.

thursdaysd

I actually shared a compartment on an overnight train with a nice young police officer. However, he told me that there wouldn't be an end to police corruption until the salaries were increased. I don't know, but I rather doubt that that has happened.

gmlawyer

Really, the royal palaces should not be missed. The workmanship is simply beyond belief. A good deal of the furniture was sold or destroyed at Versailles; the Russians seemed to have saved every thing.

bjpiper

Thank you so much. It is so nice to read about a trip before you take it. We were with GCT on China land and River tour last March (2008), It was great but the cabins on that riverboat were not as nice as what you picture on the Rossia. We will be on the Rossia in July. In China we had lots of steps from the ship and dock. Really a workout. But it was worth it.
I purchased a grounded adaptor plug(Universal to Europe) to use with the electric for the Russia trip. I will need electric to charge my JVC camcorder (30 g hard drive). I hope the electric on the ship will be compatible for this. Want to take lots of pictures. I use a point and shoot camera too.

NormaGold

Thanks for such a detailed report. We signed up with GCT for Sept 8th to Kiev an extension and then to St Petersburg for the cruise boat. Very excited about it.