ms_go

<b>Vilnius, Lithuania.</b>

I think Vilnius might be my favorite of the Baltic capitals, but it is hard to say. We didn’t have a lot of time in any of them, and each one has its strong points.

Vilnius has one of the largest and oldest ‘old towns’ in Europe. The university commands a substantial part of the city center, giving this town a young, energetic vibe. It seems a little less touristy than the other capitals, which is probably why I liked it so much. I enjoyed strolling around the old town in the evening in the relative quite, save for a few busy squares and streets. We toured some of the key sites – Cathedral, Gates of Dawn, University – but mostly I just enjoyed walking around, visiting some of the street markets, examining the decorative building facades, etc.

In addition to the city, the drives through rural Lithuania were interesting. Whereas Poland had some relatively rough roads, Lithuania’s were quite good, taking us past clusters of simple homes and farms. We saw people working in their fields and gardens with simple hand tools and one interesting horse-drawn contraption. And we caught glimpse of an occasional stork’s nest – welcomed by residents for its supposed connection with fertility. Interestingly, in rural Poland and Lithuania, heat often is transported in large, over-ground metal ‘tubes’ that you can see running alongside the road.

On our way to Latvia, we stopped at the Hill of Crosses, which is a truly unique site. Just as the name implies, millions of crosses now cover a small hill, and then some. The display began many years ago as a demonstration of resistance against occupying forces, but today’s contributions are made with more of a religious intent. It’s a bit out of the way, but well worth seeing.

<i>Hotel: Crowne Plaza Vilnius.</i>

An older structure but newer hotel. This is fairly nicely furnished and the rooms were huge, with a nice sized sitting area and big picture windows. It is in a quiet residential area, but not quite as close to old town as we were led to believe. Actually, we asked two desk clerks how long the walk was; one said 15 minutes and one said 30 minutes. I’m a fast walker, and I’ll go with 20-25. Not enough to deter me, but some of the others in our group gave up and went back to the hotel. Cabs, however, are pretty reasonable. Food was okay, but not great. Not a real good night’s sleep, unfortunately; we could hear footsteps from the room about until about 1am.

ms_go

<b>Riga, Latvia.</b>

Riga is really a feast for the eyes, with attractive squares, flowers, colorful buildings, and lovely parks along the canal. But it is not so cute that it seems fake (to P_M’s question above). It is touristy, no doubt, but there was a balanced mix of tourists and locals, and it seemed to be a vibrant, working city. I might add that Riga had some of the worst traffic I saw anywhere.

The old town is not a large area and is easily walkable. Essentially, it rests on what is an area of landfill between the Daugava River and a canal that separates it from the rest of the city. There is a great view from the observation point in the spire of St. Peter’s church.

The new town, beyond the canal, features some exceptional art nouveau facades. In fact, we spent a good amount of time gazing up at some of these, with a very knowledgeable local guide providing the relevant context.

We were able to take in many of the old town highlights, including the Doma Cathedral, St. Saviour’s, the ‘three brothers’ – three houses that date back as far as the 17th century, the Konventa Seta, St. John’s Church and courtyard, and so on. With a full day, you can see a lot, but of course more time is required to relax and really savor it. Unfortunately, a sudden and fairly heavy rainstorm put a damper on our free evening there, so more exploring and a nice, local restaurant were out of the question.

We also made an excursion to the open air museum in the suburbs, which features traditional homes and ways of life from the past several hundred years. The wooden church was particularly interesting. Not a bad diversion, but with limited hours, my preference would be for more time in town.

Oh yeah, don’t forget to pick up some Laima chocolates. Yum!

<i>Hotel: Radisson SAS Daugava.</i>

This hotel is on the opposite bank of the river from old town, and it is a pretty wide river. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from the hotel to old town. But it affords wonderful views over the city, particularly at sunset (and I love looking at sunsets). It is a busy hotel, but has a lot of amenities, such as a 24-hour business center with internet. I thought our room as a bit worn, but otherwise comfortable. I’d rather stay in the city center, but I’m sure that is difficult to do with a group.

ms_go

<b>Tallinn, Estonia.</b>

With medieval architecture, Tallinn might be the most visually interesting of the three capitals – which is hard to say after having just been in Riga. It is a fairly compact area, but because it occupies both upper and lower areas, there is more climbing involved. There is a nice overlook in the upper town that provides views out over the red-tiled roofs to the port beyond.

We did a fairly comprehensive walking tour of the old town, including the Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (wedding in progress during our visit), St. Nicholas Church, town hall and the town hall square, 15th century gates, and a bit more.

Unfortunately, it was raining pretty hard for our walking tour. But it cleared out nicely in the evening, and I was able to enjoy the ample hours of daylight (until after 11pm) once the cruise crowds cleared out.

My impression was that Tallinn was the most touristy of the three – not unexpected when small, charming, unique city meets gazillions of large cruise ships. Take away a few theme restaurants and souvenir shops and it probably would have a bit of a different feel.

<i>Hotel: Sokos Viru.</i>

This is a large, high-rise hotel popular with Finns. It is very busy, and connected to an even busier shopping mall. But it is right across the street from the entrance to old town, making it very, very convenient – and that’s what I cared most about. From our room on a high floor, we also had great views.

ms_go

<b>St. Petersburg, Russia.</b>

Crossing the Russian border was an interesting experience. We’d been warned that it could take hours and be fraught with all sorts of complications. So we made a very early start to reach the border before other coaches. All in all, it took a couple of hours – the first of which was spent clearing the Estonian border (and some of that due to the long line at the bathroom; a special thanks to the Estonian border guards for sharing their private office facility with 37 Americans).

St. Petersburg is a beautiful city. Riding a boat on the Neva at night reminded me a bit of being in Paris with its magnificent palaces, parks and monuments along the river, but a little more rough around the edges. There was much work to polish up the city for its tricentennial a few years ago, but there remain many buildings behind scaffolding and a bit more graffiti than I was expecting.

We fit a lot into our short visit here:

The Catherine Palace, a former royal residence in stunning blue with some of the most ornate interiors I’ve ever seen (one member of our group remarked that it made Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors look a little plain).

The Winter Palace and Hermitage. You could spend days here. We spent part of our time focusing on the palace interiors, and part of our time on Italian and other Western European art.

The gardens of Peterhof, the summer palace across the bay from the city. The palace was not open the day we visited, but we went primarily for the gardens and fountains after having seen the interiors of the Catherine Palace and Winter Palace. And fountains there are – from gilded statues to vividly painted dragons to dancing jets in which the children play. We did this on our own with several others from our group. It is very easy, and relaxing, to go out and back by hydrofoil.

The Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral, burial site for many former rulers, including the Romanovs.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral, now a museum that recounts construction of the church. I later went back on my own to climb the cupola for terrific views across the city.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, which we visited during services on Sunday morning, complete with full choir. The chanting was beautiful; it was hard to leave.

The St. Petersburg Synagogue, including an interesting lecture and chant by the cantor.

Museum of the Siege and Defense of Leningrad, an interesting look at devastation inflicted upon the city and the resolve of its people.

An evening boat ride on the Neva.

And of course, much walking around the city center, including the Nevsky Prospekt.

All of this was enhanced by our exceptional local guide, Julia.

A real highlight was the opportunity (as a tour optional) to see a very nice ballet production of Swan Lake at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

We had some time for walking on our own, which was nice, but I think this was one place where it was helpful to be part of a tour. Places like the Hermitage, the Catherine Palace, and the Peter and Paul Fortress were packed – having defined group slots enabled us to move right in without standing in line. At the Hermitage, we then had the option of staying on after the formal (2.5 hour) portion of our tour.

We were warned to be careful with our belongings in St. Petersburg, but I never felt particularly uncomfortable. Having visited Naples last month, I was already used to keeping an eye on my surroundings. One couple in our group was accosted by a pack of about 10 gypsy children in a fairly busy park area. Nothing was taken, but it was somewhat unsettling (and startled my mother to the point of not wanting to leave the hotel).

<i>Hotel: Angleterre.</i>

The location couldn’t be any better: directly across the street from St. Isaac’s Cathedral and walking distance to the Hermitage and a host of other sites. Our room was on the interior courtyard and a bit past its prime, but I understand that the hotel has some much nicer rooms (we got the ‘group’ rooms, but that’s okay). The lobby, restaurant, bar, etc., are all very nice. I’d stay here again.

This, by the way, was a substitute for a brand new Novotel that had just opened on Nevsky Prospekt but was still having some birthing pains.

ms_go

<b>Novgorod the Great, Russia, and the road to Moscow.</b>

Unlike some tours, ours made the trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow via coach (rather than train or plane). The one-night stop in Novgorod the Great in part broke up that trip, but also provided an opportunity to see a smaller, but similarly historic Russian town. Novgorod is one of the oldest towns in Russia and features the oldest church, St. Sophia Cathedral. It also has a medieval Kremlin, and a nearby monastery with a similarly ancient church. Novgorod has a large number of well-preserved churches, and metallic onion domes can be seen across the skyline. Situated on the Volkov river, it seems to have a bit of a recreational draw, with a large beach and other areas for sunning – including one right outside our hotel. All in all, it was an interesting stop with a much different feel than the cities.

We did have a couple of incidents with local youth while inside the Kremlin – nothing that involved any actual theft, but it was advisable to keep a careful eye on things, nevertheless.

The drive from here to Moscow was a really interesting one. I probably wouldn’t want to do this more than once in my life, but it was a window into a very different world. Note that this is not a major highway, but a bumpy, two-lane, provincial road with intermittent road construction that seemed aimed at maintenance rather than improvement. All along the way, we heard about the atrocities that took place in this area during the war and during the Stalin era and how many bodies were dumped in the forests. Concrete memorials, some featuring tanks or guns, are present all along the road.

I didn’t have my camera handy when I needed it, and what few pictures I did take don’t adequately capture the tea stands along the road side. The small, wooden houses – in some cases, parts of some appeared to be partially collapsed, but flowers and curtains in the front windows indicated that someone actually lived here (in times past, windows were a sign of prosperity; the more windows, the higher the tax.) The old woman hauling two buckets of water on a pole across her shoulders. Or the kids filling up water buckets from a pipe on a street corner. The soviet-era concrete high rise ‘boxes.’ The ornately decorated and restored churches with bright onion domes set among modest wooden homes. The lone goat or cow tied up in the front yard. Or the ever-present police ‘booths.’ At one point, we took a detour off the main road through a small town, drawing stares from the locals who, understandably, don’t often see a large red and white bus driving through their streets.

In years not so far in the past, many tours have had to resort to ‘brush stops’ – ladies on one side of the road, men on the other. Fortunately, our driver and tour director have been through Russia a few times recently and knew of a particular service station/cafe with real toilets (not even squatties). A real bonus!

<i>Hotel: Beresta Palace.</i>

This is the only ‘nice’ hotel in Novgorod. It is Austrian built, and features an open, tropical feel in the lobby with lots of plants. The rooms are pretty average: no AC (which was a problem on this muggy evening), and the roughest muslin sheets I’ve ever encountered. It is also a bit of a walk to the city center, through areas I’m not so sure about. But overall, it was fine for one night.

ms_go

<b>Moscow, Russia.</b>

As fascinating as each previous location was on this trip, I entered Moscow with mixed expectations. Maybe I didn’t do enough research prior to the trip, but I guess I expected something kind of cold and severe. I was a bit blown away by this beautiful and vibrant city, although I found it maybe a bit less manageable due to its size and scale. Whereas I felt St. Petersburg was fairly easy to navigate, Moscow was somewhat intimidating. I was not alone in this feeling; others in our group didn’t feel comfortable straying too far from our compound (see below) when we first arrived. I think Globus anticipated this and did a good job of really filling up our schedule for those who wanted a solid orientation before venturing out on their own.

I’d have to say that standing in Red Square in the evening was the biggest ‘wow’ moment of the entire trip, and among the top in any of my travels. As several of my tour mates said, it made you feel like a kid standing in Disneyworld for the first time. “Are we really here?”

Some other highlights:

The Moscow metro. Not just a transportation system, but a gallery of art depicting important facets and events in the country’s development.

The city park of ‘fallen heroes’ – Soviet-era monuments that have been taken down. This park provides a final resting place for a variety of Lenins and others.

The view of Novodevichiy Convent across the lake that reportedly inspired Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. And the Novodevichiy Cemetery, burial place of many prominent Russians, including Checkhov, Gogol, Nikita Khruschev, Raisa Gorbachev, and many more. Very peaceful and interesting.

Some more free time in Red Square, including a chance to peruse the GUM department store – actually a collection of smaller shops, some of which we have at home. ‘Red,’ by the way, has nothing to do with the red buildings in proximity to the square or to Communism. In old Russian, ‘red’ was the word for ‘beautiful.’

Victory Park. This is a relatively new park commemorating The Great Patriotic War of 1941-45 (the Russian reference for WWII). The museum includes six life-sized dioramas depicting the major battles and sieges of the war, and many other interesting displays. The Central Hall of Heroes includes the names of more than 11,000 people who were designated heroes of the war. A 465-foot obelisk in the center of the park (10 cm for every day Russia was a war) is a focal point. As a matter of tradition, new brides lay flowers at the foot of the monument as a way of paying homage to those who died for their country. We saw several do so during our visit. The large park also includes an Orthodox church, a synagogue, and a mosque, as well as a large outdoor display of military equipment. A very moving experience. We don’t so often hear about the 27 million Russians who died during the war, or the vast number more under Stalin’s rule.

The Tretyakov Gallery, a collection of Russian art and one of the world’s premier collections of icons. Very enjoyable, and not nearly as crowded as the Hermitage.

The Moscow Circus was interesting – historic and an interesting venue. But it kind of pales in comparison after having seen about a half dozen Cirque du Soleil shows. There were some pretty good acts, including a group of tumblers from a small province of Russia, and some well-trained Macaws that hopped, rode little bikes; and some not-so-good ones, including dancing apes.

Shopping and free time on Old Arbat Street, home to a variety of art vendors and others.

A visit to the Armory Museum and other sites in the Kremlin. By this time, we were all running on fumes, but it was still quite interesting to see what lies inside those imposing walls. Cathedral Square is impressive, and we spent about two hours looking at a variety of crowns, robes, chariots, serving pieces, etc., inside the very crowded Armory Museum.

In Moscow more than St. Petersburg, I felt somewhat insecure in not knowing the language. I’d read that it would be helpful to learn the Cyrillic alphabet in advance, if only to be able to work out pronunciations. Unfortunately, somewhat strapped for time, I did not do this. Even in the week I spent in Russia, I found myself slowing picking up a few letters at a time, so this shouldn’t be too difficult.

<i>Hotel: President Hotel.</i>

Okay, this was interesting. As the name might imply, this hotel is owned by the office of none other than Mr. Vladimir Putin and is where many visiting dignitaries stay. It is surrounded by a tall iron fence with several guard gates. No one can enter without passing through security. On once occasion, as we were waiting to leave on the bus, we saw a group of cars enter, some armed bodyguards jump out, and an unidentified guest be escorted into the hotel. The hotel has an elegant lobby with a nice bar and several good (but not inexpensive) restaurants. The breakfast buffet was particularly notable; the group dinners were good but not exceptional. Our room was spacious and included wood floors with area rugs. We had a commanding view over the river and the Peter the Great monument right outside. Clearly made for men; the few electrical outlets were in really inconvenient locations for hairdryers, etc. Location was pretty good, one metro stop away from the Kremlin and near Gorky Park.

TexasAggie

Hi ms_go,
Loving every word so far! I will look into the Globus package this afternoon. I am also an adament independent travel fan but a tour may be the only way I can persuade DH to do this trip. Thanks for the wonderful report!

ms_go

<b>The tour group experience.</b>

As noted, I’m used to doing my own thing and setting my own pace. Increasingly, I have taken to slowing it down and spending more time in a particular location. So I was a little concerned whether I’d like a faster paced tour.

So how did I find this?

It did have a bit of the ‘if it’s Tuesday, it must be Lithuania’ feel to it (and yes, Lithuania was on Tuesday). There were a couple of one-night stops, but also some more ‘generous’ three-night stops in St. Petersburg and Moscow. And on balance, it offered some opportunities for free time. While I don’t feel I had enough time in any single location (but I went into this trip not expecting to), I do feel like I made the most of my time there – between the planned activities and my own roaming – and that I have a good feel for each city. Enough to be comfortable going back on my own to any of them, which I hope to do at some point.

We did have some early starts, but that’s all part of making the most of your time. I did not go on this trip to relax. That was last month’s trip.

There were various optional excursions that, in total, added about $500 per person to the cost of the trip. We ended up taking all of them and were quite satisfied with most – some, such as the ballet in St. Petersburg, were trip highlights. We did not feel pressured at all to sign up for the optionals, and we never had any forced stops at gift shops (as I have experienced with certain other tours or daytours in the past).

Our tour director was a fountain of information, and Globus used excellent local guides in each city.

We had a pretty big group, at 37, but no so big that the bus was jammed. These are not destinations sought by first-timers, and indeed, most of those on this trip were very well traveled – some much more so than I. The age range was pretty wide – 25 to 80s. I was not the youngest, or even the second or third youngest. Everyone got along well. There were no complainers. And there were no chronically late stragglers. I think the latest we ever left one of our stops was five minutes past the intended departure time. Not bad at all.

The hotels, as I mentioned, were for the most part centrally located and within easy walking distance of major sites. Aside from the Westin Warsaw, I wouldn’t call them luxurious, but I would call them pretty good on average. We didn’t always have the best rooms in the hotel, but that’s fine. I didn’t spend much time in the rooms and was more concerned with location.

The food was okay; breakfasts, in particular, were very good. We had some opportunities for eating out and trying some better places. But food is about at the bottom of my mother’s priority list when traveling, so I went into this recognizing that this trip would not be about the food. In fact, I’m not too embarrassed to say I even set foot in a McDonalds at one point – it was fast, and it had a clean bathroom (something not to be taken for granted). Overall, I was expecting a real mystery meat and potatoes trip (and there was some mystery meat, for sure), but I ended up being surprised by the abundance and quality of fruit and vegetables. We had some very good salads with our provided meals. We managed a few local specialties along the way: pierogis in Poland, borsch in Russia, etc. And, oh yes, the vodka. Five shots was my maximum for one evening and I was still standing.

Everyone seemed to take precautions with the water, particularly in St. Petersburg, and I’m not aware that anyone got sick.

We were fortunate to have an outstanding, experienced tour director/driver team who really kept us on track and dealt effectively with some of the issues of traveling in this area: the unpredictable ‘closing’ days at various sites, bad roads, the Russian police, new territory for Globus (they hadn’t been in the Baltics in a number of years), and so on. A little flexibility goes a long way in this area.

I am certainly glad that I didn’t have to drive or park – a small car, let alone a bus – in most of these locations. Lavoro eccellente, Marco!

So overall, I’d say that I did not really experience many of the possible downsides to organized group travel. The trip exceeded my expectations.

ms_go

(something fouled up; sorry if there is a double post here)

<b>Air travel.</b>

My one beef with Globus was the air booking process. Of course, it is ‘safer’ to buy your air with the tour package, in the event of a date change or cancellation. For the not-exactly-a-bargain price of $1,525, I was offered a Delta/Air France itinerary that included a 45-minute connection at CDG on the outbound segment. I’ve been there and done that. Never again. I refused it and asked for something else, even offering to pay a bit more. And never mind the fact that I could buy the same itinerary on my own for $300 less. They wouldn’t budge.

For approximately the same price, I bought tickets for travel on United and Lufthansa, with very comfortable connections in Frankfurt. Since I am able to book Economy Plus seating, we ‘spread out’ with a few extra inches of leg room on the way over, although I’m still not exactly sure what that was I ate for dinner. The fare basis for our return was upgrade-eligible (with miles), and one hour before flight time, our FRA-ORD upgrades cleared. Another member of my family is now spoiled for life.

Many of the others on our trip went with the Globus Delta/Air France package. Not surprisingly, there were a number who missed their connections at CDG on the way over, some who made it but were a bit unhappy about transferring under pressure at CDG, and at least one couple who had to do without their luggage for the first few days of the trip.

My last point on air travel is that I will never include Sheremeteyvo (SVO2) among my favorite airports, or those that I wish to visit again. Long story short, we spent a full hour – at 4am!! – waiting in the front hall and without access to coffee before we were allowed to clear customs and security and check in for our flight.

<b>Money.</b>

American dollars and Euro are widely accepted, along with local currencies – particularly by street vendors and some shops. Although we did not do a lot of shopping, we did use dollars as much as we used local currencies.

You’ve heard it here before. Travelers’ checks are more and more difficult to use. I had a really hard time convincing my mother of this, but in the end she brought just a few and did not use them. Some found them a little harder to cash. The bank at our hotel in Moscow wouldn’t even consider it, which caused a bit of a hardship for some. That same bank was examining dollar bills with a magnifying glass before accepting them for transfer.

I’ve been relying on my ATM card for years, and I had no problems using it throughout this trip. I even used it to get cash for others.

<b>Phones.</b>

Oh yes, my Cingular phone worked just fine on this trip (I corrected the mistakes from last month’s trip to Italy; lesson learned: read the instructions and don’t rely on the phone reps). I haven’t seen the bill yet, but it won’t be much considering that I made just a few short calls home. Some people purchased phone cards but remarked that it was a little more difficult to find them than in, say, Italy.

ms_go

So that’s it. Another fascinating travel experience for the books.

My sincere thanks to Chris and Marco for pulling off a well-organized and very interesting trip. To all my traveling companions. To Bobthenavigator and Mrs. Bob for occupying their granddaughter while I was gone. And of course, to mr_go for holding down the fort and indulging me with this opportunity to travel without him. Of course, he will benefit from this trip at some point down the road, even if he was 'offering libations' to other Fodorites in my absence!

Nastrovya!

bookchick

Very well done again, Ms Go! I am glad you took this opportunity with your mom, even if it was a bit of a compromise to your travel style. Great highlights, and plenty of practical info in your report. Bravissima!

&Aacute;&icirc;&euml;&uuml;&oslash;&icirc;&arin g; &ntilde;&iuml;&agrave;&ntilde;&egrave;&aacute;&ici rc;!

BC

TexasAggie

I just printed this entire report and plan on bringing it straight home to DH.
A couple more questions whenever you get a free sec...

While I would of course try to learn the basic &quot;hello, thank you, goodbye&quot; in the languages, I doubt I'd have time to learn much more than that. Do many of the merchants, hotel staff, and restaurant wait staff speak any English? The only other languages I can even marginally speak are German and Italian, neither of which I expect to come in handy in eastern Europe!

Would you recommend small bills if you bring dollars? I went to Kenya on a high school trip several years ago and I recall being instructed to bring a few hundred $1 bills. It would be much easier to bring larger denominations of course, but what do you suggest?

Thanks again for the report
jill

FainaAgain

Jill, I'm still doing the opposite - learning to speak English with Russian accent

So here is my advice: always have a piece of paper handy to write down what you need. Even if people speak English there - they speak British English and are used to British accent. American accent is very different, and this may be a major issue.

The next best thing to speaking Russian would be a phrase book - just point to the appropriate line.

bobthenavigator

As usual, suberb, Marisa.
Your style is net but informative. If we never make it to these destinations I will still feel that I have &quot;seen it&quot;. Now, get to work and pay the bills. Make sure that Alexandra reads a good history of the Czarina and family.

julies

Thanks so much for a fascinating trip report of an area we hope to visit (minus Moscow) next summer. We too are do-it yourselfers who have started to really slow down and rent houses in an area for 5 to 7 days, so I was interested to read about your group tour experience. We will be doing it ourselves when we visit as we have people to visit in Lithuania and we will have our own connections there. You say you intend to visit the area again on your own. Which places would you recommend for more than the whilrwind one day visit? And, how many days at those places? I know you were on a tour that was probably all-inclusive, but can you comment on general price ranges in the various locales. thanks again.

TexasAggie

Thanks Faina. Where are you headed to next anyway? I so enjoyed your Switzerland report.
I think the one thing that intimidates me the most about learning Russian is the cyrillic (sp?) alphabet. Perhaps I ought to buy a little book and CD and see what I can learn on my own since I wouldn't even be able to use a phrasebook unless I learn a few basics like the letters, no?

tcreath

Thank you very much for posting such a splendid report. My husband and I are planning on visiting the Baltic countries in a year or two before we head to Sweden to pick up our Volvo. I have been interested in visiting Tallinn for a few years now, although I wasn't sure what to expect from Vilnius and Riga. Your report gave great detail and insight into these capitals, and now I look forward to visiting even more!

Our trip would be done as an independent trip. We have been to several central/Eastern European countries and have managed just fine (for the most part). However, having never been to this part of Europe we are not sure what to expect. In your opinion, would these countries be fairly easy to manage on one's own, or would you recommend a group tour?

Thanks again!
Tracy

KT

TexasAggie, I learned the Cyrillic letters (but not the Russian language!) with a little book called &quot;Teach Yourself Beginner's Russian Script.&quot; It introduces the letters a few at a time and gives you practice exercises aimed only at practicing the letters (in both printed and handwritten form), and sort of tangentially picking up a few useful words. Don't be too intimidated -- I found it easier than I'd expected once it was broken down into manageable units.

During my week in St. Petersburg, I found it invaluable to be able to at least sound out words since I was travelling independently. For one thing, I did a lot of walking around and was glad to be able to read street signs, subway platform signs, etc., without having to think &quot;there's a backwards N, and one of those elaborate X-things....&quot;

I generally managed fine, with patience, only a few polite/apologetic phrases, and a willingness to look like an idiot. And it would have been easier if I'd been staying at a fancy western-owned hotel and eating at upscale restaurants, where you're quite likely to find English spoken (more or less).

FainaAgain

Jill, ah, just give up, get a phrase book: English-Russian for you, Russian-English for that blond blue-eyed tall russian you'll meet on your trip Anyway you won't remember those cyrillics a month after the trip!

I'm watching the air fair for a local trip, and then... who knows!

ms_go

Thanks, Bookchick. I think it is important to take advantage of these opportunities to spend time with parents while we can. After this trip, I'm not sure how much longer this type of travel will be possible. I know she really appreciated and enjoyed it.

Bob, I am working... We have a copy of <i>Nicholas &amp; Alexandra</i> around here somewhere; I'm going to find it for Allie.

Jill, I think it would be pretty easy to learn pronunciations, as KT says. In the week I was there, I quickly figured out that the one that looks like a 'P' sounds like an 'R', the one that looks like a 'C' sounds like and 'S', etc. This will enable you sound out words on signs, etc. That, plus learning some basic phrases, will help a lot. Otherwise, we found that many people associated with tourist sites, shops, etc., in the Baltics and St. Petersburg spoke at least some English.

As far as money is concerned, we took American currency in all denominations from 1-100. There were many vendors who not only accepted these, but also were able to make change in dollars, as well. Small bills were helpful for things like street vendors; larger bills for exchanging at banks (although I preferred my ATM for that). I don't think you'd need to take a huge number of small bills. Also, some of the ATMs dispense dollars, Euro, or rubles (or other local currency in the Baltics).

Tracy: by all means, you'll be fine traveling in the Baltics independently. My decision to go the tour route was entirely because I was traveling with my mother, who is in her 70s and prefers some structure. If I was doing this with mr_go, it would have been a very different trip - on our own (and not so many locations all at once).

Julies: tough questions. I would definitely give St. Petersburg a sufficient amount of time - more than three days; maybe more like 5? I would have liked more than two days in Riga, although tough to tell how many days without knowing much about what to do outside of the city itself. And I would have liked some time in Lithuania, but it sounds like you have that part covered.

As far as price ranges, it is tough to say, since many of our basic costs were covered and we didn't spend that much above and beyond. Our tour director told us that Riga was generally the most expensive of the Baltic capitals and that prices were, on average, not a lot different than some western cities.