Russia for One
 

I am planning a trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg in either May or Sept. I will most likely go solo and am a female.Can anyone recommend a good travel agent or company that can provide a good trip?

I went to Russia also as a solo female traveler. In most parts of the world I am very comfortable traveling independently and alone, but I did not feel this way about Russia. I took a Cosmos tour and it was great. I met a lot of interesting people in the group and enjoyed my trip very much. There were several other solo female travelers on that trip, so I felt right at home.

I have done a lot of research for a similar upcoming trip (though not solo). The best resource by far I have found is Way To Russia - http://www.waytorussia.net

One particular strength of this organization is customized, one-on-one, tours at low prices. Another is their central apartments (and hotel recs) at very good rates. They also handle all visa details.

You will need to research and purchase your own airfare however. A great website for researching airfares is www.itasoftware.com . Way to Russia will handle everything else, up to arranging a driver to having your pre-selected groceries waiting upon your arrival.

I have had very good experience with Peace Travel Services in Moscow for visa expediting:

www.go-russia.com

I recommend you hire a guide. You'll get the highest quality experience out of your trip with the right guide. One source is:

www.russianguidenetwork.com

For deciding on hotels, this website has a ton of information on hotels, including hostels in Saint Petersburg and Moscow:

www.hotelinspector.com


There are reviews for Tallinn, Estonia as well.

The Smithsonian Institution has good trips to Russia.