Traveling Tips: Tips for Travel to Russia

Passport Control:

When you arrive in Russia, you will first proceed to Passport Control. There, your passport and visa will be examined, and after stamping your visa, the officer will return your passport and visa to you. After retrieving your luggage from the baggage carousel, you will pass through Customs. There are two lanes. If you have nothing to declare, you may proceed through the Green Channel. However, since you will probably have some foreign currency, you will have to pass through the Red Channel. Here, you will fill in your Customs declaration form. Please keep it with you until departure.

Hotels:

Hotel arrangements in Russia can be made through numerous reputable travel organisations offering considerable discounts on accommodation. The hotel accommodation services of Reisebuero WELT are detailed in www.welt.ru HOTELS section. There, you will find all necessary information about Moscow and St. Petersburg hotels, their locations and services, room facilities, and Reisebuero WELT`s standard tariffs. You can also book a hotel here by filling in the booking form.

The Metro:

The best way to avoid traffic jams in town is to use the subway, called the Metro in both Moscow and St. Petersburg. Street entrances to the stations are identified by a large red capital letter 'M'. The system is clean and very inexpensive; many of the stations themselves are architectural masterpieces. Each station has a large map of the network, as do the subway cars.

Entertainment:

No trip to Russia is complete without a visit to the theatre. Group bookings can be made as part of your schedule. If you are on your own, you can buy a ticket at one of the many ticket kiosks throughout the city - prices might be low but seats are not necessarily the best. You can order tickets through the theatre desk at your hotel, though prices might be more expensive than going through a booking agency. You may also try to purchase a cancellation ticket by going to the theatre about an hour or less before the performance. Prices are in line with those at a booking agency. The most famous of Moscow theatres is the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet House. The Bolshoi Ballet often performs in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses. Opera and ballet is also staged at the Stanislavsky Musical Theatre, while the Operetta performs Russian and foreign musicals. The Tchaikovsky Concert Hall will be a must for music lovers in Moscow. And don't overlook the world-famous Circus at Tsvetnoy Boulevard. Visitors to St. Petersburg will surely put the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theatre (The Kirov) on their itinerary.

Medical Care:

Medicines are available at pharmacies. Most are very cheap. If you need medical care, facilities are available at the American Medical Center and the European Medical Centre: Ulitsa 2-nd Tverskaya-Yamskaya, 10; the International Medical Clinic: Grokholsky pereulok, 31, 10th Floor; and the Botkin Hospital: 2-nd Botkinsky Proezd, 5 (Diplomatic Block). You can also contact a provider specified in your travel insurance policy.

Souvenirs:

For Russian souvenirs, you might check the speciality shops or visit the Izmaylovo market (Metro 'Izmaylovskiy Park'). Among traditional Russian handicrafts are painted wooden dishes from the city of Khokhloma, and exquisite lacquered boxes from Palekh and Mstyora. You might also want to buy linen, Kzhell porcelain dishes, 'Matryoshki' painted wooden nested dolls, or even caviar and vodka.