Info about Travel
Travel Tips for a Holiday in Russia
In the recent years, travel to, from, and within Russia has become easier and less complicated than it used to be. Keep in mind, however, that in order to gain entrance to the country and to travel within it, visas are required. More importantly, they must be obtained from a registered and licensed travel agency.
The application process for the visa should begin months before travel is planned. The country requires that an invitation to visit there be issued, but this is somewhat a formality. The hotel in which the visitor plans to stay can issue this certificate, or one can ask for one from the embassy in which the tourist resides.
The visa must be validated in each and every city. Fortunately, Russian hotels are able to assist tourists with these processes. Expect to pay a nominal fee for the service. If the tourist is not staying at a hotel and goes to visit a Russian family and stays in their home, that person should immediately register with the local police upon arrival.
Once the tourist reaches his or her destination, it is imperative that a photocopy of the passport accompany him or her at all times. The passport number should be left with a family member in the tourist’s native country. This will come in handy should the passport be lost or stolen.
If packing small electric appliances such as shavers and hair dryers, the visitors in Russia should keep in mind that Russia is on the same type of electrical system as much of Europe, which is 220 volts/50 Hz. If one is traveling from the United States, adaptors can be purchased ahead of time, because the types of wall receptacles in Russia will only accept the thin, two-pin types that are standard in Europe. Converters are very difficult to find once the traveler has arrived in Russia.
It is prudent for the visitor to Russia to take a long a travel guide that gives full explanations of the currency. Price tags there generally quote prices in rubles. Banks will convert currency, usually free of charge.
However, beware of certain issues such as on issuing traveler’s checks as these can be difficult to encash in Russia. The good news is that credit cards are accepted in most of the tourist spots, and ATM machines are scattered about the major cities. A quirky point about the ATM’s is that the key pads only have numbers, not letters.
Recent years have seen big improvements in the telecommunications in Russia overall. But, be prepared for high telephone bills and shoddy service in some areas. A tourist would be wise to reserve telephone usage to the phones in the hotels or to use one of the USA carriers that offer direct service, such as Spring, MCI, or AT&T. One must buy tokens or plastic calling cards to use the pay phones on the streets. These can be purchased in some of the general tourist stores, at newsstands, and at many of the kiosks in Russia.