What do you need to know before you travel to Russia?

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St.-Basils-Cathedral-Moscow

Russia, the largest country in the world by area, is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and North Asia.

The majority of the population (77%) lives in the western part of Russia, where winters are milder.

It is definitely worth visiting this wonderful country at least once in your lifetime!

Moscow is a city with a special charm, and the wonderful St. Basil’s Cathedral should be a reason enough to convince you to visit this fabulous city. There are many places worth visiting in Moscow and we made a top of the sights of the Russian capital in this article.

In Russia, there are some of the largest museums in the world, such as the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Read in this article about the attractions of St. Petersburg.

When to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg?

Summer: June – August

Summer is the peak season in Russia and the average temperature is around 20 ° C.

Most tourists choose to visit only Moscow and St. Petersburg, but in summer the temperature is pleasant in other parts of the country too. There are 35 National Parks and 100 Nature Reserves in Russia(the largest of which is The Great Arctic State Nature Reserve).

Spring: March – May

If you want to avoid the crowds and still enjoy good weather, it is best to visit these cities in April or May.

Autumn: September-November

Due to the heavy rainfall, fewer tourists choose to visit Russia in the fall.

We visited Moscow and St. Petersburg in October and it rained almost daily. In the evenings was quite cold (around 5 ° C), but during the day was pleasant to walk around the city.

Winter: December-February

Although winters are very cold in Russia, the weather should not be a barrier that stops you from visiting the wonderful cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In the western part of Russia (where Moscow and Saint Petersburg are located) the average temperature in the winter months is -10 ° C (January -25 ° C).

We would like to spend the winter holidays in Moscow and see the Christmas decorations.

The city was very beautiful and carefully decorated even in October and the Christmas decorations will surely make you feel the Christmas magic.

How can you get the E-Visa?

Starting with June 2019, the Electronic Visa has been introduced for 53 countries. The electronic visa is issued free of charge and is valid for a visit of maximum 8 days.

This type of visa allows you to visit the Kaliningrad and Leningrad regions and the city of St. Petersburg.

For the Electronic Visa, you have to apply at least 4 days before your trip online, on this website.

How can you get to Moscow?

There are direct flights from most major cities in Europe to Moscow.

Airports in Moscow:

There are 3 airports in Moscow: Sheremetyevo (SVO) in the northwest, Domodedovo (DME) in the south and Vnukovo (VKO) in the southwest.

Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO)

The airport is located in Himki, 29 km away from the center of Moscow. You will arrive here if you fly with Aeroflot.

How do you get from the airport to the city?

By Aeroexpress train:

  • Schedule: 5:30 AM – 12:30 AM;
  • Fare: 500 Rubles (450 Rubles online);
  • Connects the airport with the brown subway line (line 5), – Belorusskaya station. Subway number 5 runs in a circle and has stations in common with the other subway lines;
  • Travel time: 35 minutes;
  • This was our choice, the station is inside the airport and the trains are very modern and clean;

By bus:

It’s the cheapest option, but the bus will leave you at a subway station further from the city center.

Bus number 817:

  • Schedule: 5:23 AM – 12:09 AM;
  • Fare : 55 Rubles;
  • Connects the airport to the purple metro line (line 7) – Planernaya station;
  • Travel time: 40 minutes;

Bus number 948:

  • Schedule : 7:30 AM – 10:00 PM – every 15 minutes;
  • Fare : 80 Rubles;
  • Connects the airport to the purple metro line (line 7) – Planernaya station;
  • Travel time: 30 minutes;

Bus number 851:

  • Schedule: 5:37 AM – 1:05 AM – every 20 minutes;
  • Fare : 55 Rubles;
  • Connects the airport with the green metro line (line 2) – Rechnoy Vokzal station;
  • Travel time: 50 minutes;

Bus number 949:

  • Schedule : 6:30 AM – 10:00 PM – every 15 minutes;
  • Fare : 80 Rubles;
  • Connects the airport with the green metro line (line 2) – Rechnoy Vokzal station;
  • Travel time: 30 minutes;

Night bus number H1:

  • Schedule : 01:00 AM – 6:00 AM – every 30 minutes;
  • Fare : 55 Rubles;
  • Connects the airport with the red metro line (line 1) – Yugo-Zapadnaya station;

Uber:

We used Uber in both Moscow and St. Petersburg.

By taxi:

  • If you choose to travel by taxi, it is best to use an application to order it, because airport taxis will charge you extra;
  • Taxi fare: 1000 – 1500 Rubles;

By car:

  • Most of the large car rental companies are present at the airport. You can book your car online or directly at the airport.

Domodedovo International Airport (DME):

How can you get from the airport to the city?

By Aeroexpress train:

  • Schedule : 5:15 AM – 12:30 AM;
  • Ticket price: 500 Rubles (450 Rubles online);
  • Connects the airport with the brown metro line (line 5), – Paveletskaya station. Subway number 5 runs in a circle and has stations in common with the other metro lines;
  • Travel time: 45 minutes;

By train – Elektrichka:

  • Ticket price: 110 Rubles;
  • Travel time: 1 hour and 10 minutes;

By bus:

Bus number 308:

  • Schedule : 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM every 30 minutes; from 00:00 to 06:00 every 40 minutes;
  • Ticket price: 150 Rubles;
  • Connects the airport with the green metro line (line 2) – Domodedovskaya station;
  • Travel time: 40 minutes;

By Taxi / Uber or rented car:

  • Taxi fare: 1000 – 1500 Rubles;
  • Most large car rental companies are present at the airport. You can make the reservation online or directly at the airport.
  • We prefer to travel by Uber because it is cheaper than the normal taxi and the price of the trip is displayed when you order it.

Vnukovo International Airport (VKO):

How do you get from the airport to the city?

By Aeroexpress train:

  • Schedule : 6:00 AM – 00:00;
  • Fare: 500 Rubles (450 Rubles for online bookings);
  • Connects the airport with the brown subway line (line 5), – Kievskaya station. The subway line number 5 runs in a circle and has stations in common with the other subway lines;
  • Travel time: 35 minutes;

By bus:

It’s the cheapest option, but it will leave you at a subway station farther from the city.

Bus number 911:

  • Schedule : 5:15 AM – 12: 20 AM – every 7 minutes;
  • Fare: 55 Rubles;
  • Connects the airport with the red metro line (line 1) – Salaryevo station;
  • Travel time: 20 minutes;

Bus number 611:

  • Schedule : 5:15 AM – 12: 20 AM – every 20 minutes;
  • Fare : 55 Rubles;
  • Connects the airport with the red metro line (line 1) – Troparevo and Yugo-Zapadnaya stations;
  • Travel time: 40 minutes;

By Taxi / Uber or rented car:

  • Tax fare: 1000 – 1500 Rubles;
  • Most of the large car rental companies are present at the airport.
  • We chose Uber because it is cheaper than the normal taxi and the price of the trip is displayed when you order.

Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro is among the most efficient in the world and it is one of the biggest attractions of the city (we wrote about it here). The metro line number 5 runs in a circle, intersecting with the other subway lines, and so it is very easy to get to any part of the city.

No subway lines are connecting the city to the airports, but other means of transport will take you to a subway station.The Moscow subway has 12 lines and 200 stations.

This is the official website of the Moscow Metro in English. You can download the Metro map in PDF form here and you can print it.

Schedule: 5:30 AM – 1:00 AM.

Useful app: Yandex Metro is a free application that can be used even if you have no internet connection.

Types of tickets and price:

  • 1 trip tickets: 55 rubles
  • 2 trips tickets: 110 rubles.
  • 20 trips tickets: 747 rubles.
  • 40 trips tickets: 1494 rubles.
  • 60 trips tickets: 1900 rubles.
  • Free for children under 7 years.
  • A multi-trips ticket can be shared.

Moscow’s Troika Card:

  • It can be bought from the subway stations, from the ATMs or the Svyaznoy phone shops (also found in the airports).
  • With this card, you will be able to use all means of transport in Moscow.
  • The card costs 50 rubles, money you will receive back if you return the card to a ticket office at the Metro stations.
  • The cards can be recharged at the counters or machines at the metro stations, at the Aeroexpress counter at airports, online, or Megafone and Svyaznoy stores.
  • The cost of traveling with this card: Metro – 38 rubles, bus – 38 rubles, the ticket for 90 minutes for any means of transport – 59 rubles, and for aeroexpress – 400 rubles.
  • A card can be used by several people.
  • The card does not expire and you can use the amount charged on it in the next 5 years after recharging.

St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport:

This is the only airport in St. Petersburg. It is 23 km south of the city center and has 2 terminals.

How do you get from the airport to the city?

By Airport Express 39Ex bus:

  • Schedule : 5:25 AM – 00:20 AM every 25 minutes;
  • Travel time: 20 minutes;
  • Price: 40 rubles;
  • Connects the airport with the blue metro line (line 2) – Moskovskaya station;

By bus:

Bus N39:

  • Schedule : 5:30 AM – 01:30 AM – every 20 minutes;
  • Travel time: 35 minutes;
  • Price: 40 rubles;
  • Connects the airport with the blue metro line (line 2) – Moskovskaya station;

Minibus K39:

  • Depart every 20 minutes;
  • Schedule : 6:30 AM – 11:30 PM;
  • Travel time: 35 minutes;
  • Fare : 40 rubles;
  • Connects the airport with the blue metro line (line 2) – Moskovskaya station;

By taxi or Uber:

  • The taxi trip costs around 1100 rubles;

St. Petersburg Metro:

Schedule:

  • 5:30 – 1:00 AM;

Prices:

One-way ticket: 45 rubles;

10 trips ticket, valid 7 days: 355 rubles;

20 trips ticket, valid for 15 days: 680 rubles;

40 trips ticket, valid for 30 days: 1300 rubles;

More details can be found here.

From here you can print the metro map and here is an interactive map of the Saint Petersburg subway.

Driving in Russia

In Russia, you drive on the right side of the road.

You can drive in Russia for less than 6 months with your driving license, but it must be accompanied by an accepted translation or an international driving license.

Maximum speed limites:

  • in cities: 50 km / h;
  • in rural localities: 60 km / h;
  • on main roads: up to 90 km / h;
  • on highways: 120 km / h.

Where to stay?

If you visit Moscow, we recommend staying in the city center, as many of the city’s tourist attractions are near Red Square. We stayed a 10-minute walk from Red Square and started and ended each day with a walk through the square.

If you’re not staying in the city center, stay close to a subway station.

Also in St. Petersburg it is recommended to stay as close as possible to a metro station (if you are traveling by subway). We stayed at the Mark Hotel, which is a 2-minute walk from the Vasileostrovskaia Metro Station. It is a small hotel, that spans one floor of a building, but very clean and modern, some rooms have a private bathroom and some common bathrooms.

Registration in Russia:

If you stay in a Russian city for more than 7 business days, the authorities will need to be informed about your arrival and where you can be found if needed.

The host is the one who takes care of your registration. If you stay at a hotel or hostel, then they will handle the registration procedure. If you stay on Airbnb, the host should take care of this. Ask before making the payment/reservation if they will take care of the registration and how much does it cost.

Nobody asked us whether we were registered or not, in the 2 weeks we spent in Russia or when we left the country.

Simcard:

Usually, on holidays, we buy a single SIMCARD, than we use the Hotspot to connect all the devices to the internet no matter how many people we are in the group.

In Russia, we have chosen the SIM card for tourists from Megafon (Megafon tourist sim card Russia). We used this SIM card in both Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The package includes:

  • 30 GB – 4G internet;
  • 1500 minutes in Russia;
  • Unlimited traffic for social networks: Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.
  • Fare : 750 rubles (about 10 Euro);
  • Validity: 14 days.

We wish you a wonderful holiday in this charming country, and if you have any questions, write them in the comments section below.

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