RUSSIA
TRAVEL GUIDE
Explore the wonders of Russia with our comprehensive travel guide, designed to immerse you in the rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning landscapes of this vast country. From the iconic landmarks of Moscow and St. Petersburg to the serene beauty of Siberia and the Far East, discover the best attractions, culinary delights, and cultural experiences. Our guide provides essential tips on planning your trip, navigating transportation, and ensuring a safe and memorable adventure in Russia.
Top Things 5 Things To See & Do In Russia
Need To Know - Russia Travel Guide
Seven Tips For Travelling In Russia
1. You WILL need a visa to travel in Russia. Tourist Visas are normally 30 days. See the VISA tab for more information
2. Download Google Translate – Russian to your phone. Outside the main cities very little English is spoken and this app will be invaluable.
3. Download Maps.Me the off line navigation app. This little app will help you get to your accommodation and around cities and towns without internet connection. Make sure you download the area you are going to when you have WIFI so you’re set to go when you get there.
4. Russia has excellent public transport with all towns and cities having a bus network and the larger cities having metro systems. We found google maps to be excellent in finding out which bus to catch and what the timetable was.
5. Drinking Water – Its is advisable to drink bottled water while travelling in Russia. Bottled water is inexpensive and readily available.
6..Carry some cash – it is always a good idea to carry some cash with you as not all cafes, bars and restaurants accept cards especially in the more remote areas of the country.
7. Summers can be HOT so pack accordingly.
The huge size of Russia means the countries climate is as diverse as everything else.
The winters are very cold across most of Russia however many people are surprised to learn that it can get hot in much of Russia in the summer.
Most of Northern European Russia and Siberia has a subarctic climate with extremely severe winters in the inner regions of Northeast Siberia and more moderate winters elsewhere.
The coastal part of Russia on the Black Sea, has a humid subtropical climate with mild and wet winters. The region along the Lower Volga and Caspian Sea coast, as well as some areas of southernmost Siberia, has a semi-arid climate.
Russian currency is the Ruble. ATMS are widely available across Russia and credit cards were also widely accepted.
How To Get A Russian Visa
NOTE: From September 2023 Nationals of the European Union and Schengen Area country plus listed other countries will be able to travel to Russia under facilitated rules as they are now eligible for e-visa. The e-visa is a single entry visa. Furthermore, the e-visa is valid for a period of 60 from the issuance date.
When applying for the Russia e-visa, all applicants must submit their application form from their account. Applicants can submit their application 40 before their intended entry to the country at the earliest and not later than four days.
The e-visa will be processed within a period of four days from the date of submission, and all applicants have been warned to provide accurate information.
Apart from submitting the required information, applicants for e-visa must also pay the visa fee and purchase travel health insurance valid for the entire duration of their stay in Russia. For more information click here
Applying From Other Countries
There is so much written on how hard it is to get a Russian and how difficult the Russian consulates are to deal with, putting fear into perspective travellers.
For most countries It is not difficult to get a Russian Tourist Visa.
You do need to be organised, have a plan and time to gather all your information, fill out the application and send away your passport.
How to get a Russian tourist visa
Passport – Check your passport expiry date. You will need to have a minimum of 6 months validity form the date you leave Russia.
Dates – Plan your dates – when do you want to go?
Book Accommodation– you will need to provide details of where and when you will be staying including Hotel names, addresses and phone numbers. TOP TIP. To book these use booking.com and select hotels with full cancellation policies.
Itinerary & copy of tickets – this is new, I did not need to provide this when I applied for my visa.
Passport Photo – You will need to send a passport photo with your application – size: 3.5 by 4.5 cm, less than 6 months old, in colour, with a light background. The photo must be glued (not stapled or attached using adhesive tape) on the form strictly at reserved place.
Letter of Invitation – Get a letter of invitation. To get a Russian Visa you will need to be ‘invited’ by a registered Russian travel agent. They are a plethora of them that can be found online from which you can buy a letter of invitation. I used iVisa and it cost me $20USD and I had the letter within minutes. When applying for a Letter of Invitation you will need to provide
- Dates of Travel – this MUST be fro the entire time you intend to be in Russia & need to match your itinerary
- Passport Details
- DOB
- Details of Accommodation – You DO NOT need to provide proof of booking
Once you have your letter of invitation and can apply for your visa
Log into the embassy / consulate website in your country and create an application form. NOTE once you create a number you will be given a reference number WRITE THIS DOWN as it is how you access your application form from this point.
APPLICATION FORM
The application is not difficult but it is time consuming so you will need to make time to complete it.
The application form asks you
- Personal details (name / address etc)
- Passport details (PP number / PP dates / nationality)
- Family details including both parents birth names.
- Dates you will be in Russia
- Details of your letter of invitation which includes the registered Russian travel agent (in my case iVisa’s registered Russian business name) and their number. This is all detailed on the letter of invitation.
- Where you will be staying in Russia. That is details of your hotel / accommodation bookings.
- Your travel history – what countries you have been to in the past 10 years. Do go back through your passport to make sure you don’t miss any.
- Signature.
Once you have completed the application form print it out double-sided in PDF format & attach a passport photo using glue to the relevant area.
What To Send
Once you have everything organised and filled out it is time to send your passport and supporting documentation away.
The Russian Consulate now use InterLink Services to process all their visas in Australia. They can be found in Sydney and Canberra. If using the Sydney service you can either make and appointment to drop all your documents off or use the postal service and post all the documents. In Canberra its appointments only.
You will need to provide the
- Letter of Invitation.
- Passport with a full 6 months validity on it form the date you leave Russia & 2 empty pages.
- Passport photograph.
- Copy of the data page of the passport.
- Fee (see below)
- IF USING THE POSTAL SERVICE – A return self addressed envelope that is either express post or registered mail. It is advised to use a mail service that is fully trackable.
For more information check the website of the Russian consulate in your country.
Clothing
- 2 pants (or if it is hot during the day 1 pants and 2 shorts)
** I threw the second pair of pants in at the last minute and was glad I did as my original pair got wet and it was good to have a second pair.
- 1 pair track pants (or leggings) – can be slept in on the train.
- 1 shorts ** see pants
- 1 x singlets – good for layering and sleeping in
- 4 short sleeve tee shirts or shirts.
- 1 x long sleeve sloppy joe or similar
- 1 x polar fleece jumper
- 1 x zip-up shell jacket
- 1 x lightweight windproof raincoat
- 3 x socks
- 5 x underpants
- 1 x bra
- 1 x Northface Dipsea (or similar) – an absolute essential as it can be used as a head wrap, scarf, face cover etc.
- I x warm hat
- 1 x sun hat
- 1 x warm gloves
Shoes
- 1 x pair walking or hiking shoes.
- 1 x pair flip flops (great for showers)
Toiletries
- Wet Wipes – for on the train
- Hand Sanitiser – on the train
- Toilet Paper – on the train
- Travel Towel
- Lush Bar Shampoo
- Bar of Soap
- Deodorant
- Brush / Comb
- Hair Ties
Electronics
1 x Earbud headphones. Light and small,
1 x 6S iPhone loaded with music and podcasts
1 x power bank
Photography
- 1 x GoPro Hero 5
- 2 x Spare GoPro Batteries
- 1 x LUMIX TZ80
- Spare micro SD Card
Other Stuff
- 1 x headlight or torch **essential
- 1 x Swiss knife
- 1 x medical kit
- Refillable water bottle
The Trans Siberian Railway is one of the great trips of the world.
The Trans Siberian Railway is a network of railways that connects Moscow with the far east of Russia.
It is actually three different routes
- The Trans Siberian – travels from Moscow to Vladivostock on Russias eastern coast. – 9250 kilometres.
- The Trans-Mongolian Railway follows an ancient tea-caravan route from China to Russia via Mongolia – 9258 kilometres
- The Trans-Manchurian runs as from Moscow, through the Manchuria region of China and onto Beijing – 8960 kilometres.
Here is a snapshot of catching the Trans Mongolian / Siberian. For detailed information click here
How To Buy Tickets For The Trans Siberian Railway – Ulanbaaatar to Russia.
You will need to organise your tickets from UB to Russia before you get to Mongolia for visa purposes. To do this you will need to use an agent.
We used the good folk at Mongolia Train Tickets who were brilliant. They booked our ticket and emailed us a copy of the booking reference which can be used when applying for a visa. They then met us in UB with the tickets and this is when we paid them. It worked brilliantly.
How To Buy Tickets For The Trans Siberian Railway
The Russian Railway website RZD is excellent and in English. I downloaded the APP and booked all our tickets via the APP. This then stores all your journeys and if you have an iPhone you can save trips to your wallet.
You can download the APP directly from the RZD website.
When buying tickets you will need all passengers details including passport details.
Your ticket reference details will be emailed to you and you will need to print them out.
Once at the station you need to find a ticketing machine where you enter your passport details and ticket reference number and an actual ticket will be generated. There is usually staff at the automatic ticket machines to help although the machine does have an English option.
Types Of Compartments On The Trans Siberian Railway
First Class (Spalny Vagon) – Two single bunks in a compartment.
Second Class (Kupé) – Four Berth in the form of 2 sets of bunks.
Third Class (Platskartny) – Dorm style carriage with bunk beds.
Train Facilities
Toilets – At each end of every carriage is a toilet with washbasin.
Hot Water – Available from the Samovars in each carriage.
Dining Car – In our experience the dining cars offered a good range of food and beer. There is no dining car between Ulaanbaatar and Irkutsk so you will need to pack food for this leg.
Lake Baikal (Irkutsk)
Lake Baikal is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Ever.
Lake Baikal is situated in south eastern Siberia, Russia and has some pretty impressive stats.
- Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake by volume in the world, containing 22–23% of the world’s fresh surface water. It contains more water than the North American Great Lakes combined.
- Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest lake with a maximum depth of 1,642 metres.
- Lake Baikal is considered among the world’s clearest lakes
- Lake Baikal is considered the world’s oldest lakes at 25–30 million years.
- It is the seventh largest lake in the world by surface area.
- Lake Baikal completely freezes over in winter.
Krasnoyarsk
Today Krasnoyarsk is known for its surrounding forests and natural landscapes including the Stolby Nature Reserve a 470km² reserve with impressive volcanic krasts type formations.
Krasnoyarsk has a number of pretty pastel coloured historic buildings dating back to the 1700’s lining the main streets of the city.
Krasnoyarsk is a lovely city to break your journey on the Trans Siberian railway in.
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is the capital of Siberia and a large bustling university town.
It has some interesting architecture an excellent restaurant scene and good shopping.
Like all Russian towns we visited it has a very efficient public transport system.
Buses and Trolley cars run from immediately outside the Train Station.
Read the full Novosibirsk Travel Guide
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg in the Urals sits on the border of the Asian and European continents.
While probably being most famous for being the place the last Tsarist family were shot to death by the Bolsheviks in 1918.
Yekaterinburg has a wealth of other history and is a beautiful city to visit.Yekaterinburg is Russia’s 4th largest city and with that comes a bustling restaurant scene, excellent public transport and an international airport.
Read the full Yekaterinburg Travel Guide
Moscow
Moscow is either the beginning or the end of this epic journey.
You will need a good 4 or so days to just scratch the surface of this epic city.
My favourite sights were
- The Metro
- Red Square
- GUM Department Store
- Kremlin
Russia Snapshot
Travelling to Russia
Russia, the world’s largest country, offers a diverse range of experiences, from the historic streets of Moscow and the cultural riches of St. Petersburg to the natural beauty of Siberia and the Far East. Planning a trip to Russia requires careful preparation due to its vast size and unique visa requirements. Here’s an expanded guide to help you plan an unforgettable Russian adventure.
How to Plan a Trip to Russia
Research and Itinerary: Start by deciding which regions and cities you want to visit. Moscow and St. Petersburg are must-see cities with rich history, architecture, and culture. Consider exploring the Golden Ring cities for a glimpse of medieval Russia, or venture into Siberia and the Far East for natural beauty and adventure. Plan your itinerary based on your interests and the time of year, as Russia’s climate can vary significantly.
Travel Documents: Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure date. Apply for a Russian visa well in advance, as the process can be complex. You’ll need an invitation letter from a hotel or a Russian travel agency, along with other required documents. Make sure to register your visa within seven days of arrival, a requirement for all foreign visitors.
Accommodation: Book your accommodation early, especially during peak tourist seasons. Russia offers a range of options, from budget hostels and mid-range hotels to luxury accommodations and unique stays like historic manor houses. In major cities, international hotel chains are common, but local guesthouses and boutique hotels can offer a more authentic experience.
Transportation: Russia’s vast size means that travel between cities often requires flights or long train journeys. The Trans-Siberian Railway offers an iconic travel experience, connecting Moscow to Vladivostok. In cities, the metro systems in Moscow and St. Petersburg are efficient and architecturally stunning. Taxis and ride-sharing apps like Yandex.Taxi are also widely available.
Language: Learning basic Russian phrases can greatly enhance your travel experience, as English is not widely spoken outside major cities and tourist areas. Phrases like “Пожалуйста” (please), “Спасибо” (thank you), and “Вы говорите по-английски?” (Do you speak English?) can be very helpful. Consider using language apps like Duolingo or Google Translate to assist with communication.
Russian Food
Russian cuisine is hearty and diverse, reflecting the country’s vast geography and cultural influences. Here are some must-try dishes:
Borscht: A beet soup traditionally made with beef broth, cabbage, potatoes, and beets, served hot in winter and cold in summer. It’s often topped with a dollop of sour cream.
Pelmeni: Dumplings filled with meat, mushrooms, or cheese, served with butter or sour cream. They are a staple in Russian households and can be found in many restaurants.
Blini: Thin pancakes served with a variety of toppings, such as sour cream, caviar, smoked salmon, or sweet fillings like jam and honey. Blini are a traditional dish for Maslenitsa, the Russian butter week festival.
Beef Stroganoff: A classic dish consisting of sautéed beef in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and onions, typically served with potatoes or rice.
Kvass: A traditional fermented drink made from black or rye bread, with a slightly tangy taste. It’s a popular summer beverage in Russia.
Culture and Religion
Russia’s culture is a blend of Slavic traditions, Eastern Orthodoxy, and influences from its vast and diverse regions. Here are some cultural aspects to consider:
History and Heritage: Russia boasts a rich history, with numerous museums, churches, and palaces. The Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow, the Hermitage Museum and Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, and the historic cities of the Golden Ring are essential visits.
Festivals: Russia celebrates a variety of festivals throughout the year. Orthodox Christmas and Easter are major religious holidays, while Victory Day on May 9th commemorates the end of World War II with parades and festivities. Maslenitsa, a week-long festival before Lent, features traditional foods, games, and performances.
Religion: Eastern Orthodoxy is the dominant religion, with the Russian Orthodox Church playing a significant role in the country’s culture and history. Key religious sites include the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg. Russia is also home to significant Muslim, Buddhist, and Jewish communities.
Safety and Dangers
Russia is generally a safe country for travelers, but it’s important to stay informed and take precautions:
Health: Russia has a good healthcare system in major cities, but medical facilities can be limited in remote areas. Ensure you have travel insurance that covers medical expenses, and carry essential medications.
Crime: Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and bag snatching, can occur in crowded areas and tourist hotspots. Be vigilant with your belongings and avoid displaying valuables. Scams targeting tourists, such as inflated taxi fares, can also occur, so use official taxi services or ride-sharing apps.
Local Laws: Respect local laws and customs. For instance, jaywalking and public intoxication are illegal and can result in fines. Always carry your passport and visa, as police checks are common. Be aware of restrictions on photographing government buildings and military installations.
Political Sensitivity: Avoid discussing sensitive political topics or engaging in protests. It’s advisable to stay informed about current events and follow travel advisories from your home country.
By planning ahead and immersing yourself in the local culture, your trip to Russia can be a rewarding and memorable experience. Enjoy the rich history, delectable cuisine, and the warmth of Russian hospitality.
