moscow

[TheHumancatapult]

Any tips or advice please am planning go in August with my son who be 17.Not going as a tour group as the tours they offer don't suit us were rather have own itenary

Allow plenty of time for your visa application to be processed.

You can no longer carry liquids or gels in your hand luggage when going through airport screening facilities throughout Russia.

I would certainly read the Foreign Office Travel website on Russia prior to your visit.

Yeah have had a look the petty crime that I can live with Rome no better ans will be cautious on drinks not that were likely go near bars anyway

Ds is also a good 6.3 so that helps

Slightly more concerning is the terrorism and airport 2011 but am also realstic I been to and fro USA who have had far more hostage situations

Im not taking my younger ones as not appropriate am planning stick main tourist areas and will take note about not being out at night

Cream visa applications going in next week which will give us best part of 7 months

Attilia liquids etc not allowed through customs here either or into USA

I would always take the foreign office information with a pinch of salt, we visited Syria in Nov 2001 and the foreign office were giving out some pretty scary warnings about travelling in the Middle East, as it was it was absolutely wonderful and so glad we went as its unlikely we ever could now.

I planned a holiday to St Petersburg a few years ago with my teenage daughters and did not use a tour company. I imagine Moscow will have similar rewards and challenges!

The first hurdle is the visas. Apply in plenty of time because if you leave it too late you will have to go to the embassy in person, as we did. That is another story though. The website gives you deadlines for postal applications. There may be cheaper flights than BA if you do not mind going via another city, but it takes longer of course. Could not bring myself to fly Aeroflot! You will need to research how you will get from the airport to the city. I booked a car supplied by our hotel which was reliable and easy. Moscow may have public transport but you will need to research it.

Choose a decent hotel in a good location. I would not compromise on this as it makes sightseeing easier. The local taxis in St Petersburg were almost unusable. I used the hotel cars which were surprisingly good value. The taxis are very cheap but you will not know what you are getting or, in our case, where you are going! Another story! Look at the best way to take money. There ATMs and I used these. Keep to the tourist areas. Do not expect anyone to speak English and be appreciative of anyone who tries to speak English to you. Younger people are more likely to. Keep belongings close to you. International cuisine can be easier to fathom than Russian! Anyone for Yak?!!

Lastly check the opening times of places you want to visit. They have random cleaning days/closure days. Try and do an itinerary before you leave the UK. Also, we found many Russians to be rather dour and unsmiling! When someone was helpful and friendly we really noticed it!

I went to St Petersburg last year and did use tour guides. I only 2 days and wanted to fit the most in plus wouldnt have found it quite hard to get to Peterhorf Palace and Catherines Palace. Would you consider doing some things on your own and some in a tour? I've always found Viator pretty good. They come and pick you up from your hotel. Trip advisor is also good. You can post questions on their forums and get get lots of useful tips back.

OP. Make sure the visas are not for 6 months and run out while you are there!

With visas, a tourist visa is for 30 days and will start on the date that you want it to start it on, so I would suggest that there is really no likelihood of it running out while you are there.

If the hotel you will be staying at provides visa support for free or at a cheap price then that is the best thing to go for, otherwise I would suggest using someone like Real Russia to get your visa for you:-

www.realrussia.co.uk/

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Aeroflot on international flights - they are a really good airline. I've had much better food and service with them than I ever had with KLM.

Easyjet have started flights to Moscow so that is a new option, whether you use them depends on what you think of them. If you aren't in the south-east then you don't have to go via London as there are plenty of flights from regional airports going with KLM, Air France, Lufthansa etc.

When you arrive, it is best to either pre-book a taxi or go to the central taxi booking point. Do not go with one of the touts - there are lots of them in the main Moscow airports and they can be very pushy.

Alternatively, there is a train service from both DME and SVO that goes into the centre - like the rail links from Heathrow and Gatwick.

Hotels can be very expensive indeed in Moscow. An alternative is to stay in an apartment. Here are two US/European owned agencies with English speaking staff and good feedback on Trip Advisor:-

www.moscowsuites.ru/

moscow-star.com/

When it comes to what to see that depends very much on your own likes/dislikes. Get hold of the Lonely Planet Moscow Guide and also the
Rough Guide to Moscow. Between them they do a very good job of covering just about everything that you might be interested in.

It might also be worthwhile taking a half or whole day tour. This company have a generally very good reputation:-

www.toursinrussia.com/

If there's anything else you need help with just give me a shout - I used to live there for three years.

Sorry, didn't read that you'd already made the visa applications so just ignore what I wrote

I was just rereading some of the quotes from this poster:-

MillyMollyMama

Could not bring myself to fly Aeroflot!

International cuisine can be easier to fathom than Russian! Anyone for Yak?!!

Moscow may have public transport

You seem very dismissive in your attitudes towards Russia and closed-minded, almost as though you hated your time there.

As I mentioned above, my experience of Aeroflot internationally is that they are just as good as any European airline, and better than some.

''Anyone for yak?'' - seriously? Do you even know which countries have domesticated yaks? Obviously not. For the OP, or anybody else reading this, have a read of Lonely Planet or the Tripadvisor site recommendations are generally quite accurate.

''Moscow may have public transport'' - This is what really made me laugh. The Moscow metro is far better than the London underground and a lot of it's older stations are absolutely breathtaking. I have known visitors spend half a day or more just taking photos of the interiors of some of the most impressive stations.

There are also buses, trams and minibuses but I would advise against using them unless you are with a Russian speaker.

"Attilia liquids etc not allowed through customs here either or into USA"

Liquids of 100ml or less are allowed through the security checkpoints though in sealed bags. Russian airport screening no longer allows any liquids of any size.