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Russia Tours
A Russia adventure tour never fails to humble and amaze visitors. It is a contrasting country with architectural brilliance combined with its sheer untamed and unexplored vastness. On a Russia adventure tour you will visit the country’s well known and distinct capitals of Moscow and St Petersburg, the beauty of which was carefully hidden from the west until relatively recently. The spider shaped sprawl of Moscow is home to Red square, the Kremlin, St Basil’s Cathedral and of course the Mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin, Russia’s most loved citizen. St Petersburg was modelled upon the watery monumental European cities of Paris and Venice.
Here you can take a boat ride along the city’s canals, along the river Neva and out into the Gulf of Finland, admire St Isaac’s Cathedral, the Admiralty building and browse the endless exhibits of the famous Hermitage museum.
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Russia Travel Guide
Geography and weather
Early summer and winter are the best for visiting Russia. By May all of winter’s snow has usually melted, July and August are the warmest months, with September and October turning to autumn and not so hot. However, if you can brave the elements then the snow makes everything look picturesque.
Visit www.worldclimate.com to get an idea of what the weather will be like on your tour.
Visa
Most nationalities require a visa to enter Russia and conditions differ with respect to individual nationalities. For the latest information on your specific visa requirements you should contact your local Russian Embassy or Consulate.
Russia Visa Invitation Letter
A visa is required by all travellers to enter Russia and applications can only be lodged three months or less before your departure. Although your visa is your responsibility, Tucan Travel can issue you with a Russia ‘invitation letter’ before you apply for the visa. This lists your arrival and departure dates from Russia and any extra nights you have booked before or after the tour, so all your arrangements should be made before applying for the invitation letter, as any changes will require a new application and an extra fee. You can obtain your visa invitation letter by providing us with all the information requested on our Russia Visa Booking Form. For additional information please contact your adventure specialist.
Please note: Please note: You must validate your Russia visa within 72 hours of your arrival in each Russian city. This can be done when you check in at your hotel.
Money
The monetary unit in Russia is the ruble. For up to date exchange rates with your own currency visit www.oanda.com or www.xe.com.
There are many cash machines in Moscow, St. Petersburg and in major Siberian cities. A lot of shops and restaurants accept cards in the big cities. However, as soon as you go to smaller towns, you’ll find it hard to use your credit card. You should take either euros or pound sterling currency and travellers cheques as these are the easiest to exchange (however if this is not possible other currencies are accepted).
Tipping
Restaurant bills usually include a tip. It is customary to give a little extra for good service.
You do not need to tip taxi drivers, etc but you should tip people who assist you with your luggage at hotels (don’t over-tip, your tour leader will advise a suitable amount). Tipping guides at the end of excursions and treks etc is always appreciated and your tour leader will advise you on the amount for this.
Safety & Security
Most people find that Russia is a safe and friendly country but in unfamiliar place you should exercise a reasonable degree of caution. Be sensible (NOT paranoid). Don’t walk around lonely back streets, especially on your own or at night, don’t wear expensive looking jewellery or watch and don’t carry a wallet in your back pocket. Don’t carry your camera openly; always have it in a small day pack which is firmly attached to your body, preferably in the front in crowded places. Take particular care not to become too relaxed if you have had a few drinks and are returning to your hotel at night – it is best to always take a taxi. Always wear a money belt or leave your valuables, including your passport, in the hotel security box. Whilst in Russia, please be weary of corrupt policeman who have been known in the past to target tourists, and try to extract money from them.
Local food and drink
Your tour leader will take you to local restaurants so you can taste the varied local cuisine! Russian dishes are widely varied and combinations of spices give each city and region distinct flavours. Evening meals and lunches will generally be eaten in local restaurants. Please see your trip notes for details about any included meals.
All drinks such as bottled water or soft drinks are at your own expense at all times and are fairly inexpensive. Water from a tap or well should not be considered safe to drink. Bottled water, carbonated soft drinks and fruit juices are widely available throughout the country. Alcoholic drinks vary in price, with beer generally being the cheapest option.
Ask your tour leader if they can recommend any restaurants in the area to suit your taste or budget or have fun exploring independently.
Soups play an important part in the Russian meal, these come in a combination of hot and cold dishes. Russian cuisine is famous for exotic soups, cabbage schi and solyanka, which is made of assorted meats. Russians are great lovers of pelmeni, small Siberian meat pies boiled in broth. Even more varied is the choice of recipes for mushrooms, one of the most abundant and nourishing gifts of our woods. They are fried, pickled, salted, boiled and what not. “No dinner without bread,” goes the Russian saying. Wheat loaves have dozens of varieties. As to rye bread, Russians eat more of it than any nation in the world- a peculiarity of the Russian diet. Made of brown bread or malted rye flour, it goes down best on a sultry summer day. If you add it to chopped-up meat and vegetables, you get okroshka, an exquisite cold soup.
As the Russian custom has it, a festive table isn’t worth the name without a bottle of vodka. Russians are traditionally hearty drinkers: as good whiskey shall come from Scotland, and port from Portugal, so Russian wheat vodka is the worlds best. They have an amazing variety to offer, from the clear, colourless Moskovskaya and Stolichnaya to all kinds of bitters with herbs and spices.
Voltage
220-240V. Sockets are of European two pronged round pin variety.
Time Difference
The time difference in Russia is GMT/UTC +2 to +11. For other time differences please visit www.timeanddate.com
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