Perhaps you have toyed with the idea of going to Moscow and seeing that pretty little church that pops up on your TV screen every time Russia is mentioned, but you are not sure whether you can handle arranging such a trip. It is really not that hard, and there are many people and services willing to help you.

Visa

You can get a tourist visa or a business visa. Tourist visas to Russia are valid for up to 30 days, business visas for up to 90. If you are buying a tour from a travel agency, the cost of your visa is usually included in the package, and the agency will take care of processing it for you. You can also apply for your visa online at www.gotorussia.com, a great resource for traveling to Russia and other countries of the Former Soviet Union. All you need to do is to fill out an online application form, mail them your passport, and some time later they will FedEx it back to you with your visa. Visa processing takes from 2 to 24 business days, depending on the type, and of course you pay more for the speed. You can also print out the application form and mail it with your passport.

Registration

When you arrive to Moscow (not to the airport but to your final destination), you need to be registered as a foreign visitor. That means your passport needs to be stamped with a registration stamp that shows where you are staying. If you are staying in a hotel, you will not have to worry about that: hotels automatically provide registration for all their foreign guests. But if you are staying in an apartment, especially privately rented or with a local friend, you will need to make sure that someone helps you to go to the local OVIR (passport registration office) and have your passport stamped. I would not recommend trying to rent an apartment on your own, anyway, and if you are using one provided by a travel agency they will probably have a special person assigned to take care of your registration.