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.

Hotels and Apartments

As I have already mentioned above, you can stay in a hotel or in an apartment. Hotel prices in Moscow vary from $100 per night to $500 per night and up, depending on the hotel’s style and location. The advantage of staying in a hotel is that you will have more services available to you and, in most cases, some English-speaking personnel. You can always ask the receptionist to order a taxi for you, for example, or tell you what is being shown in Moscow’s numerous theaters and help you with the tickets.

Renting an apartment is usually cheaper, but not always. I have heard of some that go for $10,000 a month (honestly, I’m not making it up). Like with the hotels, the price depends on location, the closer you are to the downtown the more expensive it gets; it also depends on how “westernized” the apartment is. When you rent from a good travel agency, you can be sure that you will have all the modern appliances.

Living in an apartment has the advantage of a kitchen, you will be able to cook if you want. It also gives you the opportunity to try being “on your own” in Moscow without actually being on your own. The agency will always be there for you. If you have any problems or questions, all you need to do is to give them a call. I probably wouldn’t recommend getting an apartment to a first-timer though.

Transportation

You can (and you should, unless you have friends meeting you) arrange your transportation from the airport to the hotel in advance. There are many reputable services for that. You will give them your name and your flight number, and the driver will be waiting for you as you get through the passport control, holding out a sign with your name.

Every foreign passenger who gets off a plane in Sheremetyevo-2, the Moscow international airport, is immediately attacked by a hungry pack of car drivers offering their services in a rather aggressive way. Never use those. They are referred to as “taxi mafia,” and for a good reason. The way to deal with them is to firmly say “NO” (nyet in Russian) and to keep going, ignoring them from that point and looking for your driver. They still won’t leave you alone, of course; they will follow and continue to talk to you, but at least they will see that you are not even considering taking their car. When you find your driver, they will give up and let you go.

Moscow has a well-developed public transportation system, there are many buses and, of course, the famous Moscow “metro” – the subway. If you can read Cyrillic enough to understand maps, you should be able to get around on your own. Catching a cab is easy, but not recommended without being accompanied by a native Russian: the drivers will double or triple the price as soon as they see that you are a foreigner – and yes, I mean they will actually “see” it, even before you open your mouth and let them hear your accent. (It is not just the drivers’ thing, all Russians will take one look at you and know that you are a foreigner, no matter how hard you try to blend in and pretend to be one of them. I’m just saying it so that you know, and either wouldn’t try at all or wouldn’t get too upset when you fail.)

If you can’t read Cyrillic, you can hire an interpreter to explore the city with you, or use a reputable taxi service.

Money exchange, credit cards, ATM’s

Russian currency is, of course, rubles, and all the payments conducted in Russia are made in rubles. You can exchange dollars for rubles in any bank, often in your hotel, plus there are money exchange offices throughout the city, virtually on every corner. Their rates may slightly differ, but not much. If you are approached by a person offering to buy dollars from you for a better rate, refuse. It is very likely that you will be scammed.

Major credit cards are now accepted in Moscow by most stores and hotels. Unfortunately, credit card fraud is not uncommon in Russia, so it is probably better to get money through ATM’s (they are widely available as well) and use cash. You can also bring traveler’s checks and cash those.

Service

If you know anything about the Soviet era service, you know it’s bad. There actually used to be two types of service: one for the Russians, and one for the foreign visitors. The one for foreigners was tolerable (even the Soviets realized that they’d quickly lose all the foreign tourists if they don’t treat their visitors well). The one for the locals was downright horrible. The Russians are people of immeasurable pride; Communists fed it, and had taught the people to see serving others as something disgraceful. Being nice to a customer was viewed as being servile, and no proud Russian would lower themselves to that. Clerks, sales assistants, and hotel personnel hated their jobs and their clients, and used to be notorious for rudeness or even trying to boss the clients around. Thankfully, most of that is now in the past. You may still bump into a leftover of the Soviet system in the form of a rude or indifferent clerk, but good stores and hotels now value their reputation and provide decent customer service.

Places to go to and sights to see

Moscow is such a huge city with so many attractions that it would have taken a book, not just an article, to list and describe them all. What you find below is only my personal recommendations, based on my own preferences.

Igor Moiseyev’s Folk Dancing Group. This show is excellent. If you think Russia is all about classical ballet, of which you are not a big fan, try this one. It is bright, colorful, funny, and so perfectly rehearsed that you are not going to believe it.

The circus. There are two major circuses in Moscow, commonly referred to as “the old circus” and “the new circus.” I personally prefer the old one, located on Tsvetnoy boulevard (near Tsvetnoy boulevard metro station). It was founded by Yuri Nikulin, a well-known Russian actor and clown. You will see a statue of him at the entrance. The circus is always fun, I think, no matter how old you are. The program changes once in a while, but more than likely you will get to see the famous bear show with the bears riding motorcycles and bicycles. “Air gymnasts” (acrobats) are usually in the program as well, and of course magicians and clowns. Don’t forget to treat yourself to some ice cream during the break!

The zoo. You might think that a zoo is just a zoo, no matter where it is located, and you may be right. But I like animals, and I like zoos, so I recommend it. The Moscow zoo has a long history, it was opened in 1864. It has been nicely remodeled in 1990s.

The Arbat Street. The Arbat is a charming, pedestrian-only street filled with artists, musicians, street performers, and craftsmen selling their works, mostly souvenirs in the traditional Russian style. You can have an artist make a quick sketch of your face, stop for a snack at a small café, or simply walk along the street and enjoy the sights.

The Bolshoy Theater. The Bolshoy is probably Russia's most famous theater. Even those who are generally not into ballet and opera often enjoy it, and I have met people who had first discovered those arts for themselves at Bolshoy and grew to love them. Give it a try, maybe you are an opera lover as well, only you don’t know about it yet.

Tretyakov’s Art Gallery. This art gallery is named after Pavel Tretyakov (1832-1898) who had collected about 2,000 works of Russian art and donated them all to the city of Moscow, together with his own house that still holds a part of the exhibition today. Tretyakov’s donation was the basis of what is now one of the largest collections of Russian fine art in the world – more than 130,000 works of painting, sculpture, and graphics.

The Kremlin. I am listing the Kremlin last because everyone knows about it, and if you travel to Moscow you will probably visit the Kremlin anyway. If you do, I recommend that you go to the Armory and Almazny Fond (Diamond Fund). I think those two are the best of the Kremlin museums.

I hope you will find this guide helpful. Have a pleasant trip!

External Links:

• Go to Russia - A great resource for traveling to Russia