Social ConventionsIt is customary to shake hands when greeting someone. Company or business gifts are well received. Conservative wear is suitable for most places and the seasonal weather should always be borne in mind. Smoking is acceptable unless stated otherwise.
Photography: It is prohibited to take photographs of any military installation and/or establishments or sites of strategic importance. Failure to abide by this could result in police arrest.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThe national airline is
Aeroflot (SU) (website:
www.aeroflot.com).
Departure TaxNone.
Main AirportsMoscow Domodedovo (DME) (website:
www.domodedovo.ru) is 48km (25 miles)
southeast of Moscow.
To/from the airport: An
Aeroexpress train goes from Moscow’s Paveletsky Station to the airport (journey time - 40 to 50 minutes). Express buses and a 24-hour shuttle service are also available. Two official taxi firms operate at the airport.
Facilities: Duty-free, shops and restaurants.
St Petersburg (LED) (Pulkovo) (website:
www.pulkovoairport.ru) is 17km (10.5 miles) south of the city.
To/from the airport: Buses are available to the city center frequently throughout the day (journey time - 50 minutes). Taxis are also available (journey time - 40 minutes).
Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, flight information, duty-free shops, restaurant, bar, snack bar, left luggage and first aid.
Getting There by RailThere are various connections from London. The main route is: London-Brussels-Cologne/Berlin-Moscow/St Petersburg. The journey from London to Brussels can be made by a variety of train and ferry services (including via
Eurostar), or via the
Channel Tunnel. There is a sleeper service from Cologne to Moscow.
The
Moskva Express runs from Berlin to Moscow. There are through trains or coaches from other Western and nearly all Eastern European capitals, from CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries, and from China (PR), Mongolia and Turkey. See also the
Trans-Siberian Express in
Getting Around.
Getting There by RoadForeign tourists may drive their own cars or may hire cars. Those entering by
car should have their visas registered at the hotel, motel or campsite where they will stay for the first night, and must also ensure that the car registration number is recorded in the visa. Travelers driving their own vehicle will get a temporary permit from customs to be able to use their car legally in Russia. Travelers should also insure their vehicle with
Ingosstrakh, which has offices at all crossing points and in most major cities, and to purchase service coupons at the border. A road tax is payable upon entry to the country. See
Getting Around for speed limits.
The following crossing points between Finland and the Russian Federation are available: Vaalima-Torfianovska; Nuijamaa-Brusnichnoye; and Rajajooseppi-Lotta. There are also crossing points between the Russian Federation and all neighboring countries although, at present, there are restrictions on cross-border travel to Azerbaijan and Georgia.
There are numerous and excellent road links with neighboring countries:
Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080; website:
www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from other European countries to the Russian Federation. Travelers can buy a 15- or 30-day pass.
OverviewDuty free regulations are liable to change at short notice. The following should be used as a guide only, and travelers are advised to contact the Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date information. The following goods may be imported into the Russian Federation by persons aged 16 years and older without incurring customs duty:
• 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco products (over 18 years).
• 2l of alcoholic beverage (over 21 years).
• A reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use.
• Gifts up to the value of US$10,000.
Note: On entering the country, tourists must complete a customs declaration form, which must be retained until departure. This allows the import of articles intended for personal use, including currency and valuables, which must be registered on the declaration form. Cameras, jewelry, computers and musical instruments should all be declared. Customs inspection can be long and detailed. All antiques or icons should come with a certificate from the Ministry of Culture allowing export. Presentation of such certificates should speed up customs formalities.
Prohibited ImportsWeapons and ammunition, radio electrical equipment, narcotics, fruit, vegetables, sturgeon of any species or sturgeon products, and live animals unless with a special permit.
Prohibited ExportsArms, works of art and antiques (unless permission has been granted by the Ministry of Culture), precious metals and furs.
Up to 250g of caviar per person may be exported, provided a receipt is shown proving that it was bought at a store licensed to sell it to foreigners and a license from the Ministry of Economical Development is presented.
Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirThe internal network radiates from Moscow’s four airports. There are over 100 regional airlines in Russia, most of which run services from Moscow to their region. Aircraft safety has improved over the past ten years, although crashes are still not unknown. The purchase of newer craft and improved safety regulations have seen things slowly improve, however.
Domodedovo (DME) (website:
www.domodedovo.ru) is 48km (25 miles) southeast of Moscow.
To/from the airport: An
Aeroexpress train goes from Moscow’s Paveletsky Station to the airport (journey time - 40 to 50 minutes). Express buses and a 24-hour shuttle service are also available. Two official taxi firms operate at the airport.
Facilities: Duty-free, shops and restaurants.
Vnukovo Airport (VKO) (website:
www.vnukovo.ru) is 29.5km (18 miles) southwest of Moscow.
To/from the airport: High-speed trains connect the Kievsky Station in central Moscow with Vnukovo, and you can check in your bags before you board (journey time - 35 minutes). Taxis are available to the city.
Facilities: Outgoing duty-free.
Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) (website:
www.sheremetyevo-airport.ru) is 30km (18.5 miles) north of Moscow.
To/from the airport: Minibuses go to the airport from metro station Rechnoy Vokzal (journey time - 20 minutes). Taxis are also available to the city.
Facilities: Outgoing duty-free.
Getting Around by WaterThe Russian Federation has ports on its Pacific, Arctic, Black Sea and Baltic shores (see
Getting There for details).
Cruises and excursions are available on many of the Russian Federation’s rivers. The most popular cruises are on the River Don and the Volga. Many companies offer cruises onboard comfortable, modern boats. The Volga towns, the Golden Ring and Moscow-St Petersburg are popular routes.
Getting Around by RailThe railway is a vital part of the infrastructure of Russia because of the poor road system. Tourists can book tickets at stations or online via the state railway (tel: (495) 262 9901; website:
www.eng.rzd.ru). Children under five years of age travel free. Children aged five to nine pay half fare. Rail travelers are advised to store valuables in the compartment under the bed or seat and not to leave the compartment unattended.
The
Trans-Siberian Express, one of the most famous trains in the world, is one of the best ways of seeing the interior of the country. It runs from Moscow to the Pacific coast of Siberia and on to Japan. There is a daily service, but the steamer from Nakhodka to Yokohama only sails approximately once a week. The through journey from Moscow to Yokohama takes 10 days. It is the world’s longest continuous train journey, crossing seven time zones and 9,745km (5,778 miles) from Europe to the Pacific, with 91 stops from Vladivostok to Moscow.
The
Trans-Manchurian Express follows the same route, before heading southeast into China and down to Beijing. Another, slightly shorter but no less epic, journey can be made on the
Trans-Mongolian Railway to Beijing. It runs from Moscow to Irkutsk (Siberia), skirting Lake Baikal and then entering Mongolia. The journey to the Mongolian capital, Ulaan Baatar, is remarkable for its dramatic scenery. The journey concludes in Beijing.
Getting Around by RoadThe European part of the Russian Federation depends heavily on its road network. Generally, the few roads in Siberia and further east are impassable during the winter. It is not recommended to drive in Russia as harassment from traffic police is endless. If you do decide to drive, it is advisable to pre-plan the itinerary and accommodation requirements. On the majority of tourist routes, signposts are also written in the Latin alphabet. Sample distances: Moscow to St Petersburg: 692km (432 miles); Moscow to Minsk: 690km (429 miles); Moscow to Rostov-on-Don: 1,198km (744 miles); Moscow to Odessa: 1,347km (837 miles). Motorists should avoid driving at night if possible.
Bus: Long-distance coach services are slow, uncomfortable and only marginally cheaper than train travel with none of the romance.
Car hire: Available from local and international firms. Chauffeured cars are available in major cities.
Regulations: Traffic drives on the right. Speed limits are to 60kph (37mph) in built-up areas, 90kph (55mph) in non-built-up areas and 100kph (62mph) on highways. Visiting motorists who have been driving for less than two years must not exceed 70kph (43mph). Hooting the horn is forbidden except when to do so might prevent an accident. Every car must display registration plates and stickers denoting the country of registration and be fitted with seat belts, a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher and an emergency sign (triangle) or red light. In case of an accident, contact the nearest traffic inspection officer and make sure all participants fill in written statements, to be witnessed by a militia inspector. All repairs will be at the foreign motorist’s expense.
Emergency breakdown service: GAI (tel: (495) 923 5373).
Documentation: An International Driving Permit and a national license with authorized translations are necessary. Visitors traveling in their own cars must also possess the following documents at all times: passport and visa; car registration number and full details of itinerary; form provided by Customs on arrival guaranteeing that the car will be taken out of the Russian Federation on departure; and insurance cover documents. A road tax is payable upon entry to the country. Motor insurance for travel within the Russian Federation should be arranged prior to departure, or upon entry to the Russian Federation at the offices of
Ingosstrakh, the Russian Federation foreign insurance agency. Contact the embassy or a specialist tour operator for further details.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesPublic transport in the cities is comprehensive and cheap. Many services are electric traction (
metro,
tramway,
trolleybus). Stations on the
Moscow and
St Petersburg metros are always elegant and often palatial. Entry to the underground is by single-use tokens or a multi-use paper ticket, both of which are inserted into the ticket barrier. Fares are standard for the various forms of transport; weekly and monthly passes are available. Buses operate 0500-0000. Tickets are available in strips or booklets from people outside the metro station or from the drivers or bus conductors (look for the red armband) directly. Tickets must be punched in the machine provided on the bus.
Taxis are also available; they can be hailed in the street, hired at a rank or booked by telephone. It is safer but far more expensive to use officially marked taxis; they are yellow with chequered signs on the doors, although in practice it is totally safe to flag down any car, agree a destination and price and get in. However, always use common sense.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from
Moscow to other major cities/towns in the Russian Federation:
| | Air | Rail | Sea |
| Khabarovsk | 7.30 | 97.00 | - |
| St Petersburg | 1.30 | 9.00 | - |
| Irkutsk | 7.00 | 77.00 | - |
| Volgograd | 1.40 | 14.00 | - |
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