Entry requirements | Organizing your trip | Visiting | Eating | Paying | Speaking |

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service

For information, consult the Visatorussia website. But to be on the safe side, consult directly the services of the Russian Embassy in your country.

Diplomatic representations

If you want to know where the Embassy and Consulates are in your country, click here.

For more information

Embassy of Russia in Greece
28, rue Nikiforou Litra
154 52 P Psychico
Phone: 210 672 52 35, 210 672 61 30
Fax: 210 674 97 08
embraf@otenet.gr

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation

The big cities, in particular Moscow and St Petersburg, have an extensive, fast metro network.
The most convenient means of transport remains the taxi. It is best to use official taxis (they have a yellow sign on the roof) for security reasons. If you book the taxi in advance and agree on the fare, you can avoid unpleasant surprises.
A basic knowledge of Russian is useful for getting around.

Maps of urban networks

Map of the Moscow metro
Map of the St Petersburg metro

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation

The rail network is relatively extensive and good quality. Trains keep to the timetable but they are slow. For security reasons it is better not to travel alone.
Domestic flights have greatly increased over the last few years; but the planes are old and comfort is Spartan for most companies. Accidents still happen quite frequently.

Rail companies

Russian railways (in English)

Flight from Greece

No aircraft company operates direct flight from Athens to Moscow. To find out air connections from Greece to Russia click here

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation

Because of climatic conditions and the road network's lack of maintenance, driving is often difficult and dangerous. The sometimes unpredictable behavior of local drivers, an often disconcerting traffic system, the presence of unexpected objects or vehicles on the public highway, all require very careful attention.
The highway police (GAI) frequently make checks; fines for speeding or crossing solid lines have to be paid on the spot. Emergency road services, medical or mechanical, are slow in coming.
There are often traffic jams near large built-up areas, especially Moscow.
On the main roads, the signs are also written in the Roman alphabet.

Road maps

Find an itinerary

ViaMichelin

Visiting

Different forms of tourism

Historical

Old cities in the European part, and especially the cities of the Golden Ring.

Cultural

Museums and art galleries in the big cities. Theatre, ballet and opera.

Nature

Russia is crammed with natural resources: the Volga, Caucasus and the Urals, the forests of Carelia and Siberia, lake Baïkal, the Kamchatka peninsula.

Religious

There are numerous active monasteries across the country.
You should make a note of the monasteries of Souzdal and Sergueiev Possad near Moscow.

Thermal

Thermal tourism is concentrated mainly in the North Caucasus, around cities such as Mineralny Vody, Kislovodsk, Zheleznovodsk or Essentuki.
Most establishments are Soviet sanatoriums with Spartan comfort.

Beach

In summer, people bathe in many lakes and rivers, especially on the island of Serebrianny Bor in Moscow.
There are several resorts on the Black Sea starting with Anapa (sand beach) and Sotchi (pebble beach).

Winter sports

Cross-country skiing and skating are practised practically everywhere in the country.
Downhill skiing is booming. There are bigger resorts in the Caucasus, and also in the Urals and the Kouzbass.

Outdoor activities

Fishing, rambling and white-water sports.

Shopping

Luxury shopping is generally concentrated in the GOUM or TSOUM in Moscow and in the Gostiny Dvor (in Russian) in St Petersburg.
The market in Izmailovsky park is renowned for souvenirs, furs, crafts and other Soviet antiques.

Tourism organizations

Russian Tourism Board
Federal tourist agency

Eating

Food specialties

Caviar has always been considered to be the luxury food par excellence.
The Russians eat a great variety of salads (the most famous of which is called 'the olive') and soups (borch, salinaka, yra,...). The ravioli ("pelmeni") from Siberia and the kebabs ("chachlik") from the Caucasus are also among the specialties.

Drinks

Also called "khlebnoe pivo" (bread beer), le Kvas (or kvass) is a drink much enjoyed in Russia. Mildly alcoholic and sparkling, it is made by fermenting bread in water.
Vodka or "little water" (diminutive of voda, water) is the traditional Russian drink. It is often drunk with canapés called "zakouski".
Russians also drink large quantities of beer ("pivo") and tea ("tchai") which often replaces water.

Dietary restrictions

Paying

Domestic currency

Russian Rouble

ISO Code

RUB

To obtain domestic currency

There are many bureaux de change. Foreign currency can also be changed in banks, certain hotels and department stores.
You can also withdraw roubles directly from the many ATMs which take European credit cards such as Visa or Mastercard.

Possible means of payment

Cash is generally preferred. But big hotels, stores or restaurants take credit cards.

Exchange rate on

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM)

To find out the locations of ATMs in in Russia, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express

Speaking

Official language

Russian

Other languages spoken

More than 150 languages are spoken in the Russian Federation and some of them are the official language in a part of the country.

Business language

English is more and more widespread.
Managers often understand English better than they speak it. You must be prepared to conduct negotiations in Russian.

Getting some knowledge

Consult the travlang website.

Free translation tools

Multitran - On-line Dictionary including the most important European languages.
Babelfish Translation - Offers text translations from Russian to English and vice-versa.
Rambler - English and German Dictionary
Hexagone - Not Free Greek-Russian-Greek translator
Ferdosi - Not Free Greek-Russian-Greek translator

We can translate your foreign-language documents.

© Export Entreprises SA, all rights reserved.
Last updates: May 2012