The sheer thought of traveling to Russia is always enough to get one excited with the prospects of visiting a nation that has always been a mystery for the majority of the world’s population. As the world’s largest country by land mass, Russia is a treasure that hundreds of thousands are looking to rediscover in the modern century every other month. Coupled with a lot of mysteries and a whole list of ethnic groups, there is never a time when the nation serves boring on the menu. For first-timers, there is always a mixture of excitement and unpredictability, but it is never a cause for alarm as that is the beauty of exploring a new nation.
First things first, before you can settle on the dates you want to travel to Moscow or Saint Petersburg, always ensure that you have applied for a Visa. It is an absolute necessity for almost everyone who visits the country and to avoid any inconveniences it is vital to start the process as early as possible. On arrival to the country, it is crucial to have the Visa registered within a window period of seven days which excludes weekends and public holidays.
A tour’s company comes handy at this crucial stage as they can save you the burden of ensuring that all requirements as mandated by law are met during the Visa application and registration. Once you have gotten through the hurdle of having a Visa, it would equally be helpful if you can take the efforts to at least learn the Cyrillic alphabet and say a couple of phrases in Russian. This adds to the thrills of having to make a conversation with the locals or simply interpreting menus, timetables, or other signs. Nonetheless, tour operators and a significant percentage of the nation understand English, and most restaurants also have their menus in English.
It would equally be great to understand the public transport as it is the simplest way to get from one city to the other. The well-maintained subways allow you to quickly get from Moscow to Saint Petersburg by high-speed train. To save yourself from a lot of hassles at the ticketing station, you can always take advantage of the easy to use and convenient online ticketing systems. The e-ticketing systems will clearly make known the departure and arrival station, time, and costs. There is also the freedom of choosing the train type and class of the coach one will book.
Finally and equally important, is that when visiting either Moscow or St Petersburg it is always best for you to have some cash at hand. While increasingly a lot of places accept cards, you do not want to be limited when it comes to eating out or buying an item at a store that does not take cards. Having the local currency can be of great aid at the least expected time such as when using a taxi or using public transport and is a rule to always have in mind. Also never forget to respect the local customs in Russia which will go a long way in making you seamlessly blend with the residents of the great nation.
