Russia

Russia, also known as the Russian Federation, is the largest country in the world – crossing nine time zones. Russia has more than twenty UNESCO World Heritage Sites and many beautiful national parks and nature reserves.

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Because of its enormous size Russia has very diverse terrain and climate patterns, from Arctic tundra in the north, to grasslands and plains, to its many popular coastal resorts and spas.  In the far north the climate is subarctic and polar with very harsh winters. In the coastal areas of the Black Sea the climate is subtropical. Russia receives a large amount of snow during winter and the time between winter and summer is brief, with the coldest temperatures normally occurring in January and the warmest in July. 

Russia has a fascinating history and an extended trip is needed to take in all the interesting places to visit.  The capital city, Moscow, lies on the banks of the Moskva River and is the most common arrival point for visitors. The Kremlin, which sits on Red Square, is a World Heritage Site, ancient fortress, and residence of the Russian President. The ornate Saint Basil’s Cathedral is a much-photographed building with its easily recognisable onion-shaped domes.   Moscow boasts dozens of parks, gardens and attractions.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Useful travel advice from the Foreign & Commonweath Office for travel to Russia. Click Here

No trip to Moscow would be complete without a visit one of the space museums, or a trip to Star City, northeast of Moscow, which is an active astronaut-training centre.

Moscow’s Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics highlights the history of the space race and space exploration and is a popular attraction for families.  The Museum has a large and attractive steel sculpture monument on its roof, which depicts a rocket taking off atop a long wall of steel flame. The museum features a full-size model of the Mir Space Station and Sputnik satellite and a tribute to the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin.  It also features exhibitions of the space dogs (Strelka and Belka) that were the first to go into space and return in one piece.

The beautiful city of St Petersburg lies northwest of Moscow and is known for its beautiful and ornate architecture, history, museums, palaces, canals and culture.

Pay a visit the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) well before your planned visit for important and updated travel advice as part of their ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign.  Their advice includes advisories against travel to specific regions of Russia.  (Note: Travelling to an area when an advisory against non-essential travel is in place could invalidate any related claims on your travel insurance).

Further advice issued by the FCO for visitors to Russia includes the following:

-Passport validity, visa information, embassy contact details and an explanation of Migration Cards
-Rules for single parents or adults travelling with children
-Tips for using taxis
-Driving in Russia (and links to motoring organisations)
-Health concerns to be aware of in Russia include TB, food poisoning, tick-borne encephalitis and rabies
-Avoid drinking tap water in Russia
-Carry your passport with you at all times in the Russian Federation as failure to produce it if asked will result in a fine

Visitors should be vigilant regarding petty crime and scams to protect their property and valuables. Theft, mugging, and pick pocketing in crowded tourist spots of the world are always an issue.  The FCO particularly warns about street crime in St Petersburg, as well as theft from vehicles and hotel rooms. Drink spiking is also something to be aware of.

The FCO website also has important information on exchanging money and purchasing Roubles. Many hotels, restaurants and large business will accept credit cards but smaller outlets may not.  It is a good idea to inform your bank before travelling to Russia to avoid your card being stopped for suspicious activity.   Note that Travellers’ cheques are not accepted in many areas.

The UK and Russia have a reciprocal healthcare agreement that entitles British nationals to free medical treatment in a hospital in Russia, but treatment may be limited.  It is very important to carry comprehensive travel insurance and ensure that it includes cover for medical repatriation and all your planned activities.

Website:  http://www.visitrussia.org.uk/

Disclaimer: While we have tried to ensure the information in this Travel Guide is correct we do not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy, or the content of external links.

Inclusion in this Travel Guide does not guarantee travel insurance is available in any country at any given time. Travel Insurance is not available in countries where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have issued an advisory against travel.

You are strongly advised to visit the FCO website for updated travel information and general travel advice before you travel.