RUSSIA

Russia, also officially known as the Russian Federation, is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. While geographically mostly in Asia, the bulk of Russia’s population is concentrated in the European part, and culturally, Russia is unmistakably European.

Tourism in Russia has seen rapid growth since the late Soviet times, first inner tourism and then international tourism as well. Rich cultural heritage and great natural variety place Russia among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The country contains 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The warm subtropical Black Sea coast of Russia is the site for a number of popular sea resorts, like Sochi, known for its beaches and wonderful nature. At the same time Sochi can boast a number of major ski resorts. The most famous natural tourist destination in Russia is Lake Baikal, named the Blue Eye of Siberia. This unique lake, oldest and deepest in the world, has crystal-clean waters and is surrounded by taiga-covered mountains.

Capital: Moscow

Best Time of Visit:

  1. Although Russia is a destination that offers year-round appeal, July- October is the ideal time to travel to Russia.

Min Days Required: 4 days

Places of Interest:

  1. St Petersburg –  Hermitage Museum, Petergof, Nevsky Prospect, Winter Palace, Peterhof Palace
  2. Moscow – Moscow Kremlin, Red Square, Gorky Park, Moscow Zoo, Pushkin Museum

Climate:

  1. Climate Of course with an area the size of Russia, it is difficult to give any sort of general advice about the climate and weather except that summers are warm to hot, and winters get very cold in some areas. In general, the climate of Russia can be described as highly continental influenced climate with warm to hot dry summers and (very) cold winters with temperatures of -30°C and lower and sometimes heavy snowfall.

Currency: Russian Ruble

Things to carry:

  1. Varies due to the region you want to visit. Heavyweight clothing is needed for the winter, no matter where you go.
  2. Waterproof light- to medium weight is advised for the summer. Be prepared for extreme conditions in the northern and northeastern parts of Siberia in the winter; the temperatures there are the lowest in the world, expecting the Antarctic Continent.

How to get there:

Road:

By car:

  1. Traveling in Russia by car can be difficult. Roads may be poorly marked, if marked at all, and poorly maintained, especially outside the cities and towns. Car rental services are only starting to develop in major cities such as Moscow or Saint Petersburg, and are expensive.

By bus:

1. A few bus companies, most notably Eurolines, operate international coach services from a number of destinations to Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Tallinn, Helsinki, Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw and Berlin all have regular services to Russia.

Air:

  1. Moscow and Saint Petersburg are served by direct flights from most European capitals, and Moscow also has direct flights from many cities in East Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and North America.
  2. US non-stop flights from the United States to Russia are offered by Singapore (from Houston to Moscow, Domodedovo), Delta (from New York and Atlanta to Moscow, Sheremetyevo), United Airlines (from Washington to Moscow, Domodedovo) and Aeroflot (from New York, Washington and Los Angeles to Moscow, Sheremeryevo).
  3. There are also non-stop services offered from Toronto and Montreal, Canada to Moscow, Domodedovo operated by Transaero.

Rail:

  1. Russian Railways runs reliable services across dizzying distances.
  2. Eastern and Central Europe are well connected to Moscow and to a lesser extent Saint Petersburg. Moscow is also connected to some surprising destinations throughout Western Europe and Asia.