Travel Announcements Only (No questions or comments please)

[Jake993]

OK - this trip is shaping up to be a barn burner.

After a week in Peiter, it looks like I have to go to Ufa for a few days on business. As it turns out, I have a monger friend living there who promises to show me the "lay of the land". I have always wanted to make a trip to the provinces to check things out. I will keep good notes. And after Ufa, I am back in Moscow. Could be fun.

[AnthonyUK]

I'm in Moscow from 14-19th April. Anyone fancy tasting a few beers and viewing the locals? I don't speak much of the lingo, but i know how to order a couple of beers.

Cheers,
Anthony

[Jake993]

Skank - Not next week. I'm in Pieter April 5-13 and Moscow April 13-20.

[Doctor_Skank]

Anybody in Moscow next week (Mar 25-30)? I've get a busy schedule, but plan on going out once or twice on a club trawl...

[Second Coming]

I'm in Moscow until the 28 of December and I have a 2 bedroom apartment near Novy Arbat. One bedroom is available so PM me if anyone needs guest friendly accomodation for a day or two.

[Jake277]

Just wanted to say "Thanks" to all who responded back to my question of entry into St. Petersburg. No doubt that I will have more questions on "other" topics soon.

Jake

[Jake993]

This would be great in Kiev, instead of standing in line for an hour in the stuffy hot sweaty room with 300 smelly Syrians, while your luggage spins around the carousel unprotected so that anyone else can walk right out with it.

Why are they watching for you if you plan to stay with friends for undetermined time period? Who cares?

The Russian authorities are very sticky about tourists who overstay their welcome in Russia. Why, I don't know. I mean, you have to be filthy rich to live in Moscow in any kind of style.

[Doctor_Skank]

This would be great in Kiev, instead of standing in line for an hour in the stuffy hot sweaty room with 300 smelly Syrians, while your luggage spins around the carousel unprotected so that anyone else can walk right out with it.

Why are they watching for you if you plan to stay with friends for undetermined time period? Who cares?

Yeah it is available, but frankly I don't see the point... unless as you say a planeload from some 2nd/3rd world nation has just arrived at the same time or in front of you. My last trips (knock on wood) I haven't waited longer than 10 minutes at passport control.

http://www.airport-borispol.kiev.ua/vip/

[Bez Bezarra]

If you want VIP service you walk to the head of the line and sail thru immigration / customs in about two seconds for $155.

The ones who are "staying with friends on holiday" and don't know how long they are staying are the ones immigration officials watch for.

This would be great in Kiev, instead of standing in line for an hour in the stuffy hot sweaty room with 300 smelly Syrians, while your luggage spins around the carousel unprotected so that anyone else can walk right out with it.

Why are they watching for you if you plan to stay with friends for undetermined time period? Who cares?

[Jake993]

Been reading the forum and has alot of great information. Good job to you all.
My question is this. I will be going to St. Petersburg in January for three weeks on business. It is my first trip to Russia but travel the rest of the world extensively. I have had an extensiion added to my passport but it's in good shape. As long as my visa comes thru how bad is it to get into the country ? I have read some of the stories of being rejected at the immigration. Not cool.

Any information would be great. I will post all and let you know after the fact.

Jake277

Jake227,

If you are at all nervous about entering Russia, being met by a friendly face when you get off the plane can reduce the anxiety. If it's worth $155 to you for a hassle free entry, you might want to try the VIP service.

https: //www.gotorussia.com/travel_s..._services. Htm In Pulkovo 2, as soon as you walk up the ramp from the plane, there will be a nice tight young thing (who speaks English) holding a board with your name on it. You give her your documents and your baggage claim and she leads you to the lounge where you can get a drink and relax. During this time, they visit with Immigration (your arrival is pre-cleared so they are expecting you). When everything has been cleared, she comes back with a porter who now has your luggage and the the three of you walk to the head of the line and sail thru immigration / customs in about two seconds. The immigration official (who has already inspected your docs) just takes a quick glance to make sure you are the same person pictured in the passport.

Some may consider it a needless luxury, but if you are stressed about it, $155 is perhaps worth it.

BTW. I have been to Russia (MOSCOW and SPB) 8 times now and have never had any trouble what-so-ever, and my passport is ragged as shit. In fact, if your passport is clean as a whistle, you are more suspicious that if it's well used. If you are granted a business Visa, then you are in good shape. The dodgey ones are those who are "staying with friends on holiday" and don't know how long they are staying. Those are the ones that the immigration officials are watching for.

Good luck.

Jake993

[Prosal]

I have had an extensiion added to my passport but it's in good shape

Mine is also not that clean.

I've been once firmly hassled by three moldovian cops who pretented that my passport was false, and even suggested that I was a women trafficker .

After one hour of sterile discussions and semi-jokes I finally gave them the 30€ (50 leis) bribe they expected. We then splitted off good friends.

If I had to travel in Russia I'd make a new one to avoid any polemic with the militzia.

[It Travel]

Been reading the forum and has alot of great information. Good job to you all.
My question is this. I will be going to St. Petersburg in January for three weeks on business. It is my first trip to Russia but travel the rest of the world extensively. I have had an extensiion added to my passport but it's in good shape. As long as my visa comes thru how bad is it to get into the country ? I have read some of the stories of being rejected at the immigration. Not cool.

Any information would be great. I will post all and let you know after the fact.

Jake277

If the visa is OK they will not care they have your pic on their system. But when back, in Germany, they where looking strange at my passport... saw I was coming from Russia and asked if I had another ID... of course I said and opened the wallet: ID, Driving Licence and they saw also ticket and credit cards in my name and all was solved in 30 seconds.

I think they take more care in EU because they do not have a photographic database as Russians have.

Just my two cents

IT

[Doctor_Skank]

Been reading the forum and has alot of great information. Good job to you all.
My question is this. I will be going to St. Petersburg in January for three weeks on business. It is my first trip to Russia but travel the rest of the world extensively. I have had an extensiion added to my passport but it's in good shape. As long as my visa comes thru how bad is it to get into the country ? I have read some of the stories of being rejected at the immigration. Not cool.

Any information would be great. I will post all and let you know after the fact.

Jake277

My passport is in bad shape too, due to extensive travel. They might look at you funny, but I seriously doubt you'd get rejected because of it. If they make a stink say you are an important international businessman and because of your travel your passport gets a bit beat up. Another thing that will help:

In any case, get a black leather cover for your passport.. not only does it really help protect it, but makes you look more like an important BTDT international man of mystery and less like a backpack tourist who carries his raggedy-ass passport in his back pocket.

Oh, and St.Pete in January? Bring a hat and gloves.

[Jake277]

Been reading the forum and has alot of great information. Good job to you all.
My question is this. I will be going to St. Petersburg in January for three weeks on business. It is my first trip to Russia but travel the rest of the world extensively. I have had an extensiion added to my passport but it's in good shape. As long as my visa comes thru how bad is it to get into the country ? I have read some of the stories of being rejected at the immigration. Not cool.

Any information would be great. I will post all and let you know after the fact.

Jake277

[Poetrix]

I am in Moscow between Oct. 8th and 12th, staying in Ismailowo.

Anyone of you Moscow expats want to show my a bit of your 'watering holes'?

I am 38, german, with basic russian (I studied in Moscow 10 years ago)

Alexander