Thread: Travel to Russia
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03-09-13 02:50 #55
Posts: 849Rough Beast on the Slouch
Originally Posted by Stravinsky [View Original Post]
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03-03-13 07:33 #54
Posts: 1454Originally Posted by Skwiskwis [View Original Post]
Little by little, civilization is slouching its way towards Russia...
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03-02-13 15:54 #53
Posts: 92Something New
Just arrived in St Petersburg and have something new to report regarding luggage and immigration. The two part immigration form was NOT passed out on the plane and there were none in the immigration area and when I arrived at the immigration officer she produced one herself and simply stamped it and gave me one part. Seems you still have to carry it around and return it when you leave, but you no longer have to complete one yourself prior to your passage thru immigration.
Baggage. I flew from NYC to St Pb via Moscow. I was told in NYC to "Pick up your bags at St Pb." And, as in past trips, I translated this to mean, 'Pick up your bags in Moscow, go thru customs, re-check your bags, and collect them in St Pb' (I was flying to Pulkovo 1, which is the domestic airport and it does not have a customs area for luggage. Like flying to the US to Omaha, via NYC, you have to go thru customs at your port of entry). Anyway, when I arrived in Moscow, no bags! I asked at the desk and was told "They are on the plane for St Pb." So it seems now they really will send your bags to St Pb even if you stop in Moscow first. And in St Pb I simply picked them up from the carousel and left the airport, no customs at all. Strange. And finally, in another strange development, there were no Russian airport officials at the baggage exit in Pulkovo 1 causing a major back up as they tried to match baggage claim tickets with the bags.
Still a little shocked as they have actually made it a little easier to enter Russia.
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02-16-13 21:35 #52
Posts: 2306Originally Posted by Stravinsky [View Original Post]
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02-16-13 21:30 #51
Posts: 2306Originally Posted by Stravinsky [View Original Post]
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02-16-13 21:01 #50
Posts: 1454Originally Posted by Prosal [View Original Post]
In Russia they have a saying, тише едешь - дальше будешь, it means, "The quieter you go, the further you will be"
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02-16-13 20:54 #49
Posts: 1454Originally Posted by Uke Boy [View Original Post]
It used to be, the only other currency used in Russia was the Dollar, so you could assume that у.е. meant Dollars. But now, there are 3 different currencies commonly in use in Russia; the Ruble, the Euro, and the Dollar. So, whenever you buy something, you need to know what currency is the basis for the transaction. But be careful with у.е., it does not always mean Dollars, it could also mean Euros, and there's a big difference.
This is a favorite trick of the dyeffki in Night Flight. You think they're talking Dollars, but when the time comes to pay up, they say, no, no, no, the price was in Euros.
у.е. will also tell you what is the conversion rate. If you are in a restaurant, or a night club, you may see something printed on the menu that says, 1 у.е. = 10 руб. So, when you get the bill for 1,000 у.е., you know you need to pay 10,000 Rubles.
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02-16-13 16:15 #48
Posts: 2306Originally Posted by EastGoing [View Original Post]
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02-16-13 14:54 #47
Posts: 673Originally Posted by EastGoing [View Original Post]
Good luck.
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02-16-13 04:38 #46
Posts: 849Poking the Provinces!
Originally Posted by Stravinsky [View Original Post]
If you're doing this then the best thing to do is -
By all means, enter where you think you intend to go and for peace of mind keep your internal travel tickets, in case of queries on departure.
But really, nothing to worry about...
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02-14-13 19:26 #45
Posts: 582Just for the record, my passport and insurance came back."Infos" on www.lexgarant.ru. I got a booklet with 10 pages in Russian and 5 in english (which are the ones you can read by clicking the mentioned site) , after an introduction page with details. From what I can understand, I'll be insured for the 12 days of my stay for:
Medical service;
Stomatological assistance (acute pain) up to 100 why. E. (what does this mean?) ;
Medical transport expenses;
Repatriation of remains.
Sum insured: 30000 euros.
I got (also countersigned by a scribble, supposed to be me, LOL) program A, the one with the shortest list of covers.
No receipt of price, but I'm not going to investigate. Needless to say, the annual insurance I'm going to subscribe on my own covers much more.
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02-11-13 03:11 #44
Posts: 582Hi Jonners,
Thanks for your answer. This is how things went: I bought the cruise from a travel agent online, which I don't mention because I don't know if I'm allowed to such advertising, anyway if you google "Russian river cruises" it is in the first page. They gave me the address of their visa office, to send passport and papers. I was charged 110 euros for this service, I wasn't given a written sum up, anyway I remember on the phone: free invitation (evidently some other operators charge to invite you) .65 for the visa. 25 for the mandatory insurance, some 20 for the courier to bring it back and maybe another minor thing, absolutely nothing for them, I remember on my first calls they had said 115. When I told the agent about my own insurance I was answered that Russian consulate has a list of authorized and accepted companies. I was given the phone number of the visa office of the travel agent, I rang, they didn't even want to know the name of my insurance, they only said that the consulate wants an insurance that covers the length of the stay, just that, not longer (?). I don't know any detail of this imposed insurance yet since the packet with my passport is supposed to come back next week. I informed the travel agent and they (obviously and reasonably) said that there is nothing that can be done and that it's necessary and compulsory to follow consulate's instructions. Amen.
It's a holiday that costs me some 2000 euros before stepping out from home, don't know (and don't dare to try to figure out, LOL) what the total will be in the end. I can't make too much mess for 25 euros, and travel agent seemed good and honest. Initially I had booked for an earlier cruise (cheaper) , they found out they could give me a single cabin in subsequent cruises, more expensive, but charged me the same price. If I'm being snatched 25 euros I'd shrink the suspects to the consulate or to the visa office, which I don't know how much has got to do with the agent.
P. S. Jackson, why don't you organize an ISG members cruise somewhere easier than Russia? Maybe with FKK girls, we should get better prices, make a great bargain and have wonderful time!
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02-10-13 20:56 #43
Posts: 1454Originally Posted by Gergiev [View Original Post]
Someday, I'd love to get beyond the big city and poke around to see what I can find. (sigh)
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02-10-13 15:22 #42
Posts: 100East. This is the first time I have heard of the Russian consulate asking you to buy travel insurance through them. I have had a lot of visas over the years including tourist and business and each time the Russian visa service in my country have been happy with normal travel insurance. A number of times I have just put down the 'free' travel insurance that comes with amex. Had no problems. So either the travel agent is looking to make more money out of you or someone at the consulate is.
Originally Posted by EastGoing [View Original Post]
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02-10-13 03:59 #41
Posts: 582LOL! Clarification needed
Roll Buzz,
Well, I thought the same thing, I wondered similar questions too. I posted that info for fellow mongers to have a laughter, the real point was the curiosity to know if also other travellers had had the same request. I was to specify it when I posted, but I was in a hurry and anyway I thought it was obvious, apart from being funny. However, just to make it clear, I wrote "one includes", I didn't choose or ask for such a cover, it was given, included, like when you buy a car it has got many things given, you didn't ask for ashtray, clock, etc. And companies will not give you 20 euros back because you don't smoke, have your own watch and don't need theirs, right?
We all know that this world is full of nonsenses, if I don't make confusion with the destination, I think it was USA, once or twice in my past I had to fill forms on the airplane, where I was asked questions more or less like: "are you coming for killing" or "are you a terrorist?", I don't imagine the quotient of intelligence of those who thought about asking passengers such questions, and I wait for your opinion about how many answered "yes". (smilie)
Now, hoping I didn't look too much more stupid than I actually am, if someone wants to answer the real point.
Cheers