Russia, as of 2023.
I've received many questions from my readers about Russia, and with this article, I will answer the most common ones.
How do I obtain a visa for Russia?
The Russian Visa: In 2023, it has become much easier to obtain a visa for Russia. Now, all EU citizens (and not only) can apply for an E-visa. The application is done online, and processing takes 4 business days. The visa is issued for 60 days, allowing a stay of up to 16 days in Russia. If you want to stay in Russia for more than 16 days, you can apply for a regular tourist visa. However, this can only be done through the Russian Consulate or an agency.
Where can I apply for the E-Visa for Russia?
You can use this link: E-Visa Russia.
Where can I book flights to Russia?
At present, there are no direct flights from the EU to Russia. You can, for example, fly through Turkey, Serbia, Georgia, Armenia, or Kazakhstan (if you want to reach the eastern part of Russia). There are many options depending on which part of Russia you want to visit. In the south of the country, there are two international airports that foreigners often do not know about and may not consider. These are Sochi and Mineralnye Vody. From there, you can find good and often very affordable connections to Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the UAE, and more.
Websites like Kiwi/Skyscanner and others no longer display connections to Russia and within Russia. You can use websites that are based outside of the EU and the USA. For example, the Turkish website www.ucuzabilet.com (simply switch the language to German or English) or Aviasales.com (I find it convenient; they have a clear calendar with prices, and there are often great deals).
How can you travel to Russia most affordably?
According to my research, these are currently the 6 most affordable options.
1) Via Gdansk. You can fly for as low as 12 EUR (from Hamburg) depending on the date. Alternatively, from Cologne or Dortmund (currently around 40 EUR per route). Another option is taking a Flixbus from, for example, Berlin starting at 14 EUR. In Gdansk, take a bus to Kaliningrad. There are three buses to Kaliningrad each day – at 9 AM, 3 PM, and 6 PM. The journey takes about 4 hours, including border crossing, and costs around 25 EUR. From Kaliningrad, you can fly to various places in Russia, like Moscow, starting at 15 EUR.
2) Via Tallinn. Fly to Tallinn; there are direct budget flights from cities like Nuremberg (starting at 25 EUR) or Berlin (starting at 33 EUR). Then, take a bus to St. Petersburg (approximately 6-7 hours journey) with multiple buses available daily, starting at 25 EUR.
3) Via Vilnius. You can fly directly to Vilnius from Berlin, Bremen, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, and Dortmund quite affordably (starting at 27 EUR). From Vilnius, you can travel to Kaliningrad with several bus options. Alternatively, those who are allowed to enter Belarus can take a bus to Minsk. The journey takes about 5 hours and costs around 17 EUR. From Minsk, you can reach Smolensk in 4 hours or Moscow in 5-6 hours by train.
4) Via Kaunas. There are affordable direct flights from Cologne (starting at 25 EUR), and then, you have similar options as mentioned in point 3 - either to Kaliningrad or Minsk, depending on the situation.
5) Via Lappeenranta (Finland). This option is more suitable for travelers from Southern Germany or from Switzerland and Austria. There is a direct and sometimes very affordable flight from Milan to Lappeenranta. Lappeenranta is only about 20 km from the Russian border, and the border crossing to Russia is open 24/7. It's around 30 km to Vyborg from there. If there's no bus or shuttle available, you can order a taxi via Yandex Taxi. Taxis in Russia are affordable, and if you're traveling with several people, it may even be cheaper than taking a bus.
6) Via Helsinki. Direct flights from Germany to Helsinki can be quite expensive at the moment, but this can change. For Berliners or travelers from Eastern Germany, a flight from Poznań (Poland) might be a good option. You can quickly and affordably get to Poznań with a Flixbus, and from there, there is already a direct flight to Helsinki for 9 EUR. Normally, there are several buses from Helsinki to St. Petersburg daily, including some directly from the airport.
PS: All flight prices are listed without luggage. Bus prices usually remain consistent, except for Flixbus, where prices can be quite volatile.
There are many more options as well, such as via Armenia or Georgia, Turkey, or Kazakhstan. In Armenia, consider checking the airport in Gyumri, from where you can sometimes find very affordable flights to Russia.
Booking accommodations in Russia.
Booking and Airbnb do not display Russia, so you can go to Ostrovok. The website is available in several languages, including English. If you know some Russian and prefer to rent accommodation from a private individual, then go to Avito, where you can find all sorts of options.
Registration in Russia.
As an EU foreigner, you need to register in Russia. If you stay in hotels, they will take care of it (ask for the registration paper upon check-out). If you stay with a private individual, you have 7 working days for registration. Only the host can do this for you (they can go to the FMS or do it at the post office), so please ask them to assist with it.
Paying in Russia.
In Russia, any foreigner can open a free bank account (at banks like Tinkoff Bank, Raiffeisenbank, Sberbank, etc.). Such a bank card is needed, for example, to book hotels and domestic flights. It is not possible to pay on Russian websites with a bank card from the EU. You can exchange euros in any bank. Due to the current low exchange rate of the ruble, prices in Russia are considered very favorable for travelers who come with euros.
Public Transportation in Russia.
Public transportation in major cities is very efficient. The metro system is particularly outstanding: it's beautiful and perfectly clean, with a train arriving every 1.5 minutes! In Moscow alone, 114 new metro stations have been built in the last 10 years, expanding the network by 1.5 times.
A metro ride typically costs between 50 and 70 rubles (50-70 cents), depending on how you pay. With this ticket, you can travel underground as much as you want, as the ticket price is not calculated based on distances or time.
Between larger cities, the connections are also very good. Trains are quite pleasant and not expensive. You can buy everything online on the Russian Railways website (rzd.ru). For bus trips, I mostly use the busfor.ru website or buy tickets directly at the counter. For taxis, I use Yandex Taxi.
The further you travel into remote areas, the thinner the public transportation network becomes. I used to think this was a drawback, but now I appreciate that much of Russia remains so pristine, with people not having overdeveloped and industrialized every corner.
A tip for Moscow!
When you're in Moscow, be sure to take a river cruise on the new electric trams that run on the Moskva River. They are super modern with panoramic windows and have only been in operation since June 2023. This is a new public transportation option and is very affordable. Regardless of the number of stations, it costs 150 RUB / 1.5 EUR during the week and 300 RUB / 3 EUR on weekends. Starting from September 1st, it's only 1.5 EUR every day. The longest route so far takes about 1 hour and passes by the City Business Center. More routes are expected to be added soon. With public transportation like this, who needs all the tourist boats? There's even hot water on board for tea (great for passionate tea drinkers like me, who always carry a thermos👌😉). You can also buy coffee and other beverages on-site. We took the ride on a weekday, and the boat was almost empty.
Internet in Russia
Any foreigner can buy a SIM card from any provider (Tinkoff, MTS, Megafon, Beeline, Tele2). Mobile internet is affordable and works differently (works perfectly in cities, but in remote areas, you might enjoy the quiet without signal). It's a good idea to get a SIM card BEFORE visiting the bank because you'll need a phone number for your bank card.
Are the people in Russia happy?
That's a very kind question, but it's challenging to answer definitively. People in Russia, as a whole, are not much different from other nations in the world. Some Russians are happier, while others are less so. What's true is that there is less smiling in Russia compared to, for example, Thailand. There are also fewer small talk interactions with strangers compared to the United States. But this is more related to culture and upbringing and, in my view, doesn't say much about happiness. Russians often appear quite serious, but they can turn out to be sociable and warm companions upon closer acquaintance.
I believe that Russians (by which I mean all the approximately 190 ethnic groups that inhabit Russia) are somewhere in the middle on the happiness scale. 😊
Camping in Russia
For travelers with RVs or campers, Russia is perfect. You can camp almost anywhere, and no one will bother you. Unless a grandmother (babushka) comes by and brings you some delicious pirozhkis. There's so much space for everyone! What I particularly love about Russia is that it's not overregulated like it can be in Western Europe. There's a lot more freedom, more room to move, and no penalties for minor things. People are relaxed and won't lecture or attack anyone, as long as their own peace isn't disturbed. Citizens here never play the role of the police; it's quite the opposite. For example, in traffic, people use their car lights (flash their high beams twice) to warn others when there's a police checkpoint nearby. In the town where I grew up, there's even a Telegram group where people inform each other about where the traffic police are located and which districts are "clean." From my perspective, the sense of community in the country is much stronger than in, for example, Germany.
When you travel through the Russian provinces, you'll come across many abandoned villages. But the gardens there still have fruit. In the summer and autumn, these villages are full of apples, pears, plums, and more. It's perfectly okay to stop and take some of the fruit. Russians do the same. Don't let the gifts of nature go to waste. 😊
Shopping in Russia.
For online shopping, Ozon and Wildberries are the best options in Russia. They operate throughout the country, are very fast, and offer good prices.
Money-saving tips for Russia
Use the website gorbilet.com to buy tickets for events, excursions, concerts, boat trips, and more. You can often find tickets with at least a 50 percent discount.
More deals from various sectors can be found on the websites www.biglion.ru and www.kupikupon.ru. They offer not only tickets for events and tours but also:
- Great hotel deals (often with a 50% discount from the standard price)
- Fantastic SPA massages and beauty treatments (up to 90% off)
- Subscriptions for fitness centers, swimming pools, and more. Sometimes the offers are so unbeatable that they pay off after just 1-3 visits.
- Medical treatments. I find the diagnostic options particularly great. For instance, the otherwise expensive MRI or ultrasound scans. In Germany, you either need to come with severe symptoms or expect long waiting times (often both). In Russia, if you book through these websites, you can get an MRI daily if you want, for 20-30 EUR per MRI! And there are various ultrasound examinations starting from 6 EUR.
These websites are in Russian, so to understand them, you can use translation apps or, even better, ask someone who knows Russian for help.
Culture in Russia
Russia is a mecca for culture lovers! Moscow has the highest number of museums in the world, with approximately 450 museums to explore. Following closely is St. Petersburg with around 250 museums, ranking second globally. For comparison, Paris has around 160 museums, and New York has about 100. The Hermitage collection is almost ten times larger than that of the Louvre in Paris. To visit all 350 rooms of the Hermitage, you would need to walk approximately 10 kilometers!
Even smaller towns have interesting museums to offer. When you have the opportunity, attend local celebrations, such as city day festivals. These events feature a variety of activities, including good concerts and dance performances, and admission is usually free.
A tip for ballet enthusiasts!
Instead of going to the expensive Bolshoi Theatre, go to the Kremlin Palace! The quality of the performances is equally top-notch, but at the Kremlin Palace, the tickets cost about 10 times less! The hall in the Kremlin Palace is designed in a way that even from the cheapest seats, you can have an excellent view. Here, tickets start from 8 EUR! And in the orchestra (parterre), they begin at 12 EUR. You won't find better value for your money anywhere in the world!
Crime in Russia
'What does crime look like in Russia?'
Russia is a safe travel destination, even for solo female travelers. To avoid this being labeled as 'Russian propaganda,' I've backed my opinion with statistics from German sources.
In the Crime Index by City (in Europe), Moscow ranks below Nuremberg, which means that Moscow is safer than Nuremberg, for instance.
The only area where Russia scores poorly is corruption. However, tourists typically don't encounter this issue. (The times when you could be extorted by the traffic police are over.)
For Russian cities, the same advice applies as anywhere in the world: be a bit cautious with your valuables in crowded places. And here's an extra tip for men: don't hit on women in nightclubs unless you're 200% sure that the lady is single. Otherwise, there's a very high likelihood of getting into a fight. Russian men are the least diplomatic in this context.
(In my experience, this was precisely why my former male colleagues or acquaintances from abroad encountered issues in Russia.)
Sometimes I get the following questions: 'I would really like to see Russia, especially Moscow. But I heard that with a German passport, one is not particularly welcome right now. Understandable, but is it really the case?'
It's sad that such a question even arises, but the good news is that it's not true! You don't need to worry about this.
On the state level, foreign tourists are welcome. The visa process has even been simplified, and E-visas have been introduced. All EU citizens (and many others) can obtain an E-visa in just 4 working days. In my opinion, this is a sign that EU citizens are welcome in Russia.
On a human level, people in this country don't care at all where the traveler comes from or what passport they hold. Many Germans continue to live in Russia, and I have never heard of any of them being discriminated against in any way.
Please don't be intimidated by the legends of 'evil Russians.' Travel to Russia and form your own impression of the country!
Sanctions in Russia
Another question that many are interested in for 2023: 'Have the sanctions in Russia changed life there?'
In the Russian language, there's a saying: 'Орёл - птица гордая, пока не пнешь, не полетит,' which translates to: 'An eagle is a proud bird; it only flies when you give it a kick in the butt.'
This saying fits perfectly with Russians. We often need a good kick to get moving. And just like the population, the country itself is no exception! Russia has had to make a significant leap in development over the past 1.5 years, and we have the sanctions to thank for that! It might be hard to believe and sound strange, but from my perspective, these sanctions are a gift to Russia! A great opportunity to finally become independent and self-reliant. I see this development at every turn. The sanctions have boosted domestic production, and there are suddenly so many 'made in Russia' products on the shelves, more than ever before! New small and large factories are being built, and the storefronts that used to sell Western brands now house shops with Russian names. I just bought us new clothes in Moscow, and they were all 'made in Russia.'
The cohesion of people in Russia has grown stronger, thanks to the sanctions as well. The more Russians are discriminated against in, for example, Europe, the more they value their own country and the tighter they hold together. It's understandable.
Of course, the sanctions have brought many problems. But, as Erich Kästner said, 'Even from stones that are placed in your path, you can build something beautiful.'
In short, sanctions were supposed to 'bring Russia to its knees.' In reality, they helped Russia finally stand up. This is my personal opinion, but the majority of people in Russia see it the same way.
Important!
Instagram and Facebook can only be accessed in Russia with a VPN. All other social media platforms work as usual. A bonus: YouTube in Russia is ad-free:)
Food in Russia
The quality of food in Russia is quite good. The cultivation of genetically modified crops has been legally banned since 2016.
Supermarkets have everything you could wish for! (Russian-produced chocolate is particularly good). In every city, there are markets where local farmers sell their products. You can buy fresh homemade dairy products, eggs, honey, fruits, vegetables, and more.
Welcome to Russia!
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