Cheap Moscow

Here are a few things to keep in mind for your trip to Moscow.

First of all, be prepared! Moscow is not the easiest place to be a tourist and if you don’t take a few simple precautions it can be a miserable experience. The first thing to keep in mind is that in Russia foreigners are required to always carry their passports with them. Russian police have been known in the past for targeting tourists to check their documents. If yours are all in order they shouldn’t bother you, however they may try and fine you anyway (in order to pocket the cash!). Carry the phone number of your embassy with you and threaten to call them and have someone meet you down the police station if necessary. With Moscow keen to improve its reputation as a tourist destination hopefully such practices will soon become extinct.

One thing you must do in order to comply with the insane bureaucracy of the Russian visa regulations is to register your visa within 3 working days of arrival at the OVIR. If you are staying in a half-decent hotel or hostel they will do this for you. Otherwise take a walk to ul. Pokrovka 42, and get it out of the way. The office is open 9-6pm, but closes between 1-2pm for lunch.

Other things to keep in mind are that you can pay much more for everything in Moscow, but if you have russian friends they could help you to save money. In Moscow museums and other places of interest set special ‘foreigner’ prices for common expenditures like museum entry and sometimes even hotel rooms. This is legal.