Re: St. P'burgh in winter

Hi Anbhanfhaidh & Robert,

My sister's and my experience was similar to Kay's. We used a travel agent here in Canada to complete the visa applications with the Russian embassy. The time frame for visas can be a couple of weeks to a month but with security heightened it is a good idea to start the process early. We decided the itinerary i.e. flights, hotel Astoria, chauffer when required, and then had our  agent do the booking. But all else my sister and I did independently. We decided not to use the car and to travel by train to both Tsarskoye Selo and Peterhof. There were no restrictions whatever to when or where we went!

I wish you both a beautiful trip !
Joanna

Robert,

Some travel agencies can arrange the visa for you for a considerable fee, I think I paid close to $200 for mine (I am assuming the criteria is pretty much the same for British nationals as it is for Americans). But you have be careful because from what I understand there are two types of visas they can get for you: the kind where you have to do nothing once you get to Russia and the kind where you have to register at the local OVIR office once you get there. The latter option is cheaper but is very time consuming, someone told me that it can take almost the whole day to wait on line in OVIR! The fact that there are two different types of visas can get confusing not to mention expensive! What I mean by that is that on my trip I ran into a woman who didn't realize that her visa was the latter kind and did not register locally, but when she was leaving the country and going through customs, she was fined something like $100 for each day she stayed in Russia without registering! She was there for two weeks, so that's a lot of money she didn't count on spending! Anyway, my point is that you have to make sure to find out what kind of visa you have, and it's worth paying more to get the kind where you don't have to register because in the long run it will save you a lot of time, especially since your time will be limited there. I am not sure why the Russian government makes it so difficult for westerners to visit the country, you would think they by now would realize that western tourists = better economy, but alas, I think they still have the soviet mentality about that, and stick with the "make things as difficult as possible for foreigners to visit Russia" for some demented reason. Anyway, this was my experience with the visa issue, and that to me was actually the most complicated part about going to Russia  

Good question.
I had not even thought about that !  I guess I had presumed  my friend's booking would include me ! [other Americans will be going, but for the business part].
I have traveled to Bulgaria several times, and all the warnings about "registering, airport verifications , etc. proved no longer in effect. Even when I was there, purely by co-incidence at the same time as the Pope & a huge NATO conference !!

Guess I had best check on this. Anyone have any idea of how long this takes & can I do it in London? I could use a British passport, but that gets soooo complicated.
Thanks for the "heads up !!
Robert

Tanya,

I am not sure if you can selectively print one single response but maybe you can just copy and paste the part of the response you are interested in into a Word document or something like that.  

Helen

e author=AnBhanfhaidh link=board=Announcements;num=1091542412;start=0#19 date=08/11/04 at 12:29:34]
Does anyone know how to print a single response, without getting the whole thread - I am new to forums in general.

But you have be careful because from what I understand there are two types of visas they can get for you: the kind where you have to do nothing once you get to Russia and the kind where you have to register at the local OVIR office once you get there. The latter option is cheaper but is very time consuming, someone told me that it can take almost the whole day to wait on line in OVIR!

My understanding, for Americans - and I stress this because it is different for different citizenry - unless you have a legitimate reason to be invited by a company, university, have relatives in the country, etc, [glb]you MUST get the visa that has to be registerd once entering the country. You have 3 days to get it registered[/glb], and supposedly the "tour group" (i.e., the association aligned with your hotel that provides you the VISA SUPPORT LETTER and VOUCHER), will help you get registered. That's what mine is claiming anyway, of course, I've yet to experience the real deal (the last time I was in that part of the world, it went by a different name and INTOURIST ran the show).

I am not sure why the Russian government makes it so difficult for westerners to visit the country, you would think they by now would realize that western tourists = better economy, but alas, I think they still have the soviet mentality about that, and stick with the "make things as difficult as possible for foreigners to visit Russia" for some demented reason.

I think a lot of this is reciprocity. I get the impression from people I have talked to, both American and Russian, that before 9/11, though not a trivial process, it was a little easier getting a visa and moving about the country. After 9/11, the US started requesting more information from people of certain nationalities (Russian included) entering our country and monitoring their movements a bit more. The other countries tend to "reciprocate" that treatment to US citizens. Do you remember when Mexico threatened to start finger-printing US citizens entering Mexico, right after we announced we were going to do the same? Having said that, of course, there IS the age-old Russian paranoia :-/

Good question.
I had not even thought about that !  I guess I had presumed  my friend's booking would include me ! [other Americans will be going, but for the business part].

Good, that was part of my reason for asking it - to give you a heads up. I have just completed this process, so I can assure you it is still in effect. The best source of information is to get on the consulate web-site and read the directions carefully - there are several pieces of paper you need.

Guess I had best check on this. Anyone have any idea of how long this takes & can I do it in London? I could use a British passport, but that gets soooo complicated.
Robert

Also, you might want to look into what the requirements are for British citizens. If you can use that passport, it might be easier. See previous post  quoting Helen_Azar about reciprocity.

By the way, I think we should have a thread OUTSIDE FORUM ANNOUNCEMENTS, hopefully at the top level, to help people trying to travel to Russia. Not only the mechanics of Visa red tape, but we all have a common interest here and I, for one, would like to get some questions answered about shopping. (I left a question for Bob Atchison on the Fed. Cath thread about where to buy something because it referenced a photo he had posted, but I never got a reply. These types of trees get lost in the forest .) I found this thread by accident and it has been VERY HELPFUL.

You're right, I remembered now that the visa I got through this travel agency had an invitation from some organization in Russia, and this is why I didn't need to register at OVIR when I got there, even though in reality I came there on my own.  I think the particular travel agency I used is somehow able to get people invitations through this organization and are able to charge us more for the visas that don't need a local registration. I am not sure if any other travel agencies can do this.... but it was certainly very convenient for me.

My understanding, for Americans - and I stress this because it is different for different citizenry - unless you have a legitimate reason to be invited by a company, university, have relatives in the country, etc, you MUST get the visa that has to be registerd once entering the country.

Well, for better or worse, I am going now. 13-16 Jan. 2005. Probably freeze me touche off, but what the...?
Interesting, we will be staying at the hotel OKTIABRSKAYA, but dinners will be at the Astoria & Grand I take it.
I also have a private guide.so can go pretty much anywhere I please, as opposed to being with an organised tour.
the all important VISA !! I could have gone through the process in London, but decided to do it here, as we have a Russian consulate in SF which is probably not as busy. Also, I do not like the idea of giving over my passport anywhere, but if I must, might as be home !
As it is not a long stay, I am curious as to money. Are credit cards accepted in the museum bookstores and restaurants.  I expect St.P. to be expensive, but do not want to be stuck with load of rubles coming back to England, or the US for that matter.
Should be interesting, to say the least !!
Cheers,
Robert
Oh, I leave for England at the end of this month, so I still have time to back out, I suppose.

Well, for better or worse, I am going now. 13-16 Jan. 2005. I am curious as to money. Are credit cards accepted in the museum bookstores and restaurants.  I expect St.P. to be expensive, but do not want to be stuck with load of rubles coming back to England, or the US for that matter.
Should be interesting, to say the least !!
Cheers,
Robert

I was unable to obtain Russian currency in France or in England.

Credit cards are excepted at most good restaurants, but I used cash to enter museums, and my CC in the all important bookstores. I never had any problems. There are numerous, separate 24hr hole-in-the-wall machines which deliver hard curency if you insert your CC. They are off street rooms which can lock from the inside, and are not directly associated with peopled banks or currency exchange counters. They usually offer variable, but better exchange rates than most hotels can.

Any unused rubles can be swaped over for Euros at Pulkovo Airport. Since we were going to Germany from SPb this exchange was helpful.

Have a wonderful time!

In broad daylight in both back streets or main streets there was never a problem.

SPb is generally very safe, except watch out for gypsies inside Gostiny Dvor metro or during the week opposite the entrance to that station alongside Kazan Cathedral.  The young kids encircle the unwary tourist within seconds. Backpacks are not advised, nor leaving wallets in back pockets.

Thank you both for the good advice. I find it interesting I am missing both the Eastern Christmas and the 100th anniv. of Bloody Sunday !
Not sure wheteher that is good or bad.
Cheers or is it "Nostrovya!"
Robert

Thank you very much. Next is "happy birthday", but I have to write that on a card, so I need to find it in Cyrillic!
Robert

Having lived there and visited through three different regimes...

The first was the Soviet regime, the second is the current democracy (with or without quotes), but what was the third one?

Cheers or is it "Nostrovya!"
Robert

Actually, Robert, as I posted elsewhere, it is "Vash-ye-strovye" "to YOUR health". Nastrovye, is "to OUR health"... as dear Tante Lili scolded me over vodkas one evening..."No, No, my dear. Nastrovye is Polish, or what Father might say to the immediate family. The well bred Russian of good manners says "Vashyestorvye", to YOUR health...."
Cheers,
Rob

May a seasoned expert on Russian drinking etiquette interfere ?

Na zdorov'ye! (where "z" is pronounced more like "s") means simply "To health!" or "Enjoy yourself". It is also used in situations other than drinking/toasting, e.g.:
  A. Please try this pie.
  B. Oh, so delicious! Thanks a lot!
  A. Na zdorov'ye!

Vashe zdorov'ye! means "Your health!", is said by a toaster while raising his glass and addressed to a person or a company. Another possibility is Bud'te zdorovy! - "Be healthy!". Budem zdorovy!  means"Let's be healthy!"; it is very popular and most common form that presumes everybody present, including the toaster himself.

Tvoyo zdorov'ye! may be said to a person whom the toaster usually addresses "Thou" rather than "You" (those familiar with the Russian language will understand the difference).

And of course there're dozens more Russian greetings for such a celebrated occasion as drinking.

Bobby......

Schastlivava pootee!  

Olya.