To be honest, a trip to Russia doesn't have to be that expensive, as long as no one is expecting anything too luxurious and plans well. The most expensive part is usually the hotel, but it is possible to get rates that are very reasonable, especially with group rates and if each room is shared by two or three people. The hotel rates are not any more than anywhere else, depending on where you end up staying. The food is relatively cheap as is transportation, and there is no need to hire a translator or guide if someone in the group speaks Russian and knows the city a little. The city is very easy to get around in, I think most members would know exactly where they want to go and what they want to see, it is just a matter of mapping it out. If someone does that in advance, it can be done very efficiently. I went to St Petersburg twice already from the States, and both times the trip cost me just about $2K, which included airfare, hotel, food, entrance to museums, tickets to see a couple of shows and even souvenirs. The first time I stayed about 10 days, three people shared a suite which cut down on the hotel some. The second time was about a week but it was part of a larger tour I took. Don't go by Exeter's prices, they are pretty exorbitant. You can do it for about 1/3 or 1/4 of their cost very easily. Both times I went during the high season, May and June, which is during the "white nights" - the best time to go there. We didn't stay in a fleabag hotel , it was a pretty decent place, comparable to a pretty good motel in the States. You just have to know what you are doing when booking everything
. Since I have done it a couple times now, I know some ins and outs.
