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Since this article is written by Malaysian and the fact that how skeptical Malaysian are toward visiting Russia (most still do), and how rare traveling to Russia still is, we compile a list of everything you need to know about traveling to Russia from our experiences. Hopefully this article helps those of you planning to visit Russia soon.
Unfortunately, most countries need visa to visit Russia except Thailand, Laos & Brunei from South East Asia region and most countries in South Americas etc. Good news is, Russia offers a free E-Visa to visit Kaliningrad, Leningrad, and Vladivostok regions, but only former two applicable to Malaysian. That’s only if you plan to visit only those regions, which doesn’t make any sense to buy expensive flight tickets and just to go to Saint Petersburg, isn’t it?
But hey, we heard a lot of rejection even with the free E-Visa. Not everything free is easy huh. Let us know if you need help to apply russian visa. Let the expert do their job, right?
Anyway, there are few types of tourist visa depends on the number of entries. Single or double entries tourist visa valid for maximum of 30 days while the consular fees can be a lot different between the two, you might as well apply for a business visa if you plan on staying or exploring Russia more than 30 days.
There is no direct flight to any Russian cities from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our best bet for a long direct flight is either from Singapore, Phuket, or Bangkok. While it can be expensive to fly Singapore airline, make sure to check on flights from Phuket to Vnukovo Airport, Moscow operated by Rossiya Airlines from Momondo.com. Rossiya Airlines operated a seasonal flight route between the two on chartered basis, and sometimes offered a EUR 65 for a one-way ticket. That’s only if you are lucky enough and ready a visa with you.
Or else, check out Thai Airways flight as they also have good promo flights from time to time. Air Astana and Air Arabia are also your best option if you prefer a medium haul flights instead of long haul. All of above facts, assuming you are planning to fly to western part of Russia.
But if you plan on traveling to Russian Siberian or far east, then, Bangkok, Hongkong (maybe not for now with current situation), Nha Thrang, or Seoul can be your best layover option. Yes, we are referring to cities like Vladivostok, Irkutsk or Novosibirsk in Russia.
Check out some other part of Russia too like Frozen Lake Baikal
Well, that’s the only cities that come to most of us when we talk about Russia, right? Heck, you only think of that fairy tale-like onion dome structure on the famous Red Square, Moscow when someone mention the word Russia! Moscow and Saint Petersburg must and should be on your top list cities to visit if ever you come to Russia since they are the 2 capitals of this beautiful country. But if given a chance, try to visit few other nice Russian cities. People said, you are not yet experience Russia until you visit some cities other than Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Hate to say this, but people, please stop comparing a trip in Europe and a trip in Russia. Of course, you can cover 4 countries in Europe with given amount of time or budget but only 3 cities for the same in Russia. But, do you realise that, the distance of those 3 cities (let say Moscow, St pete and Murmansk) is equivalent to 8 countries in Europe? That’s how big Russia is. They have 11 time zone different from two ends.
More on interesting cities in Russia
A lot of time we get a kind of shocked looking face when we told our guests this. Yes. Russian is not in European Union and they use their own Russian ruble as their sole currency. Nope, not even the display price in a tourist trap’s souvenir shops.
But a quick tip for you, if you plan on bringing cash with you, make sure to bring Euro or USD currencies. As these are the best rate for currency exchange you can get there. You can change a little ruble in Malaysia but, don’t change too much as the rate here is very bad. That bring us to point number 5.
Russia, like any other countries is moving towards cashless society. If you are in the city, there is no need to be worry about carrying cash around. You can pay everything by card, from topping up metro cards to paying your coffee.
So, if you are a frequent traveler, you will understand how handy to travel with little cash on hand and skip the trouble of exchanging currency every time. But make you have a good credit/debit card rate to use it overseas, and activate them too.
We have few strong reasons you don’t need to rent a car while visiting Russia:
If you really need to drive your own, try Yandex drive, an app that let you rent a car nearest to you by minute/hourly basis or you can just use the Yandex taxi, just like the name suggest.
Oh, have we told you that Moscow and Saint Petersburg have a very beautiful and clean metro stations? Make sure to check them out.
Seasons in Russia doesn’t follow what we learnt in school. They bend the rule to have a long winter, as long as 6 months in some places, especially true in Russian Siberian. Even in Saint Petersburg, winter can start as early as November and last till April.
Even the summer in Murmansk can be a bit crazy with some snow falling instead of raining, but it melted of course. So, prepare at least a light jacket even if you travel in summer to Russia. You never know.
Planning to visit a nice autumn? September till early October is a nice time for autumn season in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. There are two type of autumn, its either a dry autumn or wet autumn. If it is a wet autumn, then expect all the leaves to completely fall off by mid October.
Not sure when to go? Read here.
Do you remember when your mom forbade you to whistle in the house? Or don’t even think to change your place while eating? Or the belief that returning home after a while on the road for a forgotten things is a bad omen? These are some of those superstitions among Malay if not Asian. (Not really sure about other Asian though)
Surprisingly, Russian do have kind of the same as above superstitions and most still believe in it (even if they say they don’t). for example:
For Malay, changing your place while eating is believed that the person will marry more than once in his/her life. While not the exact same thing, Russian version is if the person eats at the corner of the table, then he/she will not get marry for another 7 years! (marriage is still a something they look forward in Russia)
Malay: whistling in the house may cause bad omen or bring misfortune into the house
Russian: whistling in the house may cause bad omen or bring misfortune into the house
Returning home after a while on the road for a forgotten things is a bad omen is also the same belief that Malay and Russian share.
It is a law that every foreigner in any cities in Russia, they need to register their visa within 7 working days upon arrival in new city (previously 3 working days). Fortunately, the hotel or the host is obliged to register you whenever you stay at their premise. Some hotel will charge you a fees, some may not. If you stay in Airbnb, you are most likely need to register yourself in post office.
Visa registration is a form of migration control, helping the Russian government control immigration to, and within, Russia. You should register your visa otherwise you may be liable to fines during spot-checks of your visa documentation by police or other officials, and when exiting the country by border control.
To be honest, there is nothing to worry about unless you plan on doing some illegal stuff and prone to be questioned by authority. Other than that, Russia is slowly open to tourism and you should be okay.
But, seriously police has the authority to check anyone randomly and asked for passport and visa, which bring us to point number 10.
If you are used to leave your passport in hotel room every time you go explore the city in Europe, please teach yourself to carry your passport with you all the time. We know it is such a nuisance, but imagine this, Russian don’t have ID card like our IC, the have the Internal Russian Passport just like our passport book and they carry them all the time. How about that?
Plus, don’t ever lose your migration card. Migration card is the slip that the immigration officer gives you once you pass through immigration check. One copy with them and another with you. You are required to hand over the immigration card back to immigration control officer when you are departing Russia.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to fill them yourself. The immigration officer will do it for you. How nice…
Apart from the typical destinations people go for Aurora Hunting trip, Russia actually do have few places for you to experience this magical phenomenon. Any place located beyond the arctic circle is a good place to watch this. The most affordable and easily accessible city for you in Russia is Murmansk city, located just 200 km from the Norwegian border and 1300km north of Saint Petersburg.
Good news for you, you can actually do it at a cheaper price than doing in normal destination for Aurora hunting trip. Mainly because of cheaper living cost here and there.
Sure, Winter palace and state hermitage museum must be in your list to go once you are in Saint Petersburg, or Moscow Kremlin in Moscow. To avoid crowds, try to visit main attractions like this museum past afternoon. Most tour operators have their tour group schedules to visit these museums in the morning.
Even if you see a very long queue to buy entrance ticket, worry not, you can just buy ticket through the kiosk machine at full tariff. Most of the visitors you see in the long queue are Russian, trying to buy ticket through ticketing counter at subsidised price.
Oh, how much you asked? Well, one example, ticket to Petergof lower garden cost you RUB0900 (RM58) while only cost russian citizen RUB250 (RM15). Yes, anywhere in the world is like that!
These are some of the important information that you should be aware of if you are traveling to Russia. We also have a few other stuff you can do to prepare before starting your epic adventure in Russia.
