Moscow

[Neish]

Heading to Moscow for 3 days in April, wondering if any recommendations for sights. Obliviously there’s the Kremlin, st basil's, red square etc, but anything not so well known

Cheers

[brendy_éire]

Heading to Moscow for 3 days in April, wondering if any recommendations for sights. Obliviously there’s the Kremlin, st basil's, red square etc, but anything not so well known

Heading there in May. How'd the visa process go for ye?

[Neish]

Only getting it sorted this weekend, was trying to do it at the begining of the week and that whole directive number and confirmation thing threw me. Couldn't find anything about it on their website, it was this morning when I ran into a girl I know who was there last year and she told me its just the booking voucher no from the place you stay in. F*cking confusing

[Closed Account 2]

You should get an invitation reference number / letter from your hotel / tour trip company / visa agency. you then fill in the visa form with your itinary and the reference number.

In terms of sights, what sort of stuff are you interested in? And are you just heading to Moscow or will you be going to other cities too? (e.g. Suzdal / Vl. Novgorod / St. Petersburg ?), brendy if you are there in May I would recommend going to victory day celebrations (end of WWII celebrations) as you will see a lot of parades, fly bys etc.

You can spend a day easily in the Kremlin with all the museums, I would also recommend the museum of WWII, and maybe take in a football game too. It's nice to walk around the southern districts near the river, also you can go to Gorki Park (theme park) and there is a old historic statue park pretty much next to Gorki Park.

[thischarmingman]

Stantours (‪http://www.stantours.com/)are great for organising visas and for information. It's not as complicated or as confusing as you might imagine! I got mine from the embassy in Dublin in a single day (I left it late) although don't expect excessive friendliness. The cities/hotels etc. you intend to stay in that they may ask you for on the form are a formality so don't worry too much about them.

For general info wiki-travel (http://wikitravel.org/en/Moscow) usually has useful information.

You may need to register when you get there. A lot of people don't bother, but police can stop you any time and ask to see your documents and it's best to have everything present and correct.

Learn some simple phrases. Fewer people than you think will speak English and having a few phrases to hand will make things a lot easier for you. It was the biggest mistake I made not learning anything.

Aside from the above suggestions you can get a boat around the river and see all the sights that way- it's an excellent idea if the weather is good. Also, try the local beer (pivo)- Baltika (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltika) is my favourite.

You'll have a really good time by the way!

[Closed Account 2]

BTW, there are around 9 types of Baltika, from what I remember 0 is the non-alchol, 1, 2, 3 and 7 are pale, 4 and 5 are more yellow, 6 is like an ale (Newcastle Ale), and 9 is the extra strong one (like special brew)...

[DaveyCakes]

I like Baltika 7 the best. The one you can get here (5?) is crap.

As mentioned earlier, The Museum of the Great Patriotic War is excellent. The panorama of the Battle of Borodino is close to it (I didn't get time to go to it). GUM (The big shopping centre on Red Square is worth popping into for a giggle - don't even think about taking your wallet out of your pocket!)

There's a good view of the city from the Moscow State University, which is on the hill overlooking the Luzhniki Stadium

[Neish]

Cheers for advice guys been using this site for the visa http://ivisa.kdmid.ru/ kinda confusing but think I got there in end, it asked for my medical insurance document, does this mean just the company and type or policy no too?

[Neish]

Got the visa sent off today, hopefully all goes well

[brendy_éire]

it asked for my medical insurance document, does this mean just the company and type or policy no too?

Friend was talking to the Embassy in Dublin yesterday. They said you don't have to have insurance, it's just recommended. So I'd assume you can just put the company in and that should be grand.

[EAFC_rdfl]

Stantours (‪http://www.stantours.com/)are great for organising visas and for information. It's not as complicated or as confusing as you might imagine! I got mine from the embassy in Dublin in a single day (I left it late) although don't expect excessive friendliness. The cities/hotels etc. you intend to stay in that they may ask you for on the form are a formality so don't worry too much about them.

For general info wiki-travel (http://wikitravel.org/en/Moscow) usually has useful information.

You may need to register when you get there. A lot of people don't bother, but police can stop you any time and ask to see your documents and it's best to have everything present and correct.

Learn some simple phrases. Fewer people than you think will speak English and having a few phrases to hand will make things a lot easier for you. It was the biggest mistake I made not learning anything.

Aside from the above suggestions you can get a boat around the river and see all the sights that way- it's an excellent idea if the weather is good. Also, try the local beer (pivo)- Baltika (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltika) is my favourite.

You'll have a really good time by the way!

would defo second that, made the same mistake going to st petersburg last year, very few locals have english, even in restaurants etc.
if you are going for 3 days over a weekend you dont need to register. i think its if you are there for 3 or more working days you have to register. we were there saturday - tuesday and didnt need to

[thischarmingman]

would defo second that, made the same mistake going to st petersburg last year, very few locals have english, even in restaurants etc.
if you are going for 3 days over a weekend you dont need to register. i think its if you are there for 3 or more working days you have to register. we were there saturday - tuesday and didnt need to

I think you may well be right there.

[DaveyCakes]

If you're staying in a hotel, they'll automatically register your visa

[Neish]

No staying in an Apartment. Was well ****ed off when I found out former "Dead Can Dance" frontman Brendan Perry is playing in Moscow the night I leave

[Spudulika]

If you're there for a weekend check to see if there's any local football. One of the best stadia you'll ever experience is Lokomotiv out in Cherkizovski. Dirt cheap for tickets, good buzz and it's on the red metro line. Luzhniki is good to visit but is a bit of a shell, even when full. You have to check out Sokolniki Park (also on the red line), on a good day it's very impressive as well as interesting. A great walk to take is from Red Square along the river to Gorki Park, it takes an hour or so but is really worth it, of for nothing else than to see the Peter the Great statue, the outdoor sculpture museum next to Gorki Park (as already mentioned), and the main exhibition park.

If you can take in the metro tour (I can't find a link right now), I'd been living there almost a year before I did so and afterwards metro trips didn't seem like glorified and violent cattle trains.

[Neish]

Cheers for all the advice folks.

Visa came last friday so it looking good, although two of my travelling companions havn't got their visas yet(they were all sent at same time). The two of them were in Russia(St Petersburg) before about 3 or 4 years ago so maybe that why they are a bit longer. Heading off early on april 2nd so not long to wait now, looking forward to it

[Neish]

Rest of the visa came in this mornings post. So its all go. Anyone have an Idea on how many rubles would be needed for 3 days & nights in moscow. I'm there for sightseeing and don't really plan on going out or doing a lot of shoping. So just for eating and general expenses.

Cheers

[Spudulika]

Rest of the visa came in this mornings post. So its all go. Anyone have an Idea on how many rubles would be needed for 3 days & nights in moscow. I'm there for sightseeing and don't really plan on going out or doing a lot of shoping. So just for eating and general expenses.

Cheers

Depends on what you plan to do. Moscow is mega expensive in most places, food, drink, taxis etc. Also museums and attractions can be a rip off if they catch you as a "foreigner", but unless you speak the lingo you're snookered. Buy a metro card, 20 journeys (more than one person can use the same card, just swipe it on the road scanner and go through) and it'll set you back €7 or thereabouts, 280rbs I think. But to eat well (mixing between good ethnic restaurants - Uzbek, Georgian, Russian and McD's) and grabbing the odd coffee on Novy Arbat you'll be shelling out €20-30 a day, souvenirs are expensive in the shops on old Arbat, but are cheaper on Red Square - for some reason. €100 for 3 great days is perfect.

Try to see Lenin, you'll queue for 2 hours or so, but it's well worth it and the tomb is opening less and less often.

[Closed Account 2]

If you go really early in the morning on a weekday you shouldnt have to queue that long for Lenin - I was there on a Tuesday in October and the queue was about 15 mins. You can't take phones or anything electronic in with you (they dont want you to take photos) and you are not allowed to linger (you cant stop moving). They have lockers for phones etc.

I would advise you to stay somewhere outside the inner metro ring, e.g. Izmailov, then you wont be paying silly money for hotels and food, it's possible to eat on a normal budget if you avoid the city center.

[Neish]

Cheers again lads. Thinking of getting about 8000 rubles for general expensesw which is just over €200 by my calculations. Staying in an apartment in Tverskaya Street,

[Spudulika]

Just off the phone with friends in Moscow, the city shut down for 45minutes after the blast, now it's all working apart from the red line. Still a very safe city in the centre but the next 2 weeks will be interesting.

[sligoman]

How much did the flights and visa cost you, if ya dont mind me asking?

[brendy_éire]

How much did the flights and visa cost you, if ya dont mind me asking?

Mine was €220. Aer Lingus to Amsterdam, then KLM from there.

Visa is €60, I think.

[Neish]

Visa was €60. Flight was about €250 I think not exactly sure as my 30th Birthday on Easter sunday so parents bought me the flights(which was nice)

[Spudulika]

BMI have great cost flights to Moscow with good timings. You always have to be careful of when you arrive or you'll spend hours sitting in a terminal with nothing to do before the first train/bus out goes. Great thing about Moscow is that all airports have good fast trains into the centre so compared to 2 years ago travel there is much easier!

[brendy_éire]

You always have to be careful of when you arrive or you'll spend hours sitting in a terminal with nothing to do before the first train/bus out goes.

Err...I arrive at 2 in the morning. Bad, aye?

[Spudulika]

Err...I arrive at 2 in the morning. Bad, aye?

Not necessarily, to be honest Brendy I prefer getting early flights like this into Moscow. You'll have to wait until 5am for the train (KLM go into Sheremetyevo as far as I remember) and if you go to the departures area you can grab a coffee from a machine (it's a rip off otherwise). You'll feel the time fly and then you're in the centre of Moscow in Belorusski train station. From there you stroll over to the metro and on the way grab a shawarma (chicken wrap) and you're set. Moscow at that time is really odd but way easier to move around.

Where are you staying?

[brendy_éire]

Where are you staying?

Godzilla's. Central enough.

So we'll be stuck for afew hours in the airport (yep, it's Sheremetyevo)? Much is a taxi?
Quite looking forward to this now. The victory parade should be great to see.

[Spudulika]

Godzilla's. Central enough.

So we'll be stuck for afew hours in the airport (yep, it's Sheremetyevo)? Much is a taxi?
Quite looking forward to this now. The victory parade should be great to see.

You're making me jealous now! My trip back is now looking like it's back by another week!!! Don't worry about a taxi, I know it's a pain but it's way cheaper to hang on for the train - as far as I remember a taxi to that area is at least $50. I've taken taxi's a few times but normally booked in advance, it's about 2,500rbs from memory. However on the train in you can jump out in Savelovskaya station, which is on the grey line and it's 2 stops down to where you need to be, that's if your place is near Tsvetnoy Blvd.?

Victory parade will be great, just count all the cars with blue lights. Oh, and one great place to visit that I'm going to see when I'm over, is the Polytechnic Museum, it's near Lubyanka. You get a chance to touch an atomic bomb (as far as I know it's decomissioned) and some of the displays are just amazing. It's also a little sad as it's kind of run down, but well worth a visit.

[DaveyCakes]

You're there on Victory day? Then you'll have to go the the war museum...the whole city will be in the park around it that afternoon. I was at the parade 4 years ago. I've never seen tighter security in my life. I think I had to go through 3 metal detectors to get onto Red Square.

[Closed Account 2]

which war museum, there are at least three, not including the excellent Afghan war museum...

I guess you mean the WWII museum here:

http://www.museum.ru/M421

But if you are interested in military history then Moscow is your city, I really recommend Monino http://www.moninoaviation.com/album1.html, the museum at Sovetskoi Armii (USSR Army museum) or the tank museum..

[DaveyCakes]

Aye, sorry. The Museum of the Great Patriotic War! There's a nice park with lots of exhibits, and the panoramas inside are particularly impressive. There'll be huge queues to get in though.

[Neish]

Got home yesterday after a really great trip. We were staying in an apartment about 10 minutes walk from red square(rented though moscow4rent.com). Class city and lots to see and the woman are class too. The only bad thing was we had just 3 days in the and everything was a bit rushed.

Giving serious thought to heading to Ireland's euro 2012 qualifying game in september 2011

[Spudulika]

Got home yesterday after a really great trip. We were staying in an apartment about 10 minutes walk from red square(rented though moscow4rent.com). Class city and lots to see and the woman are class too. The only bad thing was we had just 3 days in the and everything was a bit rushed.

Giving serious thought to heading to Ireland's euro 2012 qualifying game in september 2011

Moscow, in summer, resembles a catwalk, and it's actually better in the regions! What was the best thing you saw/visited? What would you do next time and not do next time?

[Neish]

Moscow, in summer, resembles a catwalk, and it's actually better in the regions! What was the best thing you saw/visited? What would you do next time and not do next time?

Lke the Kremlin, the Metro stations and Museum of the Great Patriotic Wa(the panoramas were class) best. The only thing I would do different next time would spend more time just so it not so rushed

[brendy_éire]

Got back on Thursday there. Had a really good time, loved all the historical stuff there.

The Russians themselves seem a bit angry all the time. They're a bit of a strange lot. The women are ok. Not bad, but nothing to get excited about.

Loved the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. Fantastic stuff. And the metro stations are just palaces. Mad looking things.

Neish, did ye find it very expensive out? We were paying around the 300 rouble mark for a pint, except for Kruzhka (one of which we got thrown out of cos they thought we weren't going to pay for our food - angry Russians).

I would consider going back for the qualifier, but wouldn't be in a massive hurry. Found the temperature a bit too much, was over 30 every day. Probably something similar in September. Wouldn't mind checking it out in the depths of Winter.

[Neish]

Neish, did ye find it very expensive out? We were paying around the 300 rouble mark for a pint, except for Kruzhka (one of which we got thrown out of cos they thought we weren't going to pay for our food - angry Russians).
.

Was over with family so wasn't really out on the beer

[Spudulika]

I don't think it's that they're angry, though it looks that way. It's more that they're just very stressed, very cut off from their surrounds and totally selfish. Drink is expensive if you go to the tourist/western spots. If you hit one of the class little places a little outside of the centre you'll pay 5-6 euros tops for a litre of beer. There are more Russian/ethnic spots that you can go to where beer sets you back about 2-3. From the shops it's dirt cheap, and if you get bottles of Mospivo you'll never have a hangover!

Oh, and for weather, you stepped into a heatwave. My other half went over from 22 here and hit 26 in Moscow sweltering! September is low 20's, cool in the evening.