Planning a trip to Russia

Visitor Information

Hey, Google, did you get my text message? -- It's bound to happen: The day you leave your guidebook back at the hotel for an unencumbered stroll through Red Square, you'll forget the address of the lunch spot you had earmarked. If you're traveling with a mobile device, send a text message to tel. 46645 (GOOGL) for a lightning-fast response. For instance, type "carnegie deli new york" and within 10 seconds you'll receive a text message with the address and phone number. This nifty trick works in a range of search categories: Look up weather ("weather St. Petersburg"), language translations ("translate goodbye in russian"), currency conversions ("10 usd in rubles"), movie times ("harry potter 60605"), and more. If your search results are off, be more specific ("the abbey gay bar west hollywood"). For more tips and search options, see www.google.com/intl/en_us/mobile/sms/. Regular text message charges apply.

Surfing the "Ru-net" Before You Go

Soviet programmers created their own interactive "Web" back in the 1980s, and today's Runet (roo-net), as the Russian-language Internet world calls itself, is as vibrant as any online community. More and more Russian sites have English-language pages, and below are a few worth checking out before you go. The sometimes clumsy translations are compensated for by the information and guidance. And, of course, don't forget www.frommers.com, especially the advice from other travelers on the Russia destination forum.

Museums

• www.hermitagemuseum.org: Official site of Hermitage Museum, good for planning your visit to the museum ahead of time.

News

• www.themoscowtimes.com: Site of English-language daily newspaper The Moscow Times. News, weather, exchange rates, entertainment, and restaurant listings.

Listings/General Information

• www.ru: Calls itself the "original Russian Web directory." Information-packed and searchable in English, but rather unwieldy.

Airlines/Airports

• www.aeroflot.ru/eng: Site of Russian airline Aeroflot, with schedules and fares.

Visa Information:

• www.russianembassy.org: Site of Russian Embassy in the United States, with visa applications and information and links to embassies and consulates in other countries.

Maps:

• www.infoservices.com/moscow/map/index.html: Maps of Moscow neighborhoods and sights.

Staying Connected

Cellphones

The three letters that define much of the world's wireless capabilities are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), a big, seamless network that makes for easy cross-border cellphone use throughout Europe and dozens of other countries worldwide. In the U.S., T-Mobile, AT&T Wireless, and Cingular use this quasi-universal system; in Canada, Microcell and some Rogers customers are GSM, and all Europeans and most Australians use GSM. GSM phones function with a removable plastic SIM card, encoded with your phone number and account information. If your cellphone is on a GSM system, and you have a world-capable multiband phone such as many Sony Ericsson, Motorola, or Samsung models, you can make and receive calls across civilized areas around much of the globe. Just call your wireless operator and ask for "international roaming" to be activated on your account. Unfortunately, per-minute charges can be high -- usually $1 to $1.50 in Western Europe and up to $5 in places like Russia and Indonesia.

For many, renting a phone is a good idea. While you can rent a phone from any number of overseas sites, including kiosks at airports and at car-rental agencies, I suggest renting the phone before you leave home. North Americans can rent one before leaving home from InTouch USA (tel. 800/872-7626; www.intouchglobal.com) or RoadPost (tel. 888/290-1606 or 905/272-5665; www.roadpost.com). InTouch will also, for free, advise you on whether your existing phone will work overseas; simply call tel. 703/222-7161 between 9am and 4pm EST, or go to www.intouchglobal.com/travel.htm.

Russia's major cellphone companies (both in Moscow) are MTS (tel. 495/766-0177; www.mts.ru) and Bee-Line (tel. 495/974-8888; www.beeline.ru).

For trips of more than a few weeks spent in one country, buying a phone becomes economically attractive, as Russia and many other countries have cheap, no-questions-asked prepaid phone systems. Once you arrive at your destination, stop by a local cellphone shop and get the cheapest package; you'll probably pay less than $100 (£50) for a phone and a starter calling card. Local calls may be as low as 10¢ (5p) per minute, and with some Russian providers incoming calls are free.

Internet & E-Mail

Travelers have any number of ways to check e-mail and access the Internet on the road. Of course, using your own laptop, PDA (personal digital assistant), or electronic organizer with a modem gives you the most flexibility. If you don't have a computer, you can still access your e-mail and your office computer from cybercafes.

Without Your Own Computer -- In Moscow and St. Petersburg, cybercafes are concentrated around the tourist attractions such as the Kremlin and Nevsky Prospekt. Russian public libraries often offer Internet access free or for a small charge. Avoid hotel business centers unless you're willing to pay exorbitant rates. For a listing of cybercafes around the world, see www.cybercaptive.com and www.cybercafe.com.

More and more hotels, resorts, airports, cafes, and retailers are going Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity), becoming "hotspots" that offer free high-speed Wi-Fi access or charge a small fee for usage. Most laptops sold today have built-in wireless capability. To find public Wi-Fi hotspots at your destination, go to www.jiwire.com; its Hotspot Finder holds the world's largest directory of public wireless hotspots. The site www.waytorussia.net/Practicalities/Business/Internet.html lists spots in Moscow and St. Petersburg with Wi-Fi access.

For dial-up access, most business-class hotels throughout the world offer dataports for laptop modems, and a few thousand hotels in Europe now offer free high-speed Internet access.

Wherever you go, bring a connection kit of the right power and phone adapters, a spare phone cord, and a spare Ethernet network cable -- or find out whether your hotel supplies them to guests.

Electric current in Russia is 220 volts (as opposed to 110 volts in the U.S.), and older hotels will require a five-pronged Russian phone adapter, available in Russian hardware stores or from hotel staff. Newer hotels will have standard phone jacks.

When to Go

Frost-tinged, wind-whipped, ice-glazed. Snow blankets much of Russia for much of the year, and Moscow and St. Petersburg usually see flurries in May and September. Warming global temperatures have made for some unusually mild Januarys in recent years, but it's still a northern nation. Understandably, September through May prices are lower and tourist sites less crowded. Hotel and airline rates spike around the New Year's holiday, the main event in the Russian calendar.

Most visitors favor summer, in both Moscow and subarctic St. Petersburg, with sunsets that linger until sunrise, balmy temperatures, and all-night activity that makes you forget it's 3am and you haven't slept. Russians shed layers, sunbathe on park benches, and let loose after their long hibernation. Festivals and open-air concerts make up for the summer departure of the major opera and dance companies such as the Bolshoi and Mariinsky (formerly the Kirov) theaters. Summer weather in both cities can be unpredictable, though, with spells of heavy heat (and rare air-conditioning) or drizzly cold. Bring layers and an umbrella no matter when you go.

Autumn is a few idyllic weeks in late September and early October when the poplars and oaks shed their leaves and the afternoon sun warms you enough to help you through the cooling nights. Spring, a few weeks in April, is slushy and succinct in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

If a winter wonderland is your fantasy, Russia in December won't disappoint you. The northern sun shines softly low on the horizon, and snow masks garbage-strewn courtyards and muffles the sound of traffic. Cross-country skiing fans can wind through forests within Moscow city limits or skate-ski along the frozen Gulf of Finland in St. Petersburg. Skaters have frozen ponds galore for ice season fun. The downside, other than a suitcase weighted with sweaters, is that many country palaces and other outdoor sites close for the winter.

Businesses and government agencies slow down considerably because of vacations the first 2 weeks of January, the first 2 weeks of May, and much of August. These are calmer times to visit Russia but can prove a nightmare if you have visa problems or other administrative needs. When a public holiday falls on a weekend, the nearest weekday is given off in compensation.

Tips for Senior Travelers

Russians have great respect for their elders, but the country's modern history has been brutal to them, wiping out their savings, shriveling the value of their pensions, and leaving them without cheap healthcare just when they need it most. Russians over 60 qualify for discounts everywhere, including reduced admission on public transport and to many museums and other attractions. However, many tourist sites offer this discount only to Russians, and charge all foreigners a separate, inflated price. Also note that Russian sightseeing requires a lot of walking and ubiquitous stairs.

Many reliable agencies and organizations target the 50-plus market. Elderhostel (tel. 800/454-5768; www.elderhostel.org) arranges worldwide study programs for those age 55 and over. ElderTreks (tel. 800/741-7956 or 416/558-5000 outside North America; www.eldertreks.com) offers small-group tours to off-the-beaten-path or adventure-travel locations, restricted to travelers 50 and older.

Recommended publications offering travel resources and discounts for seniors include the quarterly magazine Travel 50 & Beyond (www.travel50andbeyond.com) and the bestselling paperback Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're Over 50, 2007-2008, 16th Edition (McGraw-Hill), by Joann Rattner Heilman.

Tips for Families

Russia can be a daunting place with kids but an unforgettable experience for them. A major challenge is the Cyrillic alphabet -- but you can turn that into a family game by setting out to learn its 33 letters together (many are the same as in English), and then sounding out street signs together ("Look, PECTOPAH means restaurant!"). Travel with small children is difficult, since few restaurants have highchairs, and nothing is stroller-friendly -- even the pharmacies have steps and unwieldy doors. Because Russians travel infrequently with their children, there are few hotels with specifically kid-friendly services, though that doesn't mean they're hostile to families. Also be prepared for unsolicited child-rearing advice from well-meaning Russian grandmothers, who always seem to think that children are underdressed no matter what the temperature. Russian circuses are world-renowned, and the Moscow Zoo and Gorky Park are good family destinations. There are several puppet theaters in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Recommended family travel websites include Family Travel Forum (www.familytravelforum.com), a comprehensive site that offers customized trip planning; Family Travel Network (www.familytravelnetwork.com), an online magazine providing travel tips; and TravelWithYourKids.com (www.travelwithyourkids.com), a comprehensive site written by parents for parents, offering sound advice for long-distance and international travel with children.

Tips for Women Travelers

There are no restrictions on women's travel or activity in Russia. Soviet planners succeeded at employing women in every sector of the economy, but failed to change traditional views on gender. As a result, Russian women go to work all day and do all the cooking, cleaning, child-care, and shopping. Russian men retain traditions such as opening doors for women, carrying women's bags (even strangers'), and picking up the check when in a restaurant or bar. Women traveling alone should be careful walking the streets at night, as you could be mistaken for a prostitute or otherwise hassled. Check out the award-winning website Journeywoman (www.journeywoman.com), a "real-life" women's travel-information network where you can sign up for a free e-mail newsletter and get advice on everything from etiquette and dress to safety. The travel guide Safety and Security for Women Who Travel by Sheila Swan and Peter Laufer (Travelers' Tales Guides), offering common-sense tips on safe travel, was updated in 2004.

Calendar of Events

All dates below are official holidays unless noted. December 25 is not a holiday in Russia.

January 1-2: New Year's Day. This is the major holiday of the Russian year, a family event centered around a fir tree, a huge feast, and gift-giving traditions transferred by Soviet leaders from Christmas to the more secular New Year's Day. Even the smallest children stay up to ring in midnight. Both January 1 and 2 are holidays.

Presents under a fir tree, a copious family feast, and a big man with a long white beard -- for a Russian, these traditions conjure up not Christmas, but New Year's Eve. The atheist Soviet government wiped religious holidays off the official calendar, but they couldn't suffocate the midwinter holiday spirit. Stalin, recognizing the people's unwillingness to abandon Christmas traditions, encouraged their shift to the more secular New Year's holiday. Even today, a decade and a half after the collapse of Soviet Communism, New Year's remains the primary event on the Russian calendar. Russian Orthodox Christmas -- celebrated on January 7, according to the Julian calendar in use before the revolution -- has reassumed some of its former significance, but it's seen as a day for attending Mass and singing hymns instead of gift-giving and family celebration. Those rituals are reserved for December 31, when even the smallest children stay up to ring in the New Year.

Some restaurants and clubs are tapping into Western New Year's rituals with expensive all-night parties drenched in champagne, but the majority of Russians consider it an at-home, family event. The appetizers emerge in early evening, when relatives squeeze around the over-burdened table. For the next several hours, people eat, drink, tell stories, and dance to favorite songs. Father Frost, or Dyed Moroz, delivers gifts sometime around midnight. Because most Russians live in apartment buildings, the whole coming-down-the-chimney tradition plays no role here, and family members pull presents from cupboards or from under beds. In fairy tales, Dyed Moroz is assisted by a Snow Maiden, Snegurochka, and some families dress up as the two characters.

Menu items reflect the end of the pre-Christmas fast called for by Orthodox custom, 40 days of refraining from meat and dairy products: beef and pork roasts dripping with fatty sauces, cured meats, veal in aspic, salads packed with diced ham and egg and heaped with mayonnaise, buttery pancakes heaped with caviar. . . . To drink, men stick to vodka; women either join in or sip nastoika, a homemade liqueur made of vodka brewed with berries, herbs, or roots. Pre-revolutionary aristocrats introduced fine French champagne to their Christmas feasts; the Soviets spread the tradition to the masses with the production of cheap sparkling wine that is still a staple of the New Year's table. The most popular brand is Sovietskoye (all categories but the brut are quite sweet).

The New Year's celebrations peak with a midnight fireworks display over Red Square, broadcast nationwide. The crowds of mostly young revelers in the square are so dense that few of them notice the freezing temperatures. In St. Petersburg, the biggest fireworks are shot over the Neva River across from the Hermitage. Back at home, many families celebrate well into the night, or go outside to set off their own small firecrackers. The first day of the year is a day of rest and lots of leftovers.

If you visit Moscow or St. Petersburg over New Year's, be sure to check in advance online or through your travel agent for special holiday events at your hotel. If you can't get invited to a Russian home, try one of the elaborate parties at traditional Russian restaurants such as One Red Square, Baltschug Kempinski hotel, or Le National hotel (all have great views of the Moscow fireworks). Meal service starts at 10pm or later. Seats are expensive and must be booked well in advance. For English-language listings on New Year's parties, see The Moscow Times newspaper (www.themoscowtimes.com) or The St. Petersburg Times (www.sptimes.ru). And practice saying "S Novym Godom!" ("Happy New Year!").

January 7: Russian Orthodox Christmas. Ignored in Soviet times, this is now a primary religious holiday, with many people attending midnight Mass and more festive meals.

January 14: "Old" New Year. Not an official holiday, but celebrated nonetheless. It's left over from the pre-revolutionary days when Russia followed the Julian calendar, which was about 2 weeks behind the one used by the Western world.

February 23: Defenders of the Motherland Day (Armed Forces Day). With the military draft still mandatory, many Russians see this as a general "Men's Day," involving much vodka and stories of hazing and corrupt commanding officers.

February/March: Maslenitsa, or Butter Week. Not an official holiday. The week before Orthodox Lent is traditionally a time to eat lots of buttery bliny (crepelike pancakes) and other rich foods that believers will forego for the next 40 days. Each day of the week has a significance, such as Cleansing Thursday when Russians purge overstuffed closets, and Forgiveness Sunday when people forgive wrongs committed over the past year. The origins of the holiday are pagan, and many towns stage raucous Maslenitsa festivals. It's not Carnival or Mardi Gras, but it's lively.

Known as Maslenitsa in Russian, Butter Week began as a pagan festival celebrating the end of winter. The arrival of the Orthodox calendar didn't extinguish this week of revelry, but turned it into a pre-Lenten party, a sort of Russian version of Carnival or Mardi Gras. The name comes from the butter used for pancakes eaten throughout the week -- pancakes whose golden warmth and roundness are meant to represent the sun and impending springtime. The butter also refers to the upcoming Lent, when Orthodox believers are expected to refrain from dairy products and other luxuries. To store up for this austere period, Russians indulge greedily in rich foods during Maslenitsa. Pancakes are stuffed with soft farmers' cheese, ham, or caviar. Eggy desserts grace the table, not to be seen again until Easter.

Maslenitsa was a major event in Moscow and St. Petersburg before the revolution, and after a Soviet-era lull, festivities are again staged at parks such as Kolomenskoye in Moscow and the Summer Gardens in St. Petersburg, as well as in villages and country estates on the cities' outskirts. A key part of the ritual is the burning of one or several straw scarecrows representing winter. They're paraded around a snow-covered field and then set alight as onlookers cheer, chant, and dance. At Kolomenskoye, performers in embroidered costumes revive traditional songs and children's games, and build ice forts for mass snowball fights. Everyone is treated to honey from nearby hives, and tea and barrels of mead -- a warm, fermented honey drink -- are prepared just for the occasion.

Dates of Butter Week vary from year to year, since it's linked to Orthodox Easter, but it usually falls between late February and late March. The original rituals have been adapted to modern times, with the big parties usually held on Saturday and Sunday to accommodate work schedules. Each day of the week has a significance. Thursday, for example, is Cleansing Day, when Russians are expected to clean out their cupboards and lives for the coming spring. Sunday is Forgiveness Day, and even in Soviet times it was common for long-feuding siblings to phone each other on that day to mend their differences. According to some traditions, Monday morning is teeth-cleaning day, when men are expected to drink large amounts of vodka to cleanse the remnants of fatty foods from their teeth.

If you're visiting Russia during this season, tracking down a Maslenitsa party is a great way to boost your mood and distract you from the cold slushiness all around. Some Russian travel agencies arrange special Maslenitsa tours. Check with your hotel concierge for a calendar of Moscow Maslenitsa events; or check The St. Petersburg Times website (www.sptimes.ru) for St. Petersburg parties.

March 8: International Women's Day. Begun by U.S. feminists in the 1920s, the holiday became a Soviet banner for gender equality. Today's Russian women lament that men get pampered 364 days a year and women get appreciated only on Vosmovo Marta (Mar 8). It's a sacred holiday and official day off work for everyone nonetheless, and every Russian male is expected to present flowers or chocolates to his wife, mother, daughters, and female colleagues.

April/May: Orthodox Easter. The date varies, but it's usually 1 or 2 weeks after Catholic/Protestant Easter. The following Monday is a state holiday, though Good Friday is not. The day has taken on greater significance since the collapse of Soviet atheism, and on Easter morning, every Orthodox church has lines of people waiting to have their traditional Easter cakes blessed. The holiday feast is the richest on the Russian calendar, with eggs a major theme.

April/May: Easter Arts Festival (Moscow). A weeklong event showcasing St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Company orchestra in Moscow and small choral ensembles performing in the city's cathedrals following Orthodox Easter. Bell ringing is a major part of the event.

May 1-2: Labor Day/Spring Festival. May Day parades under red Communist banners still wend through Moscow's streets, though they're no longer allowed on Red Square, site of the tremendous Soviet-era demonstrations of Kremlin-enforced proletarian solidarity.

May 9: Victory Day. The Soviet Union lost more people than any other nation in World War II, and even 6 decades later the day commemorating Hitler's defeat is a major Russian holiday. Every Russian has a relative or friend who served in what they call the Great Patriotic War, and the sight of elderly veterans pinning on rusting medals for a day is a poignant reminder of one of the most impressive feats of the Soviet era.

June 12: Russian Independence Day. On this day in 1990, the Russian Federation declared itself independent from the Soviet Union, a symbolic move inspired by nationalist movements in the Baltics and eastern Europe. Few Russians today know what the holiday commemorates.

Late June/early July: White Nights. Two weeks around the summer solstice, St. Petersburg puts on concerts, film festivals, all-night boat tours, and other events to celebrate the northern light. It's peak tourist season.

November 7: Day of Reconciliation and Accord. For 70 years this was called Revolution Day, marking the 1917 events that brought the Soviets to power. The post-Soviet government didn't have the heart to take away the holiday, so they renamed it. A dwindling number of Communist die-hards still gather around Red Square, visiting Lenin's tomb and lamenting the demise of his brainchild.

December 12: Constitution Day. Marks the 1993 referendum that approved Russia's first post-Soviet constitution.

Last week in December: White Days Festival (St. Petersburg). The city boosters' efforts to lure tourists during the snowy months, this festival includes winter carnivals in the city parks and a dense program of dance, opera, and orchestral performances. See www.whitedays.com for more information.

Entry Requirements & Customs

Visas

International visitors' first experience of Russia is the costly, often frustrating process of getting a visa. Brace yourself, and remember that the rest of your Russian experience -- the exhilarating White Nights, the gilded bell towers, the salmon tartlets following iced vodka -- will be worth the hassle.

All visitors to Russia need a valid passport and visa, with the exception of residents of a few former Soviet republics. Package tours usually take care of visas, though you will need to give the travel agency your passport for submission to the nearest Russian embassy or consulate.

I strongly recommend going through some kind of visa service if you are on your own, to limit troubles and misunderstanding. For independent travelers, visa applicants must provide proof of hotel reservations in an official letter from a hotel or travel agency. Travelers staying in private homes need an official invitation from a Russian organization. Three places that offer this service for a fee are www.waytorussia.net; www.travelinrussia.com (in the U.S., tel. 253/550-7816); and Sindbad's Hostel in St. Petersburg, www.sindbad.ru (tel. 812/331-2020). Fees for the visa (in addition to any fees for the invitation) range from $30 to $350 (£15-£175), depending on how quickly you need it, how long you need it, and how many times you want to enter the country. For example, a single-entry, 3-month tourist visa costs $100 (£50) in the United States. Start the process several weeks before you leave. If you do not live near a Russian embassy or consulate, you can apply by mail, but you will have to send your passport to them via Federal Express. Anyone applying for a visa for more than 3 months must provide proof of a recent HIV test, a discriminatory and futile effort to cope with Russia's growing AIDS/HIV problem.

Once you get your visa, which is generally a sticker affixed to your passport, make a copy of it in case of emergency. You will need the original visa to leave the country as well as to enter it, and for as long as you're in Russia. While in Russia you will also need to register your visa with the local authorities. Most hotels will do this automatically for you the first day, but ask to be sure. If they don't offer this service, check with the visa agencies listed above.

Contact your nearest Russian embassy for rules in your country:

United States: Embassy: 2650 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC (tel. 202/298-5700, 202/298-5701, or 202/298-5704; www.russianembassy.org).

Important Visa Information -- Passengers who participate in St. Petersburg shore excursions or arrange for private transportation through the ship's shore-excursions desk do not need to obtain a visa.

Those who wish to go ashore on their own, however, do have to obtain a tourist visa prior to departure. To receive a Russian visa, you must have a valid passport that remains valid at least 30 days past the last day of the cruise.

Consulates

United States: 9 E. 91st St., New York, NY (tel. 212/348-0926); 2790 Green St., San Francisco, CA (tel. 415/928-6878);

2322 Westin Building, 2001 6th Ave., Seattle, WA (tel. 206/728-1910).

Britain: 5 Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8 4QS (tel. 0870/005-6972; www.rusemblon.org).

Canada: 52 Range Rd., Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8G5 (tel. 613/594-8488; www.rusembcanada.mid.ru).

Australia: 78 Canberra Ave., Griffith, Canberra, ACT 2603 (tel. 02/6295-9474; http://canberra.rusembassy.org).

Ireland: 186 Orwell Rd., Rathgar, Dublin (tel. 01/492-3492).

For an up-to-date, country-by-country listing of passport requirements around the world, go to the "Foreign Entry Requirement" Web page of the U.S. State Department at http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html.

Customs

What You Can Bring Into Russia -- Visitors can bring in most things other than weapons, drugs, and livestock. If you have cash in any currency worth more than $1,500; anything antique; or valuable jewelry, laptop computers, cameras, or other electronics, then fill out a Customs declaration form upon entry and go through the Red Channel at airport Customs. That way you won't have any problem taking the items home with you when you leave. The declaration form will be stamped and returned to you, and you must present it again upon departure. You can take up to $10,000 (£5,000) if you declare it. Otherwise, you can pass through the Green Channel without filling out any forms. You can also register items that can be readily identified by a permanently affixed serial number with your home Customs office before you leave. Take the items to the nearest Customs office or register them with Customs at the airport from which you're departing. You'll receive, at no cost, a Certificate of Registration, which allows duty-free entry for the life of the item. If you go through the Red Channel, be aware that if the amount of cash you take out of Russia is larger than the sum you declared upon entry, you may be questioned on suspicion of abetting capital flight.

What You Can Take Home From Russia -- Most souvenirs are safe to take home, except antiques, artwork, and caviar. Overfishing has shriveled the population of Caspian Sea sturgeon, the main source of the world's black caviar. Travelers are currently allowed to take 250 grams (10 oz.) out of the country, though Americans should be aware that U.S. customs forbids importing fish products. The rules on artwork and antiques change with puzzling frequency. They primarily affect religious icons, old samovars, and artwork worth over $1,000 (£500). In some cases, the item cannot be exported at all; in others, export is permitted but only with special Culture Ministry certification. Fortunately, most vendors can complete the export certification for these items for you. Tourists wishing to export anything valuable or anything made before 1960 (including books or Soviet memorabilia) should have the store certify it or clear it themselves with the Russian Ministry of Culture's Assessment Committee (in Moscow, tel. 495/921-3258; in St. Petersburg, tel. 812/310-1454). Applications are cheap (about $10/£5), but export duties can run up to 100% and the process is tedious. Demand receipts when buying anything valuable, even items from open-air markets.

Until recently, visitors were prohibited from taking rubles out of the country. Now a small amount can be taken, but the limit is indexed to the official minimum wage and therefore changes often, so stick to small sums to be safe. Bear in mind that you may have a hard time exchanging them for dollars when you get home, since the ruble only recently became internationally convertible and is still not traded in most banks.

Returning U.S. citizens who have been away for at least 48 hours are allowed to bring back, once every 30 days, $800 worth of merchandise duty-free. You'll be charged a flat rate of duty on the next $1,000 worth of purchases. Any dollar amount beyond that is dutiable at whatever rates apply. On mailed gifts, the duty-free limit is $200. Be sure to have your receipts or purchases handy to expedite the declaration process. Note: If you owe duty, you are required to pay it upon your arrival in the United States, by cash, personal check, government or traveler's check, money order, or, in some locations, Visa or MasterCard.

With some exceptions, you cannot bring fresh fruits and vegetables into the United States. For specifics on what you can bring back, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go online at www.cbp.gov. (Click on "Travel," and then click on "Know Before You Go.") Or request the pamphlet from the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667).

For a clear summary of Canadian rules, write for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500; www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca). Canada allows its citizens a C$750 exemption, and you're allowed to bring back duty-free one carton of cigarettes, one can of tobacco, 40 imperial ounces of liquor, and 50 cigars. In addition, you're allowed to mail gifts to Canada valued at less than C$60 a day, provided they're unsolicited and don't contain alcohol or tobacco (write on the package "Unsolicited gift, under $60 value"). All valuables should be declared on the Y-38 form before departure from Canada, including serial numbers of valuables you already own, such as expensive foreign cameras. Note: The $750 exemption can be used only once a year and only after an absence of 7 days.

U.K. citizens returning from a non-E.U. country have a Customs allowance of 200 cigarettes; 50 cigars; 250 grams of smoking tobacco; 2 liters of still table wine; 1 liter of spirits or strong liqueurs (over 22% volume); 2 liters of fortified wine, sparkling wine, or other liqueurs; 60cc (ml) perfume; 250cc (ml) toilet water; and £145 worth of all other goods, including gifts and souvenirs. People under 17 cannot have the tobacco or alcohol allowance. For more information, contact HM Customs & Excise at tel. 0845/010-9000 (from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult the website at www.hmce.gov.uk.

The duty-free allowance in Australia is A$400 or, for those under 18, A$200. Citizens can bring in 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of loose tobacco, and 1,125 milliliters of alcohol. If you're returning with valuables you already own, such as foreign-made cameras, you should file form B263. A helpful brochure available from Australian consulates or Customs offices is Know Before You Go. For more information, call the Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263; or log on to www.customs.gov.au.

The duty-free allowance for New Zealand is NZ$700. Citizens over 17 can bring in 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco (or a mixture of all three if their combined weight doesn't exceed 250g); plus 4.5 liters of wine and beer, or 1.125 liters of liquor. New Zealand currency does not carry import or export restrictions. Fill out a certificate of export, listing the valuables you are taking out of the country; that way, you can bring them back without paying duty. Most questions are answered in a free pamphlet available at New Zealand consulates and Customs offices: New Zealand Customs Guide for Travellers, Notice no. 4. For more information, contact New Zealand Customs, The Customhouse, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).

For information on what you're allowed to bring home, contact one of the following agencies:

U.S. Citizens: U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667; www.cbp.gov).

Canadian Citizens: Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).

U.K. Citizens: HM Customs & Excise at tel. 0845/010-9000 (from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult the website at www.hmce.gov.uk.

Australian Citizens: Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263, or log on to www.customs.gov.au.

New Zealand Citizens: New Zealand Customs, The Customhouse, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).

Clearing Customs -- Most souvenirs can be taken out of the country, but be careful when buying art or antiques. You will need an export permit for any item made more than 50 years ago, and items produced more than 100 years ago are unlikely to be cleared for export.

You will not need an export permit for: contemporary souvenirs, eletric samovars, or any books, posters, or reproductions produced within the last 50 years. You may export up to 250g of red caviar. Export of black caviar is forbidden.

You will need an export permit for any of these items, regardless of when they were made: icons, paintings (even recent works), carpets and rugs, samovars (non electric).

Most galleries and auction houses will assist in obtaining export clearance. If you need independent advice in Moscow, contact the Assessment Committee of the Ministry of Culture (Neglinnaya Ul. D. 8; tel. 495/692-1532) or refer to the Moscow Service for the Preservation of Cultural Property at tel. 495/244-7675 (www.culture-expert.ru). The Customs Service has advice desks at Both Sheremetyevo II and Domodedovo airports in Moscow.

If you need independent advice in St. Petersburg, contact the Ministry of Culture at Malaya Morskaya Ulitsa d. 17 (tel. 812/117-3496). The Customs Service has an advice desk at Pulkovo airport, terminal II.

Medical Requirements

No shots are required to enter Russia. Anyone applying for a visa for more than 3 months must provide proof of a recent HIV test, a discriminatory and futile effort to cope with Russia's growing AIDS/HIV problem. A positive test does not mean automatic refusal but can pose difficulties. Shorter-term visas do not require this.

Tips for Gay and Lesbian Travelers

Soviet statutes barring homosexual acts were at last lifted in 1993, and Russia's gays and lesbians have been celebrating ever since. Still, Russia's conservative society remains suspicious of same-sex couples, and openly gay public figures remain rare, outside the performing arts. Russian women, regardless of sexual preference, often hold hands and embrace in public, but public intimacy between gay men can provoke taunts or worse. Gay-friendly venues, including clubs, restaurants, business groups, and public pickup spots, are numerous in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The website www.gay.ru is a solid starting place for gay and lesbian visitors to Russia, with accommodations suggestions and extensive club listings. The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA; tel. 800/448-8550 or 954/776-2626; www.iglta.org) is the trade association for the gay and lesbian travel industry, and offers an online directory of gay- and lesbian-friendly travel businesses and tour operators.

Many agencies offer tours and travel itineraries specifically for gay and lesbian travelers. Above and Beyond Tours (tel. 800/397-2681; www.abovebeyondtours.com) are gay Australia tour specialists. San Francisco-based Now, Voyager (tel. 800/255-6951; www.nowvoyager.com) offers worldwide trips and cruises, and Olivia (tel. 800/631-6277; www.olivia.com) offers lesbian cruises and resort vacations.

Gay.com Travel (tel. 800/929-2268 or 415/644-8044; www.gay.com/travel/outandabout/ or www.outandabout.com) is an excellent online successor to the popular Out & About print magazine. It provides regularly updated information about gay-owned, gay-oriented, and gay-friendly lodging, dining, sightseeing, nightlife, and shopping establishments in every important destination worldwide. British travelers should click on the "Travel" link at www.uk.gay.com for advice and gay-friendly trip ideas.

The Canadian website GayTraveler (www.gaytraveler.ca) offers ideas and advice for gay travel all over the world.

The following travel guides are available at many bookstores, or you can order them from any online bookseller: Spartacus International Gay Guide, 35th Edition (Bruno Gmünder Verlag; www.spartacusworld.com/gayguide); and the Damron guides (www.damron.com), with separate, annual books for gay men and lesbians.

Getting There

By Plane

Russia's chief international carrier remains Aeroflot, the former Soviet behemoth. Delta is the only major U.S. airline that flies into Russia, though all major European carriers serve Moscow and St. Petersburg. You can often find good deals through British Airways, Air France, and KLM. For a cheaper option, try the Eastern European airlines, such as Poland's LOT or Hungary's Malév, or Asian carriers such as Air India that use Moscow as a fueling stop.

For internal flights in Russia, such as between Moscow and St. Petersburg, the luggage weight limit is 20 kilograms (44 lb.); sometimes carry-ons are weighed as well. Above that weight, you'll have to pay a fee, usually at a separate cash desk apart from the check-in counter.

The main port of entry for international flights is Sheremetevo-2 Airport (tel. 495/956-4666 or 495/578-9101; www.sheremetyevo-airport.ru), a dingy gray terminal 30km (19 miles) north of downtown that was built for the 1980 Olympics. The passport control lines are formidable, as the border officers inspect every passport and visa. Luggage carts are free, though they sometimes run short in number, so grab one as soon as you see the baggage carousel. Porters hawk their services for exorbitant rates. A currency exchange booth and ATM are available after you've cleared Customs; rates are better in town. An information desk with English-speaking personnel is in the main arrivals hall, along a row of car-rental desks and airline ticket offices. Package tours generally include transport to and from Russia's airports.

If you're on your own, your best bet is the Aeroexpress train to Savyolovsky Train Station, which runs once an hour and takes 40 minutes compared to the 1-to-2-hour car ride (tel. 800/700-3377; www.aeroexpress.ru). It costs 250 rubles for adults. Tickets are available in the airport after you emerge from Customs.

Be prepared for the odorous herd of taxi drivers in the arrivals hall. If you prefer taxis, better to reserve in advance. Moscow Taxi (www.moscow-taxi.com) and Taxi Blues (tel. 495/925-5115; www.taxi-blues.ru) offer good English-speaking services. Women travelers, try Pink Taxi (tel. 495/662-0003; www.womantaxi.ru) with exclusively women drivers and passengers. If you arrive without a ride, push your way to the official taxi desk near the exit. Official cabs are either yellow or have TAXI written in big letters in English and Russian. Rates are determined by a zone map, and a ride to the city center runs about 1,500 rubles. The freelance cabbies will try to convince you that $100 (or even 100 euros) is your cheapest option.

There is no train service to downtown, but buses leave from the airport parking lot and stop at Rechnoi Vokzal metro station (bus no. 851) or Planernaya metro station (bus no. 517). The fare, about 20 rubles, must be paid in rubles to the driver. Allow yourself at least an hour to reach downtown in a taxi, and at least 90 minutes by bus or metro.

A few European airlines now arrive at the bright, renovated Domodedovo Airport (tel. 495/933-6666 or 495/720-6666; www.domodedovo.ru), 50km (31 miles) south of the center. Domodedovo has all the same services as Sheremetevo but in a friendlier setting, and has two major advantages: It runs a train direct to Paveletsky station, just south of the city center, and it has a clear, fair, and computerized taxi service greeting passengers as they exit. The taxis aren't cheap but make sense if you are in a small group. Taxis from Domodedovo to the center take about an hour (it could be more than 2 hr. in heavy traffic) and cost around 2,300 rubles. The train ride to Paveletsky is 40 minutes and costs 200 rubles (view the schedule at www.aeroexpress.ru). Two metro lines meet at Paveletsky station, where taxis are also available. Private buses run from Domodedovo to the nearest metro station, Domodedovskaya, every 15 minutes for just 80 rubles. Look for the buses labeled Scania. It takes about 30 minutes depending on traffic.

Flights from St. Petersburg usually arrive at Sheremetevo-1 (tel. 495/232-6565), adjacent to Sheremetevo-2 but smaller. Taxis from there cost slightly less than from the international terminal. Other domestic Russian flights come into Vnukovo (tel. 495/436-2813), 30km (19 miles) southwest of the city. Taxis to the center of the city cost about 1,500 rubles. Vnukovo also runs a train directly to Kievsky Station close to the city center that costs 100 rubles. The train runs every hour between 7am and 9pm; the trip takes about 40 minutes.

All international flights into St. Petersburg land at Pulkovo-2 Airport (tel. 812/704-3822 for Pulkovo-1 [domestic flights] or tel. 812/704-3444 for Pulkovo-2 [international flights]; www.pulkovo.ru), which is friendlier and more manageable than Moscow's Sheremetevo-2 Airport. Pulkovo also has the advantage of a 2003 renovation that opened up the halls and lightened up the atmosphere, making the long lines for security and passport control much more tolerable.

Use of luggage carts is free. The airport money-exchange booths offer poorer rates than downtown; a better bet are the airport ATMs, which give rubles at the official Central Bank exchange rate. Internet access is available. The arrivals hall has an information desk with English-speaking personnel, car-rental desks, and airline ticket offices.

Tour groups won't have to worry about transfers to and from the airport, which is 16km (10 miles) south of the city limits or about a 45-minute ride to the center of town. If you're an individual traveler, arrange a taxi in advance from Pulkovo-2 by calling the official airport cab company at tel. 812/312-0022. Otherwise, you can negotiate a ride upon arrival. Official cabs are often scarce, and charge about 800 to 1,000 rubles to Nevsky Prospekt. Official cabs are either yellow or have TAXI written in big letters in English and Russian. The ubiquitous independent cabbies rarely go below 1,300 rubles for the same trip. Public bus no. 13 takes you to the Moskovskaya metro station, south of the city center. Tickets are just 18 rubles, purchased aboard. No trains serve the airport.

Domestic flights into St. Petersburg, from Moscow for example, come into the neighboring Pulkovo-1 Airport (tel. 812/704-3822). The facilities are similar to those of Pulkovo-2, though more basic. Taxi service is the same as at Pulkovo-1, and public bus no. 39 takes you to the Moskovskaya metro station. To book your transfer by Internet, go to www.saint-petersburg.com/transfers/index.asp.

By Train

The St. Petersburg-Moscow train route is the country's best-maintained and most romantic. An overnight ride on a sleeper brings you into Leningradsky Station and costs 1,200 to 3,500 rubles, depending on the train's class and hour. The pricier rides come complete with slippers, in-cabin television, and a late-night meal. Two fast day trains, the Express and the Aurora, make the trip in about 5 hours, with a seat running 2,300 to 4,500 rubles. Leningradsky, like all of Moscow's train stations, is conveniently located on the Circle Line of the metro. Western European trains generally arrive in Belorussky Station, barely north of the city center and within walking distance of the hotels on busy Tverskaya Street. A second-class ticket in a sleeping car from Warsaw takes 24 hours and costs about $70; from farther west the time and cost rise accordingly. Most European trains travel through Ukraine or Belarus, both of which require a transit visa. Contact the Ukrainian or Belarusian embassy in your country for details, or pick a route through the Baltic states or Scandinavia. The train from Beijing takes 5 days and costs about $250. Note: Rail passes that serve the rest of Europe do not serve Russia.

Another easy train connection is from Helsinki, 5 1/2 hours away (plus a 1-hr. time difference). The trip ends at St. Petersburg's Ladoga Station (Ladozhsky Vokzal, Zanevsky Prospekt 73; tel. 812/436-5310). Taxis from there to Nevsky Prospekt cost about 600 rubles. Three daily trains run to and from the Finnish capital, both stopping in Vyborg to clear Customs.

In St. Petersburg, trains from Poland, Germany, and the Baltic states, arrive at Vitebsky Terminal (Vitebsky Vokzal), metro station Pushkinskaya, 52 Zagorodny Prospekt. If you are entering Russia from a European Union member country, you will need only a Russian visa. But if you enter through Belarus or Ukraine, you will need transit visas for those countries.

By Car

For those rare arrivals by car, take the vehicle straight to your hotel and inquire about secure parking. Unfortunately, no current maps in English indicate one-way streets or other such crucial details for drivers. The Travellers Yellow Pages map in English, otherwise quite good, is available at www.infoservices.com and at major Moscow hotels. Do not underestimate Moscow traffic, which has mushroomed in the past decade and can leave visitors trapped in a labyrinth of jammed one-way streets, especially from 8 to 10am and 5 to 8pm. Watch out, too, for the traffic police, who, always eager for pocket money, can stop you just to make sure your documentation is in order. Garages are rare despite rising demand. Muscovites park on sidewalks and in doorways if they can't find free spaces, but because theft is common this is not advised. There are also an increasing number of guarded parking areas, usually just a strip of parking places commandeered by a private company with a fare collector hanging out on the corner. Rates are usually fixed regardless of how long you stay parked. Renting a car with a driver is a more reliable and often cheaper option than driving yourself.

A few intrepid travelers come to St. Petersburg by car from Finland. Not including the long lines for Customs and document check at the border, the 370km (230-mile) drive from Helsinki is about 6 hours. Once in St. Petersburg, head straight to your hotel and settle the parking question. It's easy to park in St. Petersburg, since nearly any sidewalk or embankment is fair game, though underground garages are extremely scarce in this city built on swampland. It's harder to guarantee secure parking, however. Existing maps in English do not indicate one-way streets or other crucial driving details, though the Russian-language pocket-size Atlas of St. Petersburg Roads (Atlas Dorog Peterburga) is quite useful. Traffic in St. Petersburg has gone from a trickle to a substantial rush-hour event over the past decade. Be sure to have all of the car's documentation in perfect order, as the ever-hungry traffic police will quickly spot and fine any infraction.

By Bus

Several European tour companies offer bus trips to Moscow, usually departing from Germany. However, the journey is long (2 days from Berlin) and along poorly maintained highways, and the waits at the borders are significant. For any trip traveling through or originating in Ukraine or Belarus, you must get a transit visa from those countries. Buses arrive at Tsentralny Avtovokzal (Central Bus Terminal) at 2 Uralskaya Ulitsa (tel. 495/468-0400). The Shcholkovskaya metro station is adjacent. Taxis from the terminal take about 30 minutes to reach the center at a rate of about 450 rubles.

A few tour companies offer bus tours to St. Petersburg from Scandinavia on top-class Finnish coaches. From Helsinki the ride takes about 6 hours, including the long stop to clear Customs. Ordinary, nontour buses, which are cheaper than the train, are also available to and from Helsinki. If you travel on your own, you must take care of your Russian visa yourself. The road from Helsinki is relatively well maintained, unlike many others in the region. Buses arrive at St. Petersburg Bus Station (Avtobusny Vokzal; 36 Naberezhnaya Obvodonovo Kanala; tel. 812/766-5777).

By Boat

Many Scandinavian cruises include a stop in St. Petersburg, at the major commercial port 20 minutes north of the city center, at 1 Morskoy Slavy Sq. (tel. 812/322-6052; metro: Primorskaya and Vasileostrovskaya). Minibuses to the metro (K-47, K-128, K-129, K-183, K-273, K-310, K-349, K-359, and K-690) run frequently and cost around 25 rubles.

Most cruises include an organized bus trip to the center. This is the most convenient option, since the metro is a long walk and the minibuses are often overcrowded. The official taxis serving the port charge more than elsewhere; expect to pay about 500 rubles to Nevsky Prospekt in the city center.

Money

Though capitalism has brought Russia more in line with the economies of the West, money matters continue to vex visitors. Red caviar, symphony tickets, and haircuts can barely dent your wallet; rubbery pizza and roach-ridden hotels can drain it. Russia can be quite cheap, though visitors on escorted tours may not notice, as accommodations are often overpriced and tour operators charge a premium. Cash is by far the most popular form of payment among Russians, but credit cards are increasingly accepted. ATMs are widely available in Moscow and St. Petersburg and are generally reliable.

Frommer's lists prices in the local currency. However, rates fluctuate, so before departing consult a currency exchange website such as www.oanda.com/convert/classic to check up-to-the-minute rates.

Currency

Russia's ruble is still making the transition to becoming a truly "hard" currency, which means very few banks abroad will sell you rubles (in cash or traveler's checks) before you leave home or buy them back from you when you return. The U.S. dollar was the de facto second currency in the 1990s as the ruble lost all credibility among Russians. In recent years the ruble has remained quite stable, even stronger than the dollar, and inflation has calmed down considerably, though Russians still prefer to keep their savings in dollars or euros. If you're not queasy about carrying cash from home, change it at the currency exchange booths found at all airports, hotels, and most street corners. Exchange booths in town offer more competitive rates than do hotels and airports and do not charge commissions, though most buy only U.S. dollars and euros. Be sure to have crisp, new bills, as exchange booths often refuse well-worn notes or those printed pre-1995. Note that prices listed on menus and in shops are often in dollars or euros, though only rubles are accepted as payment. This is a remnant of the 1990s, when the ruble's value plunged daily.

Most prices listed in this guide are in rubles. Some are listed in U.S. dollars or euros, following Russian hotel and restaurant practice.

ATMs

The easiest way to get cash in Moscow and St. Petersburg is from an ATM. The Cirrus (tel. 800/424-7787; www.mastercard.com) and PLUS (tel. 800/843-7587; www.visa.com) networks span the globe; look at the back of your bank card to see which network you're on. Most Russian ATMs accept both. Be sure you know your personal identification number (PIN) before you leave home, and be sure to find out your daily withdrawal limit before you depart. Also keep in mind that many banks impose a fee every time a card is used at a different bank's ATM; that fee can be higher for international transactions than for domestic ones. On top of this, the Russian bank from which you withdraw cash may charge its own small fee. For international withdrawal fees, ask your bank. To limit these charges, take out as much money as you're comfortable with at once.

You can also get cash advances on your credit card at an ATM. Credit card companies try to protect themselves from theft by limiting the funds you can withdraw outside your home country, so call your credit card company before you leave home. And keep in mind that you'll pay interest from the moment of your withdrawal, even if you pay your monthly bills on time.

Traveler's Checks

Few places in Russia accept traveler's checks outside major hotels and restaurants, and those that do usually accept only American Express. If you have checks from elsewhere, call your hotel in advance to see if they're accepted. Currency exchange booths in the major hotels generally accept traveler's checks, but most other exchange booths do not.

Traveler's checks are something of an anachronism from the days before the ATM made cash accessible at any time. Traveler's checks used to be the only sound alternative to traveling with dangerously large amounts of cash. They were as reliable as currency but, unlike cash, could be replaced if lost or stolen. These days, traveler's checks are less necessary because most cities have 24-hour ATMs that allow you to withdraw small amounts of cash as needed. However, keep in mind that you will likely be charged an ATM withdrawal fee if the bank is not your own.

You can buy traveler's checks at most banks. They are offered in denominations of $20, $50, $100, $500, and sometimes $1,000. Generally, you'll pay a service charge ranging from 1% to 4%.

The most popular traveler's checks are offered by American Express (tel. 800/807-6233, or tel. 800/221-7282 for cardholders -- this number accepts collect calls, offers service in several foreign languages, and exempts Amex gold and platinum cardholders from the 1% fee); Visa (tel. 800/732-1322) -- AAA members can obtain Visa checks for a $9.95 fee (for checks up to $1,500) at most AAA offices or by calling tel. 866/339-3378; and MasterCard (tel. 800/223-9920).

Be sure to keep a record of the traveler's checks' serial numbers separate from your checks in the event that they are stolen or lost. You'll get a refund faster if you know the numbers.

American Express, Thomas Cook, Visa, and MasterCard offer foreign currency traveler's checks, useful if you're traveling to one country or to the Euro zone; they're accepted at locations where dollar checks may not be.

Another option is the new prepaid traveler's check cards, reloadable cards that work much like debit cards but aren't linked to your checking account. The American Express Travelers Cheque Card, for example, requires a minimum deposit, sets a maximum balance, and has a one-time issuance fee of $15. You can withdraw money from an ATM (for a fee of $2.50 per transaction, not including bank fees), and the funds can be purchased in dollars, euros, or pounds. If you lose the card, your available funds will be refunded within 24 hours.

Credit Cards

Credit cards are welcome in nearly all Russian hotels and many restaurants, but many museums and train stations take only cash. Cards most commonly accepted in Russia are American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Eurocard. Places that take Diners Club are rare, and those that take Discover are nearly nonexistent.

Credit cards are a safe way to carry money. They also provide a convenient record of all your expenses, and they generally offer relatively good exchange rates. You can also withdraw cash advances from your credit cards at banks or ATMs, provided you know your PIN. If you've forgotten yours, or didn't even know you had one, call the number on the back of your credit card and ask the bank to send it to you. It usually takes 5 to 7 business days, though some banks will provide the number over the phone if you tell them your mother's maiden name or some other personal information. Keep in mind that when you use your credit card abroad, most banks assess a 2% fee above the 1% fee charged by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express for currency conversion on credit charges. But credit cards still may be the smart way to go when you factor in exorbitant ATM fees and higher traveler's check exchange rates (and service fees).

Tips on Accommodations

Hotel options in Russia have come a long way from the days of the state agency Intourist's monopoly on serving foreigners, but the country still has far too few mid-range hotel rooms to satisfy demand. Luxury chains were quick to recognize this new market and opened several top-class hotels in the 1990s, some opting for renovating elegant old hotels while others started from scratch. The most active chains in the luxury market are Marriott, InterContinental, Radisson, Sheraton, and Renaissance (now part of the Marriott chain). Holiday Inn (now part of the InterContinental hotel group) and Best Western have also entered the scene with somewhat cheaper offerings.

Even the highest-end locations sometimes offer deep discounts through online or traditional travel agencies or their own websites, up to 60% off the official or "rack" rate. It definitely pays to shop around. Most package tours rely on well-established Soviet-era hotels, usually enormous, architecturally bleak buildings offering the key services tourists need but with limited enthusiasm. The good news is that several of these hotels are renovating one floor at a time, and the increased price for the new rooms is usually well worth the fresh plumbing and improved service.

The best Russian hotel development in recent years is the flowering of the "mini-hotel" market in St. Petersburg. Dozens of hotels of 12 to 30 rooms have opened up, often occupying a few renovated floors of an apartment building. Most are centrally located and inexpensive, and offer eager, individual service that the big hotels lack. Unfortunately, Moscow's powerful hotel industry has kept this phenomenon largely at bay in the capital.

Hostels and traditional bed-and-breakfasts are rare though growing. Several companies rent out furnished apartments at rates much lower than the hotel rates. Quality varies widely, with some offering warm and helpful English-speaking hosts, others offering daily maid service and hotel-style assistance, and still others offering nothing but a key. Get the opinions of previous guests through this website or www.virtualtourist.com before booking.

Russian hotels tend to be emptier in winter and busier in summer, especially around St. Petersburg's White Nights festival from late June to early July. Rates usually reflect this. Be aware of any big festivals or holiday events that might fill up hotels.

Neither Moscow nor St. Petersburg offers an official reservations service, and your chances of just showing up and getting a room are slim, even in hostels. You are strongly recommended to reserve in advance by phone or online; the cost is usually lower that way as well. Another advantage of reserving ahead is that most hotels will arrange for your visa, and register it once you arrive.

Hotels often have "floor monitors" employed round-the-clock who in the Soviet era often acted as KGB informers; now they're basically nosy chambermaids and sometimes they'll make guests tea.

Russia's star-rating system is only gradually adjusting to the international standard and is an unreliable source of judging quality.

Bed & Breakfasts, Homestays & Apartment Rental

Opting for less conventional accommodations can inject your trip with individuality and flexibility -- or it could tangle you in scams and unfulfilled promises. If you choose wisely, these three options can offer comfort, charm, and a convenient location at a reasonable price. Be aware that they lack many of the security features and financial guarantees of big hotels, and that rates and quality vary widely.

Just because a Russian hotel calls itself a "bed-and-breakfast" doesn't mean it will look anything like what you'd expect. Russian tourism gurus have taken the term to mean just about anything: an upscale urban hotel, a room in a student dormitory, a spotless apartment serviced by a real estate agency, or a cramped room in a family's apartment vacated just for the duration of your stay. There is no single body regulating who or what can call itself a B&B. The website www.bnb.ru, for example, is a portal for Russian accommodations of any category, from high-end Marriott hotels to long-term real estate deals. The main thing to keep in mind is that in Moscow and St. Petersburg, bed-and-breakfasts are urban experiences, not village cottages with fruit fresh from the orchard. Russian B&Bs usually occupy a single apartment or a floor of an apartment building. Some were once communal apartments, with entire families sharing single rooms and the whole floor sharing a single bathroom and kitchen, but today they are entirely renovated and quite comfortable.

In St. Petersburg, you'll see lots of places advertised as "mini-hotels." These are often a renovated floor of an apartment building, and they offer more services than most bed-and-breakfasts but are less expensive and more intimate than the massive Soviet-era hotels most tour groups prefer.

Renting a private apartment for your stay is also popular, opening up more options in price and location than the hotel industry can. This is especially convenient during high seasons, such as the White Nights in St. Petersburg, when hotels fill up fast. The safest bet is to use a real estate agency that services the apartment and is available for assistance at all hours in case of emergency. Many individual apartment owners also advertise rentals online or hover around international airports and train stations, but most of these are risky propositions.

If you're seeking a closer look at day-to-day Russian existence, or want to learn or practice Russian, a homestay can be a good option. The ideal homestay is an apartment with a family history and a family member eager to tell you about it, as opposed to someone merely renting out a room for extra cash. Your room will probably be packed with the family's stuff, a library's worth of books, and a few generations' worth of knickknacks. Your host will clear out a shelf in the overstuffed closet for your belongings, but little more. The best way to determine what you're getting into is to call your hosts before you reserve, or at least before you pay. (This is also a good way to check how well they speak English.)

Note: With any of the above options, be sure to find out before you reserve whether they can arrange your visa invitation. If not, you'll need to find a reputable travel agency to take care of that for you, which could cost up to 5,000 rubles more and takes at least 2 weeks.

• Russian Travel Service (www.123russia.com): This service arranges homestays in St. Petersburg with English-speaking or Russian-only hosts. Rates start at 500 rubles per night. They'll ask you about your animal and food allergies and arrange your visas.

Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism

In line with its reputation as a country of extremes, Russia offers some of the best and worst that nature has to offer. Vast tracts of untouched Siberian forest and wildlife, and pollution-choked cities with little regard for recycling or emissions limits. Its attitude toward transport is similarly polar: Its trains and trolleybuses carry millions daily and have offered efficient, carbon-free travel for a century, and most Russians do not own cars. But those that do generally own the dirtiest kind: fuel-thirsty SUVs and Hummers, or Soviet-era models built when emissions were of no concern. One positive development is that the collapse in Russia's industry in the 1990s means office buildings and apartment towers took over factory grounds that used to cough pollution into downtown Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Navigating both cities with the environment in mind is challenging but possible. Nearly every site listed can be reached by public transport. Bikes are available for rent in both cities.

In Moscow, try www.veloprokat.ru. (in Russian only; 6 Shestaya Radialnaya Ulitsa; tel. 926/284-9232; metro: Tsaritsino). It's in a garage. Bikes cost 800 rubles a day. They'll also deliver your bike to you for another 600 rubles.

In St. Petersburg, try Skat Prokat, for 300 rubles a day plus deposit. (3 Glinka Ulitsa, inside the Kitsport store; tel. 812/325-7198).

None of the car rental agencies in either city currently offer hybrids.

Few hotels or restaurants pay much heed to environmental concerns. An exception is the Alexander Hotel in St. Petersburg. To be more certain about the provenance and contents of your food, try the open-air markets in either city (Izmailovsky Market in Moscow or Mikhailovsky Market in St. Petersburg are good options). The older women camped out on the edge of the markets are often selling goods from their own gardens.

Though caviar is a centerpiece of Russian cuisine, the Caspian Sea sturgeon that produce them are desperately endangered. If you are keen for a taste, favor the red caviar, or salmon roe, on many restaurant menus.

Recycling has yet to catch on in either city, as the excessive packaging we know in the West came only recently to Russia. An exception are Soviet-era machines that allow you to exchange empty aluminum cans for cash, though they are often out of order. Recycling bins around Moscow are marked with images of paper, glass, or plastic but are often filled with other debris.

The best way to stay "green" in both cities is to visit their extensive parks. Losiny Ostrov in Moscow was a former imperial hunting grounds and is the size of a city unto itself. It is believed to still host elk, wild boar, and beavers, and is an excellent place to get lost in the "wilderness" on a bike or cross-country skis.

The St. Petersburg island Krestovsky Ostrov has sporting facilities near the main entrance but thins out into lush, peaceful forest farther back. St. Petersburg's botanical gardens host some 12,000 plant species.

The Typhoon Experimental Meteorology Research Institute sets ecological standards for the country (www.typhoon.obninsk.ru/english/main.htm).

General Resources for Green Travel

In addition to the resources for Moscow and St. Petersburg listed above, the following websites provide valuable wide-ranging information on sustainable travel.

• Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a great source of sustainable travel ideas; the site is run by a spokesperson for ethical tourism in the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices, and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.

Health & Insurance

Staying Healthy

No vaccinations are necessary to visit Russia, though there have been cases of diphtheria and cholera in provincial areas in recent years, and tuberculosis is a major problem in prisons. Most visitors' biggest health challenges are digestive, either from St. Petersburg's bacteria-ridden water or dubiously prepared street food. Bottled water is cheap and widely available. HIV is a growing problem, and prevention and public information campaigns are sorely inadequate.

Healthy Travels to You -- The following government websites offer up-to-date health-related travel advice.

• Australia: www.dfat.gov.au/travel
• Canada: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html
• U.K.: www.dh.gov.uk/policyandguidance/healthadvicefortravellers/fs/en
• U.S.: www.cdc.gov/travel

General Availability of Healthcare

Soviet healthcare was universal and nearly free, though clinics were chronically short of equipment. State subsidies shriveled in the 1990s and shortages worsened; doctors remain dismally paid and depend heavily on bribes from patients. But competition is slowly emerging, and Moscow and St. Petersburg have several private clinics that offer high-standard care and English-speaking personnel, though at high prices.

Bring any prescriptions with you, and Imodium or other anti-diarrhea medication. All-night pharmacies are common in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and over-the-counter medications are easily available, though generics are rarer. Foreign brands are often of better quality and always more expensive than their Russian equivalents. For the bold, even penicillin and IUDs can be purchased without a prescription.

Contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT; (tel. 716/754-4883 or, in Canada, 416/652-0137; www.iamat.org) for tips on travel and health concerns in the countries you're visiting, and for lists of local, English-speaking doctors. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (tel. 800/311-3435; www.cdc.gov) provide up-to-date information on health hazards by region or country and offers tips on food safety. Travel Health Online (www.tripprep.com), sponsored by a consortium of travel medicine practitioners, may also offer helpful advice on traveling abroad. You can find listings of reliable medical clinics overseas at the International Society of Travel Medicine (www.istm.org).

Common Ailments

Dietary Red Flags -- Moscow's water is potable but can be risky for foreigners. St. Petersburg's water contains the bacteria giardia lamblia and should be avoided (beware of tooth-brushing and iced drinks). Many St. Petersburg hotels have their own water filtration system. Cheap bottled water is widely available. Avoid fried meat pies sold on the street and meat sold outdoors. Vegetarians are finding more and more options in Russia, mainly at restaurants that specialize in Japanese or American cuisine. However, nearly all restaurant soups are made with meat stock, and vegetable side dishes are often prepared in lard. Although Russia has substantial Muslim and Jewish minorities, very few restaurants cater to those with religious dietary restrictions.

Respiratory Illnesses -- Tuberculosis, virtually wiped out by Soviet health campaigns, has resurfaced in recent years, largely among prison populations. The disease is treatable but some strains have grown resistant to standard medicines. Another respiratory challenge is air quality, which is dismal in most Russian cities. Fuel emissions are restricted but the restrictions are barely enforced.

Extreme Weather Exposure -- Though Russia is no doubt a cold place, most travelers do not spend enough time outdoors in the winter to risk hypothermia or its milder cousin, frostbite. Visitors engaging in a lot of outdoor winter activity should carry many layers of clothing and thermoses of warm liquid.

What To Do If You Get Sick Away From Home

Any foreign consulate can provide you with a list of area doctors who speak English. If you get sick, consider asking your hotel concierge to recommend a local doctor -- even his or her own. You can also try the emergency room at a local hospital. Finding doctors or all-night pharmacies can be hard in Moscow and St. Petersburg if you know no Russian, and is much easier with a Russian helper or hotel concierge. You will pay as you go no matter where you seek help, and prices can vary from a few dollars in a public clinic for emergency care to hundreds of dollars in a private one. Foreigners are sometimes charged more just because they are assumed to have more money than Russians.

For travel abroad, you may have to pay all medical costs upfront and be reimbursed later. Medicare and Medicaid do not provide coverage for medical costs outside the U.S. Before leaving home, find out what medical services your health insurance covers. To protect yourself, consider buying medical travel insurance.

Very few health insurance plans pay for medical evacuation back to the U.S. (which can cost $10,000 and up). A number of companies offer medical evacuation services anywhere in the world. If you're ever hospitalized more than 150 miles from home, MedjetAssist (tel. 800/527-7478; www.medjetassistance.com) will pick you up and fly you to the hospital of your choice virtually anywhere in the world in a medically equipped and staffed aircraft 24 hours day, 7 days a week. Annual memberships are $225 individual, $350 family; you can also purchase short-term memberships.

If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure. For conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, or heart problems, wear a MedicAlert identification tag (tel. 888/633-4298; www.medicalert.org), which will immediately alert doctors to your condition and give them access to your records through MedicAlert's 24-hour hot line.

Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage, and carry prescription medications in their original containers, with pharmacy labels -- otherwise they won't make it through airport security. Also bring along copies of your prescriptions in case you lose your pills or run out. Don't forget an extra pair of contact lenses or prescription glasses. Carry the generic name of prescription medicines, in case a local pharmacist is unfamiliar with the brand name.

Escorted & Package Tours

Escorted General-Interest Tours

Russia's tourism industry is only beginning to tap the travel possibilities across the world's largest country. No roads exist across much of the territory, and hotels and services in small towns are often little better than gulags. All this makes an escorted tour -- with a group leader, including airfare, hotels, meals, admission costs, and local transportation -- quite appealing. The chief benefit is that the tour company negotiates the hassle of getting a visa; it's also handy to have tour guides navigate museums and street signs labeled in Russian only. The main drawback of an escorted tour is its high cost.

Special-interest tours remain rare in Moscow and St. Petersburg, though some adventure and ecological tours take you to the wilds of the Russian Far East or the Trans-Siberian railway.

For general-interest tours to Russia's premier cities, Escorted Russian Tours (tel. 800/942-3301; www.escortedrussiantours.com) provides a range of offerings focusing on Moscow and St. Petersburg, as do the U.K.-based Russian Gateway (tel. 07050-803-160; www.russiangateway.co.uk) and the Russian-based www.tourstorussia.com.

One popular excursion is a cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow. It takes your boat about 10 days to wind through rivers and canals, with stops at the island monastery at Valaam, the fairy tale-like wooden village of Kizhi, lakes Ladoga and Onega, and the Volga river towns of Yaroslavl and Kostroma. Russian Tours (www.rus-tours.com) and Russiana (www.russiana.co.uk) are two places to start.

Package Tours

Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at discounted prices -- kind of like one-stop shopping. Packages are sold in bulk to tour operators -- who resell them to the public at a cost that usually undercuts standard rates.

Two tour companies to try are Eastern Tours, run by Russian émigrés and focusing on reasonably priced tours to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kiev (tel. 800/339-6967; www.traveltorussia.com); and Cosmos Tours, which includes several Russian packages (tel. 800/276-1241; www.cosmos.com). Be sure to read reviews of their tours by former clients on www.frommers.com or other independent websites.

Many of the mainstream packagers haven't caught on to Russia yet, so the choices are more limited. Russia-based packages are cheaper but riskier than those based in your home country; be sure to get as much insurance and guaranties as you can. Places to check include Tour Vacations To Go (tel. 800/680-2858; www.tourvacationstogo.com) and Budget Travel (www.budgettravel.com). Russia-based agencies include Russia Info-Center (tel. 495/939-1605; www.russia-ic.com) and www.homestays.ru, which offers high-end hotels as well as homestays.

Before you invest in a package tour, get some answers. Ask about the accommodations choices and prices for each. Then look up the hotels' reviews on Frommers.com and check their rates online for your specific dates of travel. You'll also want to find out what type of room you get. If you need a certain type of room, ask for it; don't take whatever is thrown your way. Request a nonsmoking room, a quiet room, a room with a view, or whatever you fancy.

Finally, look for hidden expenses. Ask whether airport departure fees and taxes, for example, are included in the total cost.

Academic Trips & Language Classes

"Russia cannot be understood with the mind/Or by an ordinary yardstick/She has a special status/All you can do is believe in Russia." So goes an oft-quoted verse by 19th-century Romantic poet Fyodor Tyutchev that has stood as a challenge to foreign scholars of Russia and Russian ever since. What better way to prove him wrong and expand your understanding than to take a language tour in Russia? It is certain to be intense and productive, as English speakers and familiar lettering are scarcer here than in Western Europe. Tours linked to reputable Russian universities are the least risky and most streamlined. Study Russian (tel. 495/939-0980; www.studyrussian.com) offers language lessons in Moscow or St. Petersburg for all skill levels and can tailor them to your business specialty. Courses in Russian history or literature are also available. Visas and accommodations are arranged for you. The Center for Russian Language (tel. 495/939-1463; www.ruslanguage.ru) arranges courses and accommodations at a dormitory; conditions are basic but comfortable and immersion is guaranteed.

Getting Around

Map Confusion -- Beware of maps and guidebooks printed before the mid-1990s, which may include the Soviet-era names of many streets and metro stations instead of the new ones.

Address Advice -- Finding addresses in Russia can be challenging, especially for buildings tucked in a courtyard or down a footpath. Russians usually list the house number after the street name. The number may include dashes or slashes or have an addendum like "building 2" or "wing 3." Big apartment buildings rarely have one central entrance; instead, apartments are reached by separate entrances called podyezdy, making it crucial to know which entrance you need.

Don't be alarmed if you see a slash in your address, such as 5/2. Pay attention to the number before the slash, which corresponds to the street number. The number after the slash usually refers to an annex, or wing. So for example, 5/2 Tverskaya Ulitsa will be on the odd-numbered side of the street, somewhere between No. 3 and No. 7. It may be adjacent to No. 5, or tucked into a courtyard behind No. 5. (Successive waves of reconstruction may mean that there's no 5/1 -- but don't let that worry you!)

For example, to find Kutuzovsky Prospekt 21/4, building 3, entrance 1, apartment 16: Locate no. 21/4 between nos. 19 and 23 (ignore the "/4"), walk through the parking lot, and search for building no. 3. Then find entrance no. 1 and check the list in the elevator to locate apartment no. 16's floor.

By Train

The most pleasant, romantic, and historic way to travel around Russia is by train. The Moscow-St. Petersburg route is the most frequented and best maintained. Travelers choose between a leisurely 8-hour night trip in a comfortable sleeping compartment (about 1,125 rubles per person in a four-bed cabin; 2,125 rubles per person in a two-bed cabin), and a 5-hour day trip (same price). A snack and beverages are included in the price, though you sometimes have to pay the conductor for the bed linens (about 50 rubles).

Trains from Moscow to St. Petersburg leave from Moscow's Leningradsky Station and arrive at St. Petersburg's Moskovsky Station. Both are in the center of town and easily accessible. Arranging train tickets before you arrive, for example through your travel agent at home, is the safest way to go, but is often more expensive. Most hotels can arrange train tickets to major cities. It's cheaper to buy from the train stations themselves, though the lines are chaotic and interminable.

Commuter trains (called elektrichkas) with hard benches and rock-bottom prices serve many of the country estates and other sights just outside the big cities.

By Plane

Given Russia's size, plane travel is crucial for reaching more distant destinations such as Lake Baikal or Vladivostok. The Russian airlines Aeroflot and Pulkovo dominate the Moscow-St. Petersburg route, and prices for a one-way ticket run 1,750 to 3,000 rubles. Flights on this route are nearly all on large, sturdy Soviet-era jets (not the flimsy twin-propeller Soviet planes that crash with alarming frequency), and although the upholstery is badly outdated, the service is steadily improving. See www.aeroflot.ru, www.pulkovo.ru, or www.eastline-tour.ru.

By Car

If you're not on a tour bus, renting a car can be a reasonable way to get around Moscow or St. Petersburg. However, a strongly recommended alternative is to rent a car with a driver. It can cost no more than a standard rental, and you don't have to worry about the challenges presented by Russian driving. Roads are riddled with holes, signage is often poor, and gas stations and services are sparse. Russian drivers are ruthless, especially with the indecisive. Moscow's traffic is overwhelming much of the day, and traffic police are hostile to anyone behind the wheel and rely heavily on on-the-spot "fines" for their incomes. Most sidewalks or walkways are fair game for parking, and there are very few parking garages. Knowledge of the Cyrillic alphabet is strongly recommended for anyone driving in Russia, in order to decipher street signs.

For rental without a driver, see Avis (www.avis.com), Hertz (www.hertz.com), or Europcar (www.europcar.com). For cars with drivers, try www.moscow-taxi.com.

By Bus

Russian-run tourist buses offer day trips to cities on the Golden Ring outside Moscow and several sights around St. Petersburg, and are generally comfortable. Vendors often hawk tours on loudspeakers at central spots such as St. Petersburg's Nevsky Prospekt metro station and Moscow's Red Square. Otherwise, hotels can often arrange bus tours.

Staying Safe

What About Terrorism?

This is a sadly pertinent question for travel almost anywhere in this post-9/11 world. Russia's experiences with terrorism date back to the 19th century, when revolutionary bombers assassinated Czar Alexander II. The source of more recent terrorist attacks has been the war in Chechnya, where a conflict between Russian troops and Chechen guerrillas has simmered for more than a decade. Two major terrorist attacks outside Chechnya in recent years -- the Moscow theater siege in 2002 and the Beslan school massacre in 2004 -- terrified the world and hardened Russian opposition to the Chechen cause. With no end to the conflict in sight, the Chechen problem will continue to cast a shadow over Russia's post-Soviet progress.

The provinces in the Northern Caucasus Mountains neighboring Chechnya are at the most risk of spillover violence that could affect tourists. Moscow, 1,000km (621 miles) to the north, is sheltered from everyday Chechnya-related violence, but as the seat of Russia's government, it is at risk of rare attacks like the theater siege. Like terrorist acts in other European cities, these are nearly impossible to predict and avoid. Most experts judge the terrorism risk in Moscow as no higher than in other major capitals, though if an attack occurs, Russian security services are likely to handle it more ruthlessly than their European counterparts would. St. Petersburg is considered at low risk for terrorism.

See the U.S. State Department's Advisory website (www.travel.state.gov) for recent warnings, though be aware that they tend to be more alarmist than the travel advisories posted by other governments. If you notice a suspicious abandoned bag on the metro or in a public place, report it to the nearest metro official or police officer.

Staying Safe

The notorious Russian "mafia" made for good movie villains in the 1990s, but its reputation is rather exaggerated and it is not a serious threat to foreign visitors. The victims of most organized crime are Russian millionaires and powerful tycoons who have much more to lose than the average American tourist. Pickpockets and over-friendly drunks are the main annoyances to today's traveler; you can avoid both by being alert, traveling in groups, and sticking to well-lit areas after dark. Prostitution and drug use are illegal but widespread, and not worth a run-in with the Russian police. Drunk-driving laws are strict, forbidding drivers from having even one drink, but traffic police (unfortunately) readily accept payoffs for overlooking minor infractions.

Dealing With Discrimination

The Soviet Union was one of the most ethnically diverse places on the planet, and Russia is still home to hundreds of nationalities. Few Russians can claim to be 100% Slavic, after centuries of mingling with people of Turkic, Nordic, and Mongol blood. However, the two recent wars in Chechnya have fueled a blanket suspicion of people from the Caucasus region, and there have been sporadic incidents of skinhead violence against ethnic minorities in recent years, especially immediately following a terrorist attack. St. Petersburg, despite its cultured reputation, has seen some of the worst attacks, largely targeting vendors and transient workers from Central Asia or the Caucasus. These workers are crucial to the local economy, yet with the Slavic population aging and shrinking, some fringe groups see the migrant workers as a threat to Russia's identity. Foreigners with "southern" features -- dark eyes and hair and olive skin -- very occasionally suffer reluctant service and suspicious looks, unless it's clear that you're a tourist and not a terrorist. Africans from fellow socialist states were welcomed in the Soviet era, but periodic waves of nationalist sentiment in the post-Soviet era have resulted in backlashes against anyone with black skin, usually in the bleak suburbs where jobless young white men target their even poorer African and Asian neighbors. The majority of Russians do not share this hostility and tourists only very rarely suffer from it, especially those traveling in groups.

Most Russians are eager to criticize the U.S. government for something, but the comments are purely political -- a way of making conversation and demonstrating their knowledge of world events, as opposed to a personal attack. Most interlocutors are happy to talk to a foreigner about current events, even if your views differ, and you'll find pro-Western sentiment as common as anti-Western sentiment.

Tips for Travelers with Disabilities

Most disabilities shouldn't stop anyone from traveling. There are more options and resources out there than ever before. That said, Russia remains a formidable destination for anyone in a wheelchair. Only the biggest and priciest hotels and restaurants are accessible. Many of Moscow's wide streets can be crossed only underground without ramps. Even some tourist destinations that claim to be accessible have a few stairs leading up to the cash desk, or into the church. Call every place you plan to visit before you go and be sure it can accommodate you.

Organizations that offer a vast range of resources and assistance to travelers with disabilities include MossRehab (tel. 800/CALL-MOSS [2255-6677]; www.mossresourcenet.org); the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB; tel. 800/232-5463; www.afb.org); and SATH (Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality; tel. 212/447-7284; www.sath.org). AirAmbulanceCard.com is now partnered with SATH and allows you to preselect top-notch hospitals in case of an emergency.

Access-Able Travel Source (tel. 303/232-2979; www.access-able.com) offers a comprehensive database on travel agents from around the world with experience in accessible travel; destination-specific access information; and links to such resources as service animals, equipment rentals, and access guides.

Many travel agencies offer customized tours and itineraries for travelers with disabilities. Among them are Flying Wheels Travel (tel. 507/451-5005; www.flyingwheelstravel.com) and Accessible Journeys (tel. 800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com).

Flying with Disability (www.flying-with-disability.org) is a comprehensive information source on airplane travel. Avis Rent a Car (tel. 888/879-4273) has an "Avis Access" program that offers services for customers with special travel needs. These include specially outfitted vehicles with swivel seats, spinner knobs, and hand controls; mobility scooter rentals; and accessible bus service. Be sure to reserve well in advance.

Also check out the quarterly magazine Emerging Horizons (www.emerginghorizons.com), available by subscription ($16.95 a year in U.S.; $21.95 outside U.S.).

The "Accessible Travel" link at Mobility-Advisor.com (www.mobility-advisor.com) offers a variety of travel resources to persons with disabilities.

British travelers should contact Holiday Care (tel. 0845-124-9971 in U.K. only; www.holidaycare.org.uk) to access a wide range of travel information and resources for seniors and persons with disabilities.