Russia tips

IN ADVANCE sort out your Visa. Takes around 3-4 weeks and costs around $150. Highly beaurureucratic. Much easier to use a dedicated Visa company (CIBT) and pay the small premium for it. Otherwise, risk standing in long lines and stressing it won’t be done in time.

LEARN a bit of Russian. Or at least the Cyrillic alphabet. Will make life a lot easier

GET THERE by flying into Moscow with BA from Heathrow. Surprisingly quick flight (4hrs) and good times. Two airports. We landed into Domodevo. Custom lines are long, so get to front of plane and be prepared to wait. Easiest way into Moscow is with the Aero Express. Follow signs for it (the only ones in English). Buy your tickets for around RUB200 each and it takes 45mins. Once you arrive into xxx station, get used to the subway. Tickets are standard prices RUB28 per journey. It’s fun and very quick for getting around as traffic can be a nightmare and getting a cab is daunting. No official cab system unless you organize through your hotel. “Stab” cabs as they’re affectionately known are basically guys in their cars working for extra cash. No doubt they’ll try to rip you off, so agree the fare first - it’ll be expensive whatever happens so take cabs only when required and the subway more often

STAY somewhere central within walking distance of the Kremlin. Although it’s very very expensive. We used points and stayed at the Park Hyatt, which somehow crazily normally commands $800 per night

VISIT the Kremlin and go to the Armory. Buy your ticket for this on the west side of the Kremlin, but check in advance as there are set visiting hours. Particularly visit the Diamond fund – buy tickets for this in the Armory. Go visit Lenin’s tomb. Entry is free, but lines start early in the morning from 9:30am. We came back a bit later around 11:30am and hardly had to wait. St Basil’s cathedral is also here. That can all be done as part of one visit. For another visit go to the church the other side of Patriach’s Bridge and eat at Art Strelka (see below). The Pushkin museum is here too although we didn’t get a chance to go

SHOP at GUM. An amazing building next to the Kremlin but every designer under the sun. Although save actually buying anything until you come home. Stupidly expensive prices

EAT At Café Pushkin. Very traditional and expensive local restaurant (opening a restaurant in NYC in Fall 2011). Café Margarita. Another local place, but much smaller, cheaper and has local music students playing fun sing along tunes. Art Strelka. A trendy place on the river serving really nice dishes and great views. Drink at the top of the Ritz at O2 for great views of the Kremlin.

GET to St Petersburg by train. Most trains go from Leningradsky to Moscovsky station. We took a fast day train which took around 4hrs and cost $150 per person. Another option is to take the night train which will save on accommodation and take 8hrs.

STAY in similar fashion to Moscow. Somewhere central in walking distance to the Hermitage and Nevsky Prospect (main street). Again, very expensive. We used points to stay at the W which normally costs around $400 per night.

VISIT the Hermitage – ideally get a guide which will pass the lines and show you the most interesting bits. We paid RUB4,000 for 3hrs. Peterhof was the King’s old summer estate and you can get there on a 30min hydrofoil ride from in front of the Hermitage. Really pretty gardens and lovely to walk around and relax in. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral/Fortess was where Peter first landed and built his fort which is interesting to see. Yusupov mansion shows the decadence of the Russian elite – each room has a different theme and they even have their own theatre. The Vodka museum is a fun side thing to do to learn a short history about vodka and to try a few different brands. St Isaac’s Cathadral is huge and you can climb the 200 steps for great views while the Church of the Savior of Spilled Blood looks like it’s from a candy store

EAT at Idiot which is a cosy local place.