Discussion
been, its fun, stayed in a hotel that seemed like it was out of max payne, next to kievskaya station, walls were like cardboard, water from showers was brown (don't drink the water). Went to some dodgy nightclubs including some with very full on security. Lots of cool little churches to see. lenin to see. old soviet sculpture park is quite cool too. went to the bolshoi.
I really liked going, it was awesome. I'd stay somewhere upmarket this time though
quite expensive.
I really liked going, it was awesome. I'd stay somewhere upmarket this time though
quite expensive.
clarkmagpie said:
Fancy Moscow for our summer holidays this year.
Has anybody any tips?
Things to see, do and try?
Where is the best area to stay?
How expensive is it over there now?
Thanks.
I worked in Moscow for 7 months last year. Has anybody any tips?
Things to see, do and try?
Where is the best area to stay?
How expensive is it over there now?
Thanks.
Things to do/see:
Red Square
The Kremlin
Lenin's Musoleum
The Armoury
Metro Stations
The Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow Circus
Loads of theatres (but in Russian obviously)
Loads of orchestras/concerts
River Cruise
How long are you thinking about going for? A long weekend would be enough for me. St. Petersburg is also worth a visit so it may be worth combining the two.
I found central Moscow to be one of the safest places I've ever been as there is security everywhere. Moscow can be very expensive but it doesn't have to be. The Metro is very cheap and efficient. Local beer is good and cheap. Might be worth looking on the Moscow Expat forums for useful info. www.expat.ru/forum/index.php
HTH
Colin
I live fairly close to Moscow.
Give me a shout if you head this way and I'll take you out for a beer or two.
As mentioned above, it really isn't a bad place, there is always something going on. It is like any city really, if you want to spend ten dollars on a pint or two hundred dollars on dinner you can, however there are plenty of normal bars where the beer is priced well and the food is good (and cheap)!
Red Square, St Basils, Lenins mausoleum, the Bolshoi, Metro Stations and everything else mentioned are great. Gorky Park is fun in the summer as there are usually concerts and things going on down there, but it is a bit crusty as it is full of second hand rides from West Germany that look a little second hand.
If you want to really party there is Night Flight on Tverskaya Street, according to the blurb it is Moscows oldest nightclub, opened in 1991 just as the Soviet Union was collapsing. It is also rammed full of hookers.
St Petersburg is also worth a visit as it is also a really great city.
Moscow is also very safe, though you have to be careful with taxis. You can get into virtually any car and they will take you where you want to go. However, when you are pissed at 5am on a Sunday morning, it is best to get a licenced taxi and not get held up at gun point by the driver and his mate who he just picked up.
Still, he did take me to my destination, just cost a few quid extra...
Give me a shout if you head this way and I'll take you out for a beer or two.
As mentioned above, it really isn't a bad place, there is always something going on. It is like any city really, if you want to spend ten dollars on a pint or two hundred dollars on dinner you can, however there are plenty of normal bars where the beer is priced well and the food is good (and cheap)!
Red Square, St Basils, Lenins mausoleum, the Bolshoi, Metro Stations and everything else mentioned are great. Gorky Park is fun in the summer as there are usually concerts and things going on down there, but it is a bit crusty as it is full of second hand rides from West Germany that look a little second hand.
If you want to really party there is Night Flight on Tverskaya Street, according to the blurb it is Moscows oldest nightclub, opened in 1991 just as the Soviet Union was collapsing. It is also rammed full of hookers.
St Petersburg is also worth a visit as it is also a really great city.
Moscow is also very safe, though you have to be careful with taxis. You can get into virtually any car and they will take you where you want to go. However, when you are pissed at 5am on a Sunday morning, it is best to get a licenced taxi and not get held up at gun point by the driver and his mate who he just picked up.
Still, he did take me to my destination, just cost a few quid extra...
Do keep your passport with you at all times - you may be asked to produce it, and if you can't, the Police take a very dim view and will extort lots of money from you, which goes straight into their back pocket. Your hotel may ask for your passport but tell them they can only have a photocopy of it
Moscow is expensive - very expensive, and i've never understood how the inflated prices are justified by the generally poor service and quality
The GUM (pron. Goom) department store facing red square is quite a spectacle and worth a visit
Personally, I find St. Petersburg a far far nicer place to be, and has a great deal to offer tourists. Helsinki is a ferry ride away for a nice detour too
Moscow is expensive - very expensive, and i've never understood how the inflated prices are justified by the generally poor service and quality
The GUM (pron. Goom) department store facing red square is quite a spectacle and worth a visit
Personally, I find St. Petersburg a far far nicer place to be, and has a great deal to offer tourists. Helsinki is a ferry ride away for a nice detour too
I lived there for a year and honestly can't see that as a tourist you'd need much more than four days there. There's plenty stuff to see but if you don't speak Russin it can be tricky at times. If you ever get stuck and need someone who speaks English, look for a teenager. They get taught it at school now whilst only the children of the elite used to get taught it.
All the places already mentioned are fun. Izmailovsky Market is also good for a laugh if they haven't closed it down. You can get loads of pirate DVDs, or wolf and bearskins, or amazing handcarved wooden boxes and ornaments. We have some wooden Christmas decorations we got there and they are so much better than anything you can buy in the UK. Also you can have some Plov for lunch, which I was a big fan of.
Good hotels are super expensive. I went out for a week before my stint and was in the Golden Ring. They said it would be about £3k and my firm told me to put it on my credit card and claim it back. I told them to stick it and sort it out themselves if they wanted me there.
Tiflis on Ostrozhenka was near my office, reasonably central and not too expensive. It had a cool Georgian restaurant too.
Gorky Park (or Park Kulturiy as its now called) is basically a tat funfair, but it does have a Buran (russian space shuttle) on site. Used to be across the river from my flat.
Skandinavia is a good restaurant popular with expats, has an English menu, and can be a fun place to watch the Russian mafia meeting as well.
Never felt unsafe in Moscow though, even when staggering around blind drunk on the local vodka.
Night Flight has already been mentioned. It is a nightclub, but is basically a pick up joint for hookers so if you don't want to be hassled all the time you are there its best avoided. I think we managed two bottles of beer before we'd had enough.
All the places already mentioned are fun. Izmailovsky Market is also good for a laugh if they haven't closed it down. You can get loads of pirate DVDs, or wolf and bearskins, or amazing handcarved wooden boxes and ornaments. We have some wooden Christmas decorations we got there and they are so much better than anything you can buy in the UK. Also you can have some Plov for lunch, which I was a big fan of.
Good hotels are super expensive. I went out for a week before my stint and was in the Golden Ring. They said it would be about £3k and my firm told me to put it on my credit card and claim it back. I told them to stick it and sort it out themselves if they wanted me there.
Tiflis on Ostrozhenka was near my office, reasonably central and not too expensive. It had a cool Georgian restaurant too.
Gorky Park (or Park Kulturiy as its now called) is basically a tat funfair, but it does have a Buran (russian space shuttle) on site. Used to be across the river from my flat.
Skandinavia is a good restaurant popular with expats, has an English menu, and can be a fun place to watch the Russian mafia meeting as well.
Never felt unsafe in Moscow though, even when staggering around blind drunk on the local vodka.
Night Flight has already been mentioned. It is a nightclub, but is basically a pick up joint for hookers so if you don't want to be hassled all the time you are there its best avoided. I think we managed two bottles of beer before we'd had enough.
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