Your travel experiences - Moscow and the Ukraine

[Falling Down]

I have the opportunity to take in a business trip early December that involves a visit to Moscow including going to the British Embassy. I have not been to Moscow since 1983, so I think it may have just changed a bit. All the stuff I have heard has been bad with 8/10 visitors getting robbed, and hotel lobbies full of hookers and pimps (not all bad then).

I might also have the chance to go into the Ukraine, somewhere near the Dnieper River region. Ukraine is a completely different country to Russia now of course, and I have only recently realised that I might get shafted by the language there a bit (I speak some basic Russian), as it is not the same.

So...any experiences to relay, does, don'ts and general advice on the areaa please?

Thanks

[Stephanie Plum]

I stay at the Kempinski (just up from the British Embassy) regularly - there are a few reasonable bars and restaurants on that bit of the river bank. The hotel does have prostitutes hanging around, as did the previous hotel I used (also 5 star) so I think you just need to accept that. In terms of being robbed - well I haven't been, yet.

If I'm honest I don't find Moscow very appealing. There is some spectacular architecture for sure, but overall it seems soulless, unfriendly and grubby. You'll take your life in your hands everytime you get in a taxi. I haven't ventured onto the rail system. Best bit of the trip is leaving the tarmac at Domodedovo

However that's just me. Someone else will tell you it's a great city. If it's business and you're being paid, give it a go. Make sure you get someone who knows what they're doing to organise the visa though.

[Markytop]

I can't speak for Moscow, but I have been to the Ukraine for a week a couple of years ago. I went to Lviv, which is a beautiful city, but quite a distance from the Dnieper area so could be completely different. I was with my girlfriend of the time, who being Ukrainian was a massive help from a language point of view. I think without her I would have really struggled, although all the hotels and key airport staff do speak some English, but dont expect a full conversation. Outside of places where there are likely to be foreigners, then your basic Russian should be OK, at least for the essentials.

In terms of what to expect, well I loved it and want to return again to explore some more. I found Ukrainians very warm and welcoming, (although my girlfriend turned out not be in the end) even though the accent and delivery of the language can at first make it seem hostile.

Oh and expect to see something unusual that no-one else seems to bat an eyelid about. For example, there was a woman pushing a full size pig through the pedestrian area in the centre of town in a pram and was treating it just like a her baby. Things like that are normal apparently.

I would go an make the most of it before it becomes too 'westernised' like the rest of Eastern Europe.

[Falling Down]

Thanks to you both for the tips. The hotel in Moscow would be the Radisson Slavyanskaya. Quite pricey even with a special B&B rate of £170/night (but I guess Moscow is the capital, and I heard tremendously expensive now).

Markytop said:

Oh and expect to see something unusual that no-one else seems to bat an eyelid about. For example, there was a woman pushing a full size pig through the pedestrian area in the centre of town in a pram and was treating it just like a her baby. Things like that are normal apparently.

Thanks for that! Probably the funniest thing I have read on this site in the last year. I cannot wipe the smile off my face - priceless anecdote! Sounds like it is really worth going for the comedy gold.

[Mart-1]

Moscow Do's

Carry your passport with you at all times as you can be asked to show it if stopped by the police (tell the hotel they can take a photocopy but don't let them hold on to it)

Learn a few phrases such as hello / thanks / good morning - goes a long way with the locals

Find a good taxi driver or taxi service rather than hailing taxis randomly - I found many taxi drivers to be reckless maniacs

Bring welly boots or snow boots if traveling in winter - shoes quickly get ruined in the slush

Try the Metro and the train between the city and the airport

Enjoy the sight of supermodel-lookalike women everywhere


Moscow Don'ts

Don't fly Aeroflot if you have a choice of a western airline alternative

Don't expect all food to be a) what you ordered b) edible

Walk directly under roof eaves and gutters - over winter several Muscovites are killed by icicles falling off buildings

Don't assume the price of anything relates to the quality of what you will get by UK standards

Don't smirk at short ar*e police officers wearing the standard issue dustbin lid-sized peaked caps - I did at the airport once, and was given a thorough security check (no rubber gloves involved thankfully)



(Hookers WILL be in most hotel lobbies)

[The jiffle king]

Mart-1 said:

Moscow Do's

Carry your passport with you at all times as you can be asked to show it if stopped by the police (tell the hotel they can take a photocopy but don't let them hold on to it)

Learn a few phrases such as hello / thanks / good morning - goes a long way with the locals

Find a good taxi driver or taxi service rather than hailing taxis randomly - I found many taxi drivers to be reckless maniacs

Bring welly boots or snow boots if traveling in winter - shoes quickly get ruined in the slush

Try the Metro and the train between the city and the airport

Enjoy the sight of supermodel-lookalike women everywhere


Moscow Don'ts

Don't fly Aeroflot if you have a choice of a western airline alternative

Don't expect all food to be a) what you ordered b) edible

Walk directly under roof eaves and gutters - over winter several Muscovites are killed by icicles falling off buildings

Don't assume the price of anything relates to the quality of what you will get by UK standards

Don't smirk at short ar*e police officers wearing the standard issue dustbin lid-sized peaked caps - I did at the airport once, and was given a thorough security check (no rubber gloves involved thankfully)



(Hookers WILL be in most hotel lobbies)

Some good advice here...
Moscow is a great city if you are in the central part and are prepared to spend a little cash. I´ve been to Rostov in Russia and it´s nothing like Moscow and despite being a niec place, I would not want to be there in winter.
The metro is quite easy to navigate, you can make out the signs fairly well and I think the womens voice goes south and the mans north... would need to google to check.
I´ve not been since May this year, but was there every month last year and you need to take warm clothes, get a local´s view on the good restaurants (I like Goodmans for steaks) and enjoy the incredible sights of St Basils, the Kremlin and the architecture.
Where to stay???? good question, I´ve stayed in the Renaissance near Olympski (nice hotel, rubbish area for restaurants), Marriott Grand and Marriott Aurora. The Aurora is perfectly placed and is within 100m of the Bolshoi which recently re-opened. It´s not cheap, far from it, but you can walk everywhere.
If you need a reliable taxi from the airport, PM me and I´dd drop you the numbers of 2 guys who speak English... 1 even takes credit cards for 10% extra. You can also get the train quite easily from the airport for about 500 roubles.
PM me if you want more details.... I took TJQ for a weekend and she loved the city... does not want to live there though

PS - I like Aeroflot, but not for internal flights

[DBSV8]

Falling Down said:

Thanks for that! Probably the funniest thing I have read on this site in the last year. I cannot wipe the smile off my face - priceless anecdote! Sounds like it is really worth going for the comedy gold.

That Hotel , has without doubt the comfiest beds I have ever slept in , we were lucky we got an upgrade to a kingsize suite , for a week through work , excellent Hotel

Edit use the Metro its cheap , the architechture is fantastic , theres a bit of folklore that when the Metro was being built , the engineers showed Stalin the plans he put his coffee mug down and , when he picked it up there was a brown circle . No -one would argue so they built the circle line ..........oh heres a tip , dont take a metro map from the hotel , translated into English ....you will get lost , get a Russian cyrilic version , then you can at least compare the names to the map !!

Oh and avoid gypsy and peddlars they always work in gangs or run by mafia , infact if someone asks you something and your on the underground keep walking and just grunt or shrug your shoulders DO not speak , if you speak English = Tourist = target


If you get a chance visit the Kremlin , and st Basils , inside St basils ( onion dome ) is quite unique. theres also a shopping centre off the kremlin.

Edited by DBSV8 on Thursday 10th November 19:36

[llewop]

I've been working in Ukraine for about 3 1/2 years, although I suspect not where you're likely to be planning on visiting - the Dniper is a rather long river btw: I've only been to Kiev and north of there.

In the centre of Kiev you can just about get by even without any Russian and Russian is probably as handy as Ukrainian, I very much doubt the locals expect any foreigners to bother to learn Ukrainian. I'd expect you to be able to get by with your 'bit of Russian' and English, unless you're planning on going off the beaten track.

Even with language limitations I've found the majority of locals (especially away from the capital) to be friendly and helpful - it is very definitely a different world but worth the experience of visiting!

PM me if you want more Ukrainian stuff

[Falling Down]

Thanks everyone - some interesting insights there.

One question for both Russia and Ukraine, and that is money. I do not know if I am being paranoid, but I thought I might just get a credit card just for use on the trip. I could tell the credit company about when and where I am going, so if card gets cloned, there is some damage limitation. That a good / sensible idea?

Also, currency. Are we still in the age where I should just take cash in $US, or can you actually get local currency out of cash tills. Ukraine seems to have 'funny money', so don't want to bring it back, but not sure how acceptable/legal $US is instead. Any advice on this would be great!

Thanks

[llewop]

Can't speak for Russia, but in Ukraine; unless you're in Kiev or similar, forget your credit card - they look at you like you're off a different planet if you show them a foreign ccard! Where I live it's virtually cash only -fortunately many of the ATMs do link and let you get cash from your UK account, fees apply of course....

You can use or change dollars/euros in some places, there are street cash traders but I've heard there has been a squeeze on them recently, so may have to search them out.

If you have any trouble getting rid of surplus funny money 'grivna' at the end of your trip, I'd be prepared to swap it for £££ - I'm sure I can use it fairly easily.

[DBSV8]

Falling Down said:

Thanks everyone - some interesting insights there.

One question for both Russia and Ukraine, and that is money. I do not know if I am being paranoid, but I thought I might just get a credit card just for use on the trip. I could tell the credit company about when and where I am going, so if card gets cloned, there is some damage limitation. That a good / sensible idea?

Also, currency. Are we still in the age where I should just take cash in $US, or can you actually get local currency out of cash tills. Ukraine seems to have 'funny money', so don't want to bring it back, but not sure how acceptable/legal $US is instead. Any advice on this would be great!

Thanks

For Moscow , Uk debit cards work fine in cash machines although they do incur a 2 quid charge ,

The best bank to use is Sberbank its the national bank , never had any issues using my debit card , i have never tried it in shops mind just get the cash out you need