Land of the great Tsars
With its 17.1 million square kilometers, Russia is a land of adventure and diversity, stretching from the Middle East to Asia. The land of the Tsars has preserved its historic monuments, such as the famous Kremlin, the Bolshoi Theatre, Basil the Blessed Cathedral, the Yuspov Palace and many others that will introduce you to Russia’s intense and fascinating history. For the more adventurous, board the Trans-Siberian Railway and discover Siberia and Lake Baikal, all the way to Vladivostok on the Sea of Japan. You’ll be the spectator as the two capitals, St Petersburg and Moscow, battle it out. Wherever you are, however, the hospitality of the locals will always be there, a skilful blend of joy and melancholy, ruggedness and friendliness.
GMT+3
Russian ruble
(RUB)
+7
Some words and expressions in the language
Russia spans 11 time zones, from GMT+2 to GMT+12. The time difference is from one to eleven hours (when it’s 12:00 noon in Brest, it’s 1:00 p.m. in Kaliningrad, 2:00 p.m. in Moscow and St Petersburg, 9:00 p.m. in Vladivostok and 11:00 p.m. in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski).
We recommend that you keep your vaccinations up to date. As always, it’s important to be protected against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, hepatitis A and B, measles and, possibly, rabies. The risk of food poisoning (typhoid, salmonellosis, hepatitis A) is high, even in Moscow and St Petersburg. The usual rules of prevention must be observed: food cooked and eaten hot, capped drinks (especially water).
Valid passport, valid for duration of stay, for French, Belgian or Swiss nationals. For other nationalities, we’ll be happy to help you with all the formalities. Visas required for French, Belgian and Swiss travelers. For other nationalities, we’ll be happy to help you with all the formalities. To obtain a visa, you will need to provide: Passport + a photocopy of the page bearing the holder’s photo, the official visa application form, a passport photo, the original certificate of repatriation insurance recognized by the Russian consulate (please note that the certificate must clearly state “insurance certificate” in its title, and must cover the entire tour + 1 day of return travel, with a statement of the amount of coverage, medical expenses and repatriation, which must be equal to or greater than 30000 euros), Voucher and confirmation in Russian. Non-French nationals of a European Union member country residing in France must also present a certificate of domicile (issued by the local town hall). Ditto for Belgium. Non-Swiss residents in Switzerland require a residence permit.
