If you are a citizen of a Western European country, America, Canada or Australia, you need a visa to enter Russia.
The type of visa depends on your destination. If you plan to stay in a hotel, you apply for a tourist visa. Don't forget to register your passport at the reception desk at the day of arrival. Otherwise you can be fined.
Russian Visa Online offer express online visa services for people who want to travel to Russia. This should save you a lot of time.
If you don't stay in hotels but only with your lady, you need a private visa. In that case she has to send you an official invitation to travel to Russia.
We do not recommend applying for a private visa, as it requires a lot of paperwork from your lady's side plus it takes you a lot of time in Russia, because you have to register at the local aliens police.
You better book a hotel room, apply for a tourist visa, register your passport at the hotel, and stay with your lady for the rest of your trip.
Often you are even obliged to stay in a hotel the first night, when you have to change planes in Moscow.
Business men can apply for a business visa to travel to Russia, but need an invitation from a Russian company.
Visa procedures easily take a month or more, depending on the Russian consulate in your country, so don't wait too long.
It is not possible to get your visa at arrival in Russia.
What you should get is a migration card, available at a desk near passport control at Moscow international airport. You should fill in this card (it’s more like a form) and keep one half with you during your stay.
For Ukraine and other CIS countries rules are quite similar. But you should know that regulations sometimes change unexpectedly. A good travel agency can tell you all the details.
There are also marriage agencies who can assist you with your travel planning.
Transport
Several airlines offer direct flights to Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, or you can get there with one or two stopovers. Lufthansa also has connections to other major cities in Russia like Ekaterinburg, Samara and Kazan.
The following companies sell tickets to Moscow, and offer services like hotel bookings and car rentals as well:
Cheap Tickets
Discountfares.com
If your lady doesn't live in Moscow or Saint-Petersburg you may have to book a domestic flight (usually operated by local airlines) which often requires a one night stopover.
Don't be afraid to fly Aeroflot. Their safety record used to be poor, but nowadays Aeroflot's service and aircrafts meet international standards.
Ukraine's capital Kiev is also pretty easy to reach by airplane. For destinations in other CIS countries you may have to change in Moscow. There is a wide choice of domestic flights, which are operated by local airlines. Service might not be what you are used to, but they work.
Big cities also have good and affordable train connections, but timetables are not always reliable. For long distances you will often have to take a night train.
Book a separate compartment that can be locked: it will make you feel safer.
I do not advise you to hire a car (if at all possible), especially not if you’re not used to the wild Russian driving style.
Accommodation
Times of KGB agents in Intourist hotel lounges are over, but hotel facilities still leave a lot to be desired for Westerners.
However, in Moscow the standard has gone up the past years since more and more people travel to Russia. Unfortunately the prices have too.
Anyway, there is a hotel for every budget nowadays and even cheaper hotels, like the huge Izmailovo complex in Moscow, offer clean rooms and acceptable service. There are also very expensive hotels, of which many are part of a Western chain.
Star ratings won't help you much though: three stars in Russia mean something else than three stars in the US or Europe.
Some hotel lobbies are filled with ladies trying to attract the attention of lonesome Western men. Be warned: if you want a partner for life, these women are not the kind you are looking for.
Sasha Hotels Moscow offers probably the best selection of hotel accommodation in Moscow, for heavily discounted prices.
Language
Few Russians speak English, and when there's no one around to help you, communication can be quite difficult for Westerners.
Pocket dictionaries with voice travel phrasebooks will make your life a lot easier if you want to speak a bit of Russian yourself. Buy it before you travel to Russia.
Safety
Despite mafia killings, terror attacks and kidnappings, Russia is a reasonably safe place for foreigners. If you visit Moscow you should take the same precautions as if you would visit Paris or Rome.
However, it's wise not to attract attention. Russians dress rather conservatively, so people will definitely recognize you as a foreigner if you wear flashy shirts, which increases your chance of getting robbed.
Health risks are equally small. Vaccination is not required if you travel to Russia.
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