There's not a good place for questions about this tour, new for 2009. We signed up for one for August. I'm worried about mosquitoes, and about Russia. Just Russia in general. Also the need for a visa. I gather you can't be spontaneous about a trip to Russia? How tough is it to communicate? Can my vegetarian wife find anything to eat? How do you say 'vegetarian' in Russian, Estonian, and Finnish?
Lots of questions. I can't believe we're doing this.
I've been to St Petersburg, and I didn't much of problem with the language barrier. In the city center along Nevsky Prospect there are tourist street signs in western script pointing to the major attractions. Most locals at the tourist sites spoke some English; as a general rule the younger they are, the more likely they know English. Being a vegetarian in Russia might be a challenge, it shouldn't be a problem in Helsinki.
If you're on a tour you'll be with a tour guide all the time who speaks English. You will need to get a visa in advance of your trip, and the tour company will assist you with that. They will probably provide you forms and instructions for applying. If you haven't traveled internationally before you'll want to get your passports applied for now. The turnaround time is less than three weeks now, but you want to have them in hand in plenty of time so you can get your visas (they have to be mailed in with the application).
Hi Jim,
Try "to the North". I'm going on a cruise in June, to Scandanavia & St. Petersburg so I've been "cruising" that board. There seems to be quite a bit about Russia there.
We have traveled internationally many times. We've taken a couple of RS tours, and the tour guide is not with you all the time - you have quite a bit of free time and some rudimentary knowledge of the language is helpful. The RS folks have sent a phrase book in the past.
The RS folks do not do the visa for you for Russia. They promise 'more visa information'.
I will try the 'to the North' board but I hadn't seen any references to these countries there.
Here is I'm a vegetarian in Estonian:
Ma olen taimetoitlane
Sorry I cannot help in Finnish or Russian.
And apparently, the visa application process just became a little more difficult. The Russsian embassies and consulates will no longer process an application sent by mail. Your options are now to either visit the embassy or a consulate in person (closest one to you is in Houston), or use an auxillary service, which are listed on the embassy website:
Sorry, Jim, I guess I didn't assume you were talking about an RS tour. I took a tour to China with another company (it also required a visa). That company posted the visa applications on their website and were available by 800 number to answer questions if you had them. (That company also offered Russia tours and had the Russian visa application on their website.) And our guide was with us all of the time. Your question sounded like you are uneasy about the trip, so I guessed you hadn't traveled where you didn't speak the language before. Sorry if I offended.
Interesting. The Russian embassy website says you (may) have to show them your return ticket when entering on a tourist visa. Of course, e-tickets are the norm nowadays, so I wonder how that works. Pay the airline extra for a paper ticket?
I don't have occasion to go to Houston very often. Looks like one of those other agencies will have to be it. (And of the three links on their website, one points back to itself, so there's really only two.)
Oh, well, it must have been harder during the Cold War - or you just wouldn't have tried.
The company I used to get my visa (gotorussia.com) is still offering the service, even though they're not on the list from the embassy. http://tinyurl.com/6oharp I used an e ticket from KLM when I went to St. Pete with no problems. Most airlines don't even offer paper tickets anymore; even if your willing to pay for it. I'm sure a printout of your itinerary/receipt would suffice.
I obtained my Russian visa using the Russian Government webpage. It took only a couple of weeks and saved the fee that companies charge for doing it.
I found all kinds of food there. I spent a week in Russia and a week in Estonia and Finland.
I found very little difference in food between Finland, Estonia and Russia.
No problem communicating in Russia. Just keep asking for someone who speaks English and you will find one. Lots of young people.
Carl - as someone noted above, the Russian government no longer offers the visa by mail service. You have to either go to a consulate or use one of the companies.
Normally, if you are on a paid tour in Russia, you don't need a Visa. If you travel on your own you need to get a Visa. I'm not sure how it will work for a Rick Steves tour.
From the FAQ for the tour:
<<Will I need visas for this tour?
For U.S. citizens, a visa is required for entering Russia only. You should apply for a 30-day Russian visa 90 days before your tour is scheduled to enter Russia (visa servicing centers do not accept applications farther in advance). Our Tour Department cannot process your visa for you. However, after you sign up for the tour we'll send you more visa information.>>
I guess, since many of the tour members will go on and do some independent travel after the tour ends, there's no practical way for ETBD to get the visas. You have to get your own. At least that's how I read it.
