travel help for Russia

Because of all the red-tape, travel to Russia is more difficult to arrange than for most of the rest of Europe. I used a travel company called "White Nights" to help book my visits, but either they've changed their name, or are no longer in business. Look in Lonely Planet's Russia guide, they list some resources you can consult. Make sure you use the latest edition, because as I understand, the visa application process has changed recently.

There are many webpages which will help you plan. I have listed a few below for your convenience.

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-country/Russia/tpod.html
http://www.wordtravels.com/Travelguide/Countries/Russia
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/russia/overview.html
http://www.geographia.com/russia/rustip01.htm
http://www.wanderplanet.com/travel/eu/russia/rs.htm

I traveled to Moscow and St Petersburg for a week. I found it only slightly more difficult than travel in Europe. That is because of my inability to read signs. But you will find nationals eager to help you find your way.

I found many Russians who speak English; so language was not a barrier. I suggest you go and expect the excitement of adventure of travel in another culture.

Qualifying on what Carl wrote. Although English fluency is much lower in St. Petersburg (I haven't been to Moscow) than in the rest of Europe, you can usually find someone who speaks English if you need help. However, in many of the smaller cities, English speakers are much harder to find.

Although not absolutely necessary, having a rough knowledge the Cyrillic alphabet can make trips to Russia easier, especially if you venture beyond the main cities. For example, at train stations, the signs are almost always in Cyrillic only. Also, many words of importance to travelers sound similar in Russian and English but look very different when written. For example, "restaurant" looks like "PECTOPAH" (this website doesn't support Cyrillic characters).

When I traveled to St Petersburg the Tripadvisor forums had the best advice found on the web. http://tinyurl.com/8wygk3

Lonely Planet have a guide book on Russia, so perhaps their Thorn Tree site will prove to be useful.