St. Petersburg Tallinn Helsinki Tour -RS

I think you may be overly cautious given any lack of evidence (as of today) that there are specific safety concerns (caveat - I haven't read any State Dept Travel Warnings and typically don't). The tour is in St. Petersburg for, what, three days or less? That's not a long time, most of which will be spent inside museums and other cultural attractions. Every tour company - RS included - strives to make its customers safe and will make adjustments if there is something going on. If you have major concerns and don't feel good about the trip or the tour leader's ability to shield you from any trouble, then perhaps it's better not to go. Or just wait, read the tour reviews as they come in, and decide when you have more input from recent travelers (I'm sure they too may have had some reticence in going, so see what they say). Besides, our current President allegedly wants better, not worse, relations with Russia so who knows what the future will hold.

Thank you, Agnes.

This is a great suggestion to check the tour reviews.

We originally were planning to add 4 days after the tour to take the train to Moscow. What are your thoughts about Moscow? We were talking about hiring a private guide as I think going completely on our own might be overwhelming.

Thanks for your help.

Judy B

I think the private guide idea for Moscow is a really sound one, and your interest in also adding Moscow makes sense to me (but don't forget you'll need so apply for a VISA because you'll be in Russia more than 3 days). If you were comfortable with Cyrillic (i.e. Russian language), then I would say strike out on your own...but it sounds like you'll get more out of your trip with a private guide, else the city really may be overwhelming. Honestly, when you are in the company of a tour or another person the whole time, I would not worry about the trip. There has always been a mystique in going to Russia due to the Cold War and so on. I have a friend in CA who has made two trips to Moscow/ St. Petersburg (one was a year ago, the other was a year prior to that) with her church group and really enjoyed herself...it really helped her to be with a native interpreter to navigate any language issues. Obviously I would refrain from making any political statements that are made here about Putin, Russia, hacking, propaganda, free speech, etc. Go with an open mind and see what you hear from people without judgment. It will be interesting, that's for sure.

I would , on balance , agree with Agnes' comments . We visited St Petersburg in 2015 , for three weeks , independently , and loved it . In spite of the political issues extant at the time ( Crimea , for example ) it was no different than any of our other European destinations . We are returning to Russia this Autumn ( three year visas ) for protracted stays in St Petersburg and Moscow , again independently ( our only way of traveling ) . There are no guarantees , of course , about the direction of the world community , but Russia is rich in Art , History , and Culture , and at our stage of life , which is often accompanied by a " September Song " , it would be a shame to miss this place .

I took the RS tour and when it was over took a river cruise which ended in Moscow. I would check seriously into the visa aspect because I think you need a visa whether or not you are there for less than three days (in most circumstances.) There is an exception but it (to the best of my recollection) had to do with coming in and going out and doing only things with escorted tour groups in a "Cruise Ship." You enter Russia via train on the RS cruise and I am fairly certain everyone on the tour had a visa, even those not staying on when the tour was over. This is what I found in Wiki about it:

Visa-free visits for up to 72 hours for cruise ship and ferry passengers

Since May 2009 international tourists entering by regular ferry via
several ports have been able to stay in Russia visa-free for up to 72
hours, provided that they spend the night on-board or in accommodation
specifically approved by the travel agency.[6]

In addition tourists entering by tourist cruise ships can leave the
ship visa-free on tours organized by any authorized local tour
company, when entering Russia through the ports of Anadyr,
Kaliningrad, Korsakov, Novorossiysk (Port of Novorossiysk), Murmansk
(Port of Murmansk), Sevastopol (Port of Sevastopol), Sochi (Port of
Sochi), St.Petersburg (Big port Saint Petersburg, Passenger Port of
St. Petersburg), Vladivostok, Vyborg, Zarubino (Port of
Zarubino).[7][8][9]

Entry to the port of St. Petersburg by regular ferry can be done only
from the ports of Tallinn (Estonia) or Helsinki (Finland). It is also
possible to travel visa-free for 72 hours from the port of Stockholm
with the stop in Helsinki.[10][11]

Although I would love to return to St. Petersburg, I am okay not seeing Moscow again (however I would go back if circumstances warranted, it was an interesting place.) In my experience, fewer Russians speak English than in many other parts of the "urbanized world" and it would not be the easiest country to try in on your own. I've taken many trips on my own but would likely not enjoy Russia nearly as much as I did without a good guide. I would not be too worried about the political situation. If you are, take trip insurance and, as stated above, it is likely RS will try and protect you if they think anything untoward is happening in the region. Personally, if I didn't have other places to see right now, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

I think the RS Tour has such a short stay in St. Petersburg precisely to get around the need for a VISA (just for the purposes of the tour and to keep the cost at a certain level). I have not been to St. Petersburg, but I bet there are enough things to see that you may find that you even want to stay there a little longer before taking the train to Moscow. Once you're there with the RS group, you may discover the city totally doable on your own for a few extra days. Just something to consider. If you have to go through the trouble and cost of getting a VISA, then you might as well maximize your visit, right?

The 72 hour Visa free rule ONLY applies to restricted entry to , and exit from Russia via ferry services as listed above . Any attempt to vary from that scenario is a clear violation of Russian law . Look here for the basics - https://stpeterline.com/en/visa-free-rule

Judy, I sent you a PM.

As far as the sheer amount to be experienced in Russia , this book is a MUST , in advance of a trip - https://www.amazon.com/Land-Firebird-Beauty-Old-Russia/dp/096441841X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485971509&sr=1-1&keywords=land+of+the+firebird

My understanding from reading the materials on this tour is that we would have to obtain Russian visas. We are spending 4 nights on the tour in St. Petersburg. And, going to Moscow for 4 days post tour would add to the necessity.

Steven, thanks for the book recommendation, I just looked it up on Amazon and will purchase it. I have long been a fan of the Russian writers!

TravelingMom, I sent you a PM.

Agnes, Ray and others, thank you for sharing your experiences and advice with me. I think we are not going on this tour this year as my friend feels pretty strongly that she wants to wait until next spring to do it. Her concerns center mainly on the uncertainty of our relations with Russia and how they may pan out. Of course, things can get better or deteriorate quickly as we all know. I think she would feel more confident if we wait and see. To that end, I will file all your comments in my folder for Russia - it is a bucket list item!

All is not lost - we are probably signing up for the RS Heart of Ireland in 8 Days tour and post-tour go to London and the Cotswolds for 6 days or so.

Happy Travels,
Judy B

Hi all,

We understand that people have concerns about travel to Russia at this time. A lot is going on with that country. But, at present, we feel that there are no safety issues for our tour members traveling there, nor that there will be any inconvenience to our tour groups in visiting the sites we have scheduled for the tour. We have been taking tours to Russia now for 7 years and all have gone off just fine. We realize that the times have changed and many people might have serious and valid objections about what is taking place in Russia and by the Russian government. But we feel traveling there is still worth it. We have great relations with our agents and vendors in Russia and most of the people you will encounter will be friendly and kind. We get very good feedback about our tour members from those we work with. They really enjoy and appreciate the kind of tour members we bring there on our tours. And the people who have taken this tour give great feedback about their experience there. You can see that in the 'Reviews' section on that tour's webpage. Of course we will continue to monitor the situation in the country and if any changes take place in Russia that we feel would impact our tours we will take that into account. But Russia is a fascinating country with an incredible rich history (both good and bad) worth seeing. And St Petersburg is an amazing city that I am sure you will enjoy visiting. As for those wondering about visas, if you who will be going on a Rick Steves tour to Tallinn, Helsinki and St Petersburg (and in most cases) you will need to obtain a Russian visa. We will send you all the information about acquiring one beforehand so you will be good to go. Please give us a call if you have any other questions. We would be happy to help you. Cheers.

Thank you, Keith, for your thoughtful reply. In the end, my friend really wants to wait and see what happens. So we have made our initial deposits to the Heart of Ireland tour for Sept. and are happily planning our activities. We will continue our vacation after the tour and go to London and the Cotswolds. Very excited!

Next spring 2018, we will seriously consider going on the Russia tour. I am not one to press the issue with my friend beyond her comfort zone. We both would love to go to St. Petersburg and Moscow. I love having plans for trips to look forward to!

Happy Travels!
Judy B

For your "future" tour to Tallinn-Helsinki-St. Petersberg: We did need to get a VISA for this tour but the folks in the RS office helped us immeasurably with getting all that done. They couldn't have been more helpful. The tour is wonderful and what Keith says about their agents and vendors there is all true. We felt very welcomed by everyone and never spent a moment worrying about safety. Of course, the political climate was different then. Although we weren't able to extend our stay for a trip to Moscow when the tour ended, several of our tourmates did this easily, most taking the train for St.Ps to Moscow. From all reports, it's definitely worth doing. You are already in Russia and you already have gone to the trouble and expense of obtaining the VISA. I know you'll enjoy Ireland but do keep this one on your radar, too. One of my favorites!

Dear Judy. We took the RS tour of Tallinn, Helsinki, and St Petersburg last May. The tour provides a great way to comfort your anxieties, as it did for us. You will need a visa! It will cost you, roughly, but pretty accurately, $400. You arrive in St. Petersburg by train from Helsinki. When the train crosses the border agents check your passport, visa and paper work. You receive what amounts to a "hall pass" to show if asked. The Rick Steves travel department can help you with questions about traveling on to Moscow. We were surprised at St. Petersburg and the seeming lack of police presence, expecting to be asked for our papers as in an old spy movie. This never happened. By far, Rome, Paris, and other big cities seem to have police on every corner. Not so in our observation in St Petersburg.. The Hermitage was crowded. The Spilt Blood was other-worldly. If you like art we cannot encourage you enough to see the Russian Museum. The works were splendid. The quality as great as any of the world's touted museums. I only wish we had allowed enough time as it would take two days to do it justice. St. Petersburg, itself, is worth the trip. Enjoy! Hank Novato CA