1. visa application
Although Russia and China are not exempt from visas, in a sense, they are actually exempt from visas. Because, the free travel visa can be handled directly in the omnipotent X Bao, which has many agencies. As long as you send me your passport and visa photos, you can successfully get a visa within one week. In addition, along with the visa, I will send you a printed invitation letter in Russian, so be sure to keep it safe.
2. Customs clearance
So when you go through customs, remember to keep the invitation letter properly, and be sure to book the return ticket in advance and show it. So there is basically no problem. After customs clearance, a page of entry-exit registration form will be inserted into your visa and collected when you leave the country. Remember to keep it safe. It's troublesome to lose it.
3.? online communication
It is suggested to buy a Russian mobile phone sim card in China, which is generally made by Beeline Company, and the trademark is a bee-colored ball. After playing for a week, you can buy the package with 7-day traffic plus phone bill and 5 G 4G network traffic, and you can surf the Internet unimpeded in St. Petersburg and Moscow. It also includes 500-minute calls and 200-minute international calls. The key is only more than 60 RMB, which is simply the price of cabbage.
The ubiquitous wireless network will bring great convenience to your trip to Russia. By the way, people don't have walls. Remember to download Google Maps and Google Translate on your mobile phone. It is no problem to use these two basic things to fight all of Russia. There is no need to download the software recommended by other raiders. Install Uber and Airbnb at most.
The country code of Russia is +7.
4. Language problems
Everyone will say that this is the most difficult one. From the Soviet Union to Russia, English is not only discouraged, but also rejected, so English can hardly be seen in public places, road signs and transportation. The subway also translated a row of fine print under the station name, and the bus stop signs were all in pure Russian. In large-scale restaurants, shops and hotels, service personnel can generally communicate in some simple English, not to mention those small shops and restaurants run by individuals.
So I suggest using Google Translate to automatically translate photos to deal with all kinds of Russian. Of course, we should also do some homework, such as subway stations, famous scenic spots and so on. You should at least know the spelling in Russian. Over time, you will probably know the correspondence between English letters and Russian letters. In addition, if you really don't understand Russian, make gestures.
Step 5 transport
It is worth noting that there are several airports in Moscow, which are two hours' drive away from each other. Remember to distinguish clearly when buying a plane ticket, otherwise it will be embarrassing to see something wrong at the airport.
Russia's railway station is different from other places. It has a specially named station, which leads there. For example, there is a St. Petersburg railway station in Moscow, which goes to St. Petersburg. Similarly, there is a Moscow station in St. Petersburg. I have no chance to go from Beijing to Moscow by train, because the price is much more expensive than the plane.
There is no obvious sign in the subway station to tell you that this is XX station, that is to say, if you can't read the station name announcement in the subway, you can't see where it is when you look at the platform outside. Of course, you can tell from the style when you go more, but new tourists still rely on Google Maps. In which direction the subway goes, you can find the name of the next station on the road map of the subway station. Those gray stations have passed.
Even the exterior of the subway station should be designed magnificently. As for what's inside, let's see for ourselves.
6. Accommodation reservation
It is highly recommended to book B&B on Airbnb. Because these homestays are often in downtown areas, public security is good and it is convenient to go to the main attractions in the city. Russian homestays are generally collective apartments left over from the Soviet era. It feels good. The heating is sufficient and the facilities are complete. The environment is also relatively quiet. Moreover, people who rent houses in Airbnb are generally well educated, and speaking English is not a problem at all. Generally, the price per night is around 200 yuan.
The corridor of the old apartment still has a hint of Soviet era.
If you book a hotel, try not to choose those famous hotels in Russia, because the price/performance ratio is not high and the service attitude is average. And don't book small hotels in remote areas.
7. Dietary differences
Personally, I think Russian food is not as bad as I thought. At least I want to have a sip of their hot soup every day. The real Luo Songtang is actually red vegetable soup, which is completely different from what we drink at home. However, pastry soup, cream mushroom soup and so on are all familiar flavors.
Jean Luo Songtang, with cream next to it, can be added as appropriate.
8. Security:
Although it is found on the Internet that Russian public security is not good and thieves are rampant, you can't go alone at night. But at least I didn't feel this in two big cities. Policemen patrolling in uniforms can be seen everywhere, and from beginning to end, no one has tried to pickpocket. I've met people who are drunk and crazy. Ignore them. If you walk in a place like Neva Street at night, you can rest assured. Later, I once drilled an empty alley by myself, and I didn't feel unsafe at all, but I still suggested to be vigilant.
9. Shopping
The devaluation of the ruble has made Russia almost a purchasing paradise. It is true that buying a lot of luxury goods in Russia will be cheaper than at home. Personally, I have been to the cheapest one, near Neva Street in St Petersburg. It's about 1/3 cheaper than in China, but I haven't searched carefully, and there may be a lower price.
As for other specialties, caviar is very good, but the price is low. . Besides, people in China don't like this stuff. Amber and Zijin both look beautiful, but if you are not an expert, you should be careful to be cheated (think of those who use fake cultural relics to pit foreigners). As for dolls, medals and other souvenirs, most of them are produced by small domestic workshops, and the premium is very high. Finally, I think vodka is the most worth buying.
Attractions worth visiting in Moscow:
Red Square Circle: Kremlin, Alexandria Park, Lenin's Mausoleum, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Ascension of Saint Vasily, National History Museum, Patriotic War Museum, Gum National Department Store, etc.
Other attractions in the city include:
Moscow University: The school buildings are magnificent old buildings, and you can also overlook moscow river from Sparrow Mountain.
New Saints Cemetery: There are many famous Russian tombs there.
Arbat street: a commercial street suitable for shopping, but obviously not as good as Neva street in St. Petersburg.
There is also Jinhuan Town in the suburbs: a satellite city around Moscow. The scenery still retains the feeling of a small European town in the past. There are all kinds of orthodox churches, green mountains and green waters, and it is not bad to go by train. The most famous are sergeyev, Vladimir and Suzdari.
If you want to go to some unpopular, mysterious and exciting places where people come and go, I recommend these:
Cold War Museum
Star City: As a base for training astronauts in the former Soviet Union, it is now open to the outside world. You can enter the spaceship to experience the training of astronauts and eat space food. The exhibits are full of the atmosphere of the US-Soviet space competition.
Gulag History Museum: It displays the (black) historical archives of labor camps in various parts of the Soviet Union during the Gulag period. This museum only opened on 20 14, which is quite high and worth visiting.
Abandoned Hovrinskaya Hospital: The legendary location of the Moscow City of Terror is an abandoned hospital where female employees were killed, and its structure is similar to the umbrella company in Resident Evil.
reference data
Zhihu, Zhihu [citation time 20 18- 1-24]