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First Trip to Russia....
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Posted by: nana

Greetings! I just found this site and think I will be spending a lot of time here.

My family is planning a trip to St. Petersburg in August of 2004, and we will be staying for 10 days. I am overwhelmed and need as much help and advice as I can get. I am fortunate that I do have some contacts in Russia, but the planning seems complicated to me.

My main question (for now) is this: We want to book our flight as soon as possible, and I am told that I need our hotel reservations and our visas when I make the flight reservations. Am I able to obtain visitors' visas this far in advance of the trip? I also do not understand how the cost of visas can vary so much....I find pricing from 35 dollars to over 150 dollars. Can anyone suggest a particular visa service I might contact?

I have many more questions and will be back, but anyone and everyone is welcome to contact me via my email address....whitsta@aol.com

Thank you very much for any help you can give me. nana

Posted by: JoeC2003

If you already have Passport find the closest location of a Russian Embassy.

Posted by: ConnerVT

You do not need to have a visa in hand or hotel reservations to purchase airline tickets to Russia. To buy tickets, all you need is the full names (as they are listed in their passports) of each person that is going to travel.

A tourist visa is issued for up to 30 days of travel. It is always wise to state your departure date as 30 days from your arrival, even if you are staying only 10 days. You never know when your plans may change.

The fee that the Russian Consulate charges for a tourist visa is $100 USD for each person. Along with the fee, you will need:

Passport (good for at least 6 months after your daye to leave Russia)
1 Passport-style photo
Application form + Supplemental Application form (males 16-45)
A standard tourist confirmation (visa support letter) from the authorized hosting Russian travel agency, registered with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The confirmation must contain the agency's reference number, registration number, official seal and signature of authorized person.(from Russian Consulate web site )

This last item (the "invitation letter") tends to be the most difficult part of the equation (along with meeting the strict "pre-paid" mailer rules for the consulate). Most people use a US based travel/visa agency. They typically charge ~$150.00, and supply the needed invitation documents and deal directly with the Russian Consulate.

Posted by: nana

Thank you very much for the responses to my inquiry! I am able to obtain the necessary "invitations" through a business contact in Russia, so that will not be a problem. I appreciate the information both of you gave, and I will be back, I am certain, with more questions!!

Today, we four got our airline reservations taken care of and we are so excited about this trip. We have been to many places and enjoyed them all, but a trip to Russia is a special dream come true. nana

Posted by: Vyesna

If you're going with your whole family, I would rent an apartment rather than stay in a hotel. It will be cheaper and probably more enjoyable and you can choose to make your own food sometimes if you want (also can be more enjoyable although the selection of cafes and restaurants in St Petersburg is pretty good now).

I lived there in 1997-98 and have been back in 2001 and 2002 and will go again in spring of 2004. I'm afraid I don't really know what it's like to be a typical tourist there as I've always been there either in a work context or visiting my husband's family, but if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask me.

Posted by: FL_Jef

I found the service at gotorussia.com to be very good, they delivered my passport when promised, all documetns were in order including invitation letter and hotel reservation. I had a different hotel but they understand the formailites involved and made sure it all would go through smoothly.

The hardest part of the trip paperwork wise was working with the hotel to get the reservation squared away, as they didn't have a strong English speaker on staff. But my girlfriend worked it all out and everything was great.

When you get off the plane, they don't always speak in English when giving instructions so you have to follow the crowd a bit. Border entry was long and slow but customs went quick.

I was in Moscow this summer and loved it!

Posted by: Tex

nana, you might also try Russia House (877 700 3535 ) out of Atlanta, Ga. They do a good job with visas and at a good price and also with airline tickets.