Discover Russia
- General information
- Geographical position
- Climate
- Currency
- Transport
- Souvenirs
- National holidays
- Symbols and Traditions
- Russian cuisine
- Multi-national Russia
- Russian Visa
- Travel Tips
- Historical overview
- Golden Ring
Travel Tips
Working Hours
Offices — 9:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.
Service bureaus — 9:00 a.m. — 10:00 p.m
Shops — usually work from 9 a.m till 8 p.m, but in big cities many shops have prolonged working hours or even work 24x7.
Time
There are 11 time zones in Russia. The difference between Greenwich Mean Time and the time in some Russian cities is:
Moscow and St. Petersburg: +3
Khabarovsk and the Far East: +10
Entertainment
Theater, concerts, folklore performances, circus can be visited by tourists in big cities. Also there is normally a good choice of restaurants, bars and night clubs. All information of evening entertainments in Moscow can be obtained at Intourist Travel Service Bureau or Intourist desks at the hotels.
Museums
Usually museums are closed on Mondays. Admittance typically stops 1 hour before the official closing time. Usually its allowed to take pictures without using a flash, sometimes an extra charge is taken for making pictures.
Tourist seasons
Early summer and autumn are many people’s favorite periods for visiting Russia. By May everything becomes green and starts to bloom and October is famous for the “golden autumn” with yellow and red leaves falling from the trees. July and August are the warmest months. In winter snow makes everything very picturesque, but travelers are advised to have warm windproof clothes and waterproof comfortable boots with them.
Communication services
Mobile-phone services are provided in GSM 900/1800 by “Big Three” federal operators: MTS, Beeline, Megaphone and numerous local operators throughout the country. Internet access including Wi-Fi and Wi-max is available in hotels, internet-centers, clubs and restaurants in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and large cities.
The tariff for postal services and international and local telephone service on the territory of Russia is in roubles. Major hotels have post office facilities. Automatic dial telephone service is available in most areas of Russia. Tourists can dial directly from their room phone or from special pay phones in the lobby.
Russia has very wide range of newspapers, over 400 dail. Moscow Times is a daily newspaper in English and Moscow News in English is issued weekly.
Insurance
It is recommended to purchase travel insurance before traveling to Russia and the CIS or to buy insurance from a CIS insurance company.
Health and care medical services
Currently, there are no medical restrictions for entry into Russia. More detailed information is available in local health offices. First aid is provided free of charge if the tourist does not require a hospitalization.
Mentally or physically handicapped persons are welcome to travel in Russia if accompanied by a person to care for them.
Emergency
Federal emergency numbers
Fire protection department - 01
Militia (Police) - 2
Ambulance - 3
Ministry of Emergency situations (analogue of 911 rescue service) — 112
You can dial from fixed or mobile phone of any operator, even without sim-card and no money on the account
Paid help service of Moscow Telephone Operator (dial from fixed phone) - 009
Mooscow emergency numbers
Inquiries on the fast and urgent help:
+7 (495) 445-57-66
+7 (495) 445-01-02
+7 (495) 445-02-13
+7 (495) 624-31-17
Institute of fast aid named after Sklifosovsky:
+7 (495) 680-41-54
+7 (495) 680-93-60
Bureau of registration of accidents in Moscow (24 hours) - +7 (495) 688-22-52
GAI bureau of Car accidents in Moscow:
+7 (495) 208-82-24
+7 (495) 623-33-90
Lost and found
Lost and found bureau in metro - +7 (495) 622-20-85
Lost and found bureau in public transport - +7 (499) 763-36-69
Lost and found bureau of documents - +7 (499) 978-46-24
Telephone codes
Country code 7; international access code 8 (wait for second tone) 10.
Electric current
The electric current in Russia is 220V. European type plugs are required.