Monday, October 13, 2025

Russia 2019: 14-Day Tour

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Russia 2019: 14-Day Tour

Russia: 9th to 23rd May 2019
Small Group (Non-cycling) 14-Day Tour of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg & the Golden Ring Cities):
Kuala_Lumpur>Thai Airways>Bangkok (transit)>Thai Airways>Moscow>van>Sergiyev Posad>Rostov>Suzdal>van>Moscow>Red Arrow Sleeper Train>St. Petersburg>Sapsan HSR>Moscow>Thai Airways>Bangkok (transit)>Thai Airways.
(See day-to-day blogs for more detailed routes)
Russia is a BIG country, so big that even during a fortnight tour we only visited a very small corner of the country - i.e., Moscow, St. Petersburg & the Golden Ring Cities! The country spans two continents, i.e., Asia and Europe (three if they had not sold off Alaska). Decades ago, as the USSR, it was an even much bigger country before it broke apart into several countries that included the now independent Baltic States and Soviet Central Asia.
It surprises me that we somehow or other we managed to go on this Russian adventure! Noting that we did most of the planning and booking ourselves (actually, a few of the girls did this). Somehow or other, we managed to get Russian Tourist visas without fully relying on a tourist agency (which was no easy thing back then), plan an itinerary, book our accommodations, train tickets, and make contact with a couple of Russian tour agents for ground arrangements.
OK..... the initial tough part over, let's see what Russia holds for us!
(Note: This is an expansion of a brief blog of our Russia 2019 tour, which is now expanded to daily blogs.)

BLOGS
Below are the daily blogs of our tour. click on the respective photos to read. Further below are some travel trips for this region. It was an interesting and awesome tour, so come and have a look:


BLOGS COMING SOON, STAY TUNED!!!


(Next...  The Balkans)
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Russia 2019 Travel Route Map:
(Click Here overall Russia 2019 Tour Route Map)
See respective daily blogs for detailed daily route maps.
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TRAVEL TIPS FOR RUSSIA

Below are some general tips on travelling in Russia:

1. Traffic Directions!
    Driving in Russia is left-hand drive, and driving is on the right-hand side of the road. Do look to the correct side when crossing roads.
    Speed limits are between 60 km/h within urban areas, 110 km/h along expressways, and 120 km/h on highways.

2. Getting to & around Russia.
    Since Russia's "special military operation" into Ukraine, accessibility to Russia by air has been limited. But several airlines (including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines) still operate flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
     We flew return with Thai Airways from Kuala_Lumpur (KLIA) to Moscow (Domodedovo Airport) with short transits at Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport). Presently, Thai Airways still flies from Bangkok to Moscow but now lands at Vnukovo Airport.
     We booked hotels, train tickets, and several meals via the internet. Ground arrangements (and airport transfers) in Moscow were made through Alexander of Angel Tour, who can be contacted through WhatsApp at this phone number: +7926-435-86-87.
     Ground arrangements (and train station transfers) in St. Petersburg were made through another local agent in St. Petersburg.
    Travelling around the cities was in a 16-seater van. Travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg was with the Red Arrow Sleeper Train and the Sapsan High Speed Train.
    For out-of-pocket spending, we exchanged some Russian Rubles before leaving. We also brought along our Big Pay debit cards, as these can be used to withdraw Russian Rubles at ATMs. Debit and credit cards can also be used, but many smaller shops or market stalls only accept cash transactions.

3. Immigration & Customs Requirements
    Tourists entering Russia will need a tourist visa, which can only be obtained via a TOURIST CONFIRMATION VOUCHER issued by a Russian travel agency or a Russian hotel that has the license to invite foreign tourists. This can be done through a local travel agency with affiliation to a Russian travel agency to obtain this invitation letter. The following is a list of countries that are visa-exempt to enter Russia.
    For Malaysians, leaving and returning to Malaysia, getting through immigration is easier now. Just install and register MyBorderPass, and getting through will be a breeze. A QR code will be generated, have this scanned, and you're through.
 
4. Places & Things of Interests  
    There were many scenic and interesting places of interest, but one should not miss the following:
    a. St. Basil's Cathedral (Храм Василия Блаженного) (GPS: 55.75252, 37.62308) in Moscow.
    b. The Moscow Kremlin (Моско́вский Кремль) (GPS: 55.75097, 37.61757), and kremlins of other Russian cities.
    c. The Diamond Fund (Алмазный фонд), a secured chamber within the Moscow Kremlin, which holds the Imperial Crown of Russia, and other Russian Crown Jewels.
    d. Tour of the Moscow Metro stations with their beautiful architecture.
    e. The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius (Тро́ице-Се́ргиева Ла́вра) (GPS: 56.31068, 38.13047), and other Russian monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church, within the Golden Ring Cities.
    f. Catherine Palace (Екатерининский дворец) (GPS: 59.71612, 30.39565), and Peterhof Grand Palace (ГМЗ "Петергоф") (GPS: 59.88458, 29.90880) in St. Petersburg.
    g. The State Hermitage Museum (Государственный Эрмитаж) (GPS: 59.93983, 30.31455) in St. Petersburg.
   
5. Food
    As Russia is a big country with diverse people and culture, Russian Food is wide-ranging. But do not miss the following:
    a. Russian Caviar, especially the black caviar and the highly prized Beluga Caviar.
    b. Borscht soup, and 
    c. Russian Vodka.

6. Accommodations
   Accommodations were mostly at hotels booked via the internet. Cost of accommodations varies and is more expensive in Moscow. 

7. Communicating with Each Other
    When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. Back then, it was not easy to buy Russian Sim cards, and our Moscow guide bought them for us before we arrived.
    Even now, it is not easy to purchase a SIM card. However, it is possible to buy Russian Sim cards online, just be aware of the restrictions posted earlier.

8. Communicating with Locals
    At hotels and tourist spots, locals speak fairly good English. In the smaller towns most locals speak only Russian. As such, it would be good to know some basic Russian.

9. Dressing
    When entering churches and monasteries, it is advisable to wear long pants, especially for women. Ladies will also have to wear headscarves or veils. Caps and hats should be taken off when in the churches and monasteries.
    
10. Weather
    Temperatures across Russia are generally pleasant in May, and warm later in the month without being too hot. You'll need a light jacket and sweater even for the daytime, but nothing extreme.
     In May, expect highs of 18°C in Moscow, 16°C in St. Petersburg, 17°C in Irkutsk, and 15°C in Vladivostok.
     Useful weather forecast sites for Russia is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

11. Navigation
    I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.
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RELATED BLOGS:











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