Tag Archives: visa to Russia

Russia Should Abolish Visas for the EU, America and the Developed World. Top Russian Official Agrees.

If Western sanctions against Russia are to continue, Russia is in a unique position to take advantage of the situation by relaxing visa rules and welcoming tourists.

Right now, you can get almost twice as many roubles for your money as you could a year ago. This makes Russia cheaper to visit than it ever was.

However, the current onerous requirements and unnecessary bureaucracy to obtain a visa to Russia has been holding Russian tourism back for many years. The current visa system is inconsistent, inconvenient, and puts many people off travelling to Russia.… Click here to continue reading this article

2013 Musings from Togliatti, Russia: Cost of Living, Money and Finances

Note: Values are in £ Sterling. There are 100 pence (p) in £1. Those who think in Dollars must multiply by 1.5 to get a Dollar figure. Thus, £100 is $150, 30p is 45c, etc. You get the idea…

My wife is fond of telling me “people” earn £200 a month in Russia. I don’t know why she says this, as I never met anyone I supposed was on £200 a month for a long, long time. I since pointed out that she hasn’t lived there full time since 2005 and things may have changed.… Click here to continue reading this article

2013 Musings from Togliatti: Russia is Changing.

I have just returned from a visit to Togliatti, so I thought I would make a few notes about the changes I see in this lesser visited part of Russia as an occasional visitor.

Readers may wish to comment, disagree, discuss, ask questions or whatever.

First impressions after a three year absence. 

Usually when you get on the road, you get the gargling paraffin taste in your throat that is the pollution. It is normally so bad that I need some antibiotics after a few days to quell my swollen throat.… Click here to continue reading this article

Samara KUF Russia Passport Control Problems

Samara Passport Control

I always found Moscow a bit of a pain to connect internally through (although I gather it has improved since I last went through there), and the flight is shorter from the UK to Frankfurt and from there to Samara. Plus the FRA-KUF route is served by Lufthansa and not Yuri Air so is usually on time and half decent. And being a German airline, the luggage usually arrives at the same time as me. Added to which, the UK to Frankfurt and then Samara is almost a straight line on the map.… Click here to continue reading this article