Russia

Russia is the largest country in the world; it is twice as large as the second largest country in the world, Canada. It spans 11 time zones. When traveling in Russia, you should know that it is important to know at least a little Russian, as that is the official language of the country. It would be useful to know some of the common courtesy phrases, and things like that. In the business centers and for many young people, English is sometimes spoken enough for understanding, but do not expect to be able to get by without learning any Russian.

In order to get into the country, you will need to get a Visa except for citizens of very few countries, like those on the Western boarder of the country. You also need an “invitation” or to show that you have booked and paid for your sleeping accommodations beforehand. You should keep your tourist Visa and passport with you at all times. This is due to the ID checks commonly done in major cities by police officials, who can keep you up to three hours for identification authentications. You will probably arrive by plane and while in the country, might use smaller airlines to travel around. You will find that Russia has an extensive railway network that expands across the country. It is usually reliable, and reached almost all cities and towns. It is pretty comfortable and generally safe. In order to pay for your expenses while in Russia, you will HAVE to use Rubles, they are the official currency of the country, and is generally the only tender accepted.