Tips for travel to Russia

While Russia can be a very rewarding destination for travelers because of its art, history, and culture, it is not a country where trying to stick to a rather tight budget will be effortless. The ruble's recent drop against the dollar (35.7 Rubles/$ as of 3/9/2009), has made Russia a somewhat more appealing destination for budget travelers this year.

All Americans need a valid passport and a visa to visit Russia. While getting a tourist visa for most countries that require one involves little more than forking over some money at their embassies or consulates, for Russia and several of the other former Soviet countries the process is a bit more involved.

Saint Petersburg, RussiaUnfortunately, in some respects Russia hasn't progressed very far since the Soviet days and remains one of the most bureaucratic places on earth. Russia requires not only a visa for entry but a so-called "letter of invitation" in order to be granted a visa. If you are traveling with a tour, the tour company will normally provide the letter of invitation which may or may not be included in the tour price. If traveling independently, proof of an advance hotel booking for your stay should be sufficient evidence to obtain a letter of invitation and visa.

If this all seems very complicated, it is, and it would probably be best to use a commercial service to help you obtain the required documents for an additional fee. Yes, I know it hurts to pay extra fees, but in this case it's worth it.

I have had very good experiences with G3 Visas and Passports for obtaining visas for ex-Soviet countries. The embassy fee for the whole package for a 30-day tourist visa is $206 with 12 business days to process. G3's fee is $55. Fees rise substantially for faster processing time.