We went to Russia in August 2026, and this has been one of the most interesting trips of our lives — and also one of the most controversial.
We were in Russia for 10 days and visited 2 cities: Moscow and St. Petersburg. Here are 7 things we learned that you need to know and prepare for before your trip to Russia:
1. Prepare Cash!
Visa and Mastercard do not work in Russia, so make sure you bring enough cash with you.
You can either bring enough Russian Rubles (RUB) from your home country or bring USD or EUR. These are the 2 currencies that are widely accepted at money changers in Russia.
2. You Will Need a VPN
Russia has some of the strictest internet restrictions in the world, so you may not be able to access many global websites and apps during your trip.
We used Browsec VPN, which a local recommended to us. It’s free and worked perfectly for us in both Moscow and St. Petersburg.
3. You Will Need an eSIM
We couldn’t find an easy way to buy a physical SIM card in Russia, not even at the airport.
Instead, we purchased an eSIM through the Nomad eSIM app, which was much easier for us. You can also get 25% off with my code: VANESSAXN.
4. Avoid Taxis at the Airport
Be careful when taking taxis from the airport because they can seriously overcharge tourists.
We were charged RUB 6,000, while locals told us it should only cost around RUB 2,000 from the airport to the city. Some of the drivers were also quite aggressive.
Instead, we recommend taking the local bus to the nearest Metro station. It only cost us around RUB 450 and was much cheaper.
5. Book Your Hotels Through Trip.com
Trip.com worked perfectly for us when booking hotels in Russia.
Since Trip.com is a Chinese travel app, we didn’t have any issues booking hotels through the platform. However, there was one strange thing we noticed: you need to change the language to something other than English. For some reason, when we used English or some european languages, we couldn’t find any hotels in Russia. We tried to change the language settings into Bahasa Indonesia, Melayu Malaysia and Mandarin Chinese all works well
Here are some hotel recommendations in Moscow:
6. Book Train Tickets in Advance
If you’re planning to visit St. Petersburg from Moscow, we recommend booking your train ticket at least 1 week in advance.
The earlier you book, the better deals you can get, and sometimes the trains can also be fully booked.
7. Get the Moscow Transport Pass
When you’re in Moscow, you can purchase a 3-day transport pass for around RUB 800.
You can use it unlimited for 3 days on the Metro, buses, and trams, which we found to be the best deal.
If you buy individual tickets instead, each trip can cost around RUB 65, so the 3-day pass can save you quite a bit if you’re using public transportation frequently.
Overall Thoughts on Traveling to Russia
Overall, we had such an amazing time in Russia.
The buildings are incredibly aesthetic, colonial, and historic. The streets are clean, and we felt very safe walking around. We didn’t experience or feel unsafe at all during our 10-day trip.
Russia was definitely one of the most interesting countries we’ve ever visited, and there were so many things we didn’t expect before coming here.
So, these are 7 things we wish we knew before traveling to Russia. We hope this Russia travel guide helps you prepare for your trip and makes your journey a little easier!
Explore More Hidden Gems in Russia
If you’re planning a longer trip, check out our other Russia travel blogs featuring Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and many other cities — each offering its own unique blend of nature and culture.
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We went to Russia in August 2026, and this has been one of the most interesting trips of our lives...
