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Russia
Assuming you can get a flight, there is still some cheap accommodation in Moscow.
The Voschod Hotel say they have doubles available for 2,400 rubles per night (about £25 each). Be prepared for a very basic facility though. The Hotel Sovietsky (a deliciously kitsch venue just north of the Garden Ring) have rooms for 7,200 rubles - £156. The Warsaw Hotel has singles for 4,300 rubles (about £94) and doubles for 6,250 (about £135 or £68 each). Like Home Apartments have flats available before and after the match.
And if you need a visa try Real Russia: they’re among the cheapest, and you’ll be able to track progress of your application online.
voschod.ru/en/
www.sovietsky.ru
Warsaw Hotel - tel: 495 238 7701
www.likehome.ru
www.realrussia.co.uk
Do not bring old, dirty US bills. They won't accept a bill prior to 1990 or one that's dirty, torn, or grungy. Go get some fresh, crisp bills from the bank - $50 in ones, then fives, tens and twenties.
Fantastic hostel in an unbeatable location within a stone's throw of the Kremlin and Red Square. Experience the decidedly un-Chinese Kitay-Gorod (Chinatown) area of Moscow for only 700рб per night. Can issue visa invitations too.
Maliy Zlatoustinskiy, Moscow 101000
+74956286695
www.napoleonhostel.com
It's a five star hotel which has a bar called the Conservatory on the top floor. The service is excellent and the atmosphere is very relaxed. The cosmopolitans are some of the best in Moscow.
4 Ulitsa Neglinnaya
It's quirky decorated, but very small and cosy. Stayed there on my last trip to Moscow. Only two rooms, but very central and cheap. Great alternative to hotels as much cheaper. Nice staff and great location.
www.flamingobed.com
metro: mayakovskaya
Me and my girlfriend (we are a lesbian couple) traveled from Moscow to Ekaterinburg, and on to Volgograd. The trip was amazing. We were a bit worried about traveling without male company, but I must say Russia is one of the friendliest and untouristy places I've ever been.
It is a big advantage to know some Russian. Outside of Moscow we met nobody who spoke English. I found Moscow very stressful and expensive. It was the least pleasant city we visited. Our next stop was Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. I highly recommend Kazan. It's an old, beautiful and exotic city with a mix of Tatars and Russes living there. The atmosphere was far more relaxed than in Moscow.
Kazan offers great mosques, and is the Muslim centre of Russia. It's a great place to relax and stroll about. This city has some stunning sights, including the UNESCO listed Kreml.
Our next stop was Ekaterinburg. We were told that it was situated in the Ural mountains, but we never saw a glimpse of them. Nevertheless; Ekaterinburg is a very pleasant and chilled city. It has a very western feeling to it. It's easy to find western food, as there's plenty of Irish pubs there. I recommend going to the Altay building. There you can take a lift and see the city from the rooftop. It's quite stunning. There's plenty of theatres all around the city, and even though you don't understand Russian, don't miss the opportunity to catch local theatre-troops.
A great place (although hard to find) to stay is the guesthouse called Academy of Geology. It's peaceful and has beautiful rooms.
From Ekaterinburg we went south to Ufa. Ufa is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Ufa was quite hard to get around, but it is still worth a visit. You can visit one of Lenin's homes and spot some unique architecture. The atmosphere in Ufa is, like in Kazan, very different from the Russian cities. I highly recommend the Azimut hotel (Bus stop Gore Moskva). It's a business hotel with great standards and a friendly staff.
On to Volgograd. Volgograd is probably one of the most beautiful cities I've been to. Situated on the banks of the Volga river with an almost tropical climate, it almost feels like you're in Greece. This is a city of history. The name Stalingrad might ring a bell. The most stunning thing to see in Volgograd is the huge Mother Russia statue. It's the highest statue in the world (72 m). It's an unbelievable sight when you compare it to a church that stands beside it. It looks more like a doll's church.
I also recommend the Stalingrad Battle museum, and the Volga river cruises. There are plenty of offers. Volgograd was really easy to get around in. The city centre is quite small, and it's easy to navigate because of the river. The Volgograd Hotel is cheap and amazing.
We had a wonderful time in Russia. My girlfriend knows some Russian and that came in extremely handy. We got quite used to people looking at us, but we never felt threatened or harassed. The most common comment we got from other women was that we were brave to travel by ourselves.
One thing that is difficult however, is buying train tickets. You will need to write down the information for the train you are going on, how many tickets you need, and what kind of cupee you want. And prepare for long lines. It might take hours to get your tickets. We always went in a 4-people compartment. It was a great way to travel. We shared compartments with so many different people, and it was a great way to get to know Russians. It's important to bring some food or beverage to share.
Girls; go to Russia. It is a fascinating place....
It's a very good bed and breakfast, very nice managers, good location and affordable prices.
Another lovely small cosy place I visited, it's behind the metro station Mayakovskaya, cosy and as central as it gets. Clean rooms and lovely staff. Will for sure stay there again.
Metro Mayakovskaya, www.kitainn.com
The people were so friendly there and they have an amazing balcony that overlooks the whole of Moscow. We had so much fun out on the balcony, it's 20 meters long and connects all the rooms, so we naturally met the other people who stayed there. Sophie, one of the owners served up fresh coffee every morning, exacly what I needed after a heavy night out.
Next to Metro Mayakovskaya, Bolshay Sadovaya. www.topfloormoscow.com
This gay club is on Sunday nights only - during the rest of the week it is straight-ish (though very mixed on Thursdays). Being a Sunday nighter, it attracts a crowd of very cute boys who don't have to get up for work on Monday morning (or wish they didn't). Good music by Moscow standards, and the drinks are VERY cheap.
7 Bolshoy Zlatoustinsky per.; Metro: Kitai-Gorod, then follow the Maroseika Ulitsa and take the first lane on your left;
Open: Sunday 12am till 7am
I had a very poor experience when I stayed here. First of all, the location - it's in a very dark, secluded area of Moscow and I've heard several visitors have gotten into sticky problems returning home in the evening. Second, the building and the hostel are in a dilapidated condition. Third, expect to wait for a long time to get to the toilet and the shower - if you ever reach it.
Hostel on Tverskaya, really close to Kremlin. I stayed there and loved it! It's really cheap and has great beds, internet so forth. It has to be the best hostel in Moscow!
1st Tverskay Yamskaya, House #7, apartment 38;
tel: 095 200 5741; www.sweetmoscow.com
This is a fun, cozy bar, filled with locals, with great live music (usually rock with a jazzy twist) in a funky neighborhood called Kitai Gorod. There are three 'mini' bars within the small cellar space, one of the bars is actually an airplane wing, hence the name. Dancing takes place in one of the small bar rooms, the other is for sitting and chatting, and the larger space has the band.
Proyezd Lubyansky 25, the Russian name of the bar is Kitaysky Lyotchik Dzhao-Da; nearesy metro: Kitai Gorod
A bar, a lounge and a swanky restaurant. From the summer through to mid-October, there is a gorgeous patio (blankets and heaters supplied for cool autumn days). The bar food includes one of the best hamburgers I've ever had, great chips, fresh salads and more.
7 Maly Palashevsky Per; nearest metro: Pushkinskaya; www.scandinavia.ru
Try some wonderful Georgian food such as hachipuri, a scrumptious cheese bread; stuffed grape leaves (a Georgian version of the Greek dolmades); roasted rolled up aubergine stuffed with a gloriously garlicky dip; plus the ubiquitous shasleek - marinated grilled kebabs.
It is on Gruzinski Val, right next to Beloruskaya Metro. Walk down from the station about 250 metres, it's on the right-hand side of the street, a small wooden cabin, just after a small but friendlY fruit and veg market
A brilliant self-service restaurant. Amazingly vast portions of food. Perfect for vegetarians. Great cow pattern everywhere. Very, very cheap.
Myasnitskaya St 14; nearest metro: Lubyanka, Kitai Gorod area;
Arbat St, 45/24; nearest metro: Smolenskaya, Arbat area;
Komsomolsky Prospekt, 26-1; nearest metro: Frunzenskaya;
Mira Prospekt, 114; nearest metro: Alexeevskaya - outside;
Korovy Val, 1; nearest metro: Dobryninskaya; Leningradsky Prospekt, 62; nearest metro: Aeroport
To be honest, the best tip for Moscow is - don't bother, unless you can make a few thousand quid selling gold-plated taps to the nouveau riche.
Second best tip - don't expect anyone to speak English.
Arbat Ulitsa (Arbat St) is a pedestrian only stretch of road just east of the Kremlin. It is lined with shops and restaurants as well as souvenir kiosks. The sellers are not in your face and haggling is a must. Most of it is pretty camp, but some is quite nice. Make sure you are looking for Arbat St and not Novy Arbat St, which is a bit dull and lifeless.
Get off the metro at Arbatskaya and look for the statue of Gogol. Walk past the statue and you're pretty much there
Every Saturday and Sunday old people gather in Izmaylovsky Park to socialise and to sing traditional Russian songs - chastushki. It is actually like a freestyle hip-hop gathering: there's usually a man playing the accordion and women (MCs) stand in a circle and come out in turn. One woman sings a verse, which can often be quite offensive but is always funny, before another replies with her own verse.
A little bit further in there's an old-school disco with 70s and 80s music playing from tape recorders and old people having fun dancing.
Those not in the mood for dancing can walk a little bit further to the chess players' hut, where serious men ponder their next move while discussing the latest political developments over their beer.
It's all actually really nice to see and they don't mind you joining in at all, even if you're not their age.
The action usually starts around 4pm on weekends. It is more common in the warmer months from May to September.
Nearest metro: Izmailovskaya (east Moscow), exit the station and walk into the forest - you should hear the singing and music
Godzilla hostel is the only hostel in Moscow located inside the Garden Ring (the avenue that circles the centre of Moscow). Not many people know about it, but it's quite a nice place with dorm rooms, kitchen, shared bath and toilet. A bed is $25 (£15) per night.
Bolshoy Karetny 6, ap 5; nearest metro: Tsvetnoy Boulevard or Tverskaya; www.godzillashostel.com
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