Russia

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A developed country, with an exuberant architecture of its history and a sensation of returning to the time of World War II. Russia certainly has a strong personality and was just as we were wondering in our minds. With sunny days and blue skies in the middle of the European summer, we had a nice time.

 

Walking into its old subway trains and their super old residential buildings from the time of World War II made us feel in a movie. Walking the streets with its complex and detailed architectural buildings, that even reminded us a little Paris, ensured us a pleasant walk to appreciate every inch of the city. Interact with the Russians … Well, in that case depends… They are not the nicest with tourists, but if you know a local you will be received like a king. Luckily we had a couple of Russian friends in Moscow and because of that we had an amazing experience, completed with an endless partying night in St. Petersburg with the best view in town!
 
 

A few tips:

• TRANSPORTATION: We didn’t travel by bus, then our only reference is the train. Traveling by train is safe and have excellent quality. The night train we got was one of the best of the whole trip and we managed to sleep well the whole night. There are several types of fare, so the sooner you book (at least 5 days before) more likely to get the cheapest fare (about 45 USD per person between Moscow and St. Petersburg). The class in the open cabin is more than enough and all have air conditioning.
• A TOUR OF METRO IN MOSCOW: Moscow subway stations are very old and some of them have a remarkable architecture that really worth the visit. It looks like you’re in a museum. For sure this is the cheaper tour you will find since you only have to pay a metro ticket. Do not miss the following stations: Kievskaya (line 5 – brown), Ploshcad Revolutski (line 3 – blue marine), Komsomolskaya (line 1 – red), Novoslobodskaya (line 5 – brown), Arbatskaya (line 4 – light blue), Prospekt Mira (line 5 – brown), Mayakovskaya (line 2 – dark green) and Belorusskaya (line 5 – brown).
• COMMUNICATION: Communication is not easy because most people do not speak English, so always ask your hotel to write the direction of where you’re going in Russian, in case you need help on the street. To move around in Moscow is better to have the subway map in English and Russian as all indications are only in Russian and it is impossible to read it, so the English version will help you a bit with the pronunciation. In St. Petersburg is easier, as all the signs are in both languages.

Our itinerary (10 days)

We flew from London to Moscow and went straight to our friends’ house in the capital. We spent two days and we went on an overnight train to St. Petersburg, where we spent 3 days. Then we returned to Moscow, also in night train, and stayed there until the day of our departure for Jordan.

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