Does anyone know of an apartment rental near the Moscow consulate?

Check the maps here on this site for the embassy, then get on google or another search engine and search for moscow apartments.

You'll probably get Moscow Rick, Russgirlfriday, visatorussia, gotorussia, traveltorussia, moscowapartments, etc., etc., etc..

You can check the locations of any of these on their websites. The embassy is on the North West side of the "Garden Ring" road, and is very accessable from just about anywhere in Moscow.

I wouldn't worry too much about being near the embassy though, the Metro is awesome and you can get there very quickly from just about anywhere you stay.

Another option that Satellite has brought up repeatedly and I'm highly encouraging my girl to do as well, is to get the Moscow paper and check the classifieds. There are several short term rentals there for pennies on the dollar compared to what the "tourist apartments" rape us for.

If you have any further questions, post them. Just about everyone on this thread stayed in Moscow for at least a day or two.

(I stayed in an apartment literally within walking distance from the embassy, the vasiliyevskaya 2 bdrm available from moscowapartments.com, but it was insanely expensive and when I go back, I'll probably stay somewhere else. If you have the money though.... the jacuzzi is nice, although broken! But, it still works for two people fresh off a successful interview!!!)

Ahh cool... I never thought about having her look in the paper for short term apartment. I'll have her look into that.

I have been to Moscow a few times but I always used hotels because it was only a few days at a time, then I went somewhere else. I didn't really know how much better apartment rentals were then hotels before. I checked with waytorussia.com about apartments but they never got back to me about locations.

Don't exclude the internet completely. Just conduct the exact same apartment search in Russian on Russian search engines.
For example:
http://yandex.ru/
And make arrengments through the forums or advertisements you might find. Moscow is getting progressive now. But the newspaper generally is best and complete.
If I remeber correctly there is a paper in almost every Russian town that is just classifieds. For some good laughs have your fiancee read you some of the stuff being sold.

I stayed in one of the moscow rick apartments and it was a piece of garbage. We took one look and moved to a hotel. I would be very leary of apartments unless you get a good recommendation.

I stayed in a real nice place and highly recommend it, it was 85$ a night but in a decent area and totally renovated with a jacuzzi, it was not huge but very clean and nice people to deal with. It was a 10 minute walk to the main street, and I would go back there anytime. I will get the link for you shortly, and some links of our pics in the place. One nice thing was they had a store right out the door in the back, it had everything we needed and a bank across the street. I dont know your tastes but we loved it and they didnt ask for deposit and even met us on New Years eve to let us in. Everything was as they said on the website, and Natasha felt very comfortable there, though the funny thing is I had to find the way back because she was lost when we went out at night. The linens were new and clean, the bathroom and kitchen were brand new and spotless, there was a washer for clothes, and most utensils for making your own food. Its only a split studio though if you need something bigger.

Last time in Moscow we stayed in a two bedroom apartment just in back of the Radisson SAS. It was fine, about $75 a night. Nice to have a kitchen, etc.

High quality hotels are generally outrageous in Moscow (Radisson, Metropol, Marriott would be the best ones). If you have a good corporate discount, this will be the best rate you will get (same as in the States...) I think I paid about $115/night for the Rennaissance Marriott in St Petersburg. Definitely worth it.

One trick with hotels - since the best price is usually negotiated corporate rates, try to get one of these. Hotels rarely check that you actually work for any of these corporations. Usually their corporate ID is a 3 or 4 letter code. Knowing this, guess a few corporate IDs and try them when making a reservation on the Internet. (International Banks and Consulting firms have the best rates generally). I do this all the time - no hotel has ever called me on it.

(I'm typically working for one of these firms anyway, but the the discount I use is rarely for who I am working for at the time.)

This saved my mom about $250/night in Manhattan this year over the best rate she could find. She felt guilty. I explained it to her this way - big companies will not get upset about this. They negotiate their prices every year based on how many room nights they used in the prior year. This saves them money, they have no incentive to make it difficult to get these rates.

This was also the only way I could find Western full-service hotels in Moscow for under $150/night in Moscow. At that point, an apartment will not be much cheaper for something of similar quality.

Hope this helps someone!

Thanks Nick'n'Nat and Russ!! That is helpful info.

Stay far away from Moscow Rick. I have heard nothing but bad about his apartments. You could stay at the Ukraina hotel for about the same price as an apartment and it is an easy walk to the embassy. I know that first hand. I did it last year. Should run you just a bit over $ 100.00 a night. Sometimes I can get in there under $ 100 sometimes it is as hight as $ 128.00

We stayed in Moscow last week and will be spending one more night on the 27th before our return on the 28th. We used the Irbis hotel which I found on www.hotelclub.net and decided on because the price was good at $90 per night and it included breakfast. It was clean and comfortable, but that is the best I can say for it. The description said it is only 3 km from the center.....center of WHAT? That hotel wasn't close to ANYTHING. Took 45 minutes by taxi to get to the embassy (traffic there is a problem) and even longer trip to the airport. By metro from down near Red Square it was an hour to return to the hotel. What I saved on the price of the hotel I spent on taxi service to the embassy. to DHL office and the other necessary trips we had to make.

The current rate at the Ukraina hotel for a double is $160 which also includes breakfast. I will be staying there the 27th as we want to be relatively close to the center and Arbat street. Also check on Belgrad hotel. It is at the corner of Old Arbat Street and Novinsky Blvd, just a ways down the street from the embassy and an easy walk. I originally tried to book there but they were full. Not sure on the price but probably about the same Ukraina hotel.

More details about the interview in a new thread when I return home.

Yet another reason to use the Metro. Less than a dollar back and forth and it's only about a 15 minute walk to embassy from the nearest station. Although I don't know where your hotel was in retrospect to the nearest station. In Moscow those who want to save money, never get into taxis unless they are late for a reason beyond their control or are carrying an impossible amount of luggage. A combination of bus and metro also gets you to the airport for under a $1. Took us under 1.5 hours from the central train station to SVOII using this combination. If you still insist on taxis, if you order a cab by the phone in advance you can get a pretty good deal. My advice: when you are in Russia, live like an average Russian. Average Russians don't ride taxis, don't expect high service, and don't stay at over priced hotels or apartments they ordered online from a website translated into English

Guys, Satellite makes a very good point, time and again on this thread. We get ripped off!!!

I know most of us on here don't have the luxury of speaking fluent Russian, but our fiancees do. I understand getting good accomodations without actually being there is hard, but once there, let your girl do the talking, and get on the bus/metro like everyone else. You can save several hundred dollars just taking public transportation. That savings will pay for the hotel/apartment.

I'm saying this now, but next time I go, I'll probably be wasting my money too! I'm going to try to save as much as possible on the next go-round, and a big part of that will be public trans and making my girl do most of the reservations.

Yes, I agree about the use of public transportation, but my girl was very nervous and we had some trips to make to the German embassy for some documents. And it made her feel much better to use the taxi to get to the embassy. We did use a prearranged taxi driver at a known price. Much better than getting ripped off at the side of the road. Spoiling her a little on this went a long way....
You won't, however, find me lugging my baggage (and hers) on and off a bus and the metro to get to the center of town from the airport to save $25. I always prebook the taxi for that one for $25.

Yeah, call me lazy, but I'll pay anyone $25 extra dollars (and their public trans tickets) to carry my bags from the airport to the apartment.

And as far as making her feel comfortable.... if mama aint happy... aint no body happy!!!

Nick'n'Nat and russ

Can you please, help with the link for the flat which you used in Moscow? We are going to stay in Moscow probably next month and are looking now for a place.

Maybe someone can help with not expensive and nice place to stay in Moscow? We don't care to be in the center of the city, just near subway.

Thanks in advance :-)

Hello Oregonfiancee, welcome to the forum!

I don't have the link to that apartment Nick stayed in, but I know he did it all online. See if you can Google moscow apartments. After checking around a few sites, you'll find plenty that are available. Good luck!

My wife used a travel agent in Moscow called Eyevista travel. ( И Виста ).

Like I said above, though - in the future I would try to stay in a hotel like the Radisson/SAS or Metropol. If you are careful, there won't be a huge difference in price. Spending 30 seconds looking now, the Marriott Tverskaya at $230, Marriott Grand at $260, Ukrania $140 (with corporate rates). This isn't much more than we paid for the apartment...

The Ukraina is within walking distance of the embassy if anyone prefers a hotel. That is first hand experience. Just cross the bridge, walk past the right side of the white house, and make a right about a block up and there is the embassy.

Thank you for responces!

We are just looking for a not expensive place to stay like $75-85. Just trying to find out if it is possible to find something nice for that price. We don't care about how close it to the center. It's ok to do internet search, just I thought that it would be good too if I ask people who already used service there and so can advice.

Thank you all!

Good luck, but keep in mind - Moscow is one of the most expensive cities in the world for real estate or hotels. The chances of finding a hotel or apartment for $75/night are about as good as finding one in Paris, Tokyo, New York or San Francisco. It's possible, but won't be easy to find (and likely won't be very nice).

For cheap and no hassle, Ukrania is probably your best bet.

That is pretty low for Moscow but don't despair yet.
Try http://www.hostels.com/en/index.html.
http://www.waytorussia.net/Moscow/Hostels.html
http://www.hostels.ru/
I was able to find a "terrible" place where we stayed at, only a few yards away from the outer metro station along the purple line and still it was $50 a night for two.
But seriously if you are planning on staying more than a few days consider renting a place out through the Russian classifieds. I have seen rates as low as $500 a month. Russians are very flexible in negotiation. You are only going to get ripped off if you try to order an apartment through websites for American - European travelers.
Be a Russian about this. Russians on average make a couple hundred dollars a month. Would they stay at a place for $200+ a day if they were on business in Moscow?
But I got to agree with Russ, Moscow is extremely expensive. But if you avoid restaurants and cook your food or just buy the cheap food in the kiosks you can save a bundle. Avoid taxis and ride the metro for 10 rubles a ride and you'll save a fortune too.
Try to have your fiancée arrange your living arrangements. Russians who rent out to foreigners feel that because they have invested in a website and acquired English skills they can charge an above market price.

I agree with Satellite 100%. If you aren't there for an embassy interview (you didn't say what the circumstances of your trip are) - consider going someplace other than Moscow. Honestly, my wife and I don't really like it there anyway.

Satellite is right that you can save money staying further away, but you do give up some convenience as well. If the point of being there is sightseeing, you are adding a substantial amount of time on the metro everyday. Saving money by cooking at the apartment is a great idea, but if it takes 45 minutes round trip to get back there, a good chunk of your day will be spent running back and forth.

If this is a sightseeing trip and you have limited time - consider staying in another city. You will fly into Moscow anyway - giving you at least two days to see things there. If you take an overnight train, that saves you one night in a hotel/apartment.

In Lipetsk, for example, I had a very nice apartment downtown for about $400 for the month. We ate every meal at restaurants, with drinks for two, and never spent more than $20. We went out of our way to spend money, taking cabs everywhere (~$2) and going to the most expensive places in town. It was still dirt cheap by western standards. Voronezh isn't bad either.

There is more to see in St Petersburg (bigger museums, much prettier, easier to walk, etc). Prices are about 1/2 of what you pay in Moscow. Flight from Moscow is dirt cheap (about the same as first class on the train). Russian trains are not bad - as long as you go first class. It is ten times the price, but still cheaper than a coach ticket on Amtrak for a similar trip...

I just got an e-mail from Russian Girl Friday (Olesya) who had three apartments available this week for $70, $80, and $90. Check out her website at: http://www.russiangirlfriday.com and send her an e-mail if interested.

I used http://www.moscowapartments.ru when I went and although a little more expensive, the place was really nice. I've also heard that Moscow Rick, http://www.moscowrick.com, has some nice places too. (There's been some negative feedback... but mostly positive.) All the visa websites; gotorussia, waytorussia, visatorussia, russianvisa, etc., have short term rentals available too. This may be the best option as you can get your visa, airport transfers, and apartment all through one service and maybe even get a discount through them.

Just check around on the internet search engines and see what's available and when. Good luck!

Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it!

Yes, we don't need to be close to the embassy since I'm not going to have intervew now. Our case is stuck at the NVC and there is still no light at the end of the tonnel. We miss each other like crazy so we think we should meet. It is not a good time for my fiance to make a trip now, we are very low with finance right now. But we did not see each other long time and I started to feel very depressed about the situation with our visa process. This is why we want to make our trip as less expensive as possible. But at the same time we want to have nice trip too. So we are trying to find the solution. Well, we can see each other only once in many month. I think you can understand it.

Slim, thank you for the info. Yes, I know about Olesya, I heard only good about her. Of course we are going to contact her too to try to find a place to stay. And I wanted to look at other options too. What about Moscow Rick we used him before. Hmm :-) I looked at the site you suggested too (moscowapartments) and there are really nice flats! Just too expensive for us now. But it's good to have it on the list for future.

russ, yes, I agree that Moscow is one of the most expensive city. True. But we want to visit some places there and even to look at embassy :-) Thank you too for the info! I read all and it's really helpful.

Satellite, I know, russians can negotiate. I'm russian. But I don't know such things. Really. I'm from small city, pretty far from Moscow and very unexperienced with all of this. I'm trying to do my best. And of course I want me and my fiance to be safe there so I'm trying to use experience of people who already used one or another agency. I'm pretty naive about such things. But your advices are always helpful! Thank you!

Nick'n'Nat. Thank you!

My fiance also has some friends in Czech Republic. We are thinking maybe to go there? Did anyone have meeting there?

Again, thanks to all of you for help!

Used to be pretty cheap, but with the Euro now Prauge isn't the bargain it once was. Fun place, though.

For cheap, I would go with Turkey or Egypt. From Russia, this will cost almost nothing. You should be able to swing a flight and a week in a hotel for something like $400 US. It isn't obscenely hot yet, either. The expensive part of this plan is getting from the US to the middle east, flight might be a bit more than to Russia. These are two of the places Russians have little trouble going to (with visas, anyway).

Cuba is another choice, though you'll need to go through Mexico to get there from the US. (In theory illegal, though no one gets caught.)

If your fiance can swing a schengen visa, western Europe is convenient (same travel time for both of you). If you don't mind youth hostels and the like, this can be cheap too. (Lots of young kids backpack across Europe with little money).

russ

I'm a russian girl and my fiance is US citizen. I guess he doesn't need the visa to Western Europe. The only I do. We are trying to look into Czech Republic because he has friends there. We are just thinking about it right now. As I understand I need the visa there and this is the trouble for me. Agencies seem help to get the visa if you buy a tour from them. If you don't - that's more difficult. That is the only what stops us. I am going to call agencies on Monday to learn more about it.

We are trying to think about different options. We tryed to consider Turkey too. Just I'm not sure if it is possible to get the tour from russian agency for the US citizen. Did you ever try it? Just some months ago me and my fiance wanted to go to Cyprus and tours from Russia was not expensive. But when I called agencies here they told me that they don't work with foreigners. I really have no experience with all of this. Maybe just agencies in my small city are not that good. But I'm pretty far from Moscow.

So we are thinking. Thank you for your help!

For most of western europe, you need a schengen visa. Any schengen country can issue it, though it is valid in any country. When my wife and I were in Paris, she had a greek visa (flight did stop in athens). (she had no trouble getting it, ~$100, she was 22, female, not rich or married). Some countries are easier than others (greece, italy) some are harder (germany, holland). Tourist agencies can help, but a schengen visa isn't all that hard to get on your own. Even in the US, my wife still needs one. (by the way, as best I can tell, tourist agencies "help" by faking documents about your assets income in Russia).

As for Turkey or Egypt - the idea would be this - book the tour in Russia (cheap). Whomever is coming from the US - your Russian tour company doesn't need to know about.

Unfortunately, there are very few countries where both Russians and Americans may both travel without a visa. Last time I checked, these were: Jamaica, Ukraine, Egypt, Turkey, Cuba*. *not exactly legally

It sounds like the Czech Republic is a good plan, friends to stay with, etc. Russians still need a visa there, though it shouldn't be too hard to get, and need to register with the police. As far as I know, a schengen visa will get you into the Czech Republic as well (so it might be nice to get anyway). Americans don't need visas there.