Moscow Apartment

[Chuckles 0]

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

[slim 1,514]

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!!!)

[Chuckles 0]

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.

[Satellite 1]

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.

Edited March 6, 2006 by Satellite

[figsybigsy 0]

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.

[Nick'n'Nat 0]

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.

[russ 1]

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

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!

[Chuckles 0]

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

[Turboguy 6]

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

[Neonred 3,461]

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.

[Satellite 1]

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.

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

[slim 1,514]

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.

[Neonred 3,461]

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.

[slim 1,514]

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!!!

[Oregonfiancee 0]

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 :-)

Edited April 12, 2006 by Oregonfiancee