Moscow Apartment

[slim 1,514]

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!

[russ 1]

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 :-)

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...

[Turboguy 6]

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.

[Oregonfiancee 0]

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!

[russ 1]

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.

[Satellite 1]

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.

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.

Edited April 14, 2006 by Satellite

[russ 1]

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.

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...

[slim 1,514]

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!

[Oregonfiancee 0]

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!

Edited April 14, 2006 by Oregonfiancee

[russ 1]

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).

[Oregonfiancee 0]

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!

[russ 1]

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.

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.