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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Russian Federation

Note: Because of the security situation in the North Caucasus, it is strongly advised not to travel to Chechyna, Ingushetia, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Karachai-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria (including the Elbrus area) and to the eastern and southern parts of Stavropol Krai, particularly where it borders Chechnya and North Ossetia. There is a high threat from domestic terrorism in Russia, including suicide bombings in public places. Crowded places should be bypassed and all visitors remain vigilant, watching out for pickpockets and street crime, especially in large cities and in busy areas, such as railway concourses. Back to Top International Airports Moscow (SVO) (Sheremetyevo) (website: www.sheremetyevo-airport.ru) is 35km (22 miles) northwest of the city. Taxis are available at the airport to the city centre for approximately US$10-15 (travel time – 30-40 minutes). ‘Autoline’ fixed-route taxis and buses are also available. Express coaches depart for the city every 20 minutes (0545-0030). Coaches depart for the airport from the Central Air Terminal in Moscow, 37 Leningradsky Prospekt (travel time – 50 minutes for international flights). Express trains leave every 30 minutes. Airport facilities include outgoing duty-free shops, banks/bureaux de change, post office, car hire, restaurants and first aid. Moscow also has three primarily domestic airports: see Travel – Internal. St Petersburg (LED) (Pulkovo) is 17km (10.5 miles) south of the city. Buses are available to the city centre 0700-2000 every 10 minutes (travel time – 10 minutes). Taxis are available for roughly US$10 (travel time – 15 minutes). Airport facilities include banks/bureaux de change, flight information, duty-free shops, restaurant, bar, snack bar, left luggage and first aid. Departure tax: None. Back to Top Air Travel The national airline is Aeroflot – Russian International Airlines (SU) (website: www.aeroflot.org). Other airlines serving the Russian Federation include Air France, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Czech Airlines, El Al, Finnair, Lufthansa and SAS Scandinavian Airlines. Approximate flight times: From Moscow or St Petersburg to London is 3 hours 45 minutes. From Moscow to Almaty is 4 hours 40 minutes, to Baku is 3 hours 10 minutes, to Bukhara is 3 hours 40 minutes, to Kiev is 1 hour 45 minutes, to Minsk is 1 hour 20 minutes, to Odessa is 2 hours, to Samarkand is 3 hours 50 minutes and to Yerevan is 2 hours 50 minutes. The internal network radiates from Moscow’s four airports. Aeroflot runs services from Moscow to most major cities. All-inclusive tours are available from specialist tour operators. Note: Aeroflot has been broken up into many small airlines, leading to virtually unregulated skies and the worst regional safety record in the world.. Domestic airports: Vnukovo Airport (VKO) is 29.5km (18 miles) southwest of Moscow. Coaches go to the airport from the Central Air Terminal (travel time – 1 hour 15 minutes). Outgoing duty-free facilities are available at the airport. Taxis are available to the city. Domodedovo (DME) is 48km (25 miles) southeast of Moscow. A coach goes from the Central Air Terminal to the airport (travel time – 1 hour 20 minutes). Bykovo Airport (BKA) is the smallest of Moscow’s airports, 35km from the city. Coaches go to the airport from the Central Air Terminal. Approximate flight times: From Moscow to Bratsk is 6 hours 45 minutes, to Donetsk is 1 hour 30 minutes, to Irkutsk is 7 hours, to Khabarovsk is 7 hours 30 minutes, to Kharkov is 1 hour 15 minutes, to St Petersburg is 1 hour 30 minutes, to Volgograd is 1 hour 50 minutes and to Yalta is 2 hours 15 minutes. Back to Top Travel By Water Owing to its geographical position, the Russian Federation has ports on its Pacific and Baltic shores and in the south on the Black Sea. The most important eastern ports are Vladivostok, Magadan, Nakhodka and Petropavlovsk; the most important western ports are St Petersburg and Kaliningrad on the Baltic. The only links to the Atlantic are the ports of Murmansk on the Kola peninsula, which never freezes over and Archangelisk. Major harbours on the Black Sea are Novorossiysk and Sochi. There are plans to build an extension to the St Petersburg harbour at Ust-Luga. Upgrading of facilities at Kaliningrad and Vyborg is also planned. Sea cruises on the Black Sea and the Baltic are popular. Cruises and excursions are available on the Amur, Don, Irtysh, Lena, Ob, Volga and Yenisey rivers. Many companies offer cruises on board comfortable, modern boats. The Volga towns, the Golden Ring and Moscow–St Petersburg are popular routes. Back to Top Rail There are various connections from London. The sleeper coach to Moscow takes about 53 hours. The main route is: London–Brussels–Cologne/Berlin–Moscow. The journey from London to Brussels can be made by a variety of train and ferry services (including via Eurostar), or via the Channel Tunnel. Services from Brussels are daily. There are through trains or coaches from other Western and Eastern European cities, from CIS countries, and from China (PR), Iran, Mongolia and Turkey. See also Trans-Siberian Express in the Travel – Internal section. The 87,079km (54,109 miles) of track are a vital part of the infrastructure because of the poor road system. The largest and busiest rail network in the world is predominantly for freight traffic. Only a few long-distance routes are open for travel by tourists, and reservations must be made on all journeys. Children under 5 years of age travel free. Children aged 5 to 9 pay half fare. Rail travellers are advised to store valuables in the compartment under the bed or seat and not to leave the compartment unattended. The Trans-Siberian Express, probably the most famous train in the world, is one of the best ways of seeing the interior of the country. It runs from Moscow to the Pacific coast of Siberia and on to Japan. There is a daily service, but the steamer from Nakhodka to Yokohama only sails approximately once a week. The through journey from Moscow to Yokohama takes 10 days. It is the world’s longest continuous train journey, crossing seven time zones and 9745km (5778 miles) from Europe to the Pacific, with 91 stops from Vladivostok to Moscow. Bed linen and towels are provided in the ‘Soft Class’ (first-class) berths, and there is a toilet and washbasin at the end of each carriage. Attendants serve tea from samovars for a small charge and there is a restaurant car on every train where meals can be purchased (however, no alcohol is available on the train, so passengers are advised to bring their own if desired). The Trans-Manchurian Express follows the same route, before heading southeast into China and down to Beijing. Another, slightly shorter, epic journey may be made on the Trans-Mongolian Railway to Beijing. It runs from Moscow to Irkutsk (Siberia), skirting Lake Baikal and then entering Mongolia. The journey to the Mongolian capital, Ulaan Baatar, is remarkable for its dramatic scenery. The journey concludes in Beijing. For further information on these train journeys, contact Intourist Travel Ltd (see Contact Addresses section). Back to Top Travel By Road Foreign tourists may drive their own cars or may hire cars (see Travel – Internal). The speed limit is 60kmph on minor roads, 90kmph on major roads and variable on highways. A road tax is payable upon entry to the country. The following crossing points between Finland and the Russian Federation are available: Vaalima–Torfianovska; Nuijamaa–Brusnichnoye and Rajajooseppi–Lotta. There are also crossing points between the Russian Federation and all neighbouring countries although, at present, there are restrictions on cross-border travel to Azerbaijan and Georgia. Those entering by car should have their visas registered at the hotel, motel or campsite where they will stay for the first night, and must also ensure that the car registration number is recorded in the visa. Travellers should also insure their vehicle with Ingosstrakh, which has offices at all crossing points and in most major cities, and to purchase service coupons at the border. Although motorcyclists can enter the Russian Federation, cyclists wishing to cross the Russian border should find out whether this is permissible from the Russian Embassy or their travel agent before departure. Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in the Russian Federation. For further information, contact Eurolines, 4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire L41 1PP (tel: (08705) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400 694; website: www.eurolines.com or www.nationalexpress.com). The European part of the Russian Federation depends heavily on its road network, which totals 552,000km (343,000 miles) throughout the Federation. Generally, the few roads in Siberia and further east are impassable during the winter. It is a good idea to arrange motoring holidays through a reputable agency. It is also advisable to pre-plan the itinerary and accommodation requirements. On the majority of tourist routes, signposts are also written in the Latin alphabet. Travellers can take their own car (see Travel – International) or hire a vehicle; tariffs include the cost of insurance. Chauffeured cars are available in major cities. Sample distances: Moscow to St Petersburg: 692km (432 miles); Moscow to Minsk: 690km (429 miles); Moscow to Rostov-on-Don: 1198km (744 miles); Moscow to Odessa: 1347km (837 miles). Bus: Long-distance coach services have only recently become open to foreigners. They are a great way of seeing the country but patience is a necessity and getting lost is commonplace. Traffic regulations: Traffic drives on the right. Speeds are limited to 60kph (37mph) in built-up areas and 90kph (55mph) elsewhere. Hooting the horn is forbidden except when to do so might prevent an accident. Motorists should avoid driving at night if possible. It is forbidden to carry unauthorised passengers or pick up hitch-hikers. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is forbidden. Every car must display registration plates and stickers denoting the country of registration and be fitted with seat belts, a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher and an emergency sign (triangle) or red light. In case of an accident, contact the nearest traffic inspection officer and make sure all participants fill in written statements, to be witnessed by a militia inspector. All repairs will be at the foreign motorist’s expense. Documentation: An International Driving Permit and a national licence with authorised translations are necessary. Visitors travelling in their own cars must also possess the following documents at all tmes: passport and visa; itinerary card bearing visitor’s name and citizenship, car registration number and full details of itinerary presented upon entry to the Russian Federation relating to the route to be taken and the date and place of stopovers; form provided by Customs on arrival guaranteeing that the car will be taken out of the Russian Federation on departure; petrol vouchers purchased at the border; and insurance cover documents. A road tax is payable upon entry to the country (see end of Travel – International). Motor insurance for travel within the Russian Federation should be arranged prior to departure, or upon entry to the Russian Federation at the offices of Ingosstrakh, the Russian Federation foreign insurance agency. Contact the Embassy or a specialist tour operator for further details. URBAN: Public transport in the cities is comprehensive and cheap. Many services are electric traction (metro, tramway, trolleybus). Stations on the Moscow and St Petersburg metros are always elegant and often palatial. Entry to the underground is by tokens, which are inserted into the ticket barrier. Fares are standard for the various forms of transport. Taxis are also available; they can be hailed in the street, hired at a rank or booked by telephone. It is safer to use officially marked taxis, which should not be shared with strangers. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Moscow to other major cities/towns in the Russian Federation: Air Rail Sea Khabarovsk 7.30 - - St Petersburg 1.30 9.00 - Irkutsk 7.00 88.00 - Nakhodka - - 141.00 Volgograd 1.30 - - Back to Top

Car Hire Russian Federation

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout the Russian Federation.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Russian Federation