Moscow Travel Forum

We are going to Moscow in May 2008. Wondering if anyone would mind telling us what to take to wear at this time of year? What currency they found best, did they use ATM machines and what the prices of things like a sandwich and a can of coke are? Did they take an electronic translator that translates the english question into a russian spokien voice? What did they find best about their time and what was the worst part? Did they use cable tv and are there many things to watch in english. (The apartment we are staying in comes with cable tv). Does anyone know how long it takes for an email from russia to get to an australian email address? Thanks for your help.

Hi. Temperatures should be moderate in May - usually around 15C and sometimes even more - but you never know, best you take a coat with you just in case. Best currency to take is US$. ATM machines may be found but somehow don't always work well, so don't count on it. Prices in general are extremely expensive for everything especially if you're a tourist. Forget electronic translators or dictionaries, the only way to do Moscow is in the company of a local - otherwise forget it. People in general are very unhelpful and will take you for a ride on every occasion so it will make life infinitely easier with the help of a local at your side. Moscow is not always safe either, so they will also keep you out of trouble. Great sites and culture but inhospitable people unless you get to know them well then they'll do anything for you.

As far as I know the email sending is just as it would be from here in the UK. Don't know about Moscow, but between Stavropol (1000 miles south of Moscow) and a UK email address, it is received just as soon as it is sent, more or less, as far as we can determine.

You are arriving at the best time of the year! The ATM's are the best way to get cash out (safer to use cash for paying for meals etc..) You will look very stupid using a electronic translator that speaks Russian.. :-) try and learn a few words basic of Russian, but you can survive with just English. (Younger people are only too happy to help). Cable TV normally comes with half a dozen English channels and Emails arrive in seconds..

Have a great trip.

Hi!
its really good time to travel to Moscow. We have usually good weather in may. At last year the weather was rather hot, near 25-30. ATM machines are everywhere =)
Also there are many cafes, fast food and etc in the city. Its not a problem to get some food. Moscow is modern city so we have all what u may need =))
Many people speak english so it will not be a problem to communicate, i think.
If u have some questions just ask =)

funny question about the speed of email - isn't it the same everywhere?
i understand that the speed of internet depends on connection type (though i do not think a lot of people still use dialup in Moscow), but once the email gets sent, it is delivered almost immediately.
about someone's comments on place being unsafe and unfriendly.. well, i wouldn't roam around in the middle of the night, like in any other huge city with close to 10 million population. People are okay, but most of them don't speak English. If you need help, try to get it from younger people.

And the winner is...
"Does anyone know how long it takes for an email from russia to get to an australian email address?"
well, if keeping in mind the difference in hour zones, then i think the difference is 10 hours or something... :-)))))

May should be nice month in weather for visiting here., +20 or smth like this, so that means to wear not warm clothes.
the currency is rouble only that you can get in ATM (YES! it exists in Russia!!!!), besides you may find here such well-known banks like Citibank, RaiffeisenBank, Bank Societe Generale (Vostok), ING Bank and some others.
sandwich and cola are depends on the place you buy it. not in the center cola (0,6l) is USD 1 around, sandwich... hmmm, i rarely buy it in the streets, I don't know.
well, many people, ecpecially young ones, can speak English and the chatting in the streets is not a big problem. but the Moscow metro hasn't the info tables in English and that could be the real problem. but, again, ask someone in the station and it will solve all your problems.
I think, in English, you can easily find tv channels in cable TV, but... i wonder whether you will fly thousands of miles to watch TV? :-))

and have a good time in Moscow

I'd suggest you learn the alphabet - this makes getting around on the metro much easier and will help you recognise a surprising amount of stuff. Most cafes in the city centre have menus in English.

There aren't that many sandwiches in Moscow but there are kiosks selling drinks etc just about everywhere try the blin (pancakes) with different fillings - they are less than 100 roubles. Coke is about 50 roubles for a 2 litre bottle.

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but the Moscow metro hasn't the info tables in English and that could be the real problem
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pardon me, since when have they removed them? I remember there are no announcements in English in the trains, but there have been names of the stations in cyrillics and latin for several years already.

There are no Latin names on the stations or on the lists of stations displayed on signs - there are Latin versions of the station names on the maps inside the trains only. This is not much help when transferring between lines or deciding which side of the platform you need to be on.

By May the weather is warming up nicely - it's already 19degs in Moscow now. Emails and SMS messages go through as normal from anywhere else.
I'd take euros rather than dollars if you're taking cash but there are plenty of ATMs - be careful when you use them though - my husband's cc was "compromised" by an ATM in Moscow recently and had to be cancelled, which was a great nuisance.
The metro can be confusing - if you count the number of stations between your two points and make a note of the first few letters of where you're headed you'll do OK. The trains are so frequent making a boo-boo isn't a disaster as you will have only a couple of minutes to wait for another train to come through. It's by far the best way to get around though - above ground the traffic can be horrendously snarled.
Beer is cheaer than coke.
leyle

well it WAS 20degrees last weekend but we have +8 today and will have +5 tomorrow but in may, we all hope here, it will better now :-)))

Wondering if anyone would mind telling us what to take to wear at this time of year?: If your going casual, a jacket... maybe a hooded sweat shirt with a jacket sometimes at night

What currency they found best: Chage US dollars or Euros to Rubles (not at the airport)

did they use ATM machines: Yes.. Citi Corp has nice ATM lobbies, especially nice at night)

and what the prices of things like a sandwich and a can of coke are? :I'm from Chicago, prices, for casual food, drink, coke, is about the same.

Did they take an electronic translator that translates the english question into a russian spokien voice? It helps, sometimes

What did they find best: The people, the city center, the war museum

about their time and what was the worst part? the horrible congestion

Did they use cable tv: yes

and are there many things to watch in english. No

(The apartment we are staying in comes with cable tv). Does anyone know how long it takes for an email from russia to get to an australian email address?
: They have a wireless internet service there which covers much of the city, so if you have a laptop with Wireless, you can purchase time on the service or you can buy a card and use dial-up (buy cards often at shops in pedestrian underpasses.

E-mail to Moscow to Australia... 2 minutes

Thanks for your help: Pahjaluista