Also, VERY GOOD AND IMPORTANT TRAVEL ADVICE FROM ANN-MARIE AT THE FSF
GENERAL TIPS FOR MOSCOW (OR WHEREVER THE GAME MAY BE IN RUSSIA!)
Before you leave, email your hotel/hostel and ask them to send you the address in Cyrillic. Most Russian people don’t speak or understand English so it’s best to have the address wrote in a way taxi drivers etc will understand. Also take a photo of it on your mobile so you have it at hand.
On arrival, you will have to fill in a Migration Card. The card is in 2 sections - Part A and Part B. Both parts must be presented to the Immigration officer on arrival; they will take Part A and give you Part B. KEEP IT SAFE as you will need to present it upon leaving the country. If you lose it you will be fined and your departure could be seriously delayed.
Part B must be produced with your passport if you are stopped by authorities including the police. (See note below about handing passport over to authorities)
Expect long, long queues at Passport control - 2 hrs or more is the norm
Make sure your passport is safe when passing through the airport, particularly around the baggage collection area and arrival hall as there are increased numbers of British passports being stolen.
Keep the address of the British Embassy handy just in case anything should happen. See list below on what the British Embassy can/can’t do for you
British Embassy Moscow,
Smolenskaya Naberezhnya 10
121099 Moscow
Tel: +7 495 956 7200
Open: Mon-Fri 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm (local time) (GMT +4)
The spiking of drinks is a regular occurrence, so keep an eye on your drinks at all times.
Pick-pockets operate around tourist areas and train stations etc. There are also bogus police officers who can harass tourists - usually they stop and ask to see your ID (passport) and then demand money to get it back. If you are stopped DO NOT hand anything over without first requesting to see ID.
If you are stopped and asked for your documents (whether official or bogus) remain calm at all times. Never allow anyone to search your pockets/bags in the street as you may later find things are missing. If you ask to see their ID and they refuse it, insist on calling the British Embassy. State this quite clearly to them and if it is genuine issue they won’t have a problem with this.
Don’t change money with street dealers - apart from being illegal, the majority of notes are fakes.
Try to use ATMS in shopping centres or banks in highly-populated areas which are usually covered by CCTV. Don’t exchange too much as Rubles officially can’t be exported and if you do manage to stash some in your luggage you won’t be able to change it once you are back home.
24hr chemists
• 36.6 Tverskaya 25. Nearest metro station: Pushkinskaha
• 57, B Tcherkizovskaya 8. Nearest metro station: Preobrazhenska Ploschad
Racially-motivated attacks do occur in Russia. Ensure you take extra care and never walk alone, especially at night.
Photographing any military buildings (including airports) is banned. You could be detained and questioned or arrested if you are caught taking pictures or recording on phones/cameras etc
You must carry your passport with you at all times, a copy of the information page will not be sufficient. If you are stopped and can’t produce your passport when asked, you will be fined.
Should you require any medical treatment you’ll have to pay for it (and it is expensive). Ensure you have comprehensive medical insurance and keep all receipts for any payments made for treatment/consultations etc so you can claim it back when you are home.
If you have an old, cheap phone or camera, bring them with you instead expensive, modern models. Calls, texts etc are expensive so if you are there for a few days it may well be worth investing in a Russian SIM card (about £3)
What the British Embassy can/can’t do:
They can
• Arrange for the issue of replacement travel documents if your passport is lost or stolen
• Help to find an English-speaking translator
• Find an English-speaking doctor should you require medical treatment
• Find you a lawyer
• Contact your family to let them know if something has happened to you
•
They can’t
• Give you legal advice
• Give you financial help i.e. to replace stolen property
Match day info
Drinking in public areas is not acceptable so don’t expect large crowds of fans congregating in a public square.
Old Arbat is the most likely place for fans to go, a pedestrianised street with bars, shops and fast food outlets (yep, including a McD’s and a Hard Rock Cafe). The area will be heavily policed and military and police will step in and break up any build up of large groups of fans.
A word of warning regarding Red Square
The area has an iconic, almost sacred status to Russian people, and there are strict rules about respecting the area. Taking photos of the buildings are OK but hanging flags anywhere in the vicinity is a definite no. When England visited there a few years ago a number of fans were shot at for attempting to hang flags. .... don’t say you haven’t been warned.
FINALLY:
A word about loos..... they aren’t ideal but if you’re desperate it’s best to pop into a restaurant or a museum if there’s one nearby and use their facilities; they are slightly better than the public loos. (Oh, and carry a packet of tissues or wet-wipes with you as they don’t usually have any paper!)
