Russia is one place that is visited by people for different purposes, including work and tourism. Regardless of the reason why you’re about to visit Russia, there are plenty of things you should be aware of. If you’re planning a trip to Russia, getting a Russian visa from visaexpress.com/visa-for-russia-from-us can be the primary thing to do but it is not the only thing you have to do. There are a lot of other things you must take into consideration and mentioned below are a few of them.
1. Pack a phrasebook
This might differ from one place to another, but you must know that the people in Russia are not so good at speaking or understanding English. They are indeed made to study this language at a young age and some people do understand it better. But, most people are very shy in speaking this language. You will find restaurants have their menu written in English, people who work in the tourism sector can certainly speak another 2nd or 3rd language. It’s always good to learn some useful phrases and words not just in an emergency but these can also help you in impressing the local people of Russia.
2. Become familiar with the cuisine
The cuisine of Russia has many options to offer but it always consists of some very uncommon dishes. If you’re a food lover, you must do proper research before and check out the different food options available in every season in this city. The restaurants, which are located in the central parts of the city, have staff that speak English frequently and can help you in different ways. But, if you want a more local experience, you should be aware of the various unfamiliar dishes you’re offered at these restaurants.
3. Keep exchanged money in advance
It’s not a good option to roam out in the city if you don’t have cash ready with you. Russia is eventually transitioning from cash to digital methods of payment but there can be situations in which your card isn’t accepted. Also, public transportation is mostly paid through cash, and a few taxis don’t accept cards. It’s always expected for you to leave a tip at restaurants, which can be done only through cash after you pay the bill. For preventing any kind of difficulty, you must keep local currency ready beforehand.
4. Be careful about prices
It’s more obvious for you as a tourist in a foreign country than what you do in your own country. Be it the purchase of museum tickets or any other thing, you need to be careful about the prices of different things in Russia. You must know that Russia might not be the costliest city in Europe and everything is priced at average prices. So, whenever you’re looking for cabs to book or restaurants for food, you must ask the local people for recommendations.
5. Don’t drink tap water
Dissimilar to the majority of the eastern countries where it’s quite common for people to order tap water at restaurants, in Russia, it’s not the same. You’re not supposed to even open the tap to see the kind of water coming out because the tap water here is unhygienic and brown. If you don’t want to opt for bottled water, you can boil the tap water and then consume it because boiling makes it safe for drinking.
6. Dress appropriately
Another important thing to know is about the dressing pattern and Russia. You must dress ideally when in Russia. Dressing inappropriately shows disrespect to the culture and people in Russia consider it to be very rude. So, you must dress as per the Russian dress code whenever you’re invited to a dinner or any other party.
These are the few points you need to consider if you’re about to travel to Russia anytime soon. There are many other things you should know beforehand if you’re planning a trip to Russia because knowing these things from before will keep you safe and secure in Russia.