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Russia is a must to visit. However, visiting it for the first time you need to be organized properly as such a trip will not be as straightforward as American or European vocation. There are no bears on the streets and plenty of McDonald's food points, but still it is a very different culture.

You can find lots of information on sightseeing on the Internet or travel agencies brochure, so I am not going to duplicate those. I would only say that Russia is a huge country over two continents, and you must choose which part you are interesting in. Most visitors go to Moscow and surrounding satellite' towns called altogether Golden Circle of Russia'. St Petersburg with surrounding palaces can be visited at the same visit as Moscow, or as a part of Baltic Sea cruise. All those are incredibly great if you are interesting in architecture, history and culture. There is another option as to take a trip on Trans Siberian train across almost the whole territory of Russia. Many agencies now can organize this trip for western tourists. You would see magnificent Siberia and it star which is Baikal Lake.

However, what I am going to tell you is not about the things you can find from a number of other sources, but about how to make your trip safe and pleasant and avoid different possible inconveniences.

First thing is you need a visa and getting one may take some time.

Another, and the greatest problem, is the language. You should not expect street names, signposts or metro station name to be written in English. Nor can you be sure to meet someone speaking English on the street. Many young people can speak some English in Moscow and Petersburg, but it is not guaranteed you can easily meet one. It is even more difficult at other places. The best thing to do is to either have your trip fully organised and packed with accompanying services, or to have contacts in places your are visited. Even if it is just one distant friend, he/she will be happy to provide you with all the necessary guidance, proudly sharing the best sights with you.

If you need to travel alone at some point, be sure you have all the directions in advance. Note that crossing the streets might be a dangerous business (as it is in Italy), so do not rely on traffic light (not all cars will stop at red) and try to find underground crossing where possible. Taxis are very expensive in Moscow and Petersburg, and drivers would expect you to pay more than locals. Also, traffic jams throughout the big cities make taxi travel

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