Russia
Let’s Explore Russia
After Iran -- the country in which I was born -- qualified for the 2018 World Cup in soccer, I suddenly had the idea that I would travel to Russia. This would allow me not only to cheer on my team, but also visit a country that I had always found fascinating. Even though World Cup games were played throughout Russia, given the size of the country (Russia is immense), I decided to focus my travels on the country’s two biggest cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
To make sure this trip fit into our budgets, I spent several days scouting out the best hotel and airfare options. As a traveler, convenience is very important to me. I do not want to spend hours in an airport or risk missing connections. Therefore, whenever possible, I try to book direct. And, there is a direct flight from Los Angeles to Moscow on Aeroflot (the Russian national airline). I had never used Aeroflot before, and, I have to admit that I had initial tinges of reservation. What if the service was bad? What if the food was inedible? What if I had trouble communicating with the flight crew? But, I have to admit that I was more than pleasantly surprised. The airplane itself was clean and comfortable. The served meals were more than acceptable and the plane had a snack bar in the rear where a passenger could grabs snacks and drinks as they wanted. I would definitely use Aeroflot again for European travel and I would recommend it to fellow travelers looking for affordable and convenient options.
The World Cup itself stretched for more than a month, starting on June 14, 2018 and wrapping up on July 15, 2018 with France beating Croatia 4-2. Unfortunately, we were only able to stay for 10 days. But, 10 days means that there are lots of details. To make it easier for readers to sort through these details and our experiences, I have divided this blog into sections.
Hotels:
We would all love to stay in five-star hotels with luxurious king-sized beds and state-of-the-art spa services. And, we would also love if these hotels were right in the center of the city, within walking distance of all of the city’s top attractions. However, not all of us have five-star budgets. This means that we sometimes need to make compromises and trade-offs.
After going back and forth, and then back and forth again, for several weeks, I finally decided to book a Marriott Hotel for our Moscow stay and Rand House for our Saint Petersburg visit.
The Courtyard Moscow City Center Marriott: Marriott has an outstanding reputation worldwide, and, I personally have stayed at lots of Marriott hotels during my travels. Because of these previous stays, I had Marriott rewards to use to book our stay. This allowed us to save money and when we arrived, I was impressed by how clean and comfortable our room was. It also had a great downtown location only blocks from many of the sites that we wanted to visit.
In addition to the great location, we found the hotel staff to be extremely friendly. They went far above and beyond their job to help us book a private driver for a day trip to Suzdal (a town outside of Moscow that is part of the historic Gold Ring).
Another outstanding, and cost-saving, perk of this hotel is that it offers a complimentary breakfast every morning. We definitely took advantage of the myriad options that were part of the breakfast buffet.
I would definitely recommend this hotel to both business travelers and tourists who are considering a trip to Moscow.
Randhouse: Randhouse is definitely not a traditional hotel. Each floor of the apartment building functions as its own mini-hotel. Our room was located on the third floor. When you first walk in, you see a gigantic living room. Off of this communal space are several bedrooms, each of which has a private bathroom. This arrangement may not be great for travelers who are looking for privacy at the end of a day of sightseeing. However, the benefits -- affordable, clean, and conveniently located -- far outweighed any drawbacks for us! The location was seriously amazing! And, the amount of money that I saved made it possible for us to splurge on other parts of our vacation. Because of the start of the World Cup, hotel prices were exorbitant in Saint Petersburg. Most hotel rooms seemed to start at $500 per night … and go up (dramatically) from there! Randhouse cost less than $100 per night. I also booked on hotels.com which gives me another benefit. For every 10 nights booked through this site, you will receive one free night at a hotel.
The Randhouse also offers its guests a free breakfast, however, we never took advantage of this opportunity.
Transportation:
My phone service is with T-mobile, so I was able to get a good Internet connection throughout my Russian travels. This definitely helped me navigate since I don’t speak a word of Russian. This is a word of caution to travelers who may be used to visiting other European countries in which residents have a good working knowledge of English. With the exception of certain restaurants and tourist locations, the general knowledge of English is low … There are definitely communication challenges.
There are numerous transportation options that are available in Saint Petersburg and Moscow.
UBER: They have uber in both Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Hop-On Hop-Off Bus: I absolutely love these buses. You get a tour of the city while riding them and you can also use them as your taxi if you want to go to a certain destination that is on their route. These bus tickets are valid for 2 days, which worked perfectly for us.
Train: Even though there are regularly scheduled flights between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, I decided that I wanted to take the train. Trains have always seemed romantic to me. There are two different train options between the cities. The first option is super fast and takes 3-4 hours. The other option is an overnight train that takes approximately 8-9 hours. Travelers can book a first class sleeping car so that they will wake up well-rested in their destination city.
I would have loved to have experienced this overnight option. Unfortunately, I missed my train and had to reschedule on the fast train … It was still a great experience and a convenient and cost-saving way to get between the two cities.
Private Drivers: Private drivers are another way to navigate from place to place, especially if you are going somewhere where there are not public transportation options. Thanks to the outstanding employees at Marriott, we were able to arrange for a driver to pick us up at the hotel and take us for a day trip to Suzdal. Suzdal is one of the so-called Gold Ring towns scattered around Moscow and it has a long history, dating back to the 11th century. There were countless sites in the town that I had researched and wanted to see. I simply directed the driver to where we wanted to go.
It is also possible to hire a tour guide for these day trips. However, personally, I am not a fan of tour guides. I like to understand my experiences within my own frame of reference. I don’t like to be told by other people what I should think or experience.
Even though there were moments when our language barrier was an issue during this day trip, Suzdal was one of my favorite experiences during my Russian vacation.
RESTAURANTS:
From what I have been told and have read, the Russian food scene, especially in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, has exploded in recent years. There are thousands of choices, across the price spectrum, that offer options for even the biggest “foodies” amongst us. And, I have to say, we were thrilled with almost all of our dining choices.
Mari Vanna: This restaurant offers traditional Russian food. We ordered borscht soup, beef stroganoff, and some side dishes as appetizers. It was our first dinner in the country so we had vodka shots to feel like true Russians. The ambiance at Mari Vanna is adorable and I really liked it. It reminded me, in the best way possible, of having dinner at my grandma’s house (if my grandmother had been Russian instead of Iranian). If you ever visit this restaurant, which i highly recommend, make sure to look for the famous cat that lives there. She might just be napping on one of the restaurant’s many shelves.
The White Rabbit Restaurant and Bar: Talk about upscale and fancy. If this is your proverbial cup of tea, then this is the restaurant that you should visit during your Russian vacation. The White Rabbit currently checks in at number 15 in the list of the World’s Top 50 restaurants.
You want presentation? You’ve got it! You want service? You’ve got it! You want a view? Well, you have that too! Located under a glass dome on the 16th floor, the restaurant offers spectacular panoramic views of Moscow.
Unfortunately, everything comes with a price. And, many people seem to think The White Rabbit is extremely pricey. However, when you take into account the food quality, level of service, and the amazing ambiance, I feel that the prices are more than justified.
Ugolek: This restaurant was close to our hotel in Moscow, and it was absolutely one of my favorites. It has a rustic-looking atmosphere with an old school kitchen that they actually use. The friendly and accommodating staff let me go inside the kitchen and take videos. I quite simply did not want to leave!
Everything on the menu sounded amazing ~ and, it made it hard for me to make up my mind. Since I could not decide, I simply ordered A LOT of EVERYTHING! Both my husband and the server were shocked at my order. The server even asked me if I were sure … LOL!
Their servings are very generous. I ordered a salad, soup, and the main course. Honestly, I was full after my salad, but I could not put my fork down. My husband got the fish. It was also DELISH! DELISH!
Lepim Varim: Before this trip, I did not know that one of the main dishes in Russia is the dumpling (or pelmeni, as the Russians call it). Did you?
If you are looking for great vegetarian or non-vegetarian dumpling offerings, then you should definitely head to this restaurant that is cozy and charming. We tried two different dumplings with two different sides. All of our choices were fresh and tasty. Everything in the restaurant is homemade and they even sell dumpling packages that you can buy and cook at home.
I highly recommend this place for a quick afternoon snack to replenish yourself after a morning of sightseeing.
The St. Regis: We went here mainly because of its spectacular view. From the balcony, you will get a view of Red Square. While taking in the breathtaking panorama, we ordered some white wine and caviar … just to feel fancy and rich! LOL! But, all joking aside, it was absolutely romantic and we snapped some amazing pictures.
The Insight Club: Our server at The St.Regis in Moscow recommended this place. Yes, it is a dance club, but it also has an Asian fusion restaurant and a hidden ice-room cocktail bar. We went for hookah and some drinks. However, the dessert menu looked so amazing that I simply couldn’t resist. In fact, I succumbed to temptation and ordered two … both of which I finished. A note of caution ~ The Insight Club is definitely expensive. The hookah, for example, costs $85. But, we reminded ourselves that we were on vacation and sometimes it is okay to splurge … at least a little bit!
Ulej: This restaurant is located in Suzdal. It was freezing cold that day. We were wearing jackets, scarves, and long sleeves. So, we decided to order some hearty soup. It felt like we were dining in a rustic cabin, savoring food made on a wood stove. As I mentioned before, this was one of my favorite parts of our Russian trip. This combination of nature and delicious food was quite simply heavenly!
Dr. Zhivago Restaurant: This was another recommendation. Not surprisingly, because it is located right in Red Square, it is on the expensive side. But, the food and ambiance are great. We sincerely enjoyed our cutlets with mashed potatoes and beef stroganoff.
Teplo: This is an adorable and charming place in St.Petersburg, right next to St. Isaac’s Cathedral. It is definitely worth a visit, even if you are not hungry. The decor is really interesting. Each room is decorated in a different way. The food is decent and tasty, and it is not particularly expensive.
Pkhali Khinkali: This Georgian restaurant was located right next door to our hotel, and we absolutely loved it! Not only was the food delicious, but it was also vegetarian-friendly and it even had some vegan options. We feasted on borscht soup, handmade dumplings, dolma, and Olivier salad for dinner. We also happily returned for breakfast and had khachapuri, an amazingly yummy cheese pie!
Mansarda: Location! Location! Location! This restaurant offers a spectacular view of St. Isaac’s Cathedral! But, you need to make sure to ask for a table with a view, because one side of the restaurant does not have a view! Again, this restaurant tends to be pricey. But, because we were on vacation, we decided to splurge. And, the splurge was definitely worth it. We ordered caviar and wine for our appetizers. Make sure to order cocktails here; the presentation is absolutely beautiful.
Sofitel: One morning in St. Petersburg we had breakfast here and the quality was great. We selected their breakfast buffet, but they also have a wide range of a la carte choices. Sofitel definitely offers magnificent views, which we enjoyed when we met up with some friends here for drinks later in our stay. But, the menu prices are expensive … at least in my opinion. And, personally, I would steer towards a more affordable breakfast place. There are hundreds of delicious bakeries and coffee shops dotting both Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Bushe: Go here for a good and quick breakfast in St. Petersburg. Bushe offers freshly baked bread and pastries, as well as tasty sandwiches. If you are in a hurry to start your sightseeing adventures, you can also order your meal to go.
Sightseeing:
The food and football in Russia was amazing. But, it is not a vacation without at least some sightseeing. And, we definitely took advantage of the spectacular historical sites that Russia has to offer.
St.Basil’s Cathedral: Back in college, I took some art history classes. Seeing this cathedral and symbol of Russia in person was simply mind-blowing. It is even more stunning from the inside where it simply overwhelms the senses with its colors and images.
Red Square: We tried everyday to see if we can get in but we didn’t get a chance to go inside. Again it was a busy time for our travel, people from all around the world where here due to WORLD CUP so there was always long line.
Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts: I love fine art, especially paintings so I had a blast in this museum that is filled with priceless treasures. We spent approximately 3-4 hours here. However, if you are staying in Moscow for longer, you should definitely consider devoting a full day for a trip to the Pushkin.
Shopping mall: Shopping, at least in a mall, is definitely not something that I like to do during my vacations. I far prefer soaking up the local culture. But, one of our days in Moscow was freezing and we finally had to go inside to warm up. This meant strolling through the large shopping mall that makes up one side of Red Square.
Suzdal: As I mentioned earlier, one of the highlights of our trip was a visit to Suzdal, one of the Golden Ring towns. To visit the entire Ring, you would need to devote several days of your vacation. We simply did not have that amount of time and Suzdal was a do-able one-day trip. Another trip to consider is Vladimir which is closer to Moscow. I was fascinated by Suzdal’s centuries-old churches and its Museum of Wooden Architecture. If you visit a small town during your trip to Russia make sure to shop for souvenirs there at local farmers or artisan markets. They are much more reasonably priced than in Moscow or Saint Petersburg and most sellers are willing to bargain.
Palace Square/ The State Hermitage Museum: if I had not been on a tight schedule in Saint Petersburg, I would have definitely spent a day or two just in The Hermitage. The art here ~ room after room of it ~ is simply breathtaking. Because of my limited time, I had to pick out only a few things to see.
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: well, FAN FEST was located here. Football fans could gather here and watch the games for free, so we definitely walked by the church almost every day.
St. Isaac’s Cathedral: This is another ABSOLUTE must see. Our hotel was conveniently located just two blocks from the cathedral. This was definitely a trip highlight; I literally had chills as I sat in the adjacent park and stared up at it.
Faberge Museum: Not my favorite. However, if this type of art is interesting for you, then it is worth a stop.
Souvenir Stores: From Russian stacking dolls to lacquered jewelry boxes and caviar, Russian souvenir stores have no shortage of amazing items to select from. They are so much fun to browse. During high season (like the summer months), there is absolutely no room for negotiations!
