Never Let Your Passport out of Your Sight…

Something that always makes me nervous when I go to Russia is giving a total stranger my USA Passport. Yes, I did say giving your passport to a complete stranger in a foreign land. I know, I know, you’ve been taught your whole life to never let your passport out of your sight when you are in another country. But apparently, you have never been to Russia.

USA Passport

When you get to your hotel of the place you are going to stay, you have to be registered. Fortunately if you are on a tourist visa, they can take care of it in the hotel. But if you are on a business visa (as I have used in the past), they take your passport from you to register it with another agency. In some cities, it is much quicker and easier to obtain a business invitation rather than a tourist invitation. So, that’s what I did. So remember, if you go to Russia on a business visa, be prepared to give your passport to a stranger - temporarily anyway.

Another thing to consider is your spending money. If you book a hotel from here, you’ll probably have to put it on a credit card. But if you have a way to book it through a Russian woman perhaps, it may be cheaper. But you may have to pay cash depending upon the hotel. Although Russia is finally moving into the modern age, you will probably want to bring some cash with you. More and more places are taking Mastercard and Visa, but not all will, I guaranty it. And don’t put your debit card into a freestanding atm. Always use an atm that is attached to a building, a permanent unit.

Russian ATM

Something else that’s a good idea - travel insurance. Not that you are expecting anything to happen other than having a good time, you might find yourself in trouble if you have to go to a hospital for some emergency.