Be aware that you will pay more to attend a museum or
that tickets to a ballet or a play will cost you more
than they will cost a Russian. This is accepted practice.
Taxis: In Moscow and Saint Petersburg there are many "gypsy"
cabs. There are not enough marked taxis at present. Many
taxi drivers use an ordinary looking car. Also, some people
who do not regard themselves as taxi drivers will occasionally
pick up a fare if going in the right direction. Be warned
that you may pay several times too much if you are obviously
a foreigner and do not know the true rate or how to negotiate
in Russian. The rates are also higher if the taxi is caught
near a popular site or at a busy time of day. For instance
if you catch a taxi in front of the Hotel National in
Moscow, you will typically pay much more than if you walk
under Tverskaya to the other side of the street-perhaps
2 or 3 times as much. A Muscovite would expect to pay
no more than about 500 rubles to travel from the center
to virtually anyplace in Moscow. If you are paying this
much or more to travel a short distance in the city center,
you are being taken advantage of.
You should not take a great deal of foreign currency with
you as there are restrictions on what can be taken out
of Russia (currently $1,500). There is no limit on how
much you take into Russia, but it must be declared. Of
course, it is always risky to carry large amounts of cash
anywhere. There are many places in Moscow and Saint Petersburg
to exchange money, but you may not always get a fair exchange
rate. The best alternative is probably to use an ATM card
as the machines are now ubiquitous in most sizable cities.
However, there have been reports of scams involving some
where individuals PINs were stolen and accounts accessed.
It would be best to use one inside of a bank and to examine
your accounts carefully upon your return. In Moscow and
Saint Petersburg, American Express will not be accepted
by most places of business and it is almost impossible
to use the card anywhere else.
Be aware that many hotels in Russia will attempt to charge
you a higher rate if you are obviously a foreigner. Also,
even the best hotels in Moscow and Saint Petersburg will
follow this practice: You will be quoted a rate in dollars,
but they must accept all credit card payments in rubles.
They will often give an unfair exchange from dollars into
rubles, so that your bill can be 5 -15% higher than you
expect. It would be good to negotiate this with the hotel
before your arrival so that you do not have any nasty
surprises. If you plan on staying any length of time in
an expensive hotel in Moscow, there is an alternative:
you come to an agreement with the hotel on the price and
wire them the money in dollars ahead of your trip.
In the centers of Moscow and Saint Petersburg hotels,
restaurants and other services can be quite expensive.
Outside of these areas, prices may seem very modest. There
is a huge disparity, but of course there are differences
in quality, amenities and location.
