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Moscow and St. Petersburg boast a wide range of accommodation to suit almost any travel budget, but outside Russia's two major cities where, admittedly, few foreign tourists venture pickings are often limited.
The options in Moscow and St. Petersburg range from five-star luxury palaces, to Western-style business plazas, to Soviet hold-overs with walls that had ears, to hostels and B&B's for the ruble conscious traveler. In the regions, most sizeable cities will provide one or more late-Soviet-era hotels, spruced up to varying degrees, and a few smaller, and usually grottier, alternatives.
In the Golden Ring -- the tourist-heavy array of historical towns surrounding Moscow -- you can expect a better selection across the board, and there are rare delights to be found. In more far-flung areas, standards tend to be lower.
Most hotels can provide letters of invitation and offer visa registration even if you are not staying with them for all your time in Russia, although regional establishments tend to be less flexible.
Accommodation Options in Moscow
Spectacular views of the Kremlin and rooms a short walk from Red Square are two of the highlights of Moscow's centrally located hotels, many of which have recently undergone renovation and extensive remodeling to keep them in line with the expectations of foreign visitors. Prices are similarly comparable to other major European cities.
While Russia does not exactly cater to foreign visitors on small budgets (witness the markups for museum tickets, long-distance train travel and at hotels in the regions), there are some bargains to be found, even in Moscow. As ever, contacts are the best way to get a deal, but patience and luck can often do just as well.
The easiest way to get cheap accommodation is in a university dormitory, but this is usually only available to students paying for Russian lessons at an institute (see Study in Russia). Most organizations will ask you to commit to at least 10 hours a week before they bother with the twin questions of accommodation and visas, so if you are looking for inexpensive accommodations without any study obligations then renting either a small apartment or a room with a family is your best bet.
Remember that travelers in Russia have to be aware of visa issues. The issuing of a visa, and its registration, is often tied to accommodation, so going it alone means you take more of the responsibility. Take a look at our Visas section for advice on getting a visa.
Hostels and Dormatories
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| Russian apartment flats often leave something to be desired in terms of maintenance. | The most Western choice is the Traveller's Guest House, which is the only hostel, as we understand it, in Moscow. As such, it is often full during the summer and booking ahead is advised.
Another, more home-grown dormitory option is Galina's Flat (galinas.flat@mtu-net.ru). Galina is a kind and very welcoming Russian woman who speaks a little bit of English, and offers beds in a 5 bed dormitory for $8 a night. Doubles can be arranged for $10 each. She is located a 5 minute walk from Chistye Prudie or Turgenevskaya metro stations. Tel. 921-6038.
The next option is the college, university or institute dormitory. Living in a dormitory hall at one of the universities is an inexpensive option when studying in Russia. Residence arrangements differ greatly, as do the quality of the accommodations, and there are often restrictions on who can stay.
Moscow State University has several residence facilities that are cheap, clean, safe ‹ and limited to students of a language program affiliated with the university. When school is out, however, it is sometimes possible to talk your way into accommodation at an institute.
Russian boarding houses (huge communalki) are just scary. They may cost only a few rubles a night, but the clientele, security and maintenance of the buildings are in line with the price.
Home Stay
Living with a Russian family is a great way to get to know the place, the language and the people. This option often includes some meals with the family, who usually have some connection to a Russian-study program.
Although there are many Muscovites happy to welcome people into their homes, three factors keep most hosts from openly "advertising" that they accept visitors - tax police, hooligans, and nervousness about people they don't know. Study programs usually have a pool of homestays available, and there are some travel agencies that will arrange this type of accommodation for you.
Of course, hosts will cut out middlemen when they can, but that generally means when they feel secure in doing so. Again, it's all about who you know - and as they're dealing with visitors, it's easier for them to operate through an agency or other organization.
HOFA homestay arrangements
webcenter.ru/~hofa/
Bed and Breakfasts
These are fairly rare, although they do exist. They are often just homestays taken to the next level, with a few people staying in a large apartment. Checking with travel agencies and in newspapers is the best route to finding them.
See The Moscow Times Classifieds:
- Serviced Apartments
- Accomodation
Apartment Rental
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| New construction projects abound in Moscow. | Apartment rental, landlords and real estate agents are difficult to navigate without understanding Russian. Many people rely on word of mouth and friends moving from flat to flat to find a place to live.
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