Safety tips

Everything you will read below applies to any tourist in any country of the world. Especially it concerns large cities. Their unfamiliar atmosphere, a great number of people and an abundance of impressions may lead you to skip reasonable precautions. Taking all these precautions, you may find yourself as safe as you are at home. Nothing will ruin your impressions of a marvelous holiday in Russia.

Personal safety

1. Bring along all special medicine, makeup and means of hygiene – it might be difficult to get hold of a specific product that you need.
2. Arrange for a transfer beforehand if you are going to a city you haven’t visited before. If you don’t have this chance, find out the whereabouts of and distance to a hotel (at least by the map), trip time, and the cost. Hire only an official taxi.
3. Ask the guide or the hotel personnel for telephone numbers of emergency services and calling procedure.

In the city

1. If you don’t like the atmosphere and visitors at public catering establishments and other public places, do not go there (unless you really need to). Keep away from badly-lit and deserted locations.
2. Steer clear of crowded gatherings, above all – different demonstrations, meetings, etc. They might be unauthorized, lead to provocation, and as a result, to clashes with the police. You might get into trouble by chance.

Documents, money, valuables and luggage

1. Always carry along copies of documents. This will help you to recover your papers sooner if the originals are lost or stolen. Do not keep your documents together with money.
2. If you can, do not leave valuables and money in an empty hotel room – put them in a safe at the reception.
3. It’s wise to keep part of your money separately from its bulk. Then, in case of theft, you will not find yourself stranded. If you often take out your wallet in public places (in the market, while buying souvenirs, food, etc.) make sure there aren’t very many banknotes – this might attract the eye of swindlers. Don’t show off your valuables such as jewelry, expensive photo and video equipment. At least, hold them firmly in you hands and keep them within sight.
4. While you are in crowded public transport or other busy places, hold your bag with valuables and documents right in front of you and never lose sight of it. The same concerns backpacks. Put nothing valuable into their outside pockets or next to the walls and bottom (the bag might be slit open).
5. If you put down your bag in a busy place (at the railway station or the airport), keep it within sight, rest your leg against it or keep its handle in your hand.

In the train

1. Make sure beforehand that you ask the hotel personnel or your travel agent how long it takes to get to the railway station or the airport. Make allowances for traffic jams and other possible delays. Hire a taxi so that you can get to the railway station at least 40 minutes before the train departure.
2. Buy water and all food you will need at a shop beforehand – during the trip, at minor stations, you might not have the chance to do this or to check the quality of food.
3. While you are in the train, never leave your valuables and documents unattended. Even if you go to the WC or the restaurant, take them along. Don’t leave your luggage in full view and store it in special places.
4. Don’t put too much trust in strangers even though they might have made a good impression on you over the few days you have traveled together. Avoid sharing details of your private life (such as names, addresses, telephones) and the purpose of your visit with people you know little about – fraudsters might take advantage of this information.
5. Be cautious with persistent co-travelers who offer their friendship and a drink. Don’t take hard drinks in a company of strangers. Know when to stop and always keep control over the situation. Don’t take part in gambling.

During the stops

1. When leaving the train during stops, always make sure you know the exact stopping time and the time of departure. Don’t go far from your car and stay within the conductor’s sight. Otherwise, you might be left behind if the train departs a few minutes earlier (usually there is no warning signal).
2. Don’t buy food you know little about or alcoholic drinks privately! Make sure the food is of a good quality. If you don’t know how – ask your co-travelers to help you to make a choice.
3. Get small change ready beforehand, ask about average prices. Trains often stop for a few minutes only. So, a dishonest salesperson might “not have enough time” to give you change or sell you a product for a higher price.

To be warned is to be armed. We hope that things mentioned above will not scare you away or make you turn down the idea of a breathtaking trip around Russia. The situations we have outlined sometimes do crop up. But, no doubt, you are way more likely to come across hospitable and fascinating people who will enrich your life with pleasant impressions.