When planning a visit to Moscow, many tourists don’t know what to expect in Russia. What difficulties and dangers might they encounter on a trip? I’ve been to Moscow many times and plan to visit Moscow again.
Ancient wisdom says: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Perhaps this is also useful for travel? When traveling to Russia, do as the Russians do!
The decision to travel from St. Petersburg to Moscow arose spontaneously, unexpectedly. I simply had a few free days, which I decided to fill with travel.
A traveler typically faces three challenges: how to get there, where to stay, and what to do.
You can travel between St. Petersburg and Moscow by various modes of transport, but the most convenient is by train. Let me explain why.
The train stations are located in the city center, saving you time and money on getting to the airport.
You need to arrive at the airport early to go through all the security procedures. You don’t have to waste time on this when traveling by train.
Baggage allowances on the train are much more passenger-friendly.
So, are we traveling by train? Don’t rush. If you’re planning a trip during school holidays or public holidays, there might not be any convenient tickets available! More prudent passengers have already purchased everything. In this case, you’ll have to go back to choosing plane tickets.
But we were lucky. At the end of December, the railway company (Russian Railways) launched additional trains, and we bought tickets for the dates we needed.
Different types of trains operate between Moscow and St. Petersburg. There are daytime, high-speed trains with seated carriages. The journey takes approximately four hours. There are also overnight trains with sleeper berths. This is also convenient: you sleep; you’re transported to your destination; you wake up before arriving. Both types of trains have their advantages.
Where to buy a train ticket in Russia? On the official Russian Railways website, of course.
The next step is choosing and booking accommodations. Since Booking.com’s departure from the Russian travel market, choosing and booking a hotel has become a bit more complicated, but also exciting. There are many hotel booking services, and prices vary widely. It’s like going on a challenging, exciting quest. Lifehack: the best price is usually on the hotel’s official website. The challenge: how to choose a hotel, how to find its official website, and how to avoid scammers.
We can recommend a well-known travel service.
What was inflation in Russian tourism in 2025? Everyone has their own inflation rate. It depends on the calculation methodology. You can take roughly the same trips last year and this year and compare the costs.
And we have such data! We calculated the main costs of a trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow in December last year, and similar expenses in December this year.
Roughly the same parameters. Round-trip by train. There on an overnight train, and back – seats on a high-speed train (Aurora, Sapsan). Even a four-night stay in the same hotel (apartments with a kitchenette).
So what happened? You may not believe it, but inflation is zero, even a slight deflation of about 5%.
The train tickets were slightly more expensive, but the hotel was significantly cheaper.
Total: travel + hotel – 23,840 rubles this year, compared to 25,300 last year (for two people).
(But this is just our individual case.)
More to come soon.