19 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Going to Russia – Feather and the Wind | Travel & Film

We’ve just spent a month travelling throughout Russia visiting nearly a dozen cities without a tour. As memorable as our experience was, there are certainly a few things I wish I had known ahead of time. Whether you’re planning for a Trans-Siberian adventure or a quick city escape to St. Petersburg, I hope these Russia travel tips help prepare you for what’s coming your way! 

If you’re new here, Wes and I both turned 30 last year and we decided to each choose a new country to travel to this summer. I picked Georgia and he chose Russia, a place he’s been wanting to visit since as long as he can remember. I was excited about his choice but not really expecting much of Russia to be honest. And now? I have a new sense of love and appreciation for a country that is, unfortunately, so often misrepresented. It was the beautiful cities, delicious foods and, most of all, the generous people that really blew me away.

Our month in Russia came and went by too fast. If it weren’t for our Russian tourist visa limitations (30 days for Canadians), we likely would have stayed longer to explore more. I have a feeling this was just our first of many visits to come. 

1. Learning the language will be more helpful than you think

Russian is, obviously, the official language in Russia and English isn’t widely spoken outside of tourist-friendly cities. Even if you’re only planning on visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg, a little bit of Russian will go a long way. I would recommend learning the Cyrillic alphabet and a few key phrases like your usual greetings (hello, goodbye, thank you, etc.) and, “Excuse me, I don’t speak Russian. Do you speak English?” 

Wes and I started learning Russian about 5 months before our travels with the help of sites like Duolingo, Pimsleur and Italki. He made a lot more progress than I did and it was largely thanks to his Russian that we were able to navigate more easily in smaller cities. Do you need to study for 5 months before going to Russia? Obviously not. It isn’t the end of the world if you show up with nothing but your best charade skills. That said, the more time and energy you put into a Russian crash course, the more benefits you’ll reap once you land.

2. Google Translate will come in handy

In Russia’s two main cities, most signs and museum info will be displayed in Russian and English. Some menus are translated and you will likely come across waiters and hotel receptionists that speak English pretty well. Other than that, you’ll be left to your own devices. Pun intended. Luckily, there are some really good (and free!) apps like Google Translate that will help you navigate through the language barrier. It’s also worth making room on your phone to download the Russian language within the app so you’ll be able to use it offline.

I found that I used the app’s camera feature nearly everyday while in Russia. You simply align the camera with the foreign text you’re trying to read and the app does a pretty decent job of translating at least some of the words. This came in really handy in cafes and restaurants with no English menus (though I’m sure I looked ridiculous holding my phone to my face like a magnifying glass). It doesn’t work well with fancy fonts or handwritten Cyrillic. Below is a side-by-side comparison of how Google Translate’s camera feature works with the actual oatmeal box on the right and a decent English translation on the left: