Russia - Fires near Moscow-Dangerous smog in city

We have reservations to visit Moscow this week, but embassies are now saying tourists should not visit due to the smog from area fires. What happens to visas issues for this specific week? Are hotel companies being flexible with nonrefundable reservations since this is an act of nature?

We may switch our Moscow visit to a St. Petersburg visit, but are worried about taking the domestic flight from DME to LED since our visas were issued by a Moscow hotel not a St. Petersburg hotel. Will this cause a problem at the airport/new hotel?

First the easy one: no, it doesn't matter who your visa support is through. You can switch hotels with no problem. The border agents don't even check. Just put the name of the organization that issued the invitation you got your visa with on your arrival card. You don't have to stay there. Your new hotel can still register your visa.

As for cancellation waivers, that's up to the hotel. I would imagine they'd be flexible with it, but there's no guarantees. You'll just have to ask. If you cancel your trip entirely, you're not getting a refund on the visa fees. These might be covered by trip insurance if you have it. If you don't, it's too late now of course.

You might check the prices/availability in St. Petersburg -- you're not the only one who wants to escape Moscow.

I just flew back today on SQ 62 out of DME. Do NOT go to Moscow if you can possibly avoid it. Fortunately I picked up some N95 filter masks before going. Masks are all sold out there, of course. The masks turned brown very quickly. The visibility was as little as 50 meters, and it's 35-40C. All my clothes smell like smoke.

Even in hotels that have air conditioning, their systems aren't up to these extreme conditions. The filters are plugging up, and they were never designed for over 32C anyway. I stayed at the Radisson Slavyanskaya, and it was still not all that cool in the room. My room was right over the Moscow River, but the smoke was bad enough at times for the far bank to disappear.

You know things are bad when the Moscow River is the cleanest thing about the city -

If you want up to date news on the fire, check out RT news they've been doing an excellent job as per usual.

Do NOT go to Moscow if you can possibly avoid it. Fortunately I picked up some N95 filter masks before going. Masks are all sold out there, of course. The masks turned brown very quickly. The visibility was as little as 50 meters, and it's 35-40C. All my clothes smell like smoke.

Even in hotels that have air conditioning, their systems aren't up to these extreme conditions. The filters are plugging up, and they were never designed for over 32C anyway. I stayed at the Radisson Slavyanskaya, and it was still not all that cool in the room. My room was right over the Moscow River, but the smoke was bad enough at times for the far bank to disappear.

Thanks for your feedback. We are going tomorrow and are still unsure about what to do. Do you think it will be better by Thursday or Friday if we delay our trip a few days? Are flights operating into/out of DME and SVO?

Thanks for your feedback. We are going tomorrow and are still unsure about what to do. Do you think it will be better by Thursday or Friday if we delay our trip a few days? Are flights operating into/out of DME and SVO?

I arrived in Saint Petersburg from Moscow on Thursday - things are much better here, but I do seem to detect a wisp of the smoke starting to show up here - last night was particularly bad.

Delays have tended to be somewhat minimal out of SVO - I had no delays leaving for St. Petersburg, and it was relatively clear. (By the way, Terminal D, Aeroflot's new one, where more SkyTeam flights are being moved, is quite nice...). SVO is to the northwest of Moscow; the fires are largely to the south and east. So it hasn't had quite the same level of problems.

There have been a large amount of delays out of DME and VKO, however. I'm supposed to return on UA 965 on Friday, DME-IAD, and I noticed it was canceled at least once over the past few days - I think on the 6th. That said, my day-to-day checks of flight status have shown things getting better arrival/departure wise - which is contrast to the worsening smog. I presume that they've learned to deal with it a bit better than before...

If there is a way for you to alter your itinerary to come to St. Petersburg first, I'd do it, even if it costs $200-$500. It's much cooler here temperature wise, and it has really only gotten smoggy once. Forecasts say there may be some easing of the smoke in Moscow on Wednesday... so if you can arrive at DME, and fly right to LED from there, I'd do it....

I'm in St. Petersburg right now and had plans to go to Moscow on Wednesday.

The Marriott in Moscow has agreed to cancel my prepaid reservation and issue a full refund. British Airways, however, claims not to know anything about the fires and is charging me to change my return flight from Moscow to St. Pete.

On the good side with low occupancy you will get better upgrades:D

Im on an award at the Park Hyatt, and now have a park executive suite (100 sqm). 3 bottles of wine, free airport transfer etc^

They have free masks here.

No rush of tourists so so use metor/taxi and go to indoor sights. Had a stroll on the red square today, and got some decent shots. Im not too bothered about the heat and smoke, but thats just me;)

I'm in FRA at the moment headed to SVO with a quick connect to OVB tomorrow. SU seems to be fine schedule/delay wise.

I have colleagues coming in from Houston on SN this Sunday and then taking S7 to OVB. I'm a little concerned for them as DME is in a bog naturally and has had some pretty notable delays.

August in Russia...never boring is it?

August in Russia...never boring is it?

You can certainly say that... :eek:


On a side note, United Airlines has just issued a travel waiver for Moscow. Although, since I'm already in Russia, it doesn't do terribly much good - I couldn't sweet-talk the agent into rebooking me on LH out of LED... oh, well.
Here are the details. (http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,52939,00.html)

Luckily, reports have it that the smog cleared a bit over the past day or so... can anyone in Moscow confirm? I leave on Friday from DME...

You can certainly say that... :eek:


On a side note, United Airlines has just issued a travel waiver for Moscow. Although, since I'm already in Russia, it doesn't do terribly much good - I couldn't sweet-talk the agent into rebooking me on LH out of LED... oh, well.
Here are the details. (http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,52939,00.html)

Luckily, reports have it that the smog cleared a bit over the past day or so... can anyone in Moscow confirm? I leave on Friday from DME...

You should be fine for a Friday depature. Fri eve and Sat should be back to smoggy conditions due to a shift in the winds.

You should be fine for a Friday depature. Fri eve and Sat should be back to smoggy conditions due to a shift in the winds.

A little bit of it seems to have been creeping back in over the course of the day, but no where as need as bad as last weekend.

Well, it's still mainly clear this morning, but a smoke smell has come back.

Just returned to town and checked in an hour ago at my upgraded suite at Park Hyatt :)
Seems much better in town now than when I left wednesday.

Although this morning light smog and the fire smell is definitely back. I hope it won't ever get as bad again as it was last weekend, but it's going to take a month of wetter and cooler weather to get all the fires out.

For those in Moscow right now, can you give any update as to what the situation is with the smog? I'll be there in a few weeks and was hoping to know what the situation would be?

For those in Moscow right now, can you give any update as to what the situation is with the smog? I'll be there in a few weeks and was hoping to know what the situation would be?

Smog is gone, cold and rainy has firmly taken hold of the situation. Today it was rainy and +11 (55F). Tomorrow it is supposed to get up to +22 (78F) before falling back into the low teens by the weekend.

The fire emergency that was declared in Moscow and seven other regions has been lifted. The Department of State has canceled their travel warning for Russia.

I'd bring a jacket and umbrella and leave the surgical mask at home.