5 Things I Discovered at the 2018 World Cup in Russia
Anya Kartashova July 28, 2018
Now that the stadium lights are dimmed and the World Cup trophy has gone to France, it’s a perfect time to sum up Russia as a host country and a travel destination in general. I spent two weeks there during the group play of the tournament and would like to share the following five observations. (Political opinions are not provided.)
Related: How I Booked a Trip to FIFA World Cup with Points and Miles
Buying Tickets to Matches Wasn’t Difficult
Unless you think staying up until 5 a.m. is difficult, obtaining actual tickets to matches wasn’t that hard. You could either try your luck in a lottery-based ticket distribution or purchase tickets on a first-come-first-serve basis online. My fiancé and I chose the latter option and stayed up on certain nights to line up in an online queue for tickets.
We could follow a specific team or a specific venue, but because we combined business of going to games with pleasure of seeing the sights, we decided to buy match tickets based on our itinerary and lucked out with our matchups. We got to see Spain vs. Portugal, Russia vs. Egypt and Belgium vs. Tunisia. The three matches we attended resulted in 17 goals, one hat trick and countless positive emotions!
Fan IDs are Genius
For the duration of the World Cup, Russia waived visa requirements for all nationalities and implemented what’s called Fan IDs, which could be obtained if you held a ticket to any of the matches. Fan IDs could be used as a passport to enter the country, a train pass and more.
When my fiancé and I arrived in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport, we found immigration queues designated specifically for match spectators. Our Fan IDs included our current passport numbers, and we were issued visas on the spot. Because we don’t live near a city with a Russian consulate, the process saved us a lot of time and money had we decided to travel to Russia at a time outside of the World Cup.
Additionally, Fan IDs were used for free public transportations on match days and even trains between host cities. Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended visa-free travel to Fan ID holders through the end of the calendar year.
Russia Has Become More Traveler-Friendly
I spent two months in Russia 16 years ago and remember seeing no signs or menus in English. Unless you speak Russian or can at least read the Cyrillic alphabet, Russia used to be a tough destination for a foreigner to explore. However, metro stops and street signs now boast Latin characters, at least in the 11 host cities, and the country has become a lot more travel-friendly. Still, only in Moscow can you find locals who speak decent English, but you won’t get lost navigating the street of Saint Petersburg, Kazan or Sochi should you travel away from the capital.
U.S. Dollar, Euro Go Far in Russia
If you’re outside of Moscow, you’ll notice how affordable Russia is, especially if you travel with U.S. dollars or euros in your wallet. Let’s not forget that several years ago Russian ruble devalued and never gained strength since then. Restaurants and lodging are two biggest budget eaters, but you’ll find both of those quite affordable.
Let’s take a price of a beer, for example, as that is a universal currency (at least for me). You could buy a cup of beer for about $3.20 to $4 at any if the Fan Zones across all host cities, depending on the brand, and about $5.50 at the stadiums. At restaurants, a $2 price tag was easy to find. If you’re not a beer drinker, then obviously dinners will be even cheaper for you, but you get the idea—Russia is a frugal traveler’s haven.
Security was Top-Notch
At least during the tournament, the level of security was on a whole other level. Being able to get inside stadiums, Fan Zones and even metro stations required going through a metal detector and included a full pat down in most cases. I never felt unsafe during any of the matches and never saw even one fight at any of the venues. The overall organization of such a high-profile event blew my mind, and I will remember this experience forever. For me, points and miles made this unforgettable trip possible.
What kind of events were you able to attend with the help of points and miles?
"Unless you speak Russian or can at least read the Cyrillic alphabet, Russia used to be a tough destination for a foreigner to explore. However, metro stops and street signs now boast Latin characters, at least in the 11 host cities, and the country has become a lot more travel-friendly. Still, only in Moscow can you find locals who speak decent English" Latin characters can be found easily in far more than just the host cities, e.g. Chelyabinsk, Ufa, Vladivostok, etc. How new they are I don't know but they are not limited to just 11 cities. Besides, many people still go to other countries e.g. Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, etc, how is Russia realistically any different? As for "decent English", not only are you able to find them in St Petersburg as well but frankly, most major cities have *some* locals who do speak English, what one regards as decent is debatable. Having said that, even in Moscow, finding someone who speaks English can be a challenge. Of course people invested in learning prior to the World Cup, but in general, it's not that easy. Also, immigration isn't that bad in Moscow anyway. The longest I've ever waited is about 1 hour in SVO. Compare that to waiting almost 2 hours to enter my home country, UK...