Originally Posted by
jpmcdonough
I used the DOS web site because it was one of the few resources listed on the Rick Steves site. I don't think Rick has ever put on tours to Russia before, and there is limited info available on his site.
If we go to Moscow, we'd be taking the train.
And I've ordered a guide book on Moscow/St Petersburg. I just don't have it yet!
Interesting about the Cyrillic alphabet, though.
It's a common observation on FT that the DOS travel advice is particularly... scary! It might be useful to look at it in conjunction with, for example, UK and Australian government travel advice as well to getter a better/more realistic feel for the situation in any given country.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-...ving-overseas/
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/
You'll thank yourself if you invest a bit of time learning the Cyrillic alphabet - a) you'll find some words are surprisingly similar to English when you know how to read them and b) it is no use knowing you have to get off at Komosomolskaya metro station or a museum is on Bolshoi Zlatoustinskiy lane if you don't know how to read it in Russian (although sometimes signs will be in English as well)!
I'd also recommend trying the train to Moscow, just for the experience!