Moscow Travel Thread...Possible DO??
May 4, 2009, 7:08 am
#241
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: (SJC)
Posts: 2,199
Nice to meet everyone last night. I've got a group photo but cant post it from this executive lounge computer.
apoivre, we're on an overnight train to St. Petersburg tonight, but we'll be back in Moscow Thursday. Despite Alex and Sophie's best efforts we never did find an Irish pub last night; Silvers has apparently turned into a Mexican restaurant.
So maybe a Guinness Thursday night?
apoivre, we're on an overnight train to St. Petersburg tonight, but we'll be back in Moscow Thursday. Despite Alex and Sophie's best efforts we never did find an Irish pub last night; Silvers has apparently turned into a Mexican restaurant.
So maybe a Guinness Thursday night?There is a Hawaiian Bar, called Tiki Bar in Moscow too.
In St. Pete be alert for pick pockets. If you have time look up Peter's Walking tours, I enjoyed this 6 hour trek through the city.
May 4, 2009, 7:11 am
#242
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: BWI (Annapolis) & PWM (Bailey Island)
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Posts: 884
There is also a place called "American Grill" on Ararat St, note there is nothing American place. None of the menus are in English & only one of the waitstaff at the time we went was able to decipher the menu for us. We also noted that there was a person dressed up in a bear costume who we promptly named, "Touchy The Bear" as it seemed to just run around & grope people. Steer clear of this bear! Well, unless, you know. 
May 4, 2009, 7:43 am
#243
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MOW
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apoivre, we're on an overnight train to St. Petersburg tonight, but we'll be back in Moscow Thursday. Despite Alex and Sophie's best efforts we never did find an Irish pub last night; Silvers has apparently turned into a Mexican restaurant. So maybe a Guinness Thursday night?
So maybe a Guinness Thursday night?Last edited by apoivre; May 4, 2009 at 8:30 am
May 4, 2009, 3:13 pm
#244
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: WAS
Programs: US G, AA G, HHonors Silver
Posts: 115
Thank you azepine00 for setting everything up and helping us navigate through dinner. While we did not get to see the parade rehearsal it was worth the walk to see Red Square at night. Hope your connection to LAX goes well today.
Iahphx - hope your trip back went well. The Hilton insisted that I would need over an hour to get to the train station to catch the AE - it took 10 so I caught the next train and was at DME too early. As I was walking into the terminal a police officer headed straight towards me yelling something - figured that I might get to experience a police shake down, but he passed by and selected the woman behind me for document check.
Flight back was great (at least in C) - crew dealt efficiently with a self upgrader sending him back to his E- seat - funny that he spoke perfect english when asking for champagne and talking on the phone, but spoke only Russian when they started questioning his true seating. Only tough part about the trip back was weather at IAD - 20 degrees cooler than Moscow and raining.
May 4, 2009, 3:18 pm
#245
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May 5, 2009, 8:53 am
#246
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Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,471
Glad to have had dinner with everyone Sunday night. We've made it home without incident.
I think this trip proves you can have a great time going to a not-very-obvious tourist destination on a flyertalk deal. We went in with relatively low expectations for Moscow, and our experiences consistently exceeded those expections (except clearing immigration at DME, which was truly terrible).
In many respects, the challenge of "figuring things out" was part of the fun -- nobody could say Moscow suffers from too many American tourists.
I am glad that most half-way decent Moscow restaurants have English menus, though. I always say that if you can eat, you can have a good time, and that's certainly true in Moscow. If the menus had all been as informative as Moscow metro stations, I can only imagine what we would have eaten.
There are some threads on the main Russia travel forum where I received some helpful information (transport, restaurants, etc), and I am going to post my comments there to help future visitors.
I think this trip proves you can have a great time going to a not-very-obvious tourist destination on a flyertalk deal. We went in with relatively low expectations for Moscow, and our experiences consistently exceeded those expections (except clearing immigration at DME, which was truly terrible).
In many respects, the challenge of "figuring things out" was part of the fun -- nobody could say Moscow suffers from too many American tourists.
I am glad that most half-way decent Moscow restaurants have English menus, though. I always say that if you can eat, you can have a good time, and that's certainly true in Moscow. If the menus had all been as informative as Moscow metro stations, I can only imagine what we would have eaten.There are some threads on the main Russia travel forum where I received some helpful information (transport, restaurants, etc), and I am going to post my comments there to help future visitors.
May 6, 2009, 6:40 am
#247
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: No Longer Anything
Posts: 478
I think this trip proves you can have a great time going to a not-very-obvious tourist destination on a flyertalk deal. We went in with relatively low expectations for Moscow, and our experiences consistently exceeded those expections (except clearing immigration at DME, which was truly terrible).
I think I will plan on doing something like this at least once or twice a year -- at least every time UA has a DEQM deal!
May 6, 2009, 6:59 am
#248
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Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,471
Totally Agree. I'm still happy at how great the deal worked out. I had never considered (or at least seriously considered) doing a weekend hop like this, and to Moscow of all places. But it was a great time, met a few fun FTers and, I agree again, that it is fun to figure things out and be part of the hustle and bustle of a big city and get to where you want to be! ^
I think I will plan on doing something like this at least once or twice a year -- at least every time UA has a DEQM deal!
I think I will plan on doing something like this at least once or twice a year -- at least every time UA has a DEQM deal!
If not for the visa thing, I would seriously consider a return visit at that price. But we've been doing one of these long haul deals every month, and are frankly a little tired -- and running out of vacation days! I would go back next year at this price if I could.
May 6, 2009, 8:40 am
#249
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: No Longer Anything
Posts: 478
Actually, I travelled too much the first part of the year (mostly for work) and have my 2+ week "real vacation" to NZ set now for September so I probably won't jump over to Moscow again this year. ... I agree that the visa thing too makes it a little less easy. I'm looking at other direct UA flights to Europe, like ROME, Munich (been once), new Geneva ... oh someday!
May 6, 2009, 10:33 pm
#250
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in MUNICH, BAVARIA
Posts: 58,803
Well Moscow is a relative breeze compared to St. Petersburg. I'd thought the smaller scale and more 'European' style of the city would make it 'easier.'
All I can say is that it's good to be back in Moscow where things make sense to me and the Metro is relatively easy!!
Well....except for the endless procession of tanks and missile lauchers driving down Tverskaya practicing for Victory Day tomorrow which is...still interesting.
apoivre, drinks tonight on Arbat pedestrian street? PM me with a time and place!
All I can say is that it's good to be back in Moscow where things make sense to me and the Metro is relatively easy!!
Well....except for the endless procession of tanks and missile lauchers driving down Tverskaya practicing for Victory Day tomorrow which is...still interesting.
apoivre, drinks tonight on Arbat pedestrian street? PM me with a time and place!
May 11, 2009, 8:33 am
#252
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in MUNICH, BAVARIA
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As promised, here's the photo from the May 3 gathering at Glavpivtorg (except me who was behind the camera
)!
)!
Jul 27, 2009, 9:31 am
#254
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: UA/1K
Posts: 59
Might be reviving this, but anyway.. Finally got a response from UA customer relations, no go on the miles. Do I chalk this up to experience or is there anywhere else I should push?
(Original post http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/commu...l#post11565166)
(Original post http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/commu...l#post11565166)
Dear Mr. neuf.
Thank you for contacting us about your travel experience on April 11, 2009.
I am sorry to hear of the problems you experienced with international travel documents. We do our best to provide international travelers with accurate document information required by foreign countries or for traveling through the United States. Ultimately it is the travelers responsibility to know all current requirements and have the applicable documents for each country he or she will be traveling to or through. Sometimes there are many required documents, and I understand it can be difficult to cover all the bases. I am sorry for your trouble this time.
For future international travels, please verify current document requirements with the consulates of the countries to be visited. If you have a U.S. passport, a good source for all visa requirements is the U.S. State Departments site at www.travel.state.gov. Also, please be aware that passports now are required for all U.S. citizens traveling to or from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada.
Mileage Plus rules state that a member earns credit for a flight actually flown, not for purchasing a ticket. This information is available in your Mileage Plus Members Guide. Since you did not travel, I must decline your request.
Thank you for giving us an opportunity to respond to your inquiry. We look forward to serving you again.
Thank you for contacting us about your travel experience on April 11, 2009.
I am sorry to hear of the problems you experienced with international travel documents. We do our best to provide international travelers with accurate document information required by foreign countries or for traveling through the United States. Ultimately it is the travelers responsibility to know all current requirements and have the applicable documents for each country he or she will be traveling to or through. Sometimes there are many required documents, and I understand it can be difficult to cover all the bases. I am sorry for your trouble this time.
For future international travels, please verify current document requirements with the consulates of the countries to be visited. If you have a U.S. passport, a good source for all visa requirements is the U.S. State Departments site at www.travel.state.gov. Also, please be aware that passports now are required for all U.S. citizens traveling to or from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada.
Mileage Plus rules state that a member earns credit for a flight actually flown, not for purchasing a ticket. This information is available in your Mileage Plus Members Guide. Since you did not travel, I must decline your request.
Thank you for giving us an opportunity to respond to your inquiry. We look forward to serving you again.