General information « ESN Sweden Road Trips to Russia

General information

Optional programs

Each trip will also offer 1-4 optional programs at an additional cost of 10-25 EUR. More detailed information about the programs will be announced approximately 10 days before each trip departure. Registration for the optional programs will be done by e-mail, and payment for the optional programs will be made during the trips.

Here is a look at some of the previous optional programs.

St Petersburg:

Guided tour of Pushkin, including Catherine’s Palace and the Amber Room
Guided tour of Peterhof, including the gardens
Russian folk dance performance at Nikolajev’s Palace
Neva River, or Canal Cruise, including an interactive dance performance
Guided tour to Kronstadt Island
Russian evening, including dinner and entertainment

Moscow:

Guided walking tour of the Kremlin
(other programs to be announced)

Stockholm Departure

All travelers will begin their ESN Sweden Road Trip to Russia from the Viking Line ferry terminal in Stockholm.

Depending on where you study in Sweden, you have several choices on how to get to Stockholm. These include the train (SJ), bus (SWEBUSS) using a Viking Line charter bus directly to the ferry terminal, or in some cases, perhaps even flying. Regardless of how you plan to get to Stockholm for the trip departure, it is recommended to purchase your train, bus or plane tickets as far in advance as possible, using your Swedish university student card to get a student discount.

If you would like to use a Viking Line charter bus (not available from all Swedish cities) to get directly to the terminal in Stockholm, you must purchase a ticket from a Viking Line ferry office in advance. This also requires our (Niinimäki) reservation number for the trip – we will provide that to you upon request. You may purchase one-way, or round trip Viking Line charter bus tickets.

Please see: http://www.vikingline.se/

If you plan to fly to either Stockholm-Arlanda, or Stockholm-Bromma, please keep in mind that the airline may in some cases, require that you have your passport to board the aircraft. Please check with the airline to find out what type of identification they require.

Here are the instructions on getting to the Viking Line ferry terminal from various places in Stockholm.

How to get to the VIKING LINE ferry terminal (Stadsgården) from Stockholm Central Station (T-Centralen):

Leaving from T-Centralen: take any southbound subway and get off at “SLUSSEN”. Take the northern exit marked “Mot Nacka- Värmdöbussarna”.

You can either walk (1600m to your right) or take a bus to the ferry terminal. You can take any 400-numbered bus from Slussen, and get off at the Londonviadukten stop. If you have a valid SL ticket, there is no additional cost.

It is also possible to take the Viking line bus, either from Cityterminalen (located near T-Centralen), or from Slussen. These buses leave from a special bus stop marked, “Viking Line” or, “VIKINGTERMINALEN”. It costs 30 SEK.

Here is a link to SL journey planner in English: http://www.sl.se/Templates/SubStart.aspx?id=1906

Destination: Londonviadukten

Here is a link to the Stockholm Subway system map:

http://www.mariecurie.org/se/t-bana.html

How to get to the VIKING LINE ferry terminal from Stockholm-Arlanda Airport:

You may take the Arlanda Express train from the bottom floor of the Sky City Terminal inside Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. There are two Arlanda Express stations: Arlanda North and Arlanda South.

There are 4-6 departures per hour, and the trip to Stockholm City Station takes 20 minutes. With a valid student card, the ticket cost is 110 SEK per direction.

When you arrive at Stockholm City, it is a 50m walk to the Stockholm Central Station (T-Centralen). Once you are there, follow the instructions above on getting to the Viking Line ferry terminal from T-Centralen.

Here is a link to the Arlanda Express:

http://www.arlandaexpress.com

How to get to the VIKING LINE ferry terminal from Stockholm-Bromma Airport:

Airport buses (Flygbuss) from Stockholm-Bromma are scheduled to depart from the airport based on times that flights arrive. The Flygbuss departs from outside the airport terminal, and is non-stop to Stockholm City Station. The journey takes approximately 20 minutes depending on traffic, and tickets may be purchased on-board the bus.

ESN Sweden Group Leaders

Depending on the size of each group for each trip, Group Leaders will be on board with you. Usually, this means one Group Leader per bus (40-65 travellers), and the Group Leaders are Swedish students that come from the ESN sections or student unions at the universities participating on the trips. The group leaders are there help communicate important information to you regarding the trip schedule, departure times for sightseeing tours or optional programs, to ensure that everyone is present and accounted for, and to help you communicate with the drivers when needed.

ESN Sweden Group Leaders for the trips are chosen by the executive board of ESN Sweden, and the local ESN sections.

Students from non-ESN Sweden universities

If you are a student from a university in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, etc., that is not involved with ESN Sweden, you are welcome to join one of the trips. However, as we will not be holding a Paper Work & Payment Meeting at your university, you will be responsible for taking care of your documents for the Russian tourist visa processing by mail – unless you are able to come to one of the meetings.

All of the rules and instructions regarding registration apply to students from non-ESN Sweden universities.

If you would like to join an ESN Sweden Road Trip to Russia from a university that is not involved with ESN Sweden, please contact: russia@matka-niinimaki.fi for more information about what is required of you.

Additional Information

Out of the Office Dates

There will be no e-mail replies to registration or cancellation messages between the times on the following dates:

17.00 CET, Thursday, 2 October to 09.00 CET, Monday, 6 October
12.00 CET, Wednesday, 15 October to 09.00 CET, Monday, 19 October
17.00 CET, Friday, 24 October to 09.00, Tuesday, 28 October

Cancellation rules, roommate selection, optional programs, exact departure times and locations from Sweden, etc.

All of these issues will be covered in detail, by e-mail prior to the Paper Work & Payment Meeting, and further issues will be taken care of after the meeting.

Money issues

HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I BRING WITH ME?

The way that you travel is different than probably everyone else on one of the trips. There is no way to say an amount that works for everyone.

In Russia, food (restaurants) and drinks (bars, night clubs) are cheaper than Sweden. In some places you can get extremely cheap things to eat and drink, and then 200m down the street, you can pay 500% more. That is one paradox about Russia, that causes me problems! With a little looking, you can easily find inexpensive places to eat.

Many other things in Russia – gifts, souvenirs, CDs, DVDs, statues of your favorite USSR Communist Party Chairmen – are inexpensive. If you find a flea market, you can bargain for things as well, although, the prices of Cds and DVDs are usually final.

WHAT CURRENCY CAN I USE ON THE TRIPS?

The Swedish Kronor OR Euro on the Viking Line ferry journeys, the Euro in Finland, and the Russian Rouble in Russia.

The official exchange rate to the Euro is:

Thursday, 21 August

1 Euro = 36.760 Russian Rouble
1 Russian Rouble (RUB) = 0.028 Euro (EUR) Interbank rate +/- 2%

This means:
You buy 1 Euro : 37.760 Russian Rouble
You sell 1 Euro : 35.307 Russian Rouble
You buy 1 Russian Rouble : 0.028 Euro
You sell 1 Russian Rouble : 0.027 Euro
Median price = 36.02740 / 36.03876 (bid/ask)
Estimated price based on daily US dollar rates.

To get the exchange rates for other currencies, see also:

http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

That is of course the “official” bank rate – rates in St Petersburg and Moscow may vary between 33-38 Roubles per Euro.

SHOULD I CHANGE MONEY TO ROUBLES BEFORE THE TRIP?

Sure, if you want to! The exchange rate in Russia may be better or it may be worse, but since none of you will probably be changing 5000 EUR, the difference in the exchange rates may be about as much as one large beer in a restaurant.

WHAT FOREIGN CURRENCY SHOULD I USE TO BUY ROUBLES?

We suggest Euros, but you will be able to change Kronor at the exchange window in the hotels.

Also remember that you will be paying for your optional programs on Day Two of your trip (during the drive from Turku to the Finnish-Russian border), in Euros. Furthermore, if there are any stops in Finland on the way to and or from Russia, you will only be able to use Euros to buy anything. Swedish Kronor have not been an accepted currency in Finland since 1809, and Roubles were last used in Finland in 1917!

WHERE CAN I EXCHANGE MONEY IN RUSSIA?

There are places to exchange money all over the place, but they often require some form of identification (your passport). There is a currency exchange window in the lobby of the hotel in St Petersburg and in the hotel in Moscow.

ARE THERE BANK MACHINES IN RUSSIA?

Yes, all over the place.

These machines allow you to withdraw Roubles with your Visa or MasterCard, or a bank card (Cirrus, Maestro or Visa Electron, for example) that works in foreign countries (that depends on your card – check with your bank). Also, make sure that you know what your card’s PIN is!

CAN I TAKE TRAVELLLERS CHECKS WITH ME?

Do not take travellers checks with you. They are difficult to cash and in some case rather expensive to cash.

IS IT SAFE TO USE A CREDIT CARD IN RUSSIA?

Just as safe as anywhere else. However, you will find that in some places, it is not that widely accepted. Larger, more expensive stores will take credit cards, and smaller stores or markets may not.

Friends, non-students, relatives, etc.

If you know someone that would like to join you on one of the trips – possibly even someone not in Sweden – they are more than welcome to join you, so long as there are places available. Moreover, the rules and requirements about their documents (Schengen, or Swedish visas in their passports) are just the same as other students at Swedish universities.

Also, students from other universities in Sweden may also register for one of the trips. However, their Russian tourist visa will also have to be processed with the rest of the groups. This means that you will have to have their passport, completed Russian tourist visa paper work, and trip + visa payment at the Paper Work & Payment meeting. For more information about this, contact the e-mail address above.

Travel hints

WATER: Do not drink water from any faucet (tap water) in Russia! The water contains different bacteria than you are used to and it may make you feel ill. It is fine for brushing your teeth, showering and cleaning up.

You will be able to buy bottled water from the buses at a very inexpensive price. These are sold in 2 liter plastic bottles and you can pay with Roubles, Euros or Swedish Kronor. You will also find many types of bottled water for sale in the hotel lobbies and in shops located near the hotels.

If you notice that the shower in your hotel room is only flowing with cold or brackish water, have no fear! Let the water run for 5 to 10 minutes and then see if it improves. Usually after that, you will have plenty of clean, hot water.

FOOD on the bus: it is a good idea to bring something to eat and drink for the first day of the trip (Day Two). Once you arrive in Finland, there will only be one stop between Turku and the Finnish-Russian border.

PASSPORTS: your passport and tourist visa will be registered at the hotel reception desk on Day Two of the trip. After this has been done, your passports will be returned to you at an announced time. Be absolutely certain that when you have your passport, you know where it is. You may not lose your passport!

SURPRISE PAPER CHECKS: every now and then, the Russian police, militia, military, special police or frontier police (armed police) make surprise checks of our buses. There is no need to be frightened or alarmed – it is all part of the Road Trip experience. They will often want to check that you have a visa and see your passport. This is especially true when we enter the frontier zone just a few kilometers outside of Vyborg on the way home. These checks usually take about 10 minutes and then they let the bus continue on its journey.

VALUABLES: there is no need to bring expensive jewelry or other valuables with you on any of trips. You can take cameras, video cameras etc. with you – and do take as many pictures as possible! However, when you go somewhere where you are asked to leave your coat or bag (cloak room), do NOT leave anything even slightly valuable in your pockets. Keep your cameras, wallets, money wallets etc. on your person at all times.

BANK CARDS/CREDIT CARDS/WALLETS: and purses too. Empty out your wallets and purses of important items like driver’s license, extra bankcards, or receipts that you need back home – basically, anything that you do not need in Russia but cannot afford to lose. There is no need to lose these types of cards that cannot be used in Russia.

** The exception to this is YOUR STUDENT CARD – take this with you! **

At many tourist attractions (museums, churches, etc.) you can get a student discount. Your student card may be from your Swedish university, your home university, or an ISIC student card that you may have received from Kilroy Travels.

HOTEL & FERRY BEHAVIOR: If anything is broken in the rooms or taken from the rooms, or Viking Line ferry cabins, security will notify your group leader or bus driver about this. You are responsible for everything in your hotel room, and in your ferry cabin.

Sleeping bags/pillows: you do not need a sleeping bag – but a pillow is a good idea for the drives to and from Russia.

Towels, sheets, blankets: you do not need to bring any of these with you – you will be staying in hotels that provide these for you during your stay.

MOBILE TELEPHONES: if you are planning to bring your GSM telephone with you to Russia, Swedish mobile telephone operators have roaming agreements with local networks in St Petersburg and Moscow. However, calls back to Sweden may cost as much as 3-5 EUR/minute. To receive a call from somewhere else (outside of Russia) may also cost approximately 1-2 EUR/minute. SMS also works well in Russia – check with your mobile phone network service provider to find out what the charges are.

ELECTRICITY: Russian electrical outlets are the same plug type as in Western Europe – 220V.

Passport Application Information

If you are from a country within the European Union, it may be that you do not have an international passport (or travel passport) that allows you to travel outside the EU. If you do have a passport, it is also a good idea to check that it is valid, and that it will remain valid for six months after the last day of the trip that you would like to join.

In the case that you need to apply for a new passport, or have your current passport renewed, you must do this from your home country’s embassy or consular section in Sweden.

Please note that different countries have different rules for applying for, or renewing a passport. You may be asked to apply in person; you may be required to have paper work from the police station of your home city, and the time required to make you a passport may vary. In some cases, it may be impossible for you to be issued a passport.

Below is a list of countries with contact information to their embassies and consular sections. If you need to apply/renew your passport, it is recommended that you contact your embassy by telephone, e-mail, or read the information posted on their web site, to find out what is required of you for this process.

** You may register for a place on one of the trips WITHOUT having a passport, but you will need to have a passport two weeks before the departure of the trip that you are registered for. **

Austrian Embassy, Stockholm:
Österreichische Botschaft Kommendörsgatan 35/V – 11458 Stockholm telephone: +46 (0) 8 665 1770
Web page: http://www.aussenministerium.at/stockholm

Belgian Embassy, Stockholm:
Villagatan 13 A, Box 26114 – 10041 Stockholm
telephone + 46 8 534 80 200
Web page: http://www.diplomatie.be/stockholm/

French Embassy, Stockholm:
Ambassade de France en Suède, 13 Kommendörsgatan, 102 43 Stockholm telephone: +46 8 45 95 300
Web page: http://www.ambafrance-se.org/

German Embassy, Stockholm:
Botschaft der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Skarpögatan 9 – 11527 Stockholm telephone: +46 8 670 1500
Web page: http://www.stockholm.diplo.de/sv/Startseite.html

German Honorary Consulate, Göteborg:
Honorarkonsul der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Advokatfirman Vinge KB, Nils Ericssonsgatan 17 – 41103 Göteborg
telephone: +46 31 722 3600

German Honorary Consulate, Linköping:
Honorarkonsul der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, c/o HANSA Consulting AB, Westmansgatan 47 – 58216 Linköping
telephone: +46 13 34 20 035, mobile: +46 70 268 6562

Italian Embassy, Consulate Chancery, Stockholm:
Oakhill – Djurgården – 115 1 Stockholm
Cancelleria Consolare, telephone: +46 8 54567100
Web page: http://www.italianembassy.se/

Consolato Onorario d’Italia, Göteborg:
Gibraltar Herrgård, Gibraltargatan 17 – 41258 Göteborg
telephone: +46 31 711 0381

Consolato Onorario d’Italia, Malmö:
Console Birgit GIUBBI, Sångleksgatan 5 – 21579 Malmö

Royal Netherlands Embassy, Stockholm:
Götgatan 16 A – 10465 Stockholm
telephone: +46 8 556 933 00
Web page: http://www.netherlands-embassy.se/

Portuguese Embassy, Stockholm:
Narvavägen 32 – 11522 Stockholm
telephone: +46 8 662 6028

Spanish Embassy, Stockholm:
Djurgårdsvägen 21 – 11521 Stockholm
telephone: +46 8 667 9430
Web page: http://www.spaininformation.org/e_SpanishEmbassy.html

Spanish Consulate, Göteborg:
Konsul Claes Karlzén, Advokatfirman Delphi & Co
Östra Hamngatan 29 – 41110 Göteborg
telephone: +46 31 10 72 00, Mobile: +46 709 25 25 50

Swiss Embassy, Stockholm:
Valhallavägen 64 – 10041 Stockholm
telephone: +46 8 676 79 00
Web page: http://www.eda.admin.ch/stockholm_emb/e/home.html

External Links

Here are some links related to the ESN Sweden Road Trips to Russia. More links will be added later.

Wikipedia article about St Petersburg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Petersburg

Wikipedia article about Moscow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow

Wikipedia article about Helsinki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki

St Petersburg weather forecast

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=RSXX0091

Moscow weather forecast

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=RSXX0063