Did you sneek away and find an internet cafe??? I will post a thread on my tour#2 experience. I majored in indoor activities.:))) Are the women in St Pete's still as gorgeous as ever? Well, I wear glassses now and my neck is full of kinks, does say anything!!!! My thread will be devoted to the language problem. Stay Tuned!
Beemer, glad to hear you showed such resourcefulness in the situation)).
I bet along with the glasses and kinked neck, thered be a couple of thick ears from your girl. Looking forward to the update.
My "visa support" tells me Volgograd is a strict passport controlled area. They say I would have to stay in a hotel and that if I planned to stay privately or even in an apartment, I could have serious problems. That I could be fined and my host fined also and that future travel to Russia could be jeopardized.
Has anyone heard of this before?
Just thought Id give the update on invitation letters.
It really does work getting them online. You pay the $30 and they email it to you the next day. I never really believed it would be valid until my visa arrived.
My girl was going to get an invite for me but it was going to take 6 -8 weeks.
Getting them online is definitely the way to go.
The "Way to Russia" web site also had a good system for renting apartments.
Adman its Mike hear mate ! ha iam back been back awhile been trying to put the tape together -the last big push go live in russia .
Iam having a few hitches though - not monetary iam just up againt the ''i dunno brigade yu know = idiots )
Adman i see your post high controlled area no mate these tiny short stays of ours nobody worries you mate look at me 15 trips now nobody ever fined me not a sixpence ay.
Volgograd is not as strict control as where i live in Rostov , mate they wont worry you hey last time my place was getting dun up in rostov me / natash stayed in apartment Taganrog and shit i forgot to do everything ovir all that i plain forgot !! no bugger worried me !!
Strict control of what ?? what do they think yu going to take a picture of an old SUB thats been rusting away in the black sea since 1988 i mean who cares -! its old writing mate you know -- dont do this ohh the boogie man my girls laughs her head off such things .
Agent 47 hear in the letter box yu know !is that you max ???they watch to much ''get smart '' mate !!when yu start believing it all then yu need help --no that town your going to is ok.
Mate its 2007 yu know -theyd like yu to think its 1963 err but its not ! don't worry about it mate yu A humble tourist they got bigger fish to fry we just aint worth the two bits of paper to em .
I have to have would you believe ''homestay invite stay in my own place =how rude is that ??? iam going to put an end to all that crap my patience is just about gone ay .
Iam not having natasha go through that crap each time -------hey its my joint i pay the frieght err hello !! i cost em / owe em nothing mate comes under the ''fair go catagorie!!! ------i got into em last time a bit fuggemn i spend you know going to and from that country over 50k a year fares and good times -hey good customer yu look after you never question who's paying the frieght ay ,iam spending 50k usd a year in a country not mine ! YOU NEVER QUESTION WHO'S SPENDING BUX IN YOUR SHOP ----LOTS OF $$$ TOO !!!
Iam going through hell/ high water trying to work out this residency stuff -it appears to have red tape attached to it ---------------red light to me ---hey '' anybody wanting to go live in russia ''trading in australia for it'' hey dont need red tape ''they should get a key to the city for doing it'' = my god somebodies hear with money = get out the silverwear.
Its like haleys commet you only see it each 100 years lol lol lol..
how do i do this - ''no iam not going to sites'' -------i want some simple form and tick the box otherwise thou shall explode .
Hey mate its gottu be done over a ''cuppu and a lamington''= simple ! you know iam, selling up at a rate of knots ive no time to frigg around .
help me hear adman /
mike00
I just found your post after reading back a few things that were happening while I was away.
Wish I had read your post while I was in Russia. But no time for playing on the computer when my girl is around. No energy left to even sit up in a chair.
This registration can be a bugger. It was only when I was in Volgograd one day my girl says “If the militia stop us don’t say anything because she is supposed to register me for staying at her flat.”
Not wanting to screw things up on my first trip I decided to book into a hotel for the night and have them register me. Well all the cheap hotels knew nothing about registration and the couple of big hotels in town were fully booked (great business, owning a hotel in Russia)
In the end I conceded to my girl that I would let her register me as staying at her place, but with the advice I had about restricted area I did not like the idea.
We took a taxi (her Lada was being repaired ) and drove to this less than desirable part of town. Down the end of this grotty street, we stopped outside this shabby old apartment building. There were a few derelicts loitering around outside, A small sign leading to what looked like a dungen below the building. My girl said here we are. I said you’ve got to be joking, forget it, lets get outta here. She insisted this was the place and so we headed down into the chaos. There were crowds down stairs and who knows what was going. It took two hours to get registered and don’t want to go there again. I would never have got registered if my girl was not there.
I don’t know what you are going to do about getting a permanent visa. My girl reckoned she could get me a permanent visa but I think it is unlikely, immigration is not her field.
I was in her office one day and these files were there “Peoples problems”. I asked her what they were. She said, “This one was in car crash and this one kills people with his car” I had to smile at the plural “kills people” Yes he does have a problem.
I know now why you keep going back Russia, beside the red tape, the place is addictive.
Hi Adman, glad to hear your trip went ok. yes the registration thing can be quite a process. On my first trip I spent the best part of an afternoon getting my registration sorted out. The second time, and different place I went(different woman), I had to say (if stopped by militia) "I am staying at the hotel Ambassador". Well, I was never stopped, but prepared. The people who sorted my invite out did all the leg work (registered for me) this time and I do not even know where this hotel was! Oh and yes, so true, there is an addiction and once you have been,..... you want to go back. Hey MIKE!! Glad to here you are fit and well from your recent scare!
On my 2 trips to Russia were in St Pete's and my registration was done in the Hotel and a mini-hotel I stayed
at so I never had to worry but I know that Besthotelsrussia and Gotorussia both offer registration for around $45.
You just go to their office which in St Pete's 2 blocks from Nevetsky prospect. I would think they may have an office in some other big cities.
Good to hear from you Brilliant, Thanks it was a great trip. Hope all is well. Do you plan on any more trips soon?
Beemer you are right it sould have been relatively painless registering at the hotel in Pete. Technically they tell me you have to register in each city you stay in for more than a few days. I didnt know this and so the plan was to register at hotel in Pete and then travel to Volg, stay with my girl and not be worried about registration. Seemed like a good plan, even a cunning plan.
Well I booked into the Hotel in Pete flled in all the registration papers and didnt think any more about it untill I was in Volgagrad and my girl mentions registration. I said Im aready registered in Pete and then I started thinking, "I dont have anything to say Im registered" I ring the hotel and ask, whats the go. They tell me because I stayed with them over Easter all immigration offices were closed and so they couldnt register me.
Now I have been in Russia over a week, staying with my girl when I was told not to and Im thinking, Ohhh shit, Im not registered.
Adman,
The registering rule is you have to register within 3 working days of arrival, excluding weekends, so it is possible to stay 5 days without registering. I wonder if you tell police that you are only in city for less than 3 days that you don't have to register, that you are going back to your original registered city for rest of trip, ....does sound fesible......
I think, the Registering process – is a load of crap – I wouldn’t be too worried about, not even doing it next time – at the worst you would have to slip the departure chaps a $50. As for registering in different towns. Just do it the once in your 1st city.
I wish they would get rid of it – it must cost them Zillions in potential Tourism $$$$$$$$
Every time I am in St Pete's, I am stopped by police and asked for papers, at least a couple times a day. All I need is for me to be paying off people to stay clear. I don't know their process on what to do if not registered but I do not want to find out. Don't need anymore worries, of course, I stick out like a sore thumb out there with my California tan. I wish they would get rid of it also. I always get the feeling I am followed or somebody is watching me...not that I look arab or anything
Beemer
I have spent 20 days in SPB in on e stay – walked EVERY where in central city daily - never stopped or questioned. Also Moscow – Samara – same. Its crazy – on the 3 times I have been in Russia – the first 3-4 days I have not had a Passport to show (if I was stopped) as it has been at the registration place getting stamped etc.
Maxi.....I guess you are not tanned with latin features!!!!
It takes me all of 2 minutes to get my registration done. Why do I hear of days to get process done???
I did registering twice in Moscow and once in Samara – both times – paid $30US and told to come back in 2-3 days and collect Passport. I never stayed in Hotels – so had to use these offices.
Why do they do this – its an archaic – stupid thing that benefits just a few people and inconveniences 1000’s
Max Your dead right - registration is a lot of crap, but Putin is a control freak so I dont see it changing any time soon. He is not interested in the backpacker tourist.
Keeps the hoards away from chasing all the girls in Russia, thats got to be a good thing.
Accentuate the positive.)
I dialed in KoreanAir on the net for a ticket Auckland to Moscow, it came up with a price of $6000 Where did you book your tickets?
Adman
All done through my travel agency at Holiday-Shoppe. Can give you’re her details if you like (from Kapiti though) – she did say they would be more expensive June – July. Don’t think you want to be there now – spoke to my wife today – and she said 35c – bloody early 4that. I was there late July and it hit 35 -38c – in a concrete jungle it seems worse too
I never seem to have any luck trying to book direct via the Airline companies - I know you are right with the 6K - I got the same answer.
Beemer
Have done NZ - Moscow for just under 2KNZ - but now norm = $2200 - $2500NZ
Mike
My girl sent me an outline on what it takes to get reidency in Russia. I understand why it is driving you crazy...
She wrote at the end of it
"Your friend can will reflect seriously, whether it is necessary to it to leave the Native land...))"