Blog
From La Roche-sur-Yon to Moscow Overland: Nicolas’s Winter OdysseyNicolas lives in La Roche-sur-Yon and, in December 2025, he set off on his very first trip to Russia, entering on an e-visa . On paper, an overland route from Europe. In practice, one of the most far-fetched journeys anyone has ever told me about: a night bus, a train, an FSB turn-back at the […]
St. Petersburg in Winter via Riga: Etienne’s ChronicleEtienne is French, speaks Russian pretty well and already knew St. Petersburg, where he hadn’t been back since 2019. In February 2026 he returned with an electronic visa , entering overland from Riga — and his account is worth its weight in gold for anyone considering this route: choosing the right border post for your […]
St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kislovodsk: Francesco’s Chronicle (and the Four Routes to Enter Russia)Francesco is Italian, his wife is Russian, and he travels to Russia at least once a year. He’s the kind of traveler who has already run into every practical problem of these past few years — and solved them one by one. In June and July 2026 he was in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kislovodsk, […]
Five Hours in the Narva Queue: Michael’s Chronicle from St. Petersburg and MoscowMichael Malle lives in Gothenburg, Sweden, and in September 2025 he traveled to St. Petersburg and Moscow, entering Russia on foot at the Narva border crossing with an eVisa . His chronicle is short, honest and packed with the kind of details you only learn the hard way: a five-hour queue to leave Estonia, a […]
Narva on Foot and No Safety Net: Leo’s Chronicle from St. PetersburgLeo lives in Lithuania and traveled to Russia in May 2025 with an eVisa , crossing the Narva border on foot and then continuing beyond St. Petersburg to Borovichi, a small town in Novgorod Oblast. His chronicle is one of the most detailed accounts of the Narva queue I’ve published — he literally spent a […]
Moscow and St. Petersburg with Guides: Catherine’s ChronicleCatherine lives in Benidorm and, in June 2026, she travelled with her partner to Moscow and St. Petersburg on the eVisa . What makes her trip interesting is the approach: a formula halfway between organised and independent, with local guides who spoke impeccable French and who helped them get around, book things and understand the […]
Moscow, Suzdal and Vladimir: Fran’s Practical ChronicleFran is a Spanish traveller who has been to Russia several times and, on his latest trip, combined Moscow with two getaways into the country’s most classic surroundings: Suzdal and Vladimir. He went on a private visa and split his travels between the summer of 2025 and January 2026, so he got to know Moscow […]
Driving to Russia in the Dead of Winter: Miki’s Chronicle (from Girona to Sarapul)I’m carrying on with the traveler chronicles, and today’s is a special one because it’s not like any I’ve published. Miki lives in Girona, in Spain, he’s Ecuadorian —so he doesn’t need a visa to enter Russia— and he’s married to a Russian woman. In December 2025 he did something almost no one dares to […]
From Kaliningrad to the Volga: Alberto’s Chronicle Across RussiaI’m carrying on with the traveler chronicles. Today’s is from Alberto, a reader from Tarragona, in Spain, who in July 2025 put together one of the most complete itineraries I’ve seen: he entered Russia overland from Poland, via Kaliningrad , and from there linked up St. Petersburg, Moscow and a Volga cruise all the way […]
St. Petersburg and Moscow on Your Own: Iñaki’s ChronicleI’m carrying on with the traveler chronicles. Today it’s Iñaki’s turn — a reader from Bilbao, in Spain, who in June 2026 traveled with his partner to St. Petersburg and Moscow on an eVisa. His account is one of the most practical I’ve received: he explains step by step how he sorted out the eSIM, […]
Yekaterinburg Solo: Iñigo’s Chronicle from the Heart of the UralsI’m carrying on with the traveler chronicles, the section of the blog where other readers tell me, unfiltered, how their trip to Russia went. Today it’s Iñigo’s turn — a reader from Burgos, in Spain, who back in March 2026 went to Yekaterinburg on his own , right in the heart of the Urals, and […]
«Half my euros were refused»: 3 weeks on the Trans-Siberian, Philippe’s storyToday I’m launching a new section of the blog: stories from travellers who have been to Russia recently and tell me, with no filters, how it went for them. And I can’t think of a better way to start than with Philippe’s account, a French reader who wrote to me the moment he got back […]
Do you need a visa for China? The 2026 visa-free guideDo you need a visa to travel to China? For most travellers, the answer is now no. Since late 2023 China has run a unilateral visa-free policy that lets citizens of around 50 countries enter for up to 30 days without a visa, and it’s extended until 23:59 on 31 December 2026. The big exception […]- Do US citizens need a visa for China? Yes — here’s what changedIf you hold a US passport, yes — you still need a visa to travel to China. This is the big exception among English-speaking countries: while the UK, Canada, Australia and most of Europe can now enter China visa-free for 30 days, the United States was left off that list. But there’s good news too: […]
- Do Australians need a visa for China? The 30-day exemption, explainedIf you hold an Australian passport, you no longer need a visa to travel to China: since 1 July 2024 (and extended until 23:59 on 31 December 2026) you can enter visa-free for tourism, business, visiting family or friends, exchanges or transit, as long as your stay doesn’t exceed 30 days. The exemption also covers […]
Do Canadians need a visa for China? The 30-day exemption, explainedIf you hold a Canadian passport, you no longer need a visa to travel to China: since 17 February 2026 (and extended until 23:59 on 31 December 2026) you can enter visa-free for tourism, business, visiting family or friends, exchanges or transit, as long as your stay doesn’t exceed 30 days. The exemption also covers […]- Do you need a visa for China? The 30-day exemption, explainedIf you hold a British passport, you no longer need a visa to travel to China: since 17 February 2026 (and extended until 23:59 on 31 December 2026) you can enter visa-free for tourism, business, visiting family or friends, exchanges or transit, as long as your stay doesn’t exceed 30 days. The exemption also covers […]
Russia travel itineraries: 6 routes based on the days you have (with maps)Here’s the straight answer: if it’s your first trip to Russia, the best itinerary is the classic Moscow and St. Petersburg in 8-10 days. And if you have more time —the eVisa now allows stays of up to 30 days—, you can add Kazan or the Golden Ring, head up to Murmansk to see the […]
Map of Russia: The Maps You Need to Plan Your TripRussia is the largest country in the world: 17.1 million square kilometers spread across two continents and 11 time zones. On this page I have gathered the maps of Russia you really need to plan a trip: where it is and how big it is, which cities are worth visiting, how they connect to each […]
Problems Applying for the Russian eVisa (and How to Solve Each One)Applying for the Russian eVisa is simple, but a lot of people get stuck at the same points every time: the confirmation email that never arrives, the photo the system won’t accept, the payment that fails, or the application that comes back marked «returned for correction». The good news is that almost all of these […]