Following the international sanctions, platforms such as Booking.com, Airbnb and even Zenhotels —which continued operating until recently— no longer allow bookings in Russia. The simplest and safest way to book accommodation in Russia today is through
💡 If no results appear when you enter the site, change the language to Spanish, Italian, German or Russian (any language except English) and select euros or dollars as the currency to pay with your international card.
Hotels across Russia
Options include hotels, hostels, apartments, villas, and campsites. You can pay online or upon arrival at the hotel.
Moscow
The city center is located around the famous Red Square (near the yellow marker on the map below). If you’re visiting for tourism, I recommend staying in a central area within Moscow’s first ring road with easy access to a metro station.
Ideally, you should be able to walk to Red Square in 30 minutes or less, or be a few metro stops away. One area I personally like, although it’s a bit more expensive, is Arbat, with its historic architecture and the pedestrian Arbat Street, which is an attraction in itself. I also recommend the Tverskoy district, close to Red Square, known for its mix of old buildings and modern shopping areas. Here you can see a map of central Moscow:
Saint Petersburg
In Saint Petersburg, it’s also recommended to stay in a central area, preferably near the Hermitage Museum or along Nevsky Prospect, so you can walk to most tourist attractions, including the Peterhof Palace, which is accessible by boat from the pier in front of the Hermitage (or more cheaply by bus).
The map below shows the central area of Saint Petersburg. The yellow marker is located close to the Hermitage Museum, at the beginning of Nevsky Prospect.