Bonnie was nineteen when she decided to travel to Russia. She lives in Bath, in the south of England, and everybody around her — friends, family — was against it. Some of them warned her she would be arrested simply for entering the country. She went anyway, in September 2025, for a little over two weeks in Moscow and St Petersburg. And then she went back. Twice.
Her account is useful for a very concrete reason: British passport holders can’t use the eVisa, so she had to apply for a regular tourist visa, and she flew in through Istanbul to Vnukovo, where she spent more than four hours in additional checks. She tells it all calmly, without drama. If you’re young, travelling alone, and everyone around you thinks you’ve lost your mind, this is your chronicle — and a good companion piece to Ernst’s, written by another nineteen-year-old.
What follows is Bonnie’s own account, in her words, lightly tidied so it reads at an easy pace. The photos are hers too. Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing them.
| Traveller | Bonnie |
| From | Bath, England |
| When | September 2025 (plus two more trips to Moscow, February and May 2026) |
| Route | Bristol – Istanbul – Moscow (Vnukovo) – St Petersburg – Moscow |
| Entry | Regular tourist visa |
| Style | Solo, staying with a friend, trains and metro |
| Duration | Just over two weeks |
Bonnie’s route, approximate. Dashed line: the flights in and out. Solid line: the train between Moscow and St Petersburg. Dotted line: the Belgrade route she used on her two later trips.
Nineteen, and everyone told me not to go
In September 2025 I decided that I wanted to travel to Russia for just over two weeks — Moscow above all — because I love the culture and the country. I knew I had to see it in my lifetime.
I was only nineteen at the time, and all of my friends and family were strongly opposed to me travelling to Russia. Some even warned me that I would be arrested for entering the country.
As I’m from England I’m not eligible for an eVisa, so instead I had to apply for a regular visa, and for that part I found the Russiable guide very insightful and informative.
Bristol to Moscow via Istanbul, and four hours at Vnukovo
My trip began with a flight from my local airport, Bristol, to Istanbul, and from Istanbul to Moscow Vnukovo. The whole journey, layover included, took around thirteen hours. I chose that route because I believed it would be quicker and more efficient than crossing at the Narva border.
When I arrived at Vnukovo I had to undergo special security checks, as I’m from an unfriendly country. The interview and the checks lasted more than four hours. It made my travel time quite a bit longer, but of course I understand the need for those checks — and it actually made me feel very confident about the security of the country.
It might be helpful to note that since that trip I’ve travelled to Moscow two more times, in February and May 2026, and on both occasions I flew via Serbia instead of Istanbul. That route was much quicker, around eight hours, although slightly more expensive. On those recent trips I also received a message telling me that internet and SMS would be blocked for 24 hours.
Two cities, and the train between them
During my trip I visited two cities: Moscow and St Petersburg. I took the train from Moscow to St Petersburg and spent three days there. The trains were punctual, clean, comfortable and considerably cheaper than the ones I’m used to in the UK.
Both cities were stunning, but I was particularly struck by the elegant European architecture of St Petersburg, which often felt like walking through a film set.
As for accommodation, I was lucky to stay with a friend — although I did have to register at a local office, which took some time.
Changing money: keep every note in perfect condition
When I got to Moscow I exchanged my money at a bank, which was relatively convenient. The process was straightforward, although one of my US dollar bills was rejected because of its condition. So I’d recommend keeping all your notes in very good condition.
Since I was exchanging a relatively large amount, I was asked to provide my passport and the address where I was staying. Before leaving for Russia I had changed my British pounds into US dollars, as I’d heard that dollars were a more widely accepted currency to exchange for roubles. I was also surprised to learn that many banks will take British pounds too.
At first it felt quite strange that I couldn’t use my bank card, but I quickly got used to paying in cash.
What struck me most: how safe and how clean it was
What struck me most was the safety of the country, and how beautiful and clean the streets were. I felt very safe, partly because of the presence of police and cameras around the city.
I also found the restaurants beautiful, and outside the touristic areas prices are often reasonably fair. I gained a love for pelmeni and smetana in that time — something I would definitely recommend trying.
I also recommend going to the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and the Hermitage in St Petersburg. Both were magnificent.
I was also surprised that we could go out and walk even at late hours, something which is very unsafe in England. It’s clear that Russians take a lot of pride in their country, and there is so much beauty in everyday life in Moscow.
The metro is an attraction in itself
Another highlight was the Moscow Metro, which is both an architectural attraction and an exceptionally efficient transport system. Many of the stations are beautifully decorated, and that makes everyday travel feel like visiting a museum.
I also noticed that many people used their phones, tablets or even laptops while travelling. Compared with my experience on public transport in London, where phone snatching often occurs, that stood out as an interesting cultural difference.
I often used the metro in Moscow and in St Petersburg to get around.
Navigation: where the GPS stops working
As for navigation, I had Yandex Maps and the metro apps, which were very useful. However, in Moscow the GPS signal often doesn’t work, especially near the centre of the city. That made it very tricky to navigate around Moscow at times. In St Petersburg, those same applications worked perfectly.
Learn a few words of Russian before you go
It’s important to note that English is not commonly spoken, and it’s quite unusual to find somebody who speaks it. So I think it’s a very good idea for anyone travelling to have some knowledge of basic Russian and a good translation app — it could save you some stress.
Have you travelled to Russia recently and want to share your experience? Tell me about your trip here and I’ll publish it in this section, under your name or anonymously, as you prefer. Accounts like Bonnie’s are the ones that really help the people who are planning their own trip.
