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Traveling to Russia and beyond

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  • RUSSIA GUIDE (PDF)
  • GUIDED TOURS
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  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Visa to Russia
      • How to obtain a Russian Visa in an easy and cost-effective way in 2018
      • Is it possible to travel to Russia without a visa?
      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
      • Where do I apply for a Russian visa if I live abroad?
      • How to get a Russian visa in Canada in an easy way
      • How do I get the invitation to Russia if I’m staying with Airbnb?
      • Russian Embassies, Consulates and Visa Centers – Updated list
      • Russian visa invitation. What is it and how to get it?
    • 1.2. Registration and immigration
      • Registration in Russia: What it is and how it is done
      • Russian airports: immigration card and customs formalities
    • 1.3. Visa to China and post-Soviet states
      • How to travel to Belarus without a visa (visa-free) and with visa
      • How to obtain a Chinese Visa in Canada in an easy and cost-effective way
      • How to obtain a Chinese Visa in the USA in an easy and cost-effective way
      • How to apply for the electronic visa to Uzbekistan (e-Visa)
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
      • How to go from the airport to the center of Moscow or the Red Square
      • How to find the cheapest flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • How to go from Pulkovo Airport to St. Petersburg
      • Russian airports: immigration card and customs formalities
    • 2.2. Russian trains
      • Traveling between Moscow and St. Petersburg: Which is the best way?
      • Trains in Russia: How to buy tickets on-line without the middle-man
      • Train stations in Russia: luggage storage, Wi-Fi and other services
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • How to catch a taxi in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, or in other Russian cities
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • Traveling by bus through Russia (and how to buy tickets online)
    • 2.4. Car rental
      • Is it worth to rent a car in Russia? Recommendations and requirements
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
      • Accommodations in Russia: How to choose and where to make a reservation cheaply
      • Ostrovok: the best alternative to Booking.com
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • How to book a restaurant in Moscow, St. Petersburg or other Russian cities
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
      • What is the Kremlin and how to buy tickets online
      • Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow: tickets and guided tours
      • What to see and do in Moscow in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days
      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
      • Shopping in Moscow: from GUM to Izmailovo market
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • Guided tours in Moscow: by foot, by bicycle, or by tour bus?
      • The Free Visit to the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow
      • St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Visits, tickets and schedules
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • Moscow Tourist Information Offices
      • Official tourist maps of Moscow (PDF)
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • Places to enjoy the best views of Moscow
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Moscow in Space: from the Museum of Cosmonautics to the Planetarium
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • The Seven Sisters of Stalin of Moscow (and their secrets)
      • The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour of Moscow: you will not believe its story
      • What to see in Red Square in Moscow (and best things to do)
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
      • The Hermitage of St. Petersburg: What to see and how to avoid queues
      • What to see and do in St. Petersburg in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days
      • The Palaces and Gardens of Peterhof, a must-go site in St. Petersburg
      • Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets online
      • The main cathedrals of St. Petersburg: Tickets and schedules
      • Opera and ballet in St. Petersburg: Where to go and how to buy tickets
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • The Church of the Savior in St. Petersburg: How to buy tickets and schedules
      • Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets and schedules
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
      • Organizing a Trans-Siberian Train Trip
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
      • The Golden Ring of Russia: from Sergiyev Posad to Suzdal
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
      • Trip to Veliky Novgorod: the birthplace of Russia
    • 4.6. Kazan
      • The Kazan Kremlin: it will captivate you
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
      • How to send money to Russia: WesterUnion, PayPal or TransferWise?
      • Is Russia an expensive or cheap country to travel? Tips to reduce expenses
      • Where is it better to change dollars for rubles?
      • How to request a VAT refund in Russia (Tax Free)
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
      • Is Russia a safe country for tourists? Travel tips
      • When is the best time to travel to Russia (and which clothes to wear)
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
      • How to buy a Russian SIM card for your smartphone
    • 5.4. Russian products
      • Which souvenirs to buy in Russia? From Matrioskas to Cheburashka
      • 15 maps that will give you a better insight of Russia
You are here: Home / 2. Transport / 2.4. Car rental / Is it worth to rent a car in Russia? Recommendations and requirements

Is it worth to rent a car in Russia? Recommendations and requirements

Posted on: 09.11.17 | by Irena Domingo

Is it worth to rent a car in Russia? Which are the traffic regulations in Russia? Can I drive in Russia with my driver’s license? How can I rent a car in Russia? What documents do I need submit to rent the car? In this article I will try to answer all these questions.

Rent car Russia Red Square Moscow

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • 1. Is it worth to rent a car in Russia?
  • 2. Driving in Russia: what to watch for
  • 3. How to rent a car in Russia

1. Is it worth to rent a car in Russia?

For those tourists who are travelling exclusively to one of the two main Russian cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg), it’s not really worth it to rent a car, as the public transport system of these cities is very efficient and economical. In addition, in Moscow, the traffic is very dense and large traffic jams are very common, so the best way to get around is by using the Metro.

I also don’t think that’s it worth to rent a car to get from Moscow to St. Petersburg (or vice versa), as the drive is very long, the state of the roads not very good and there is a good alternative, such as the train, which is a lot faster and more comfortable.

On the other hand, if you are going to travel to some area where there is not a good public transport system or if you want to take a tour to visit several cities, such as the Golden Ring around Moscow, or cities that are nearby St. Petersburg, then it may be worth to rent a car for a few days, as it will give you much more freedom and comfort.

Russian roads

2. Driving in Russia: what to watch for

Russians have the reputation of driving terribly and the truth is that there are many rude drivers that don’t respect the basic rules. Obviously not everyone is bad, but the percentage of bad drivers is higher than what you can find in other countries. In any case, if you are used to driving in large cities and you’re used to their hassles, then it won’t be a problem for you to do so for Russia.

Once you get away from the big cities, the state of the roads deteriorates significantly, so you have to drive with caution. It should also be noted that most signs and indications on the roads are in Cyrillic alphabet, so I strongly advise you to learn the alphabet to understand the indications.

Also, it’s essential that you carry a GPS and print the name of the cities to which you are going to travel in Cyrillic alphabet, in order to recognize their names in the signs. There are mobile apps like Yandex Maps that allow you to monitor traffic on Russian highways.

Regarding traffic regulations, it should be noted that you must circulate on the right, speed limits are 60 km/hour in urban areas and between 90 and 100 km/h on roads and highways, it is mandatory to have your seat belt on, it is forbidden to use a mobile phone while driving, alcohol is totally prohibited (maximum permitted Blood Alcohol Level is 0.03%), etc. Keep in mind that there are enough police officers conducting road checks, whether it is speed controls via radar or using breathalyzer checks, but if you respect the rules you won’t have any problems.

The best thing about driving in Russia is that, as it’s an oil producing country, gasoline is cheap (less than 40 rubles a liter). Gas stations are usually open from 6 in the morning until 10 at night, though large service stations in freeways are usually open 24 hours a day.

Gasoline price in Russia

The most common types of gasoline you can find in Russia are:

  • Unleaded Gas(Бензин автомобильный неэтилированный – “benzin automobilnyi nyetilirovanyi”, in short:  “АИ”)
    • АИ-80 (Нормаль, “normal”)
    • АИ-92 (Регуляр, “regular”)
      АИ-95 (Премиум, “premium”)
    • АИ-98 (Супер, “super”)
  • Diesel(Дизельное топливо – “dizielnoje toplivo”, normally known as “дт”)

Gasoline price in Russia 2

Regarding documentation, under Russian law, U.S. citizens bearing Russian visas may use a valid U.S. driver’s license to drive a car in Russia provided that a certified Russian translation of it is available. Usage International Driver’s License that may be obtained in the United States through the AAA is also allowed. Holders of Russian permanent or temporary residence permits may continue using their U.S. driver’s license for the first 60 days after arrival or after issuance of the permit in cases it was issued overseas.

As for age, many car rental agencies require you to be 21 years old to be able to rent a car, and have at least one year of driving experience. Others may require being much older and having more years of experience.

3. How to rent a car in Russia

In Russia you can rent a car online, basically in 3 ways:

  • With any international car rental company with branches in Russia: Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, etc.
  • With some local Russian company: Prokat Auto, Rent Motors, Storlet Car, Arenda Car, etc. These companies may offer you cheaper prices, but keep in mind that their websites are usually in Russian, not all of which allow you to book in advance online, and their offer may be more limited as well.
  • Using websites that explore and compare different car rental offers (from international and Russian companies) such as Rental Cars. This is in my opinion the best option.

But there are some aspects that you must consider:

  • To rent the car you will need your passport and driver’s license. You will also need a credit card (debit or prepaid are not valid) to make a deposit against possible car damage that is not covered by insurance.
  • Most companies don’t allow you to cross the border with a rented car.
  • There are two types of insurance: mandatory insurance (already included in the rental price) and voluntary insurance, which has higher coverage that they will offer to you when renting the car (or during the online booking process).
  • If you have a mishap, it’s best to call the rental company. Keep in mind also that the emergencies number in Russia is 112.

Car rental in Russia is quite economical: for about $35 a day you have a mid-range car. The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to book it online on websites such as Rentals Cars, as it allows you to compare the prices of different companies, according to the pick-up location of the car (either the airport, train station or city center) and you can cancel the reservation up to 1-2 days before the collection.

The booking process is simple, you just have to access the Rental Cars website, choose the car collection site (either at the airport, train stations or in the city center), as well as the dates. During the booking process you can choose the car type, and whether hiring or not insurance with higher coverage.

Rent car in Russia 1

 

 

Have you rented a car in Russia? You can tell us your experience below in the comments area. Thank you very much!

 

 

 

 

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Categories: 2.4. Car rental

Plan your trip to Russia online in 10 steps in an easy way

Steps Days in advance Links
1 Plane tickets 60 days Find cheap flights with Momondo
2 Visa application 30-45 days Fill out the online application
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3 Train tickets 30-45 days Use the official website of RZD
4 Accommodation 30 days Book accommodation with free cancellation
5 Museum tickets 15-30 days Kremlin, Hermitage and Peterhof
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8 Exchange Russian Rubles 7 days Currency Exchange with Travelex
9 Restaurants 5 days Book online with Resto.ru
10 Taxis 2-3 days Book online with KiwiTaxi

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About the Author

Irena Domingo's avatar

Hello, my name is Irena. I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I worked as a Russian teacher and as a translator and interpreter for the past 15 years. One of my main hobbies is traveling. Therefore, through this blog I want to help those people who want to travel to Russia.

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Categories

  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Visa to Russia
    • 1.2. Registration and immigration
    • 1.3. Visa to China and post-Soviet states
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
    • 2.2. Russian trains
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
    • 2.4. Car rental
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
    • 4.6. Kazan
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
    • 5.4. Russian products

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