Five Hours in the Narva Queue: Michael’s Chronicle from St. Petersburg and Moscow

Michael 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 Mastercard that still worked for hotels and trains, and a currency warning worth reading twice.

Michael’s trip at a glance

Michael’s route, on the map

Approximate route of Michael’s trip: Gothenburg → Tallinn → Narva (border on foot) → St. Petersburg → Moscow.

What follows is Michael’s story, with his tips and his own photos. I’ve lightly edited his text so it reads smoothly, but everything he tells is his. Thank you, Michael, for sharing it.

From Gothenburg to the border: the first bus to Narva

I took a flight from Gothenburg to Tallinn and spent one night in a hotel, because I wanted to catch the first bus (Baltic Shuttle) at 06:15 to Narva. I knew the border could take some time, and I was a little worried I would arrive in St. Petersburg after the exchange offices had closed — no fun spending your first night without rubles.

Five hours in the queue — and five minutes on the Russian side

I spent 5 hours in a queue outside before they let us in to exit Estonia. Then came an 800-meter walk to the Russian side, just 5 minutes at the Russian border control, and another 1-kilometer walk to the next bus to St. Petersburg. I arrived around 19:00. If you’re considering this route, read the full guide to crossing the Estonia–Russia border at Narva before you go.

Hotels and trains, paid with my Mastercard

I booked my hotels with Zen Hotels and paid with my Mastercard. The next day I took the train to Moscow — 4.5 hours — and I bought my ticket on the Russian Railways website with the same card. In total I spent 8 nights in Moscow and two in St. Petersburg.

Internet: my Swedish SIM just worked

My SIM card is from Tele2, and I have 60 gigabytes of data per month with no extra cost. I had access to all my websites — WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram. I don’t speak Russian, but that was never a problem.

Irena’s tip: Michael was lucky with his Swedish roaming plan — not every European operator works this well in Russia. If yours doesn’t, a travel eSIM installed before departure is the simplest backup.

Money: leave the euros at home, bring US dollars

If you are going to Russia from Europe, don’t bring any European currency: they won’t let you pass with euros, and you can be fined up to 10,000 euros. Bring US dollars instead — and bring plenty, because you may need a backup. Once inside, exchanging dollars for rubles is straightforward.

Safety — and the tip I wish I had known

I feel safe in St. Petersburg and Moscow. And one thing I wish I had known earlier: you can pay for the toilets in the metro with your Troika card.

Next time: Istanbul, Kazan and all the way to Vladivostok

I won’t take the same route through Narva again. Next time, in September, I’m flying via Istanbul to Kazan, then visiting all the major cities on the way to Irkutsk, and finally taking a flight to Vladivostok. According to the Embassy in Stockholm, I can apply for an electronic visa that is valid for 30 days, and I’m going to apply for it in August.

Have you traveled to Russia recently and want to share your experience? Tell me about your trip here and I’ll publish it in this section, with your name or anonymously, whichever you prefer. Stories like Michael’s are the ones that genuinely help people preparing their own trip.