The full price, the visa clock, and the five traps everyone hits — built for your passport, from your city.
Visa & Mastercard issued outside Russia don’t work there — not in shops, not in ATMs. Carry cash (crisp USD/EUR) — your amount is in the budget above.
No direct flights. Two bookings: home→hub, hub→Russia. Bags don’t transfer — leave 4h+. Or pay ~$300+ more for one through-ticket with bags checked through.
It left Russia. Hotels live on Ostrovok and ZenHotels — both take your foreign card just fine.
Most “worldwide” policies quietly exclude Russia — the consulate rejects them and so would the hospital. The emailed plan names two that work.
Since Oct 2025 every foreign SIM gets mobile data blocked ~24h after first connecting in Russia. Install your eSIM at home, download offline maps, plan on hotel Wi-Fi for day one — and install a VPN before you land (Instagram won’t open without it).