Traveling to Russia, tips needed

[docholliday13]

Hey there, I will be traveling to Latvia this December for a business trip (I know, not Russia, but easier for me to explain where it's at in case you have never heard of it ) and want to hear from you on general travel tips, tricks, and any suggestions traveling in that area. This will be my first international trip outside of North America as well. My goal is to do a backpacking trip with minimal supplies and tour the surrounding countries. (Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Russia, and maybe hitting the countries around Austria.)

[ReconScout]

PM sent.

[Gabriel Suarez]

Da Vai tavarich!. Have fun, you will enjoy it. Don't get into politics...enjoy the vodka!

[EDELWEISS]

I had a boss who travelled to Russia on "business". He came back with a hot blond 25 years younger than him, now has twins (hes 55years old)---yeah boss! Im not sure how much police business is there in Russia; but he sure got some business

[SmokinHole]

I've been to Riga twice but didn't have anytime to explore, unfortunately. It seems like a city where the Soviet Union somewhat caught up to modern times. One thing that stood out to me was a complete lack of ugly women. After I pointed this out to my colleagues, it became a challenge to spot one on the way to the hotel. Nope, she's hot. Nope, she's hot. There!!...no wait, she's hot too, lol.

One other thing to mention. Watch your drinks. Apparently, a couple of knuckleheads that I work with didn't and woke up in a park with their asses kicked and wallets missing. I'm going to assume that this involved a violation of all of the 4s rules, but still worth noting.

Have fun!

[docholliday13]

Edelweiss Haha, a good friend of mine who lives in Latvia was telling me yesterday "We will make sure you get a wife".

[docholliday13]

Any tips / tricks on international travel in general? The more money I save the faster I get to completing my rmr build :D

[milhouse786]

Any tips / tricks on international travel in general? The more money I save the faster I get to completing my rmr build :D

To much to post, but Americans stick out abroad. When traveling solo it is easier to blend in, especially when you don't speak. I was told when I lived abroad that people knew I was American just by looking at my shoes. It couldn't hurt to pack a little lighter and budget to buy some local clothing. Your friend can probably school you up on local customs/courtesies. Put your wallet in your front pocket in the areas public gather and if you use public transit.

[ReconScout]

Da Vai tavarich!. Have fun, you will enjoy it. Don't get into politics...enjoy the vodka!
It's all about the Balzams in that neck of the woods! Stuff is like Ouzo with some 91 octane thrown in the mix.

[WinstonSmith]

To much to post, but Americans stick out abroad. When traveling solo it is easier to blend in, especially when you don't speak. I was told when I lived abroad that people knew I was American just by looking at my shoes. It couldn't hurt to pack a little lighter and budget to buy some local clothing. Your friend can probably school you up on local customs/courtesies. Put your wallet in your front pocket in the areas public gather and if you use public transit.

Just curious ... What shoes did you wear?

[milhouse786]

Just curious ... What shoes did you wear?

I had an athletic type cross trainer shoe, cant recall which but it was name brand. I bought a pair of local athletic shoes after that. Western europeans just wear different kicks, not as bulky (quick example I found online http://www.gaastraproshop.com/com-en/men-shoes-trainers-belay-grey/3273-25528-390) Not sure what is popular east of the curtain.

[LawDog]

The locals are going to work. So they wear shoes that fit in at the office. You are not going to work.

Only Americans wear tennis shoes ("trainers" to the Brits) as part of their normal attire. But when you are traveling, you expect to do a lot of walking and you want to be comfortable. My advice is to choose shoes that are a little more business like, but go ahead and buy them here to make sure that they are comfortable and broken in before you get there. If you plan to buy locally, you may not find shoes that are comfortable. Sure, you'll blend in. Except for the limp. For Europe, if I were going today (not in winter), I'd grab a pair of dark green Salomon running shoes and a pair of Rockports that are brown and dressy but still have a lot of cushion and good tread. In winter, I'd wear my Danners rather than the Rockports, but I'd still take the running shoes.

Things to buy here (if at all): backpack, sleeping bag, tent. You need to make sure a pack fits you well. And our gear is usually superior. Tents and bags are personal, and you are better off taking time and finding the right gear. Plus, it's not too much to check in baggage.

Things to buy there: camp stove and fuel, food, and ancillary gear. The airlines will often give you hassles over traveling with a used camping stove, particularly the multi-fuel types. They'll certainly not allow you to check a used fuel bottle. I love my little Jetboil with the little fuel canisters. But in eastern Europe, a lot of the gear is different. I'm not sure if you could find the kind of canisters that the Jetboil uses. So I'd buy a local stove and fuel canisters when I got there. Ditto for pre-packaged meals. I've found that almost anywhere in the world has food superior to the U.S., so I'm not hesitant to eat the local grub.

As for not looking like a tourist, it's nearly impossible to go completely incognito in a foreign culture. But the single greatest thing you can do is stay quiet. Americans in groups are loud. Loud and obnoxious. I love my wife dearly, but when we travel I often want to gag her. Speaking loudly in English quickly informs everyone who you are. So be quiet. Don't carry a huge backpack everywhere. In fact, rather than a small daypack, consider a messenger-style bag. They are more common in Europe than backpacks. Don't walk around reading maps or guidebooks. If you need to consult a map, step off the street and into a shop to do so.

The number one way to avoid being victimized by crime: stay sober. Drunk people are low-hanging fruit for criminals. Drunk guys are much easier to rob.

Carry whatever you can for weapons, whether it is a knife or screwdriver or finish hammer. Weapons are easy to find. Guns are not easy to find, especially if you don't know the language. Even if you do know the language, it might not be worth the legal risk. And you'll have to consort with criminals--the exact kind of people who would be inclined to rob you--in order to acquire a pistol. I would opt for a good chef's knife instead.

Take walking tours, and be selective about your guide. An understanding of the history of an area makes it so much more enjoyable. I have great memories of a few tour guides through the years. Terry, a retired ex-pat Brit who had worked for MI6 during the Cold War, who had the most enthralling stories about Berlin. A young art history graduate student who knew the backstory on seemingly every building, monument, or ornament in Florence. And Peter, a student of economics, who guided us around Moscow and could show us--literally--where the bodies were buried. Books and museums are great, but the right tour guide will create a much grander memory.

Eat with the locals. Step off the beaten path. Find the restaurants that do not have an English menu. On recent trips, I've had good results from using TripAdvisor.

Consider buying or taking a bike, if your tour extends beyond a couple of weeks. I'm a biased cyclist, so if you hate riding then feel free to dispense this last bit. But Europe is much friendlier to bikes than America is. Bikes keep you in touch with a place rather than sealing you off from it the way a car or bus does. And yet bikes allow you to cover distances that would be impossible by foot. Even if you have a bike, if the locals use the subway then use the subway. And take trains for long distances. Getting a bike on trains in Europe is pretty simple. Unless you are an avid cyclist with distinct tastes, I'd say to buy a used bike over there. A local bike is great camouflage.

[milhouse786]

LawDog hit that long post I was talking about with expert precision. I'll add that my sneakers were made by a girl in her mid 20s (I was also in my mid 20s) during a social gathering in non work hours. But generally speaking, yes. Europeans (for the most part) have certainly have grasped and retained the concept of dressing properly for a professional environment (and generally dress better overall). I'm in a courtroom today, that concept is pretty much lost on Americans. Lot's of t-shirts with stupid sayings and dirty jeans in here...

You nailed it though, one can never truly blend it. A little goes a long a way to avoid standing out though. I never considerred the bike angle, I like it.

[Mike OTDP]

+1 on keeping your voice low. Learn as much of the local language as you can. Figure out what you want to see beforehand. Wikitravel is a good tool.

[WinstonSmith]

Or take LawDog's bike advice, but put a motor on it. Rent a motorcycle.

[ReconScout]

Don't worry about the type of shoes you wear. I promise that will not be the sole (pun intended) giveaway. No matter what you do, everyone will know you are not from there. Especially in that part of eastern europe, everyone likes to get all sorts of dressed up for even a simple task like grocery shopping. The women will do their makeup, put on the trendiest clothes and strut around like they are about to hit up some swanky night club. The men all dress like metrosexual pansies. You will not blend in.

The Baltics have an extremely high english literacy rate. Seldom have I come across someone at a shop, restaurant, bank, etc that did not speak at some proficiency of english. Riga is a huge tourist spot for europeans, especially British guys on bachelor parties (cheap booze, bombshell women). Even the germans and Poles there speak english to get around. So don't worry too much about that.

There are political demonstrations from time to time. Especially at the old Soviet war monuments, freedom monuments and graveyards devoted to war veterans. It is usually Nazi sympathizers protesting the Russian monuments. Vandalism occurs, however they are rarely violent. Just stay clear of them. They won't mess with Americans, unless you get yourself involved in a dumb situation.

The general sentiment I get there is that the natives in the Baltics love americans. Everyone I came across was incredibly pleased and felt fortunate to speak with an American. The disenfranchised russian populations there will scoff at you and present passive aggressive animosity, but hardly will be threatening.

Few cultural notes: The native Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians do not give money to street beggars. It will instantly make you stand out as an outsider quicker than anything to throw loose change at the homeless. The natives do not even make eye contact with them. Just keep walking by like nothing is there.
The baltic people are very reserved. They will not open themselves up to you right away. Trust has to be developed first. Therefor, when meeting someone for the first time, if you ask them "how are you doing?" they will not take it as a sort of informal cursory salutation the way we Americans do. They will literally think you want to know how they are. If they aren't shy, be prepared for a discussion as to how their day is actually going. Otherwise, that sort of statement is usually reserved more for established friends/relationships. But once someone accepts you as a friend, loyalty and trust is instantly gained. You will be invited over for dinners, drinks at the local bar, etc.
Riga is the cultural capital of Europe. It is very trendy. Hipsters rule the roost there. This makes for fantastic craft beers of all types. Try the IPAs (if you enjoy that sort of beer). Instead of calling it an I-P-A, they say it as "eepa". They are fantastic. Try the eepa.

[LawDog]

The native Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians do not give money to street beggars. It will instantly make you stand out as an outsider quicker than anything to throw loose change at the homeless. The natives do not even make eye contact with them. Just keep walking by like nothing is there.

The baltic people are very reserved. They will not open themselves up to you right away. Trust has to be developed first.It sounds like I would fit right in.

[Ringo]

I'd suggest a quick tour through www.ricksteves.com, searching for specifics on Latvia and on traveling in general. He has lots of good gouge on packing, what to wear, how to stay safe, etc., and there is a large body of local/specialized knowledge from a large body of contributors.

[docholliday13]

I'd suggest a quick tour through www.ricksteves.com, searching for specifics on Latvia and on traveling in general. He has lots of good gouge on packing, what to wear, how to stay safe, etc., and there is a large body of local/specialized knowledge from a large body of contributors.
Funny you should recommend him as I had another guy tell me about him no more than 5 minutes ago

[LawDog]

Rick Steves is awesome. He's got lots of useful information on how to travel. All of the travel guides have a distinct flavor to them. The one I use more than any other is Lonely Planet, primarily because they cover more ground. I also like Let's Go, because it is aimed at a younger audience and often contains little nuggets of information that others neglect. I avoid Fodors and Michelin because they are full of yawns and expensive suggestions for old people who want to ride in a bus full of Americans, stay at a fancy hotel full of Americans, and travel to exotic cultural locations while still surrounded by a group of grey-haired Americans. The only reason I don't use Rick Steve's material more often is simply that he doesn't try to cover the entire globe. If he did, he'd have to sacrifice quality; so I'm glad that he sticks to doing a narrow thing very well.