Ryanair to fly to Russia from March 2014

ballooba

I've seen BBC reporting this which one would expect to be a reliable source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/russia/2013/11/131125_ryanair_russia_flights.shtml

The airline will start operating flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg in Dublin at the end of March 2014, the Foreign Ministry said in a note Ireland posted on the site office.

finbarrk

Interesting. I would have thought Stansted would have a route before Dublin though.

ballooba

I'm no expert on treaty rights, but given that Ryanair is headquartered in Ireland (?) wouldn't that create difficulties if they were to try and fly from a third party country?

[EDIT] Turns out I do know a bit about treaty rights ....

“This is a bilateral agreement between Ireland and Russia so it’s no open-skies policy,” Alexander Kazbegi, a transport analyst at Renaissance Capital in Moscow, said by phone. “If Ryanair wants to fly from other European locations, they need to approach governments there to do a deal with Russia.”

[/EDIT]
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/transport-and-tourism/ryanair-set-for-dublin-moscow-route-1.1606841

lc180

Anyone know how much roughly a tourist visa is for Russia?

Wouldnt mind checking Moscow off the bucket-list if Ryanair flights aren't too pricey.

ardmacha

Anyone know how much roughly a tourist visa is for Russia?

This is a great opportunity for some travel agent in Dublin to expedite visas, with more business.

Berberis

lc180 wrote: »

Anyone know how much roughly a tourist visa is for Russia?

Wouldnt mind checking Moscow off the bucket-list if Ryanair flights aren't too pricey.

Went a couple of years ago. Think the visa cost around €50. Theres a lot of confusing paperwork to fill in and you need to leave the application form, passport and money at the Russian embassay in Rathgar I think it was. There are a few sites that will handle the application for you for a fee of course. Also you need an invite from the hotel you staying in to go with your visa application form

Zebra3

At Minsk airport, Irish citizens an get a visa upon arrival. Would be handy if the Russians adopted the same policy.

MadYaker

lc180 wrote: »

Anyone know how much roughly a tourist visa is for Russia?

Wouldnt mind checking Moscow off the bucket-list if Ryanair flights aren't too pricey.

Don't bother with Moscow, but St. Petersburg is amazing! If you go for 2 nights or less you don't need a visa, provided you have an EU passport. 2 days isn't nearly enough to see it all but if you like it and Ryanair are doing cheap flights you could always go back for longer.

This is such good news, I'll definitely be going back to St. Petersburg if I can get a cheap flight.

lc180

MadYaker wrote: »

Don't bother with Moscow, but St. Petersburg is amazing! If you go for 2 nights or less you don't need a visa, provided you have an EU passport. 2 days isn't nearly enough to see it all but if you like it and Ryanair are doing cheap flights you could always go back for longer.

This is such good news, I'll definitely be going back to St. Petersburg if I can get a cheap flight.

Just did a little research and I'm completely sold on St Petersburg! Seems a lot more like my cup of tea. Cheers for the info!

ballooba

MadYaker wrote: »

Don't bother with Moscow, but St. Petersburg is amazing!

I visited Moscow on a trans-Mongolian trip and wasn't that enthralled with Moscow. Loved Ekaterinburg and I would love to visit St Petersburg. Can't wait.

Axel Lamp

Also did the Trans-Mongolian. Moscow is ok, had great craic in the hostel with other travellers. Russians are angry, angry people though.

Trans-Mongolian/Siberian is a great trip, i'd recommend getting off for a day or two as often as possible in the various stops.

ballooba

Axel Lamp wrote: »

Trans-Mongolian/Siberian is a great trip, i'd recommend getting off for a day or two as often as possible in the various stops.

I wouldn't recommend it any other way. We had 2.5 or 3 weeks, a bit too short. We did the Moscow Dublin leg on Siberian Airlines which was similar service to Ryanair. It will be nice to have a new option.

lc180

I haven't heard any official announcement since the rumours a month ago. I hope this is still happening.

keith16

MadYaker wrote: »

This is such good news, I'll definitely be going back to St. Petersburg if I can get a cheap flight.

I hope it is still happening. St. Petersburg is brilliant, would love to go back

Doc112

lc180 wrote: »

Anyone know how much roughly a tourist visa is for Russia?

Wouldnt mind checking Moscow off the bucket-list if Ryanair flights aren't too pricey.

Just came across your post and had to fill you in on Moscow and Russia, my fiancé is Russian and I have visited Moscow many time most recently November '13 a visa is €100 through the Russian embassy in Dublin but, save yourself torture and get it through Visa First they are located at St Stephens Green you can do it all online it's only €120 or €150 trust me it's worth the extra charge because you can't get a Visa for Russian without a Tourist Voucher from a Host Russian Travel agency and unless you have someone in Russia to organise this for you, your €100 application to the embassy will be down the drain.

2nd go to Moscow it's an incredible city I've travelled the world and believe me to go to Russia and not experience Moscow is a massive mistake, it is wonderful city with exceptional Bars restaurants, shops and attractions, people think Russians are cold and angry, that's just a cultural difference in persona, they are ridiculously hospitable and they would put Irish to shame!! Yeah we have outgoing friendliness but, anything after that we are very slow to offer true hospitality without bitching about having to do it.
When I go to Russia I'm not allowed to open my wallet, my girls family and friends treat me like a king, total strangers to me cannot wait to invite me into their homes and cook me special meals and bring me to special places, they go absolutely out of their way to make your experience memorable and they do it genuinely with enthusiasm and passion.

A few things you need to know

You have to have a visa before you depart, you have too, there is no two day visit without a visa not unless your on a guided tour for example a cruise that pulls into port at (St Petersburg) and then everywhere you go is with guides and your not allowed to wander the city by yourself.

It's a closed currency so you cannot get Rubbles before you leave in a Irish bank, you have to get it from ATM s etc, which are everywhere and all have English options so don't worry about it.

Moscow is very safe I have wandered the city late at night and never had a problem, I've never seen any anti social behaviour like the sh*t you see in Dublin city centre late at night, drunk people are not falling all over the streets, the social seen is much more sophisticated and civilised, for example if you enter a bar and there are no available seats don't stand around having a beer, if there are no seats try the next place, Russians do not pack into bars and start leaving there empty glasses down on someone else's table, do that and you'll know about it!

What ever about Ryanair, Easyjet are already flying from Manchester and Gatwick and it's cheap as chips, the underground is very tricky if you don't have a native with you as all signage is in Latin alphabet so you will not understand a word but, trains from the airports etc are easy to use.

Moscow city centre is spectacular, Red square and the surrounding 2 mile square radius is just stunning, don't be afraid to talk to people if they speak English they love to chat and they get a kick out of interacting with foreigners especially the women, they adore Irish charm and charisma and will respond ten fold if your nice to them, they are a great people and very patriotic to their country is admirable really.

Finally St Petersburg is gorgeous but, I have a love for Moscow and I'm not bias my lady is from Lipetsk 300 miles south of Moscow so it has nothing to do with that, my advice is simple if you want to truly experience Russia you have to see Moscow, just stand back in awe of Red Square and the Kremlin and absorb the sense of power that is around you, it's truly incredible! I can't wait to go back and I'm trying to talk my lady into having our wedding in Moscow even though she would prefer to have it Italy or Ireland

ballooba

Good advice, but would like to add a few points...

Doc112 wrote: »

...you can't get a Visa for Russian without a Tourist Voucher from a Host Russian Travel agency and unless you have someone in Russia to organise this for you, your €100 application to the embassy will be down the drain.

OP should shop around. Real Russia (UK based) charged me £15 for the invitation when I went. VisaFirst and Taxback.com make an absolute killing on people not shopping around.

Doc112 wrote: »

It's a closed currency so you cannot get Rubbles before you leave in a Irish bank, you have to get it from ATM s etc, which are everywhere and all have English options so don't worry about it.

Also, a few US dollars walking around money wouldn't go astray for emergencies e.g. Ulster Bank problems last year. Euros are also accepted to a similar or lesser extent than USD.

Doc112 wrote: »

...all signage is in Latin alphabet so you will not understand a word but, trains from the airports etc are easy to use.

Good advice. Learn the Cyrillic alphabet before you go, or keep a printout of it handy. A lot of Russian words are very similar to English, but the characters for the letters are different. e.g. Restaurant, Photo.

Doc112

ballooba wrote: »

Good advice, but would like to add a few points...

OP should shop around. Real Russia (UK based) charged me £15 for the invitation when I went. VisaFirst and Taxback.com make an absolute killing on people not shopping around.

Also, a few US dollars walking around money wouldn't go astray for emergencies e.g. Ulster Bank problems last year. Euros are also accepted to a similar or lesser extent than USD.

Good advice. Learn the Cyrillic alphabet before you go, or keep a printout of it handy. A lot of Russian words are very similar to English, but the characters for the letters are different. e.g. Restaurant, Photo.

Just on the Visa cost, at the Russian embassy it's €100 for a 3 day turn around on your passport, €60 I think for a ten day turn around, with visa first it's €120 for a 10 day turn around which includes your vouchers etc and that gets you a single entry visa, they do take a lot of hassle out of the process for 1st time applicants, by the way I've never used them I always did it myself through the embassy direct! US Dollora is a great idea! And it's pretty easy to change Euro also!!

MRG77

Doc112 wrote: »

It's a closed currency so you cannot get Rubbles before you leave in a Irish bank, you have to get it from ATM s etc, which are everywhere and all have English options so don't worry about it.

Roubles are not a closed currency. You can get them through the Ulster Bank. You can also get them through the Post Office in Northern Ireland, but their exchange rate is very poor.

Stheno

If they do this I'd be on it like a hot snot, have always wanted to visit St. Petersburg!

lc180

Great advice folks!

Now if only Ryanair would make an announcement so I can start planning

Gatica

That's great news! Would love some more info when flights become available.

ballooba wrote: »

Learn the Cyrillic alphabet before you go, or keep a printout of it handy. A lot of Russian words are very similar to English, but the characters for the letters are different. e.g. Restaurant, Photo.

This is good advice, however you'll find that most subway stations are now also sign posted in Latin alphabet/English as well. They're starting to become more aware how much better it is for tourism to have signs in English.

Euros are as easy to exchange as dollars, unless you decide to travel off the beaten path I guess. It is best to use a legit bank (one in particular but can't remember its name) to do cash exchange, I've found them to have much better rates. Having said that, be sure to shop around.

keith16

Article on irelandru.com says Ryanair to start flights to Russia from June.

Text is in Russian, but it claims daily flights to Moscow (airport unknown) and three flights per week to St. Petersburt (Pulkovo airport).

Guide price for tickets is €70 one way.

cgarrad

Any more on this?

No info on the new routes on Ryanair's website.

http://www.ryanair.com/en/new-routes

druss

Ryanair say that they still plan to add the two routes. Negotiations are continuing with the airports and the Ukraine situation isn't an issue.

They then go on to say that visa issues need to be resolved first. The EU and Russia had been discussing a mutual relaxation of visa procedures, but the EU withdrew from discussions after the Crimean intervention. So basically, I'm not sure that I believe Ryanair here!

MadYaker

Yeah I don't believe that either. The whole crimea mess is definitely an issue.

druss

MadYaker wrote: »

Yeah I don't believe that either. The whole crimea mess is definitely an issue.

I was also hoping for a cheap and straight forward flight to St Petes, but looks like i'll be waiting for blini from Teremok and Кофе Хауз!

Lovely spot in summer.

lc180

I was on a Ryanair flight yesterday and overheard flight attendants talking among themselves about the new routes from Dublin and one mentioned flights to Moscow in September. Here's hoping its true.

jjbrien

On wikipedia Ryanair is now listed as flying into Moscow Vnukovo International Airport from September 1st. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vnukovo_International_Airport#cite_note-VKO_SCHE-9

highlydebased

jjbrien wrote: »

On wikipedia Ryanair is now listed as flying into Moscow Vnukovo International Airport from September 1st. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vnukovo_International_Airport#cite_note-VKO_SCHE-9

Doesn't really mean anything though as anybody could have put it there

druss

highlydebased wrote: »

Doesn't really mean anything though as anybody could have put it there

That info has been there for a while. In fact, I'd kind of wonder if Ryanair staff were basing their discussion on the same link as well!

The official Pulkovo/St Petersburg airport website actually had a timetable for Ryanair flights at one point. It was quite obviously provisional, as they had multiple flight times per day and Ryanair never officially recognised it at their end. It's not there anymore.

Axel Lamp

http://www.independent.ie/business/ryanairs-plan-for-dublinrussia-route-launch-this-year-put-on-ice-30577793.html

Shame