The Motherland Calls: An OPEN THREAD for the prospective traveler

from The Saker.is: 

Dear friend,

Since this is my sandbox and I can post anything I want here, I decided agree to the suggestion of a reader who wants to travel to Russia and create an “open thread” about traveling to Russia.  I hope that this will be useful to you and, maybe, provide an opportunity for some of you to meet face to face.

Anyway – here is the chance to 1) share your experience 2) give you best advice 3) maybe invite somebody?

Please use this thread in any way you like.

Cheers and happy travels!

The Saker
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The Motherland Calls:  An open thread for the perspective traveler

Hello Saker readers,

At the risk of ending up on the US no-fly list, my wife and I are considering a 10-day tour by plane, train and/or automobile through the western part of Russia. But with virtually no real familiarity beyond blogs, Guardian articles and the first 900 or so pages of ‘War and Peace’, I come to the enlightened and informed Saker community for advice. Travel advice. And hopefully some, insightful suggestions that one might not necessarily come across in mainstream resources.

We may not be representative of most readers here, but we capture the North American, non-Russian speaking demographic of many, I think, so this thread will hopefully inspire and help others who might also be looking for an alternative to Cabo and Disneyland at some point in their futures.

Why the heck am I looking for advice here, and not TripAdvisor or Conde Naste Traveler? Well, I’ve been very moved and I’d even say enlightened by the articles and comments about Russia that I read on these pages and hope that those of you who write informatively and passionately on its history, people and politics will also understand how a non-native could effectively see and appreciate Russia’s beauty and get a genuine, albeit small, taste of its culture from a relatively brief stay – be it memorials and monuments, museums, architecture or just by driving between destinations and stopping along the way.

J.

Map of Russian regions and cities:

Satellite map of Russia:

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