02 October 2008

Relaxing visa laws means Russia backpacking more accessible

After a recent relaxing in the laws for obtaining a tourist visa in Russia, more backpackers are taking advantage of the good exchange rate to check out all the unique travel experiences Russia has to offer.

According to the Russian-InfoCentre, Russia is becoming a more popular backpacking destination after the government relaxed Russian tourist visa legislation, allowing travellers to see the country independently rather than with an organised tour.

There was also a significant increase in the number of hostels available to backpackers, as well as increased numbers of tourism operators and transport officials who speak English.

As part of the tourist visa conditions, travellers in Russia must have the first few nights’ accommodation pre-booked so that the hostel or hotel can stamp their passport and validate their visa.

The Russian Info-Centre recommend using the hotels and hostels as information points, as currently in St Petersburg (the country’s most popular destination for backpackers), there are still no official tourist information centres.

The Worldwide Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in Russian visa and immigration services.

Article by Jessica Bird, Worldwide Visa Bureau.