• > How Strenuous are these Trips?
• > Group Participants and Tour Leader
• > Private Tours and Custom Dates
• > Local Transportation
• > Accommodations
• > Meals
• > Climate
• > Travel Documents
• > Flights
• > Airline Tickets
• > Money
• > Health
• > Luggage & Clothing
• > Resources
• > Communication

How Strenuous are these Trips?

Djoser participants enjoy an active style of travel. On a Djoser tour, we do lots of walking. There are hearty nature walks and more strenuous hikes and activities for the more energetic travelers. You can also forgo these activities for a more leisurely activity. Our hotels are often located so that you can walk to the nearby sites. Once in a city, we will only take transport to sites that are far away.  You must be capable and willing to carry your own luggage from the bus to the hotel, as usually, there is no porter.

Group Participants and Tour Leader

INTERNATIONAL GROUPS (Traveling with a Dutch Group): On this tour you will join an International Group. Most of the participants are Dutch with a maximum of four travelers from the U.S. and Canada. These tours are very popular with many of our Djoser regulars but can be challenging for other travelers.  Please consider the descriptions below before booking a trip with an international group.

The Dutch travelers tend to be very social and accepting. They are experienced and lively travelers. Dutch travelers of all ages are likely to take hearty hikes, rent a bicycle to explore, and will take full advantage of the Djoser style of travel taking many opportunities for independent explorations.

The tour leader (from the Netherlands) addresses the group first in Dutch and then in English, however the information flow tilts a bit more heavily towards Dutch. While the guide will willingly share information about the region, these are NOT lecture tours. You will receive the important information. The groups are larger and you cannot expect as much attention from the guide as you would get on a North American trip.

Almost everyone from the Netherlands has a superb command of English. It is inevitable that the participants will lapse into Dutch from time to time at meals and on the bus, until they get to know you. The guide will help to integrate you, but you will enjoy this trip most if you are the type of person who can is comfortable initiating conversations yourself. If you have a travel partner, it will be easier to find your way into the conversations or at least to have a buffer during times when the group is chatting in Dutch. It can be more difficult for singles.

These trips are best suited for the most independent-minded, experienced, North American travelers. Before booking, you must be at ease with the concept of being in the minority. We do not recommend the international groups for inexperienced travelers, those who seek a lecture tour, travelers who need lots of one-one-one attention from the guide, or single travelers who may be more introverted. For those who love the added international experience and enjoy a high degree of activity and independence, we think you will love “going Dutch”.  

GROUPS: Active travelers of all ages; singles, couples, friends, and families. Minimum group size of 8. Usually 15 to 20. Mostly Dutch travelers with a maximum 4 North Americans.  

GUIDES: Our Dutch tour leader is knowledgeable about the area and will willingly share their information. The guides will handle logistics for travel and lodgings but he/she is not a lecturer.The tour leader delivers information in Dutch first and then in English. The guide organizes many meals and activities and accompanies many of them, but not all. Your guide will accommodate the Djoser philosphy of independence and will recommend safe activities and restaurants for your free time and explorations. You can generally expect a free day if you are spending a second day in a city. We also have experienced land agents stationed in each country who work with the tour leader and who can assist in case of an emergency.

Private Tours and Custom Dates

Custom dates can be arranged for your private group of 8 or more. Please inquire about discounts for 8 or more.

Local Transportation

The time difference between the United States and Russia: Moscow is 8 hours ahead of East Coast Time, 11 hours ahead of the West Coast. During the entire trip in Russia, through the towns of the Golden Circle to our destination St. Petersburg, we travel in our own comfortable air-conditioned bus. Despite the great distance we travel in Russia, your time spent on the bus will not feel oppressively long. There is so much to see along the way and because we have our own transportation, it is always possible to make a stop along the way for pictures, or to visit a little market or go for a walk in a quaint place. In the large cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg we will not use our bus, but will utilize the local metro, trams and taxis for convenient transportation in town. Use the following link to view slides of the transportation we use: http://www.djoserusa.com/transportation

Accommodations

We spend the nights in comfortable clean hotels with private shower and bathroom. Russian hotels date back to the Soviet days and were built in the seventies and eighties: mostly huge complexes in typical linear Soviet design and not always modernized. The hotels are within walking distance from center city, except in Tver and St. Petersburg. Typical for the Russian hotel system is the ”dezjoernaja”, or the floor lady, and the keeper of the room key. She provides drinks and hot water for tea. No personnel are available to carry your suitcases. Toilet paper is readily available in hotels, but rarely elsewhere. Most hotels provide a small bar of soap, but shampoo is rare. Warm water may be absent at times. Use the following link to view some of our lodgings: http://www.djoserusa.com/hotels

If you are traveling alone you will be matched with a roommate of the same sex. Please note the cost of a single room listed in the cost descriptions. If you request a roommate, but we are unable to match you, there will be no penalty charge for the single room.

Meals

Breakfast is included when traveling through the old Russian towns. It’s your decision when and where to have lunch and dinner. By now there are a substantial number of new restaurants in the big cities, but choices are limited in the smaller towns. The tour leader will always be happy to offer recommendations. Common dishes, such as soup, meat/fish with rice or potatoes, are being served in the large hotels and restaurants. Yogurt and salads are readily available. Desert is usually limited to ice cream. In the smaller hotels breakfast consists of bread, a cheese and sausage platter and an omelet or boiled egg. Breakfast is always served with tea and coffee, sometimes also with fruit juice and yogurt. The national beverage is tea. Coffee, always served black, is consumed less frequently. Tap water is safe and clean, but does not always taste good. However, we strongly suggest NOT drinking tap water in St. Petersburg due to the presence of giardia lamblia, a parasite that causes diarrhea. You should use bottled water there.

Climate

Russia is a vast country with more than one climate zone. We will be traveling in a climate with warm summers and very cold winters. Our trips are scheduled between May and October. In spring and fall you may expect cold nights and cool days, with daytime temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In the summer months temperatures are higher along with occasional rainfall. Russia has long summer days. In the month of June, during the so-called ”White Nights”, the sun hardly sets in St. Petersburg and it does not get dark.

Check the weather for your destination: Check temperature and rainfall for specific cities on your trip, during your month of travel at www.worldweather.org

Travel Documents

As of the writing of this booklet, American and Canadian citizens need visas. In the past two years many embassies have changed their fees and policies. Russian visas can be tricky with invitation letters and other paperwork. To avoid some of these requirements and potential problems, we require that you obtain your visa through a professional service called, It’s Easy. You can check their website for requirements at: http://www.itseasypassport.com . You can also download the current forms and rates and processing fees. Or you can call them to fax you forms if you do not have Internet. It’s Easy honors a 10% discount for Djoser customers. The discount is applied to the service fees but not to the government fees.

It’s Easy  (Passport & Visa Service)
Satellite Airline Terminal
125 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Phone - (212) 286-8500,
Fax (212)-490-3224
Website   http://www.itseasypassport.com
E-mail      mail@itseasypassport.com

If your passport is of a different nationality be sure to consult the Russian embassy or consulate for your home country as requirements may vary. For additional information concerning entry and exit requirements, and for most current forms and rates, travelers may contact  http://russianembassy.org , Consular Section, 2641 Tunlaw Rd., NW, Washington, DC 20007, telephone (202) 939-8907, or the consulates in New York (tel. 212-348-0926/55), San Francisco (tel. 415-928-6878, 415-929-0862, 415-202-9800/01) or Seattle (tel. 206-728-1910). http://russianembassy.org/

We recommend that you give someone at home a copy of important documents such as your passport, travel insurance, traveler’s check numbers and flight schedule.

Flights

We book our flights with top airlines. Most airlines will honor earned mileage. You will need to submit your mileage credit yourself upon receipt of your flight information. For airlines that allow advance seating reservations, we typically request aisle and adjoining seats unless otherwise instructed on your registration form. It is vital that you arrive at the airport early, according to the airline (often 3 hours prior to flight time). We do provide airport transfers (airport pick-up and drop off) in our destination country for those who book the Land/Air package. Flight times are subject to change. It is recommended that you book your domestic Add-on (connecting) flights through Djoser in association with the international flight. To avoid penalties for flight changes do not book your own domestic add-on (connecting flight) without first receiving a printed copy of your flight record from Djoser confirming your actual departure and return flight times. Below you will find the usual flight times for the airline indicated.

Example of Northwest/KLM flight:

Depart NY	Return NY
6:25 PM	4:20 PM
Depart LAX	Return LAX
8:25 AM	1:35 PM

Usual flight times – subject to change

Airline Tickets

You will receive your tickets or E-tickets 10-12 days prior to your departure date.
In case the airline uses E-tickets you will receive two documents:

•    A document that shows the E-ticket number & flight itinerary (sent by email & mail).
•    A receipt of the E-ticket (sent by mail).

The first document listed is needed to check in at the Automated kiosks. If you check in at the E-ticket desk you don’t need any of the provided documents, you can simply show your passport and you’re good to go. Both the automated kiosk and the e-ticket desk insure a much faster check in than at the regular check in desks. It is important to hold on to your e-ticket receipt, as you might need it to claim your mileage credits (if the airline awards mileage for this particular flight).

Money

The currency in Russia is the ruble. As of January 2006 you receive 28.5  rubles for one dollar. One ruble is worth about $ 035. But of course, the value of currency will change. Be aware of the current exchange rates.  It’s handy to take an updated currency chart, which you can find easily on the internet at www.exchangerate.com.

Bring along some cash dollars in small amounts. In Moscow you will be able to exchange money at banks or in hotels or specific exchange booths. Traveler’s checks are difficult to cash in Russia. Few banks accept them and they charge at least
3% commission. Credit cards are generally accepted in Russia and may be used in Moscow at various locations and in restaurants. In Moscow, Jaroslavl, Novgorod and St. Petersburg you will find ATM machines. Upon departure from Russia rubles can be exchanged at the airport in St. Petersburg. Use only the appointed desk in the arrival hall for your exchange.

In Russia you will need extra cash for meals, entry fees, tips, optional excursions and incidentals. Please refer to the price chart for estimated weekly expenses. Be aware that entry fees are rather steep especially since foreigners are sometimes charged ten times more than Russians. You may want to try to use some Russian words and purchase a “Russian” ticket.

Tipping
At the beginning of your trip, your tour leader may collect a “tip pot” of approximately $2 per land day, per person. So that you will not be burdened with tipping those who assist you along the way, this sum will dispersed by the tour leader as tips for the driver, and hotel staff. The tip pot does not include the tip for the tour leader. A typical guideline for an American tip would be $2-$3 per day but the amount is at your discretion and should be based on his/her efforts and your satisfaction level. Dutch tipping habits are different than North American guidelines. You may feel more comfortable tipping your guide privately to avoid the great cultural tipping debate. However, it’s up to you! We take pride in our Djoser guides who do their utmost to make your experience great. We do ask that you bear in mind their extra challenge of a dual language group.

Health

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's international traveler's hotline at (877) FYI-TRIP   (1-877-394-8747); fax: 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via their Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov

Luggage & Clothing

Try to keep the weight of your luggage below 30 pounds. A duffle bag or a frameless backpack is ideal for packing on the bus. Hard suitcases are difficult to load. You will generally carry your own luggage so be sure to bring what you can comfortably lift. In winter, spring and fall, warm clothing is recommended in Russia. Be sure to bring rain gear as well. The voltage in Russia is 220 V and a converter is required.

Resources

Communication

It will be possible to call from hotels, but not cheap. To be reached by phone may be problematic because foreign languages are not generally spoken or understood by hotel personnel.
However, in case of emergency, you can always be reached in these hotels by phone or fax . If you fax a message to a hotel, be sure to include the traveler’s name c/o Attention: Djoser. Your contact can call the Djoser emergency number if this is unsuccessful. In big cities in Russia you will find Internet cafes, where for a fee, you can send and receive emails. Access by cell phone will depend on your phone instrument and carrier.