Practical Information
Below you will find some practical information about our school trips: our pricing policy, what is included, what it’s like on a Go Russia organised tour, and other useful information.
Generally our aim is to include as much as possible in your quote, so that you have complete peace of mind when travelling with your school group. If you prefer to exclude some meals and services from your quote, please let us know and we will revise it accordingly. From experience, however, we know that with your busy schedule and a big group to take care of, it’s better to have more services prepaid, so that you save time and enjoy your trip, rather than frantically trying to organize something for yourselves in an unfamiliar city.
What is included
What is not included
Extras to budget for
Additional activies
Free places
Flights
Overnight train
Hotels & rooms
Meals
24*7 Emergency number
We understand that for some people travelling overnight by train might seem undesirable, for various reasons. If you do not wish to travel overnight, a daytime train between Moscow and St. Petersburg is also available. The train departs daily at approximately 4-5 pm. and arrives at 8- 9 pm. Read more about train travel.
We accommodate pupils in twin-bedded rooms unless stated otherwise, so even numbers of both male and female students make room allocation a lot easier. In some hotels it’s possible to request an extra bed to accommodate students in triple rooms, but some refuse to do this so some students may have to be in singles. Please note that this may change the cost of your quote. We will require a completed rooming list a month before departure.
We usually accommodate teachers in twin-bedded rooms. If you prefer to stay in single rooms, or if there is an odd number of adults, single person supplements apply. You should let us know about any preference for single accommodation as early as possible, to ensure availability.
Of course, it is very unlikely that you will need to contact our emergency operator, as all your arrangements are carefully planned and monitored. Our local English-speaking representatives are also available throughout your stay in Russia.
Generally our aim is to include as much as possible in your quote, so that you have complete peace of mind when travelling with your school group. If you prefer to exclude some meals and services from your quote, please let us know and we will revise it accordingly. From experience, however, we know that with your busy schedule and a big group to take care of, it’s better to have more services prepaid, so that you save time and enjoy your trip, rather than frantically trying to organize something for yourselves in an unfamiliar city.
What is included
What is not included
Extras to budget for
Additional activies
Free places
Flights
Overnight train
Hotels & rooms
Meals
24*7 Emergency number
WHAT IS INCLUDED
We normally include the following services in our quote:- Russian visa processing
- Airport arrival and departure transfers in Russia with an English-speaking representative
- Professional English-speaking guides as per itinerary
- Transport throughout the programme (by coach or underground)
- Overnight train: 2nd class (4-berth compartments), upgrade to 1st class (2-berth compartment) is possible. A daytime train option between Moscow and St. Petersburg is also available
- Twin or triple room accommodation in 3* hotels; upgrade to a 4* hotel is possible. Please note that we will arrange accommodation for your students by gender; if there are odd numbers of either gender, a single supplement will be payable
- Half board, starting with dinner on day of arrival and ending with breakfast on day of departure. When booking please state clearly any dietary requirements in your group – vegetarians, food allergies etc. Please discuss the eating possibilities in the local area with us, both in town and in hotels
- All applicable museum entrance fees
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
- Travel insurance
- Evening entertainment
- Optional excursions
- Tickets for ballet, opera, circus and sporting events
- Full-time representative during your whole trip (available upon request)
EXTRAS TO BUDGET FOR
- Transfers from and to school in the UK
- Meals en route, outward and return
- Drinks with meals, other than breakfast
- Optional extras, including single room supplement, 1st class train compartments
- Meals on the plane (most likely to be covered by the regular air fare)
- Additional adult supervisors
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
We can arrange visits to the theatre and/or circus for your group, if there are performances during your visit. In Russia, the tickets are normally put on sale no more than 2 months in advance, so we’ll need to check the options closer to your departure date and give you an overview of prices. Please note that while we can also arrange a theatre trip once you’re in Russia, we recommend buying tickets beforehand to avoid disappointment. With the help of your local guide, you can also arrange on the spot to go bowling or play pool. If you want the guide to accompany you, you can pay her or him direct for additional time and services.FREE PLACES
We normally include 1 free place for every 10 paying participants in our quotes. We can be flexible with this and include as many free places as you need, but the more free places are included, the higher will be the cost to each group member.FLIGHTS
Taking a group of young people through an airport, onto a flight and off at the other end can be quite a daunting procedure. At Go Russia we aim to make this process as easy as possible for your staff team. We will research the most suitable flights for your group, guaranteeing the best prices possible.OVERNIGHT TRAIN
For transport within Russia, especially between Moscow and St. Petersburg, we use comfortable 4 berth compartments (2nd class); however upgraded 2 berth compartments (1st class) are also available. There is almost no difference between the 1st and 2nd Class, apart from the number of berths, and slightly more space in 1st Class.We understand that for some people travelling overnight by train might seem undesirable, for various reasons. If you do not wish to travel overnight, a daytime train between Moscow and St. Petersburg is also available. The train departs daily at approximately 4-5 pm. and arrives at 8- 9 pm. Read more about train travel.
COACH TRANSPORTATION
All our tour coaches are fitted with seatbelts. All our drivers are very experienced professionals who are used to driving on the busy streets and traffic of Moscow and St Petersburg. The maximum seating capacity on a coach is generally around 50 and a double-decker around 70.HOTELS & ALLOCATION OF ROOMS
We use hotels with local ratings, but please note that Russian star ratings sometimes vary from those of Western Europe. To avoid disappointment and give you a opinion first-hand, we provide our own Go Russia rating if it differs from the official one.We accommodate pupils in twin-bedded rooms unless stated otherwise, so even numbers of both male and female students make room allocation a lot easier. In some hotels it’s possible to request an extra bed to accommodate students in triple rooms, but some refuse to do this so some students may have to be in singles. Please note that this may change the cost of your quote. We will require a completed rooming list a month before departure.
We usually accommodate teachers in twin-bedded rooms. If you prefer to stay in single rooms, or if there is an odd number of adults, single person supplements apply. You should let us know about any preference for single accommodation as early as possible, to ensure availability.
MEALS
Unless stated otherwise, our quotes include half board. Service starts with dinner on the day of arrival, and ends with breakfast on the day of departure. Having half board saves you time and effort and makes you trip more enjoyable. When booking please state clearly any dietary requirements in your group – vegetarian, food allergies etc. Russian cuisine is meat based and vegetarian food is not widely available, so we need to make all necessary arrangements for your group well in advance.24 * 7 EMERGENCY NUMBER
Before your departure you will be provided with all the contact details for your trip, including our 24-hour Russian and UK emergency contact numbers. Please call us immediately if you experience any problem (getting lost in the city, missing the train, needing help with explaining something in Russian, and so on). In most cases the situation can be easily resolved if it is dealt with promptly.Of course, it is very unlikely that you will need to contact our emergency operator, as all your arrangements are carefully planned and monitored. Our local English-speaking representatives are also available throughout your stay in Russia.