What to do if your credit card fails in RussiaAustralians usually depend on Visa or Mastercard, tapping for purchases and checking balances in an app. In Russia, cards issued by Russian banks were…Saving time and money on complex Russian journeysPlanning a journey across Russia, Mongolia or China can look simple on a map but become complicated once rail timetables, border crossings, transfers and…Romanovs, Revolution and the Cold War by RailRail journeys for history enthusiasts make the landscape part of the story. A sleeper carriage can connect imperial capitals, exile towns and Cold War border…The Siberian Interval: a two-night stopover in NovosibirskNovosibirsk can look like an awkward name on a long-distance rail ticket, but it is more than a place to change trains. Russia’s third-largest city sits on the…A pre- and post-trip guide to Perm: Camels, caves and artPerm is more than a convenient pause between Moscow and Yekaterinburg. The city sits where the Kama and Chusovaya rivers meet, with an industrial past, grand…Tipping in Russia and China on rail and tour journeysGratuities across Russia and China are not governed by one regional rule. Expectations depend on who provided the service, whether a charge is already on the…From the BAM to Yakutsk: how far north can you go by train?A journey north from the Baikal-Amur Mainline sounds simple on a map and is more revealing in practice. The BAM links Tayshet with the Trans-Siberian near…Kazan to Spilled Blood: Petersburg on FootThe Kazan Cathedral to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood journey is best understood as a sequence of streets, squares and waterside views rather than a…Halal, kosher and vegan travel on the Trans-SiberianTravelling with dietary needs on the Trans-Siberian requires planning around ingredients, supply and booking confirmation rather than assuming one special meal…Booking an English-speaking guide for Russian museumsA private museum visit can transform a Russian city break from a sequence of famous buildings into a more meaningful experience. With an English-speaking…