Summary
TO ORGANIZE YOUR TRIP
- Trip, extension, visit: what are the differences?
- How to request information or a quote?
- Should I contact your office in France or Russia?
- How far in advance should I contact you?
- Is it difficult to get a Russian visa?
- Do you sell visas by themselves? The invitations?
- Where, when, and how is payment made?
- If I have to cancel, will I be refunded?
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
- Will I travel alone or in a group?
- What is included in the price of the trip?
- Is it necessary to register with the Russian authorities on arrival?
- Should we exchange money before leaving?
- Do I need an adapter for the electrical outlets?
- How should I dress (climate, customs ...)?
- Who can I contact in case of problems?
THE BENEFITS OF TSAR VOYAGES
- Cruises: do you have a more detailed offer?
- Trans-Siberian tour packages: where to find additional information?
- For groups: do you offer special rates?
- Do you organize corporate trips?
- Do you offer trips outside of Russia?
- I do not live in Russia, can I benefit from your rates offer for "special expats"?
To organize your trip
TRIP, EXTENSION, VISIT: WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?
A trip: It corresponds to a circuit or stay, with an arrival and a departure by plane.
An extension: it is the possibility to extend your trip by a small stay or a complementary circuit on site including at least one night.
A visit: the discovery of a monument, a museum or a city. Visits last from one hour to one day, but do not include overnight stays.
HOW TO REQUEST INFORMATION OR A QUOTE?
One of our offers suits you? Click on "Request a Quote" to the right of each program. With this form, we will send you details of what interests you, or a personalized offer.
You would like a personalized quote? Send us an email specifying your proposed trip:
> Contact our French address (france@tsarvoyages.com) if you need a visa.
> Otherwise, write directly to our Moscow office (contact@tsarvoyages.com) or St. Petersburg (spb@tsarvoyages.com).
You can also call us directly:
> Paris : + 33 1 75 43 96 77> Moscow : + 7 495 649 66 24
> St. Petersburg : + 7 812 648 00 35
You can chat "online" with one of our experts as soon as you are connected, using the "chat" button at the bottom right of each page of the site
DO I CONTACT YOUR OFFICE IN FRANCE OR RUSSIA?
Contact our French office if:
> You need a visa to leave from France
> You wish to pay in France
> Paris : + 33 1 75 43 96 77 – france@tsarvoyages.com
In all other cases, contact our offices in Moscow or St. Petersburg:
> Moscow : + 7 495 649 66 24 - contact@tsarvoyages.com
> St.Petersburg : + 7 812 648 00 35 - spb@tsarvoyages.com
HOW MUCH TIME IN ADVANCE SHOULD I PLAN FOR?
First criterion: the visa: You must take the time of obtaining the visa into account.
> Ideally, we must send the necessary documents for the visa a month before your departure.
> If you have fewer than 10 days before your departure, obtaining the visa in the usual time is not guaranteed (see details in our section "Visas").
Another criterion: the season:
> Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the cities of Lake Baikal have a low hotel capacity in the categories of well-located 3 and 4 star-hotels.
> This is especially true in St. Petersburg during the "White Nights" period, between May 15 and June 15.
> If you want to make a trip during the "White Nights", do not hesitate to book it in advance
as soon as possible.
IS IT DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN A RUSSIAN VISA?
Obtaining a Russian visa is not difficult provided you know and respect the many imperatives of the Consulate:
> Strict criteria for the photos
> Strict criteria for the passport
> Strict criteria for insurance
> Additional documents to provide if the trip exceeds 13 days
> Presentation of invitations
> It is a special case if you were born in the Soviet Union
> Etc.
Tsar Voyages Paris has its integrated visa service, which files nearly 75 requests a week. Our agents are aware of all requirements, which often reduces delays compared to non-specialized agencies or individuals.
DO YOU SELL VISAS BY THEMSELVES? THE INVITATION?
To go to Russia on a trip as a tourist, you need a visa. To obtain this visa, you need an official invitation.
If you buy a trip from Tsar Voyages, the invitation is provided free of charge, and Tsar Voyages in Paris can take care of obtaining a visa (see all the details in our section "Visas").
If you do not buy a trip fromTsar Voyages, we will not be able to take care of your visa or provide an invitation for you.
A case in particular: if you live in Russia, Tsar Voyages Moscow will be able to provide you with invitations, subject to the purchase of services including accommodation.
WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW DOES THE PAYMENT WORK?
Following your request, you will receive a quote known as “ready for agreement" to sign and send back to the person who will be processing your file. After validation, you can then proceed to the settlement.
If you pay in France:
> You can pay by check, transfer, or by credit card (except American Express), or by cash (within the legal limit of €1000 per file)
> Traveller checks are not accepted
> Note: for all orders placed in France, a processing fee of €25 per person is applied.
If you pay in Russia:
> You can pay by credit card online.
> A note, a commission of 2.5% will be added to your quote.
A deposit of 30% will be required to confirm your order, and the balance must be paid at least 35 days before departure.
Special cases: for some services, especially for cruises and Trans-Siberian packages, the deposit will be 50% and the balance will be required at least 70 days before departure.
Air tickets must be fully paid to be issued. If the tickets are non-refundable, 100% of the price of the plane ticket(s) will be requested upon confirmation.
IF I HAVE TO CANCEL, WILL I BE REFUNDED?
If you have to cancel your trip, contact the person in charge of your file as soon as possible.
The cancellation policy is always indicated at the bottom of your first bill.
The following terms and conditions apply to ground services in Russia:
> If the cancellation occurs more than 30 days before your departure, the cancellation fee is € 100
> Between 30 days and 20 days before departure, the cancelation fee is 25% of the total amount of the trip
> Between 19 days and 13 days, 35%
> Between 12 days and 9 days, 60%
> If cancellation occurs within 9 days of the scheduled departure, the cancellation fee is 100% of the total amount.
Attention : some products (Trans-Siberian packages, cruises, etc.) are subject to more specific cancellation conditions.
Unless otherwise stated in writing, any air tickets and train tickets are neither able to be modified nor refundable. The insurance and file fees are not refundable.
If you buy your trip in France, the mutual insurance Mutuaide Assistance is offered. It provides for cancellation, which can be supported by the insurer under certain conditions (ask for the information booklet).
Note: to be valid, the comprehensive insurance must be underwritten at the time of the confirmation of the trip (and therefore with the first payment).
What to know before leaving
WILL I TRAVEL ALONE OR IN A GROUP?
The trips offered on the site are mainly calculated on an "individual" basis. The guide and the driver only take care of you (whether you are alone or with your own group). In this case, the price of the trip changes depending on the number of people traveling with you.
Only cruises and trips stamped as "mini-group" include excursions shared with other outside travelers. Travel in "mini-groups" is more economical, and in this case, the price of travel per person is fixed (as for cruises).
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF TRAVEL?
Conditions of sale
For each trip, you will be able to check what is included and not included by clicking on the "conditions of sale" button. In general, transfers, accommodation, breakfasts, and excursions are included. Take the time to check this part.
Tickets
> International air tickets are not included in the rates on the website
> If you wish, we will send you a flight proposal at the same time as your personalized quote
> You can choose to arrange the flight by yourself instead
> Please note: if we are not responsible for issuing your ticket, we will not be responsible for any changes,a nd the price of the ticket will not be covered by the insurance taken out with us.
Visas
> Visas are not included in the price of the trip
> When you book accommodations with us, our agency in Paris Tsar Voyages can arrange for you to obtain it (€105)
> For conditions and deadlines, see our section "Visas”.
Insurance
> Before traveling, check that you are covered by insurance. It is essential for your security, but also for obtaining the visa (see explanations in our page "visas", and "insurance").
> Travel prices for this site do not include insurance.
> Our agency in Paris offers two types of insurance: simple repatriation (€20 ) and multi-risk (this is a variable rate depending on the amount of the trip).
Meals
> Breakfasts: except for the exceptions mentioned in the conditions of sales, they are always included in the price
> Other meals: with the exceptions mentioned in the conditions of sale, they are never included in the price. The indication "free lunch" simply means that it is on this part of the program that you will have time to go to lunch.
Meals of guides and drivers
> The meals of the drivers are always included
> For guides, if the visit takes place in the city where they live, it is you who decides whether or not you want to eat with them:
- If you prefer to eat alone, the guide will return home, without question
- If you want her/him to lunch with you, it would be nice to invite her/him.
> If the visit does not take place in the city where the guide lives (as part of a day trip, for example), it will be welcomed to invite her/him to eat with you (if you do not wish to, remember to report it in advance to our teams).
Tips
> Tips are not included.
> They are not essential in hotels or for drivers (although it is always a courtesy and will be appreciated).
> If the service of your guide has pleased you, it will be very nice to thank her/him with a tip, the amount of which remains at your discretion (from 5 euros or 400 rubles per day, for example)
SHOULD I REGISTER ON ARRIVAL WITH THE RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES?
> If you stay fewer than 7 working days in Russia: no registration requirement
> If you stay more than 7 working days in Russia:
- If you are staying at the hotel: most hotels will check you in. Unless otherwise noted, the hotel check-in fees are included in Tsar Voyages’ rates.
- If you are staying with locals in an apartment: you must register yourself with the police authorities. The Russian offices of Tsar. Voyages can take care of this formality for a supplementary fee (€25).
DO YOU NEED TO EXCHANGE MONEY BEFORE YOU GO?
Buying rubles before departure is not necessary. The exchange rates outside Russia are often very unfavorable.
You can take euros. They will be easy to convert on the spot in the many exchange offices easily spotted on the streets, or in the banks. The euro rate is rather interesting. If you can, avoid exchanging money at airports since the rates are less favorable than in city centers.
To avoid traveling with too much cash, you can take your credit card. Vending machines allow you to easily withdraw euros or rubles, and you can also pay with this method of payment in most stores..However, check with your bank for rates and commissions.
Note : in Russia it is not uncommon for an additional fee (1% to 3%) to be frequently applied by shops and restaurants for purchases paid by credit card.
There is no need to bring an adapter for Russia. The electrical outlets are the same as those found in France
Be careful if your trip is to China, you will sometimes need an adapter
HOW SHOULD I DRESS (CLIMATE, CUSTOMS ...)
Traveling in winter:
> To take advantage of the winter visits, plan to bring a jacket, gloves, a hat, and a big scarf. In more remote areas such as Karelia, or if you have outdoor activitie, planned, also bring apres-ski items and pantyhose.
> For your information: in winter, Russians take a pair of spare shoes in a bag. They wear a very warm and non-slip pair to walk on the icy streets, and a prettier and less "practical" pair to put on when they arrive at the theater or at the restaurant in the evening. You can entrust the outdoor shoes (in their bag) to the cloakroom of restaurants or the theater.
In places of worship:
> In the churches and monasteries of Russia, you should avoid shorts and skirts above the knee.
> A shawl is often welcome to partially cover your head
> Showing your arms does not matter. Avoid low necklines
At the theater or the opera:
> Evening dress is not required to go to the Bolshoi or the Mariinsky
> A proper attire will fit in perfectly. However, shorts or Bermuda shorts should be avoided.
WHO CAN I CONTACT IN CASE OF PROBLEMS ?
Before your departure, a contact card will be given to you. It indicates the numbers of the Tsar Voyages offices, and emergency numbers.
On our local teams in Moscow and St. Petersburg, all agents are French or Francophone. During business hours. you can contact our agencies directly.
Outside of opening hours, you can contact our offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg at the emergency number that will be given to you before your departure.
The services of Tsar Voyages
THE CRUISES: DO YOU HAVE A MORE DETAILED OFFER?
Tsar Voyages is the specialist in Trans-Siberian travel, for both special trains or regular trains.
All of our Trans-Siberian offers are detailed on our website that is dedicated 100% to these products: www.trains-des-tsars.com
You will find all the departure dates and times, all the prices, and the descriptions of programs and trains.
THE TRANS-SIBERIAN: WHERE CAN I FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?
Tsar Voyages est le spécialiste des voyages en Transsibérien : trains spéciaux ou trains réguliers.
Toute notre offre transsibérien est détaillée sur notre site 100% dédié à ces produits : www.trains-des-tsars.com
Vous y trouverez tous les départs, tous les tarifs, les descriptifs de programmes et de train.
Tsar Voyages offers special rates and some discounts for groups from 10 people. Tell us about your plans!
DO YOU ORGANIZE BUSINESS TRAVEL?
Tsar Voyages also offers business trips for professionals. A specialized team for business trips will take care of the complete organization of your trip: visas, transfers from the airport to the hotel, reservation of the accommodation, and, if necessary, reservation of an interpreter, the rental of a car, a meeting or conference room, purchase of internal train tickets, etc.
Our "MICE" team also deals with the organization of corporate events: incentive meetings, congresses ... dscover more on our dedicated website: www.tsarvoyages-mice.com
Tsar Voyages specializes in travel to all countries of the former Soviet Union: Uzbekistan, Baltic countries, Ukraine, Kazakhstan ...
Tsar Voyages is also an expert on the Caucasus countries. All of our offers to Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan is the subject of a 100% dedicated site: www.tsarvoyages-caucase.com
Through the Trans-Siberian, Tsar Voyages has also developed a great expertise in the countries crossed by theTrans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian railways: Mongolia and China. Feel free to ask us about trips to these destinations
Our offer "Living in Russia - Special Expatriates" is aimed primarily at French-speaking clients living in Russia. If you are interested in these offers, we can share them with you.
Be careful, however, the persons officially registered by the Russian authorities as "Residents in Russia" benefit from tariffs that are not always applicable to foreigners
