Why don't people travel

Why don't people travel at the Ural region (central part of Russia)?

Dmitrij

"Dmitrij" wrote in message
m...
Why don't people travel at the Ural region (central part of Russia)?

What is there to see which you can't see elsewhere?

Maybe because of the endless bureaucratic hassles which still haunt Eastern
European tourists all too often!!


"Dmitrij" wrote in message
m...
Why don't people travel at the Ural region (central part of Russia)?

Dmitrij

agree. starting from Visa procedures and all documents to show..
( the us are almost the same. they want to interview people after paying 100
dollars.. if you do not get a visa you lose yr 100 dollars... )
"Paul O" ha scritto nel messaggio
u...
Maybe because of the endless bureaucratic hassles which still haunt
Eastern
European tourists all too often!!


"Dmitrij" wrote in message
m...
Why don't people travel at the Ural region (central part of Russia)?

Dmitrij

Dmitrij schrieb:

Why don't people travel at the Ural region (central part of Russia)?

Dmitrij

Well, I have been to Perm and it is not a trip I would care to repeat.
The flight in the derelict Tu134 from Moscow was the only time in my
many years flying experience that I have had serious doubts about
getting out of the plane alive.
The only hotel in town was a cockroach-ridden rathole.
The only bar in town was a mafia den. We had the pleasure of watching
while the pretty young hooker who failed to pick up a trick was dragged
across the floor by her hair and kicked in the stomach for punishment.

Oh, and we also learnt about how many of the rivers and lakes are
hopelessly polluted with atomic waste.

Any more questions?

T.

(Dmitrij) wrote in message om...
Why don't people travel at the Ural region (central part of Russia)?

i think one reason is the language barrier. I have the impression that
it is difficult to travel in that area if you don't speak Russian. I
am working on that problem though - do you have some advice on what to
see in the Ural area?

best regards,

Jan

Some do. I for example visited Ekaterinburg and Artyomovsky
in March. It was one of the most enjoyable, fascinating, exciting,
different and fun holidays I ever had, and I will certainly be back
in Russia sometime soon.
But it was also one of the most challengeing and difficult as far
as the organisation goes. The language barrier is a real problem
if you don't speak Russian. It is difficult to get specific information
about accommodation and transport. Obtaining a visa and registering
with the authorities is also an extra expense and hassle. Also Russia
is simply not "marketed" abroad as a tourist destination (with the
exception of Moscow and St. Petersburg), so that the idea of a holiday
in the Ural region would only occur to a very small number of people
in the first place.
David


"Dmitrij" wrote in message
m...
Why don't people travel at the Ural region (central part of Russia)?

Dmitrij

(Dmitrij) wrote in message om...
Why don't people travel at the Ural region (central part of Russia)?

Dmitrij

Probably because of some of the following reasons

- Bad infrastructure (airports, hotels, roads, tourism agencies,
western airlines travelling there...)
- Not enough knowledge of local attractions. You have to promote it
heavily in western press (and it costs €€€), compete with other
tourist spots, as well as inviting journalists for a free week
- Bad knowledge of english or of any foreign language

Dmitrij wrote:
Why don't people travel at the Ural region (central part of Russia)?

The visa situation is a huge obstacle right out of the gate. Many people
would just say "forget it, I'll go somewhere else where I can have an
equivalent experience."

While I've never been to Russia personally (only as close as the Baltics),
my sense, formed from dealing with Russians in the Baltics and from hearing
many, many stories from travelers I know to ordinarily be of good cheer and
sunny disposition, is that people are horribly mean, the food is awful, and
accomodations/meals of any reasonable standard are very expensive. This is
not an appealing reputation. The mean-people issue may not be such a problem
in central Russia but in the western cities it seems to discourage a lot of
repeat visitors.

miguel
--
See the world from your web browser: http://travel.u.nu/

"Miguel Cruz" wrote in message
...
Dmitrij wrote:
Why don't people travel at the Ural region (central part of Russia)?

The visa situation is a huge obstacle right out of the gate. Many people
would just say "forget it, I'll go somewhere else where I can have an
equivalent experience."

While I've never been to Russia personally (only as close as the Baltics),
my sense, formed from dealing with Russians in the Baltics and from
hearing
many, many stories from travelers I know to ordinarily be of good cheer
and
sunny disposition, is that people are horribly mean, the food is awful,
and
accomodations/meals of any reasonable standard are very expensive. This is
not an appealing reputation. The mean-people issue may not be such a
problem
in central Russia but in the western cities it seems to discourage a lot
of
repeat visitors.

I have to say that not all of that accords with my experience. I had limited
contact with local people, but those I did meet were very friendly and
hospitable, and also extremely curious to meet a foreigner. I travelled some
of the time with a dutch aid worker who spoke russian and had lived there
over a year, and that was more or less her experience too. Several times
people were astounded and amused that I had come there for a holiday.
The more so in smaller towns of course. Possibly Moscow is different -
generally that is true of big cities in all countries.
Some things are very cheap. The 30km/1 hour bus trip to the airport cost
the equivalent of about 0,15 Euros (15 c). Inland train travel and flights
are
very cheap by western standards. Trains no longer have the dual-price system
for foreigners, though some airlines do, and some museums, but even so
it is cheap.
There are some western style fast food establishments (in Ekaterinburg)
which cost maybe half as much as in German cities. Then there are simple
Russian canteen type places where you can get a simple hot meal of something
like pelmini for maybe 20 or 30 Roubles, sometimes even less in small towns.
I am sure Moscow is in a different league pricewise.
The markets and kiosks which the Russians so love have everything
imaginable,
often at good prices, but obviously of varying quality. But you can get
bargains
there, clothing, art, electronic goods.
Hotels are a problem. They tend to be either new and outageously overpriced
5 star palaces, or really ramshackle older style establishments. There is
nothing
much inbetween and if you go for the latter, well you can't be too fussy!
The visa thing is a pain, no question. I almost cancelled my trip for that
reason.
But I'm glad I didn't.
David