The road trips - Spring 2008The 77th Road Trip to Russia 17-26 March (Easter)Helsinki, St Petersburg and MoscowThe 78th Road Trip to Russia 26 March to 2 AprilSt Petersburg and MoscowThe 79th Road Trip to Russia 2-9 AprilSt Petersburg and MoscowThe 80th Road Trip to Russia 9-16 AprilSt Petersburg and MoscowThe 81st Road Trip to Russia 16-21 AprilSt Petersburg (only)Travel details
Russian tourist visa pricesRegistration instructionsPassport application informationDirections to Viking Line Terminal, StockholmInformation för svenska studenterExternal linksThe information as PDF (click to download)Russian tourist visa application (*.pdf)Addendum to visa application for male US citizens (*.doc)Availability as of 18/3Road Trip #77: SOLD OUTRoad Trip #78: SOLD OUTRoad Trip #79: 3rd bus added, 10 available placesRoad Trip #80: SOLD OUT (Waiting list started)Road Trip #81: 12 available places |
Welcome!Below you will find information about the road trip travels to Russia the spring 2008. If you can't find the piece fo information you're looking for or your question doesn't have an answer then send an email to russia@matka-niinimaki.fi Happy New Year to you! And yes, it is that time once again! Now for the 13th consecutive year, the ESN Road Trips to Russia continues the tradition of international student adventures to Russia, for the 2008, spring semester. There are five ESN Road Trips to Russia for intrepid students from many Swedish universities already organized – the only thing missing is you! These trips are planned with safety, reliability and of course, fun in mind. Trip transportation through Finland to Russia is provided with Finnish buses and experienced Finnish bus drivers. The hotels that the groups stay at are centrally located near the sights and action of the downtown in both St Petersburg and Moscow (and Helsinki for Road Trip #77). Our sightseeing and optional program tour guides are from either St Petersburg, or Moscow. The trip schedules offer you the choice of joining a structured series of optional programs at an additional cost, or giving you the time to go out on your own and see the sights at your own speed. Please read through the following information to get all of the details about the trips being offered. Below that, you will find information about the visa costs, how to register for a place on one of the trips, and many other important details. We would also like to suggest that you check back with this site as we will make updates when necessary, as well as providing details about the remaining number of available places for each trip. The 77th Road Trip to Russia"The Easter is best spent in Russia"Helsinki, St Petersburg and MoscowDestination: Helsinki, Finland, St Petersburg and Moscow, Russia Available places: 105 total for all participating groups Required: valid INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT (allowing travel outside the EU) Participating Groups: University students from Stockholm, Göteborg, Uppsala, Örebro, Växjö, Linköping, Skövde, Jönköping, Lund and Kalmar (students from other universities and non-students are also welcome to join) Price: 520 EUR + individual Russian Tourist Visa cost (prices listed below) Included: — round trip ferry transportation from Stockholm to Finland (Viking Line) — 4-person cabin on both of the ferry journeys — round trip transportation from Sweden, to Russia — double occupancy HOTEL accommodations in all destination cities — Russian tourist visa paper work, support + processing — personal travel insurance from SAMPO insurance company — buffet breakfast on five mornings in the hotel — guided sightseeing tours (in English) of St Petersburg — transportation to the State Hermitage Art Museum — the hotel's mandatory passport and visa registration fees * Preliminary Trip Schedule * Day One: Monday, 17 March (Exact departure time and locations to be announced by e-mail) 18:00 — ALL GROUPS to Viking Line terminal (Stadsgården) in Stockholm 20:10 — Viking Line M/S Amorella departure to Turku, Finland Day Two: Tuesday, 18 March (+1h time difference CET) 07:35 — Arrival in Turku (FINNISH TIME, + 1h), all groups to bus, depart for Helsinki 11:30 — Arrival in Helsinki, followed by departure for sightseeing tour of Helsinki 13:30 — Arrival at Scandic Continental Helsinki; group check-in 14:00 — FREE TIME Day Three: Wednesday, 19 March 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open in the hotel 08:30 — Hotel check-out, luggage to the buses, departure from the hotel, to St Petersburg 11:00 — Arrival at Finnish border/frontier (+1h time difference EET) 12:30 — Arrival at Russian border, drive to St Petersburg 18:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Hotel Moskova; group check-in FREE TIME Day Four: Thursday, 20 March 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 09:30 — Group departure for city sightseeing tour, ending at Hermitage Museum parking area 17:00 — Departure from Hermitage to hotel FREE TIME Day Five: Friday, 21 March 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 08:30 — ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! Departure time To Be Announced — OPTIONAL PROGRAM #1 (day program): Pushkin & Catherine’s Palace, departure by bus from the hotel 14:00 — (ESTIMATED) Return to St Petersburg, group drop off in city center FREE TIME until 20:00 — Departure from St Petersburg to MOSCOW (overnight drive) Departure location: St Isaac’s Cathedral in city center (location will be shown during the sightseeing tour) Day Six: Saturday, 22 March 07:00 — (ESTIMATED) Group breakfast stop at Zelenograd McDonald’s! 10:00 — Arrival in Moscow, guided sightseeing tour of the city 13:00 — (ESTIMATED) arrival at Hotel Izmailova Vega; group check-in FREE TIME Day Seven: Sunday, 23 March 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open, entrance through the lobby on main floor 09:00 — ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! Departure time To Be Announced — OPTIONAL PROGRAM #2: Kremlin Tour, meeting location to be announced FREE TIME 21:00 — Departure from Moscow to ST PETERSBURG (overnight drive) Departure location: Red Square parking place (location will be shown to you during the sightseeing tour) Day Eight: Monday, 24 March 10:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Ladoga Hotel; group check-in FREE TIME Departure time To Be Announced – OPTIONAL PROGRAM #3: Russian Folk Dance Performance at Nikolaiyev’s Palace 21:00 — (ESTIMATED) return to hotel Day Nine: Tuesday, 25 March 06:30 — 07:00 ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 08:00 — Group departure from St Petersburg, to Finland 10:30 — Possible stop in Vyborg 13:00 — Russian border stop 14:00 — Finnish border (-1h hour time difference to EET) 14:00 — Lunch break 19:30 — (ESTIMATED) arrival at Turku harbor 21:00 — Viking Line M/S Isabella departure to Stockholm Day Ten: Wednesday, 26 March 06:30 — Arrival in Stockholm (Stadsgården) The 78th Road Trip to RussiaSaint Petersburg and MoscowDestination: St Petersburg and Moscow, Russia Available places: 105 total for all participating groups Required: valid INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT (allowing travel outside the EU) Participating Groups: University students from Stockholm, Göteborg, Uppsala, Örebro, Växjö, Linköping, Skövde, Jönköping, Lund and Kalmar (students from other universities and non-students are also welcome to join) Price: 450 EUR + individual Russian Tourist Visa cost (prices listed below) Included: — round trip ferry transportation from Stockholm to Finland (Viking Line) — 4-person cabin on both of the ferry journeys — round trip transportation from Sweden, to Russia — double occupancy HOTEL accommodations in all destination cities — Russian tourist visa paper work, support + processing — personal travel insurance from SAMPO insurance company — buffet breakfast on three mornings in the hotel — guided sightseeing tour of St Petersburg and Moscow — transportation to the State Hermitage Art Museum in St Petersburg — the hotel's mandatory passport and visa registration fees * Preliminary Trip Schedule * Day One: Wednesday, 26 March (Exact departure time and locations to be announced by e-mail) 18:00 — ALL GROUPS to Viking Line terminal (Stadsgården) in Stockholm 20:10 — Viking Line M/S Amorella departure to Turku, Finland Day Two: Thursday, 27 March (+1h time difference CET) 07:35 — Arrival in Turku (FINNISH TIME, + 1h), all groups to bus, depart for St Petersburg 14:00 — Arrival at Finnish border/frontier (+1h time difference EET) 16:00 — Arrival at Russian border 17:00 — Departure from Russian border, drive to St Petersburg 21:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Ladoga Hotel; group check-in FREE TIME Day Three: Friday, 28 March 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 08:30 — ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! Departure time To Be Announced — OPTIONAL PROGRAM #1: guided tour of Pushkin & Catherine’s Palace (45min outside of St Petersburg) 15:00 — (ESTIMATED) Return to St Petersburg, group drop off in city center FREE TIME until 20:00 — Departure from St Petersburg to MOSCOW (overnight drive) Departure location: St Isaac’s Cathedral in the city center Day Four: Saturday, 29 March 07:00 — (ESTIMATED) Group breakfast stop at Zelenograd McDonald’s! 10:00 — Arrival in Moscow, guided sightseeing tour of the city 13:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Hotel Izmailova Vega; group check-in FREE TIME Day Five: Sunday, 30 March 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 09:00 — ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! Departure time To Be Announced — OPTIONAL PROGRAM #2: Kremlin Tour, meeting location to be announced FREE TIME 21:00 — Departure from Moscow to ST PETERSBURG (overnight drive) Departure location: Red Square parking place (location will be shown to you during the sightseeing tour) Day Six: Monday, 31 March 10:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival in St Petersburg, directly to city sightseeing tour 14:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Ladoga Hotel; group check-in FREE TIME Departure time To Be Announced – OPTIONAL PROGRAM #3 (evening program): Russian Folk Dance Performance at Nikolaiyev’s Palace 21:00 — (ESTIMATED) return to hotel Day Seven: Tuesday, 1 April (April Fool’s Day!) 06:30 — 07:00 ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 08:00 — Group departure from St Petersburg, to Finland 10:30 — Possible stop in Vyborg 13:00 — Russian border stop 14:00 — Finnish border (-1h hour time difference to EET) 14:00 — Lunch break 19:30 — (ESTIMATED) arrival at Turku harbor 21:00 — Viking Line M/S Isabella departure to Stockholm Day Eight: Wednesday, 2 April 06:30 — Arrival in Stockholm (Stadsgården), Viking Line ferry terminal The 79th Road Trip to RussiaSt Petersburg and MoscowDestination: St Petersburg, Russia Available places: 105 total for all participating groups Required: valid INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT (allowing travel outside the EU) Participating Groups: University students from Stockholm, Göteborg, Uppsala, Örebro, Växjö, Linköping, Skövde, Jönköping, Lund and Kalmar (students from other universities and non-students are also welcome to join) Price: 450 EUR + individual Russian Tourist Visa cost (prices listed below) Included: — round trip ferry transportation from Stockholm to Finland (Viking Line) — 4-person cabin on both of the ferry journeys — round trip transportation from Sweden, to Russia — double occupancy HOTEL accommodations in all destination cities — Russian tourist visa paper work, support + processing — personal travel insurance from SAMPO insurance company — buffet breakfast on three mornings in the hotel — guided sightseeing tour of St Petersburg and Moscow — transportation to the State Hermitage Art Museum in St Petersburg — the hotel's mandatory passport and visa registration fees * Preliminary Trip Schedule * Day One: Wednesday, 2 April (Exact departure time and locations to be announced by e-mail) 18:00 — ALL GROUPS to Viking Line terminal (Stadsgården) in Stockholm 20:10 — Viking Line M/S Amorella departure to Turku, Finland Day Two: Thursday, 3 April (+1h time difference CET) 07:35 — Arrival in Turku (FINNISH TIME, + 1h), all groups to bus, depart for St Petersburg 14:00 — Arrival at Finnish border/frontier (+1h time difference EET) 16:00 — Arrival at Russian border 17:00 — Departure from Russian border, drive to St Petersburg 21:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Hotel Azimuth (formerly Sovetskaya Hotel); group check-in FREE TIME Day Three: Friday, 4 April 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 08:30 — ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! Departure time To Be Announced — OPTIONAL PROGRAM #1: guided tour of Pushkin & Catherine’s Palace (45min outside of St Petersburg) 15:00 — (ESTIMATED) Return to St Petersburg, group drop off in city center FREE TIME until 20:00 — Departure from St Petersburg to MOSCOW (overnight drive) Departure location: St Isaac’s Cathedral in the city center Day Four: Saturday, 5 April 07:00 — (ESTIMATED) Group breakfast stop at Zelenograd McDonald’s! 10:00 — Arrival in Moscow, guided sightseeing tour of the city 13:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Hotel Izmailova Vega; group check-in FREE TIME Day Five: Sunday, 6 April 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 09:00 — ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! Departure time To Be Announced — OPTIONAL PROGRAM #2: Kremlin Tour, meeting location to be announced FREE TIME 21:00 — Departure from Moscow to ST PETERSBURG (overnight drive) Departure location: Red Square parking place (location will be shown to you during the sightseeing tour) Day Six: Monday, 7 April 10:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival in St Petersburg, directly to city sightseeing tour 14:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Ladoga Hotel; group check-in FREE TIME Departure time To Be Announced – OPTIONAL PROGRAM #3 (evening program): Russian Folk Dance Performance at Nikolaiyev’s Palace 21:00 — (ESTIMATED) return to hotel Day Seven: Tuesday, 8 April 06:30 — 07:00 ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 08:00 — Group departure from St Petersburg, to Finland 10:30 — Possible stop in Vyborg 13:00 — Russian border stop 14:00 — Finnish border (-1h hour time difference to EET) 14:00 — Lunch break 19:30 — (ESTIMATED) arrival at Turku harbor 21:00 — Viking Line M/S Isabella departure to Stockholm Day Eight: Wednesday, 9 April 06:30 — Arrival in Stockholm (Stadsgården), Viking Line ferry terminal The 80th Road Trip to RussiaSt Petersburg and MoscowDestination: St Petersburg, Russia Available places: 105 total for all participating groups Required: valid INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT (allowing travel outside the EU) Participating Groups: University students from Stockholm, Göteborg, Uppsala, Örebro, Växjö, Linköping, Skövde, Jönköping, Lund and Kalmar (students from other universities and non-students are also welcome to join) Price: 450 EUR + individual Russian Tourist Visa cost (prices listed below) Included: — round trip ferry transportation from Stockholm to Finland (Viking Line) — 4-person cabin on both of the ferry journeys — round trip transportation from Sweden, to Russia — double occupancy HOTEL accommodations in all destination cities — Russian tourist visa paper work, support + processing — personal travel insurance from SAMPO insurance company — buffet breakfast on three mornings in the hotel — guided sightseeing tour of St Petersburg and Moscow — transportation to the State Hermitage Art Museum in St Petersburg — the hotel's mandatory passport and visa registration fees * Preliminary Trip Schedule * Day One: Wednesday, 9 April (Exact departure time and locations to be announced by e-mail) 18:00 — ALL GROUPS to Viking Line terminal (Stadsgården) in Stockholm 20:10 — Viking Line M/S Amorella departure to Turku, Finland Day Two: Thursday, 10 April (+1h time difference CET) 07:35 — Arrival in Turku (FINNISH TIME, + 1h), all groups to bus, depart for St Petersburg 14:00 — Arrival at Finnish border/frontier (+1h time difference EET) 16:00 — Arrival at Russian border 17:00 — Departure from Russian border, drive to St Petersburg 21:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Hotel Azimuth (formerly Sovetskaya Hotel); group check-in FREE TIME Day Three: Friday, 11 April 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 08:30 — ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! Departure time To Be Announced — OPTIONAL PROGRAM #1: guided tour of Pushkin & Catherine’s Palace (45min outside of St Petersburg) 15:00 — (ESTIMATED) Return to St Petersburg, group drop off in city center FREE TIME until 20:00 — Departure from St Petersburg to MOSCOW (overnight drive) Departure location: St Isaac’s Cathedral in the city center Day Four: Saturday, 12 April 07:00 — (ESTIMATED) Group breakfast stop at Zelenograd McDonald’s! 10:00 — Arrival in Moscow, guided sightseeing tour of the city 13:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Hotel Izmailova Vega; group check-in FREE TIME Day Five: Sunday, 13 April 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 09:00 — ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! Departure time To Be Announced — OPTIONAL PROGRAM #2: Kremlin Tour, meeting location to be announced FREE TIME 21:00 — Departure from Moscow to ST PETERSBURG (overnight drive) Departure location: Red Square parking place (location will be shown to you during the sightseeing tour) Day Six: Monday, 14 April 10:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival in St Petersburg, directly to city sightseeing tour 14:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Ladoga Hotel; group check-in FREE TIME Departure time To Be Announced – OPTIONAL PROGRAM #3 (evening program): Russian Folk Dance Performance at Nikolaiyev’s Palace 21:00 — (ESTIMATED) return to hotel Day Seven: Tuesday, 15 April 06:30 — 07:00 ALL LUGGAGE to the buses! 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 08:00 — Group departure from St Petersburg, to Finland 10:30 — Possible stop in Vyborg 13:00 — Russian border stop 14:00 — Finnish border (-1h hour time difference to EET) 14:00 — Lunch break 16:30 — (ESTIMATED) arrival at Helsinki harbor, Viking Line ferry terminal 17:30 — Viking Line M/S Mariella departure to Stockholm Day Eight: Wednesday, 16 April 09:40 — Arrival in Stockholm (Stadsgården), Viking Line ferry terminal The 81st Road Trip to RussiaSt Petersburg onlyDestination: St Petersburg, Russia Available places: 60 total for all participating groups Required: valid INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT (allowing travel outside the EU) Participating Groups: University students from Stockholm, Göteborg, Uppsala, Örebro, Växjö, Linköping, Skövde, Jönköping, Lund and Kalmar (students from other universities and non-students are also welcome to join) Price: 320 EUR + individual Russian Tourist Visa cost (prices listed below) Included: — round trip ferry transportation from Stockholm to Finland (Viking Line) — 4-person cabin on both of the ferry journeys — round trip transportation from Sweden, to Russia — double occupancy HOTEL accommodations in St Petersburg — Russian tourist visa paper work, support + processing — personal travel insurance from SAMPO insurance company — buffet breakfast on three mornings in the hotel — guided sightseeing tour of St Petersburg — transportation to the State Hermitage Art Museum in St Petersburg — the hotel's mandatory passport and visa registration fees * Preliminary Trip Schedule * Day One: Wednesday, 16 April (Exact departure time and locations to be announced by e-mail) 15:00 — ALL GROUPS to Viking Line terminal (Stadsgården) in Stockholm 16:45 — Viking Line M/S Mariella departure to Helsinki, Finland Day Two: Thursday, 17 April 10:00 — Arrival in Helsinki (FINNISH TIME, + 1h), groups to bus, depart for St Petersburg 14:00 — Arrival at Finnish border/frontier (+1h time difference EET) 16:00 — Arrival at Russian border 17:00 — Departure from Russian border, drive to St Petersburg 21:00 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Hotel Azimuth (formerly Sovetskaya Hotel); group check-in FREE TIME Day Three: Friday, 18 April 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open FREE TIME or Departure time To Be Announced — OPTIONAL PROGRAM #1: Pushkin and Catharine’s Palace, departure by bus from the hotel 14:00 — (ESTIMATED) Return to St Petersburg, group drop off in city center Departure time To Be Announced – OPTIONAL PROGRAM #2: Russian Folk Dance Performance at Nikolaiyev’s Palace 21:00 — (ESTIMATED) Return to hotel Day Four: Saturday, 19 April 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 09:30 — Group departure for city sightseeing tour, ending at Hermitage Museum parking area 17:00 — Departure from Hermitage to hotel FREE TIME (No evening program currently planned) Day Five: Sunday, 20 April 06:30 — 07:00 ALL LUGGAGE to the bus! 07:00 — Buffet breakfast open 08:00 — Group departure from St Petersburg, to Finland 10:30 — Possible stop in Vyborg 13:00 — Russian border stop 14:00 — Finnish border (-1h hour time difference to EET) 14:00 — Lunch break 19:30 — (ESTIMATED) Arrival at Turku harbor 21:00 — Viking Line M/S Isabella departure to Stockholm Day Six: Monday, 21 April 06:30 — Arrival in Stockholm (Stadsgården) Responsible travel agency: All of the travel arrangements are made by Ab Matka-Niinimäki Oy, Yrittäjäntie 5, FIN — 21870 RIIHIKOSKI, Finland. Matka- Niinimäki is a licensed + bonded travel agency. Russian Tourist Visa costs by nationality:
* = visa price adjusted as of 12 March All of the individual Russian Tourist Visas will be processed at the Consulate General of the Russian Federation, in Turku, Finland. Niinimäki Travels is NOT responsible for ANY changes made by the Consulate General of the Russian Federation to the prices shown above. The costs shown above are for a 7 working day processing time. 3-6 day processing time (Express Processing) costs an additional 50 EUR. Less than 3 day processing time (Super Express Processing) costs an additional 100 EUR. These additional fees are non-negotiable. Prices for other nationalities not listed above are available upon request. Registration InformationRegistration for the trips will be open from Wednesday, 23 January, to Wednesday, 5 March (closing at 12:00 Noon CET). There are a limited number of places available for each trip – when the trips are full, they will be closed to further participants. If a trip does become fully booked prior to the registration deadline, a waiting list will be made in case there are any cancellations.If any of the trips still have places available after 5 March, registration will remain open. Feel free to send us your registration details! To register for one of the trips, send an e-mail message to:With the following information about yourself:1. your last name(s) as it appears in your passport 2. your first name(s) as it appears in your passport 3. your gender (male or female) 4. your citizenship (according to your valid passport) 5. your date of birth (dd.mm.yyyy) 6. your place of birth (city and country) 7. your PASSPORT NUMBER 8. the e-mail address where you would like trip info sent to 9. your TRIP CHOICE 10. the name of the university that you study at in Sweden 11. your complete postal/mailing address in Sweden 12. your telephone number in Sweden (if you have one) Shortly thereafter, you will receive an e-mail message that confirms or denies your registration on the trip of your choice. Your e-mail address will be added to an e-mail list for your trip/university that we maintain, and more details about the trip will be distributed through this list to the registered participants. Important Notes:Registering with an aol.com or hotmail.com address: the amazing Spam filters used by both aol.com and hotmail.com make it impossible for us to send e-mail messages through our e-mail lists to those types of addresses. Please register for your trip using a university account, or any other account besides aol.com or hotmail.com to ensure that you receive information about the trip.Registration Meetings:For all of the trips, we will hold 1-2 hour-long registration meetings at each participating university, currently planned for 6-9 March 2008. At these meetings, we will discuss the trip schedules, talk about what is involved in going on a trip to Russia, complete the paper work required for the Russian tourist visa, and hold a general question and answer session about the trips. Attendance at the meetings is not required, however, these meetings are intended to help prepare you for the trips. During these meetings, all registered participants will also submit their passport, two passport pictures and their completed, Russian tourist visa applications.Detailed information about what is required of all registered participants at each meeting will be explained by e-mail. Passport:You must have a valid international passport to participate on one of the trips – a passport and Russian tourist visa are required to enter and exit the Russian Federation. A National Identity Card (for EU Citizens) is not a passport. Your passport must also have one free page to accommodate your Russian tourist visa, and be valid for at least three months (90 days) after the last day of the trip to Russia that you would like to participate on. Passports that are in poor condition, i.e., missing pages, torn or loose pages, or passports that have been in water (washing machine) may result in your visa application being rejected.If your current passport does not fulfill these requirements, please immediately contact the e-mail address above. We may be able to help you obtain a new passport from your home embassy’s consular section. See the Passport Application Information (below) for more details about this. In some individual circumstances, it may be possible to return your passport in advance of your trip departure (with the visa stamped in it). It may also be possible for you to submit your passport after the registration meeting. Please contact the e-mail address above for more details about this. Russian Tourist Visa:Each participant on one of the trips must obtain an individual, single entry, tourist visa to enter and exit the Russian Federation - the exception to this are citizens of Thailand.This tourist visa is valid only for the duration of your trip and cannot be extended or used again. This does mean that you will be without your passport for up to 3 weeks from the date of the registration meeting at your university. Plan your other travels outside of Sweden with this in mind. Passports will be returned on Day One of each trip, at the Viking Line ferry terminal in Stockholm. EARLY Russian Tourist visa processing:If you would like to have your Russian tourist visa processed in advance (early processing) of the registration meetings, this may be possible. Early visa processing is available from 11 February, to 3 March. Please contact the e-mail address above for more details about this.Russian Tourist Visa Application:You may download the English language version of the Russian tourist visa application from this web link:http://www.russianvisas.f9.co.uk/forms/ukvisa.pdf This is a 64 KB file in *.PDF format. You will need Acrobat Reader to view this and print it out. You will complete the questionnaire in ENGLISH. Here are the answers: 1. Your present citizenship: the country that issued you your passport 2. Surname: your family last names as they appear in your passport 3. First/second names: all of them as they appear in your passport 4. Previous names: the answer for this is NONE unless you are married 5. Date of birth: 6. Sex: Male or Female 7. Reason for visit to Russia: Tourism 8. Russian Departments to be visited: NONE 9. Route of journey: Arriving from: FINLAND to RUSSIA Departing from: RUSSIA to FINLAND 10. Date of Entry: SEE DATES BELOW 11. Date of departure: SEE DATES BELOW 12. Your PASSPORT NUMBER: 13. Index and name of tourist company: MATKA-NIINIMAKI, Finland 14. Place of work or study: "STUDENT" and the name of your university in your HOME COUNTRY. No addresses or telephone number needed. 15: Do you have medical coverage in Russia: yes, you do - circle the text on the right hand side that says, "OTHER POLICY ATTACHED FOR APROVAL". 16. Permanent home address: your ADDRESS in your HOME COUNTRY 17. Place of birth: the city and country where you were born 18. Number of previous trips to Russia: if you have never been there, NONE / Date of last visit: if you have never been there, NONE 19. NONE 20. NONE Then please make sure to sign your SIGNATURE on the bottom of the page, and date it (next to signature). Entry and Departure Dates for the visa application Road Trip #77 Date of Entry: 19 March 2008 Date of Departure: 25 March 2008 Road Trip #78: Date of Entry: 27 March 2008 Date of Departure: 1 April 2008 Road Trip #79: Date of Entry: 3 April 2008 Date of Departure: 8 April 2008 Road Trip #80: Date of Entry: 10 April 2008 Date of Departure: 15 April 2008 Road Trip #81: Date of Entry: 17 April 2008 Date of Departure: 20 April 2008 Addendum to the application for male, US Citizens: as of 1 May, 2002, male, US Citizens between 16-45 years of age, are required to submit an addendum with their tourist visa applications. You may download the MS Word document for printing from this web link: http://www.ryh.ru/Rus%20Supplement.doc Passport pictures for the application: you will be required to include two passport pictures with the application. The pictures may be color, or black and white; they may be different pictures, but they must be printed on photo paper – copies of pictures on plain paper will not be accepted. Black and white pictures made from an automatic photo booth (that you find at bus/train stations, underground stations, malls, etc.) are perfectly fine. Rejected Russian Tourist Visa Applications: if for whatever reason, the Russian Consulate rejects your visa application, Matka-Niinimäki is in no way responsible. You will not receive your money back if your visa application is rejected. Payment Options:There are two options for making the trip and visa payment: full cash payment, in EUROS only, at the registration meeting, or an Internet Banking (IBAN) payment prior to the meeting. There are no other payment options. IBAN payment information will be given out on an individual basis, by e-mail, approximately two weeks before the registration meetings to those wishing to make their payments this way. The IBAN payment method is only worthwhile if you have a bank account from a bank in Sweden, or somewhere else in Europe. Money transfers from banks in North or South America, Asia, or Australia, are expensive and slow.Cancellation rules, trip schedules, roommate selection, optional programs, exact departure times and locations from Sweden, etc.: all of these issues will be covered in detail, by e-mail prior to the registration meeting. Stockholm Departure:All travelers will begin their trip from the Viking Line ferry terminal in Stockholm. Directions to the ferry terminal and recommendations on how to get there will be provided at the registration meetings and by e-mail prior to the departures.How to get to the VIKING LINE ferry terminal (Stadsgården) from Stockholm Central Station (T-Centralen): Leaving from T-Centralen: take any southbound subway and get off at "SLUSSEN". Take the northern exit marked "Mot Nacka- Värmdöbussarna". You can either walk (1600m to your right) or take a bus to the ferry terminal. You can take any 400-numbered bus from Slussen, and get off at the Londonviadukten stop. If you have a valid SL ticket, there is no additional cost. It is also possible to take the Viking line bus, either from Cityterminalen (located near T-Centralen), or from Slussen. These buses leave from a special bus stop marked, "Viking Line" or, "VIKINGTERMINALEN". It costs 30 SEK. Here is a link to SL journey planner in English: http://www.sl.se/Templates/SubStart.aspx?id=1906 Destination: Londonviadukten Here is a link to the Stockholm Subway system map: http://www.mariecurie.org/se/t-bana.html How to get to the VIKING LINE ferry terminal from Stockholm-Arlanda Airport: You may take the Arlanda Express train from the bottom floor of the Sky City Terminal inside Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. There are two Arlanda Express stations: Arlanda North and Arlanda South. There are 4-6 departures per hour, and the trip to Stockholm City Station takes 20 minutes. With a valid student card, the ticket cost is 110 SEK per direction. When you arrive at Stockholm City, it is a 50m walk to the Stockholm Central Station (T-Centralen). Once you are there, follow the instructions above on getting to the Viking Line ferry terminal from T-Centralen. Here is a link to the Arlanda Express: http://www.arlandaexpress.com Friends, non-students, relatives, etc.:If you know someone that would like to join you on one of the trips – possibly even someone not in Sweden – they are more than welcome to join you, so long as there are places available. Also, students from other universities in Sweden may also register for one of the trips. However, their Russian tourist visa will also have to be processed with the rest of the group. This means that you will have to have their passport and completed Russian tourist visa paper work at the registration meeting. For more information about this, contact the e-mail address above.Passport Application InformationIf you are from a country within the European Union, it may be that you do not have an international passport (or travel passport) that allows you to travel outside the EU. If you do have a passport, it is also a good idea to check that it is valid, and that it will remain valid for 90 days after the last day of the trip that you would like to join.In the case that you need to apply for a new passport, or have your current passport renewed, you must do this from your home country’s embassy or consular section in Sweden. Please note that different countries have different rules for applying for, or renewing a passport. You may be asked to apply in person; you may be required to have paper work from the police station of your home city, and the time required to make you a passport may vary. In some cases, it may be impossible for you to be issued a passport. Below is a list of countries with contact information to their embassies and consular sections. If you need to apply/renew your passport, it is recommended that you contact your embassy by telephone, e-mail, or read the information posted on their web site, to find out what is required of you for this process. ** You may register for a place on one of the trips WITHOUT having a passport, but you will need to have a passport two weeks before the departure of the trip that you are registered for. ** Austrian Embassy, Stockholm: Österreichische Botschaft Kommendörsgatan 35/V - 11458 Stockholm telephone: +46 (0) 8 665 1770 Web page: http://www.aussenministerium.at/stockholm Belgian Embassy, Stockholm: Villagatan 13 A, Box 26114 - 10041 Stockholm telephone + 46 8 534 80 200 Web page: http://www.diplomatie.be/stockholm/ French Embassy, Stockholm: Ambassade de France en Suède, 13 Kommendörsgatan, 102 43 Stockholm telephone: +46 8 45 95 300 Web page: http://www.ambafrance-se.org/ German Embassy, Stockholm: Botschaft der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Skarpögatan 9 - 11527 Stockholm telephone: +46 8 670 1500 Web page: http://www.stockholm.diplo.de/sv/Startseite.html German Honorary Consulate, Göteborg: Honorarkonsul der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Advokatfirman Vinge KB, Nils Ericssonsgatan 17 - 41103 Göteborg telephone: +46 31 722 3600 German Honorary Consulate, Linköping: Honorarkonsul der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, c/o HANSA Consulting AB, Westmansgatan 47 - 58216 Linköping telephone: +46 13 34 20 035, mobile: +46 70 268 6562 Italian Embassy, Consulate Chancery, Stockholm: Oakhill - Djurgården - 115 1 Stockholm Cancelleria Consolare, telephone: +46 8 54567100 Web page: http://www.italianembassy.se/ Consolato Onorario d'Italia, Göteborg: Gibraltar Herrgård, Gibraltargatan 17 - 41258 Göteborg telephone: +46 31 711 0381 Consolato Onorario d'Italia, Malmö: Console Birgit GIUBBI, Sångleksgatan 5 - 21579 Malmö Royal Netherlands Embassy, Stockholm: Götgatan 16 A - 10465 Stockholm telephone: +46 8 556 933 00 Web page: http://www.netherlands-embassy.se/ Portuguese Embassy, Stockholm: Narvavägen 32 - 11522 Stockholm telephone: +46 8 662 6028 (no web page found) Spanish Embassy, Stockholm: Djurgårdsvägen 21 - 11521 Stockholm telephone: +46 8 667 9430 Web page: http://www.spaininformation.org/e_SpanishEmbassy.html Spanish Consulate, Göteborg: Konsul Claes Karlzén, Advokatfirman Delphi & Co Östra Hamngatan 29 - 41110 Göteborg telephone: +46 31 10 72 00, Mobile: +46 709 25 25 50 Swiss Embassy, Stockholm: Valhallavägen 64 - 10041 Stockholm telephone: +46 8 676 79 00 Web page: http://www.eda.admin.ch/stockholm_emb/e/home.html |