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Russia Travel Guide - Dining and Drinking You are here: About > Travel > Eastern Europe for Visitors > Russia-Belarus-Ukraine > Russia Travel Resources > Travel Essentials - Russia > Russia Travel Guide - Dining and Drinking Travel Go Eastern Europe Essentials Best of Eastern Europe Map of Central/Eastern Europe Photo Gallery Country Profiles Discount Travel Websites Articles & Resources Planning Your Trip Ways to Travel What to Do in East Europe Maps for Eastern Europe Czech-SlovakTravel Hungary Travel Poland Travel Russia-Belarus-Ukraine Romania-Moldova Travel Baltic Travel Balkan Travel Culture and Holidays Photo Galleries East Europe Travel and Language Books Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Eastern Europe for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses Search Eastern Europe for Visitors Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page Suggested Reading All Travel Guides Russia Travel Guide Profile of Russia Most Popular First Christmas Tree Europe map Best of Eastern Europe Croatia Naturism and Nudism Discount Travel Websites What's Hot Krakow Photo Gallery Profiles of Eastern Europe Moscow City Profile Czech Republic Photo Gallery - Charles Bridge and castle Sofia's Religous Buildings Related Topics Hotels / Resorts / Inns European History Architecture Air Travel Europe for Visitors Dining and Drinking - Russia From Apply Now , Your Guide to Eastern Europe for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Russia Travel Guide One of the pleasures of travel is reveling in the food and drink of the local cuisine. Russia has plenty to offer in this respect, whether you opt for traditional Russian fare or meals representative of other CIS countries. What Not to Eat You can eat well in Russia at any budget. However, because some people get sick when they travel and eat unaccustomed food, this situation can happen in Russia also. So, because you don't want to spend time being miserable in your hotel room from a stomach problem, it's wise to be careful, just to be on the safe side. Some suggestions: Don't drink tap water. Drink only bottled water. It comes with or without gas. When you order bottled water at restaurants, make sure the waiter brings you an unsealed bottle (not an open bottle that could have been filled with tap water). Of course, if you order water with gas, you won't have this possibility. Brush your teeth with bottled water, not tap water. Avoid salad bars (vegetables washed with tap water). If you buy fruit, wash it with bottled water, not tap water. You get the picture with tap water. If you order a coffee or tea, be aware you might be drinking tap water, but it's boiled. Avoid food from sidewalk stands. Enjoy all thoroughly cooked food. I should note that I have broken all the suggestions above throughout Eastern Europe and not suffered consequences. I love going to cafes for coffee and eating ice cream from sidewalk vendors. But again, you may opt for the safest route than take a chance spending your precious visit too sick to enjoy it. Restaurants Moscow and St. Petersburg have a proliferation of well-known chains, including McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King and TGI Fridays. But try to sample other food, as both Moscow and St. Petersburg can offer so much more. Check the English language newspapers such as the Moscow Times for listings of restaurants. For restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg, also see these lists: List of all types of restaurants in Moscow, from the Moscow City website St. Petersburg restaurants Almost 500 restaurants listed. Fodor's picks for Moscow restaurants Fodor's picks for St. Peterburg's restaurants Cuisine Russian cuisine does wonderful things with meat, cabbage, potatoes, and dough (both bread and pastry). Well-known dishes include : borsch (beet soup) pelmeni (boiled dough pockets filled with meat) beef roll (finely chopped meat and spices rolled in fine pastry) chicken kiev draniki (potato pancakes) golubtsy (cabbage rolls filled with meat and rice, covered in a tomato broth) There are many other dishes, with beef, pork, poultry and fish, as well as potato salad, pickled vegetables, mushrooms, caviar, and wonderful dark bread. Don't forget dessert: bliny, ponchiki (doughnuts), kulich (rum cake) and ice cream. Payment In top restaurants you will likely be able to pay with credit cards. At smaller cafes and restaurants, you will probably have to pay with rubles. Drinking in Russia We'll get to the vodka later but first, know that Russians love to drink tea (chai). With samovars boiling away in offices and train compartments and lots of other places too, Russians drink tea all day long. Vodka is a popular drink, and comes plain but also flavored: lemon, cranberry, herbs. It's hard to keep up with a Russian drinker so you may not want to try. Beer (pivo) is also popular. Russian brands include Tinkov pilsner , Baltika, Stepan Rizan, Nevskoye, Klinskoye, and Tolstiyak. A low-alcohol beer is called kvas. Russia also produces wine, with three million acres of vineyards. Russian wines aren't for everyone, as they can tend to have concentrated fruity flavors and some are rather sweet. While you're in Russia, you may want to try the wine of former Soviet republics, such as Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. Popular white wines are the Anapa Riesling, Tsinandali, and Gourdzhuani. Reds are Saperavi and Mukuzani. Tipping Tipping has not yet become an expected norm in restaurants around Russia, although at better restaurants and cafes, you will find that patrons will do so. However, a normal rate has not been really established yet, so many people leave between five and ten percent, or more depending on the service. At not so fancy restaurants or cafes, you can round up the bill. Some restaurants will add service to your bill, so check first before you tip, and feel free not to tip at all if you believe the service doesn't deserve it. If there is a cloakroom where you need to leave your coat, there may be a sign telling you the amount to release your belongings. Otherwise, leave a few rubles or a dollar. 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European vacation Other links:

European vacation - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com Corporate information European vacation: Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts - Holiday and business hotel chain in Europe. Perfect for honeymoons, city breaks, conferences and meetings etc. Accommodations at Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts With 156 hotels across destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts is one of the fastest growing hospitality companies in the world. Our hotels are located in city centers, close to airports, business district and shopping, making them ideal for both business and leisure travellers alike. Reserve your room at www.RadissonSAS.com and we guarantee you the best price for rooms of your choice on the dates you have selected. Our first class full service hotels offer unique service concepts, such as E@syConnect, our commitment to offer High-Speed/Wireless Internet Access; One Touch Service, where all service needs are met at the touch of a button; and Super Breakfast Buffet. The Radisson SAS "Yes I Can" spirit ensures 100% guest satisfaction and we strive to meet and exceed expectations. From whale watching to a night at the theatre, from a romantic dinner to a golf weekend, Radisson SAS hotels offer special packages that you can take advantage of. Guests in search for a relaxing spa vacation or an invigorating golf holiday will find our hotels and resorts especially attractive. We offer exclusive spa resorts to soak away the stress, and hotels that are on or next to championship golf courses for the perfect tee off. We offer a wide range of Meetings & Events facilities in 124 locations. We can arrange a conference for 3,000 in Copenhagen, a wedding for 300 in Edinburgh, or an intimate board meeting for three in Istanbul. The Radisson SAS Meetings & Events Promise is to be 100% professional, 100% committed and 100% caring. All Radisson SAS Meetings and Events employees have been educated and certified by MPI-Meetings Professionals International, the largest association of meetings professionals in the world. Our Business and leisure guests, who are members of our goldpoints plus programme, earn Gold Points whenever they stay at a Radisson SAS hotel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Gold Points can be exchanged for Award Stays, room upgrades, airline miles and other amenities. Learn more about goldpoints plus at www.rzgp.com. European vacation Other links: 1: European vacation Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com ... European vacation ... 2: Europe holiday - Radisson ... 3: Hotel vacation - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com 4: Vacation Europe - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com 5: Holiday hotels - Radisson ... 6: Europe vacation - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com 7: Hotel holiday - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com 8: Holidays Europe - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com 9: Holiday Europe - Radisson SAS, ... 10: Holidays in Europe - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com Contact Us Privacy Policy Toll-free Numbers About Us Best Price Guarantee Other Brands in the Rezidor SAS family: Park Inn Country Inns Regent © 2005 Rezidor SAS Hospitality. All rights reserved

Argentina Travel

Argentina Travel Information. Photos, Stories and Diaries about Argentina -- members discussions -- live diaries what's new tours book a flight hostels hotels insurance travel guides shop volunteering worldsurface.com the whole web Argentina Hitching Through the Pampas location: Argentina submitted by Gringo The view from the back of Miguels pick up. These kind people took us 2500 km in two days. I have never been so cold in all my life! Live Diary Page reporter: jerome location: Iguazu (Iguasu) Falls The majestic Iguazu Falls I just witnessed the most incredible thing I have seen - the powerful and majestic waterfalls of Iguazu. This must surely be one of the wonders of the natural world. As I explored the various areas of the falls over two days, I was constantly in awe that something as amazing and stunning as this could exist.Getting here------------From Asuncion in Paraguay I caught a bus that headed due east to the Brazilian border. The trip was supposed to only take six hours, but for some reason sti... more... Ode to Buenos Aires location: Buenos Aires submitted by rustyjames ODE TO BUENOS AIRESOh yes, I remember Buenos Aires... Every feeling that ever had a lasting impression on me arises when thinking of Buenos Aires (which is almost every day): Longing, despair, pain, happiness, loneliness, anger, love and absolute peace. Buenos Aires with its shady corners, its veiled nights,its gloomy south, its proud, beautiful women; Buenos Aires with its ravines of houses and the countless airconditioning-bodies that hang like ticks on the buildings and incessantly drop water down to the pavement, in a way that it seems as the city is be crying all the time. I remember how I arrived back then, with a lousy 200$ to my name and how I smo... more... Sunset over the marsh location: Argentina submitted by Amelia After a few hours out in a boat on the marsh we were graced with the most amazing sunset on our way home. tours (14) places to stay (66) places to visit (55) food & drink (1) stories (11) photos (29) country info live diaries (9) Argentina Argentina is geared up to thrill - from nights tangoing in the chic quarter of Buenos Aires to gaucho riding in the grasslands of the Pampas. It is also a merry-go-round of incongruity: traditional cream teas in the Welsh community of the Chubut valley, the birthplace of the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, stomping ground of Maradona, source of Evita worship, museums of meteorites, huge numbers of dinosaur fossils, celebrity spotting on the ski slopes of Bariloche, and home to the most southerly city in th... more... Linked Places Atlantic Coast and Inland (51) Patagonia (15) Buenos Aires (51) patagonian desert Iguazú Falls (1) Southern Lake District (12) North East (9) Tierra del Fuego (12) North West (7) Member Recommended Must do's: Canal location: Ushuaia submitted by travel Now this is the company to go to if you want to organise your own activities and treks throughout the island - they specialise in going off the beaten track and making sure you dont get the usual tourist experience. they also focus on protecting the environment - great locally owned company more... Worldsurface Tour South American Explorer location: South America operated by exodus From the world's highest navigable lake to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu and the stupendous falls of Iguassu, it is all superlatives. Nights of city life in Santiago, Buenos Aires (legendary steaks!) and Rio are interspersed with days in the mountains and among llamas and alpacas on the endless altiplano. An immense variety of scenery, culture and peoples to experience. Route: ... more... Member Recommended Hotel: Posada Fueguina location: Ushuaia submitted by travel I spent one night here after feeling exhausted from the trekking and traveling and it was just the treat - private cabanas and a small restaurant that looks out over the bay and gives the best views of the town and the mountains - privately owned house - the service is fantastic more... Country Information Geography Ecology The People Human Rights History Money & Cost of Living Getting Around Traveller Advice Getting There Visas & Passports When To Go Local Media World Heritage Travel Guides Language Schools Highlights Health Information Touching Down Where to stay Food & Drink Festivals Shorts Beach Holidays Biking Trips Conservation Opportunities Diving Vacations Kayaking Trips Volunteering Opportunities Overland Adventures Riding Tours Trekking Vacations Wildlife Holidays 21st Century Backpacking Access to the information on this site is free The information we hold on members is kept to a minimum and we do not pass any information on to third parties See our privacy policy for more information --