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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. Russia Travel Guide Index
Profile of Russia
City Profile: Moscow
City Profile: St. Petersburg
Before You Go
Need to Know
Money Matters
Intercity Travel
City Transit
Driving
Health and Safety
Lodging
Dining and Drinking
Communications
Shopping
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Europe Travel Planning describes
Enjoy - Europe * Mastering Independent Budget Travel * enjoy - europe with John Bermont * * * Mastering Independent Budget Travel * * * Comprehensive information forindependent budget travel presented by an American who has lived, worked, and traveled throughout Europe. To help you enjoy independent budget travel in Europe, the major sections of this web site are: - How To Europe: The Complete Travelers Handbook expounds the basics of European travel. - Prime Travel Data presents essential information for travelers to many European countries. - The TRAVELERS YELLOW PAGES has links to dozens of sources for further information. - Bermont's Europe Travel Planning describes personalized trip planning services. - Links to maps , weather reports , and money exchange rates for the latest key travel information. Bon voyage on site, and all over Europe! 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Metric System in Europe Travel with Grams, Meters, Liters, and Celsius Chapter 28 Time and Dates in Europe Travel in a Different Time Zone Chapter 29 The Weather in Europe Travel with Your Umbrella Chapter 30 Read this chapter on line -- FREE. Melding With Europe Travel Is Interesting and Entertaining Last Call 17 lists with about 150 items from throughout the book Index " How To Europe: The Complete Travelers Handbook by John Bermont describes the practicalities of visiting Europe in astonishing detail. Whether you're planning your first visit or trying to land a transfer to your company's European office, you'll appreciate his sensible, money-saving advice and his attention to the basics of daily survival." Mark Kahler BudgetTravel.About.com Read the full book review at BudgetTravel.About.com The Amazon Store B&B Paula in Holland Haarlem The Netherlands (Convenient to Amsterdam, The Hague, and Zandvoort.) 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Switzerland Travel Guide Switzerland
Switzerland Travel Guide : BootsnAll Travel Network Visit other BootsnAll sites: BootBlog | Bali | London | Australia | Written Road | Travel News Daily Home | Ask an Insider | Members Forum Plane Tickets | Youth Hostels | RTW Guide About Us | Advertising | Contact | RSS | Staff First Time Visitor? Home » Europe » Western Europe » Switzerland Switzerland Travel Guide Switzerland Travel Resources Accommodation: Hostels | Hotels Advice: Travel Stories Adventure Trips Airfare to Switzerland Travel Insurance Books about Switzerland Travel Blogs Swiss Alps, Swiss Army Knives and Swiss banks are three things that make Switzerland famous. There are also a few other things that make Switzerland notable: there are French, Italian and German influences in this melting pot and, of course, the sensational chocolate shouldn't be forgotten. BootsnAll Newsletters Sign up for any of BootsnAll's community, regional or deals newsletters. Why should you sign-up? Switzerland Travel Info Bern Geneva Interlaken Zermatt Switzerland Nutz And Bolts Switzerland Nutz and Bolts Switzerland Things To See And Do A Quickie in Europe: Best European Cities for a Short Visit! - Western and Mediterranean Europe Clubbing in Europe - Europe The Top of Europe: Jungfraujoch - Jungfraujoch, Switzerland Submit your own Switzerland guide! Discussions Recent Switzerland Travel Stories A Grape Surprise - Swiss Alps Kyle MacDonald and his girlfriend weren't thwarted by the early grape harvesting season in France - they worked in Switzerland instead. The Swiss Underpants - Switzerland Ann spots three pairs of the fanciest men's underpants I had ever laid eyes on...you know, those skimpy, low-cut, nylon net Euro kind no red-blooded American male would be caught dead wearing, and promptly ruins them. Where Bananas and Lost Tickets Go - Switzerland Josh Sprague is thrilled to find his Eurail pass...especially after digging through garbage! Freedom? - Switzerland Michael Muelheim takes on "The Man", reincarnated in the form of "Leah" at the Citibank Asia-Pacific Regional Call Center. Ducks of the Interlaken - Interlaken, Switzerland Two memories of Interlaken that will always stay with James Michael Dorsey and his wife are the laundromat, and the ducks that tried to kill them. More Switzerland Travel Stories » Submit your own Switzerland story! Home | Email BootsnAll | Become a Member | Top of page Travel Guides, Stories, Information, and Newsletters Africa Travel | Asia Travel | Pacific Travel | Europe Travel | North America Travel | Central America Travel | South America Travel | Middle East Travel Odds'n'Ends | Travel Book Reviews | Insiders | Travel Blogs | Travel Newsletters Around the World Travel Around the World Tickets | Around the World Travel Guide | Cheap International Plane Tickets | Around the World Travel Tips Airport Parking Reservations Philadelphia Airport Parking | Newark Airport Parking | Oakland Airport Parking | San Diego Airport Parking | Phoenix Airport Parking BootsnAll World Adventure Travel Tanzania Safari | Viet Nam Tours | Thailand Tour | China Tours | New Zealand Adventure | Australia Tours Youth Hostels Europe Hostels | New York Hostels | Paris Hostels | London Hostels | Amsterdam Hostels Eurail Eurail Passes | Britrail Passes | Eurail Travel | Eurail Tips Book Tickets, Hostels, Hotels and more anywhere in the world Search for Hotels | Traveler's Toolkit | Plane Tickets | Rent Cars | Search Youth Hostels | Travel Insurance | Learn Languages | Backpacker Tours | Cheap Tickets | Cruise and Vacation Packages | Cheap Hotels | Cheap Vacation Rentals | World Music Downloads | Travel Bookstore BootsnAll Travel Community websites, blogs and About the Company Press Kit | Advertise with us | Internships | TripPlanner Affiliate Partners | Link to Us | Join Us! | Privacy policy | BootBlog | Bali Travel | Australia Travel | BootsnAll TravelBlogs | Travel Writer's Resource | Travel Gear Blog | Eurail Blog | London Blog | BootsnAll Travel: Australia | UK and Europe Travel | Travel News Daily | World Travel Watch BootsnAll in Other Languages Chercher des Auberges De Jeunesse | Ricercare gli Ostelli di Gioventù | Busque para Albergues Juveniles de Juventud | Suchen Sie Jugendherbergen Suchen Sie Hotels --
EUROPE Travel Guide Home
VirtualTourist.com - Europe Travel Guide - Pictures, Tips and Reviews Europe Travel Guide. Tips, Reviews & Photos plus Hotels, Restaurants, Activities & More in Europe member log in | join for free! | help Home Travel Guides Hotels Flights Deals NEW! Members Meetings & Events Do It Yourself Guides Forums EUROPE Travel Guide Home » Travel Guides » Europe Destinations Members Keywords Europe Hotel Rates City: Check-In Date: Check-Out Date: Guests: 1 2 3 4 Hotels by OneTime.com Europe Flight Rates From: To: Departure Date: Anytime Morning Afternoon Evening Midnight 01:00 AM 02:00 AM 03:00 AM 04:00 AM 05:00 AM 06:00 AM 07:00 AM 08:00 AM 09:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM Noon 01:00 PM 02:00 PM 03:00 PM 04:00 PM 05:00 PM 06:00 PM 07:00 PM 08:00 PM 09:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:00 PM Return Date: Anytime Morning Afternoon Evening Midnight 01:00 AM 02:00 AM 03:00 AM 04:00 AM 05:00 AM 06:00 AM 07:00 AM 08:00 AM 09:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM Noon 01:00 PM 02:00 PM 03:00 PM 04:00 PM 05:00 PM 06:00 PM 07:00 PM 08:00 PM 09:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:00 PM Passengers: 1 2 3 4 Flights by OneTime.com Europe Forum Join a Discussion transportation in europe (5 replies, 3:09 AM Dec. 26, 2005) eurailpass or not (1 replies, 12:33 AM Dec. 26, 2005) Unusual Activities in these places (5 replies, 2:23 AM Dec. 26, 2005) Be the first to reply to these questions Euros or Credit Cards (no replies yet) Mixing Business with Pleasure (no replies yet) Rome to Pisa (no replies yet) » All Europe Discussions » Post a Europe Discussion Travel Resources Car Rental Cruises Vacations Luggage NEW! Europe Deals Extra Cheap Germanwings Flights (5 comments, 3:25 PM Dec. 26, 2005) Crazy Swiss Christmas Specials (0 comments, 12:45 AM Dec. 23, 2005) Packages from the US - Includes air and hotel! (0 comments, 6:22 PM Dec. 14, 2005) » All Europe Deals » Post a Europe Deal FREE VT Deals Newsletter great deals, inside tips & no spam Popular Europe Hotels In: London Paris Prague Amsterdam Rome Barcelona Popular Destinations in Europe London Paris Prague Amsterdam Rome Barcelona Venice Vienna Budapest Berlin Brussels Dublin Munich Stockholm Athens Moscow Florence Madrid Lisbon Helsinki Countries in Europe Albania Andorra Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Faroe Islands Finland France FYR of Macedonia Germany Gibraltar Greece Guernsey Hungary Iceland Ireland Isle of Man Italy Jan Mayen Jersey Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia and Montenegro Slovakia Slovenia Spain Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City Top Pages About Europe 1. Travelling Through Europe.... by sim1 137 Tips 152 Pictures 2. The Very Best Places Of Europe by globetrott 162 Tips 170 Pictures 3. Much Ado About Europe Or Europe's Top 100. by E-Diogo 100 Tips 100 Pictures 4. 32 Flavors (and Then Some) by Guantanamera 80 Tips 81 Pictures 5. Europe - The Old World by Leipzig 84 Tips 111 Pictures » View all rated pages (247) » View newest pages » Build your own Europe page Tips and Photos about Europe in General Overview General Tips Tips: 978 - Pictures: 629 Restaurants Tips: 238 - Pictures: 105 Hotels and Accommodations Tips: 253 - Pictures: 103 Things To Do Tips: 1,242 - Pictures: 1,087 Nightlife Tips: 118 - Pictures: 47 Off the Beaten Path Tips: 348 - Pictures: 290 Tourist Traps Tips: 130 - Pictures: 43 Warnings or Dangers Tips: 182 - Pictures: 93 Transportation Tips: 283 - Pictures: 141 Local Customs Tips: 253 - Pictures: 124 Packing Lists Tips: 151 - Pictures: 70 Shopping Tips: 54 - Pictures: 52 Sports Travel Tips: 36 - Pictures: 33 » See tips about a specific place in Europe Find: Destinations Members Keywords Matching: Advanced About VT | Contact Us | Site Tour | Advertising | Local Merchant Login | Travel Tools | VT Chat | VT Gear | Help User Agreement | Privacy Statement Virtual Tourist® ©1994-2005 VirtualTourist.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Japan Travel Tips Japanese
Japan maps - map of Japan - Japan travel maps You are here: About > Travel > Japan for Visitors > Japan Maps Travel Go Japan Essentials Clickable Map of Japan Japan Pictures Japan Travel Tips Japanese Geisha Japan 101 - Fact about Japan Articles & Resources Japan Maps Picture of Japan / Web cams Best of Japan / Attractions Hotels/Accommodations Tokyo / Cities / Regions Japanese Translators Japanese Culture Etiquette / Living in Japan Japan Weather / Geography Japan History / Samurai Japanese Penpal / Chat Plan Your Trip to Japan Air Travel / Train Travel Restaurants / Japanese Food Japanese Gift / Japan Books Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Japanese Gifts Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Japan for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses Search Japan for Visitors > Japan Maps Japan Maps There are various maps of Japan and Japan travel maps. Subtopics Japan Map by Region (18) Map of Japan (6) Articles & Resources Sort By : Guide Picks | Alphabetical | Recent Japan map index - Japan region maps Japan map index - Japan regional maps and Japan country maps. Clickable Map of Japan Just click your destinations on the map. You can find lists of informative links for each region and city. It's a good place to start your search. Japan Map - Prefectures in Japan A map of Japan, which indicates prefectures in Japan. Japan Fall Foliage Destination Map Links to fall foliage destinations in regions in Japan. Cherry Blossom Map A Japan map which shows cherry blossom flowerging dates in Japan. Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Japan Postcard - Japanese free email postcards - New Year's ... Japan Map - Nagano Prefecture Map - Map of Japan Universal Studios Japan Odaiba Photos Pictures of Japan - mount fuji picture - mt. fuji Photo Headlines Best Japan Photos in 2005 Which Japan photo gallery was viewed the most by visitors... Japanese New Year's Cards Sending New Year's cards to relatives, friends, teachers, classmates, and... Photo Gallery: Christmas Decorations in Japan Christmas in Tokyo Disneyland, Odaiba, Ebisu Garden Place, and more.... Christmas in Tokyo There are many fun events and beautiful Christmas illuminations to...