By car

Surely a task for committed roadfiends and their indestructible cars, driving in Russia is a feat not to be compared with driving in other countries.

Don't forget your national and international driving permit, registration and insurance documents for your car and of course your passport with visa. At the border, ask for an Immigration Card and make sure it is stamped!

Traffic police (recognisable by ДПС,  ГИБДД or ГАИ) may fine you for not having a fire extinguisher or for speeding. On highways this varies between 80 - 110 km/h. Don't overpay the police; the offical penalty for driving 20km too fast is 300Rbl; for 60 km it costs 1000-1500Rbl. Although how anyone could speed is also a bit of a mystery as the roads coming into Russia are generally as old as the hills or tundra around them.

Once you arrive in Moscow though, things are looking up with streets and highways befitting a capital city.

The MKAD (Moscow Automobile Ring Road) will be one of the first things encountered, it circles the city at a distance of 109kms. Speed limit is 100km/hr on the MKAD.