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Bookmark & shareWhile you will always need a couple of day's cash on hand, credit cards are becoming more accepted in Moscow and St Petersburg, anywhere else is a gamble. ATMs (bankomat), linked to international networks such as AmEx, Cirrus, Eurocard, MasterCard and Visa, can now be found everywhere in Moscow and St Petersburg; they're common in big cities and towns, and sometimes in smaller towns too, but should never be relied upon in the latter. Using a credit card or the card you use in ATMs at home, you can obtain cash as you need it - usually in roubles, but sometimes in dollars, too.
- Name
- Russian Ruble
- Symbol
- Rbl
-
Changing Your Money
It's best to take your money as many ways as you can. Clean, new US dollars cash are easiest to change; it's possible to change travellers cheques (most easily in Moscow and St Petersburg), but it can be a headache. You should also be able to get a cash advance on your credit card in the big cities, but it will be difficult elsewhere. Exchange bureaus and banks will always give better exchange rates. Every town in Russia has a Western Union agent.
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Sample Price Guide
- metro ticket
- Rbl 12.00
- take-away blin (pancake)
- Rbl 50.00
- cup of coffee
- Rbl 40.00
- marshrutka (taxi) ride
- Rbl 18.00
- public toilet
- Rbl 12.00
- admission to the Hermitage
- Rbl 350.00
- small bottle of beer
- Rbl 25.00
- bottle of Sovietskaya champagne
- Rbl 90.00
- mid-range meal
- Rbl 350.00
Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe Rbl700-1800 Rbl1800-5500 Rbl5500-12800 Rbl12800+ Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe Rbl100-200 Rbl200-300 Rbl300-500 Rbl500+ -
Tipping
Tipping remains a fluid concept in St Petersburg. While you should definitely leave a small gratuity for staff at mid-range and smart restaurants (10%), less swanky places and those unused to foreigners will not expect any such tip. There's no need to tip taxi drivers, with whom you should always agree a price before getting in to their cab. Five-star hotel staff such as doormen and room service staff usually expect a few dollars.
Currency
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