What is a deposit?
Booking a tour with us is easy. We ask you to make a small deposit of $400 per traveler, which equals to our administrate fees, and we guarantee that your price will be locked, regardless of currency fluctuations. We guarantee that you will receive all of the services explained in your itinerary and at the price that you have agreed on.
We expect you to pay the remaining balance two months before your departure date.
In rare circumstances, for the reasons outside of our control, we may not be able to deliver services that you booked. For example, a train may be canceled, hotel may get closed for renovations and so forth. If this happens, we will offer you a replacement of a comparable quality and, if you are not satisfied with it, we will issue you a full refund for that service. Above all, we are committed to ensuring quality of your trip and we will not let any unforeseen circumstances jeopardize your journey to Russia.
Can I make a deposit for cruise?
The deposit option is available for package tours only and is not available for river cruises. This has to do with the fact that cruise reservations are finalized months ahead of departure. We ask our customers to pay the full balance within 10 days after making reservation, but if you would like to pay in few installments, please ask your tour manager about your options.
Does deposit oblige me to purchase your services?
A deposit does not oblige you to purchase our services, so you may cancel your tour reservation at any moment. There is a cancellation fee that equals to $300 per traveler. This fee equals to your deposit, so if you decide to cancel your trip we will use that deposit to pay the cancellation fee. Please note, cancellation policies differ across different travel services. Please visit Cancellation Policies page to learn more about it.
Is it better to pay with a credit card or check?
If you pay with a credit card there is a 2% processing fee charged by credit card processing company. This fee is included in your total price. When you pay by check, you receive an instant 2% discount of a total amount. That's why you may find it worthwhile to pay by check. To pay by credit card, please provide your card information to your tour manager. Please send checks to your office address.
What's included in the price?
Everything that you see in your itinerary is included. If you request modifications in your itinerary, the price may change.
Are airfares included in the price?
The itineraries on our website do not include airfares by default. This has to do with the fact that our customers come from every part of the US and Canada. We do have a number of special offers for flights to Russia on all major airlines so it is always a good idea to ask your tour manager about available tickets. And, even if you book air yourself, we still recommend you to discuss your flight arrangements with your tour manager to hear our recommendations about airlines, airports and arrival/departure time.
Can I modify my itinerary?
That's the idea! The itineraries on our website, no matter how detailed, are designed to give you an idea about what you could do. Most of our customers customize itineraries in one way or another. So our website is a good place to start and then, please let us know which itinerary you liked the most and if you would like to change anything in it. A dedicated tour manager will modify your itinerary and send it to you for review.
Can I choose a hotel for my trip?
Absolutely! If you are interested in staying in a particular hotel, please let us know and we will book that hotel for you. Most likely, we already have a relationship with this hotel that allows us to get you better rates. And if not, we will establish such relationship and include that hotel in our network. Let us worry about all arrangements so you can focus on enjoying your trip to Russia and save more money!
Is insurance included in the price?
It is not, but we can include it for an additional cost. Please provide information about the age of each traveler so we can calculate your insurance premium. You may also purchase insurance yourself on our website: Travel Guard Insurance
What if I need to cancel my trip?
Cancellations of all tours and cruises per traveler will apply according to the a sliding penalty fee as explained in the table below:
| Cancellation received (days before departure) | Tours | Cruises |
|
60 days or more
|
$300
|
25% of full fare
|
|
30-59 days
|
25% of full fare
|
50% of full fare
|
|
0-29 days
|
50% of full fare
|
100% of full fare
|
For example, cancellations of tours made 60 days or more prior to the departure date will receive a full refund less the administrative fee. Tour cancellations made from 30 to 59 days will be subject to loss of 50% of program price and so forth.
Can I cancel my flights?
Flight cancellation policies are established by individual airlines and depend on a type of ticket that you purchase. We recommend you to find out about flight cancellation policies when booking a flight. We are not responsible for any fees or penalties arising from airfare modification. We will cover all of the costs if a modification needs to be made because of our mistake.
Can I cancel a hotel reservation?
Hotel reservations can be canceled without any penalties, if done no later than 10 days before checking in. In all other instances there will be a penalty free equal to a one night's stay.
Can I cancel train tickets?
Train tickets can be canceled five days before departure date. In all circumstances there will be a cancellation fee that equals to $30 per ticket.
Is visa included in the price?
If you are purchasing a package tour or river cruise from us, we will organize your Russian visas for free. You will need to mail your passports to us and that's it.
When is a good time to start visa process?
As soon as you make your reservation, we will send you thorough step-by-step instructions. You can visit our Russian visa page of what will be required from you. It takes from 3 to 4 business weeks to issue Russian visas so we recommend you to start the process as soon as possible to ensure that there are no surprises. If you are booking a tour or cruise less than 30 days before a departure date, we will require that you purchase an expedited visa service that comes at an additional price of $140.
Please note that if you are departing a long time prior to the trip, it is important that you let us know, as we will need to ensure that you receive all documents before you leave and that you have enough time to apply for your Visa.
Do you guarantee getting visa to Russia?
Russian Visas are issued by the Russian Consulate only. We cannot guarantee that you will get a visa to Russia, but we will do your best to ensure that your visa application is flawless. Having worked directly with the Russian Consulate for years, we can say that only a minuscule number of visa applications gets denied.
We highly recommend you to start visa process ahead of time as it can get prolonged due to national holidays, both in the US and Russia. It is important that you submit your visa documents to us in time for us to process it. If you fail to submit your documents in time, or to provide all required documents, or to fill out documents correctly, we are not responsible for any resulting delays in your trip and extra costs arising from these delays. Also, we are not responsible for mistakes made by the Russian Consulate, so please make sure that your visa dates match your travel dates.