Our chosen method of transport from St Petersburg to Moscow was an overnight sleeper train which left at 11:59pm and arrived at 8:00am the following day.

Photo of our 4-berth compartment.

We shared our 4 berth compartment with two young Russian ladies.  Eric now happily boasts of the night he spent sleeping with three girls.  Our first experience on a Russian train was deemed a success.  It was our first few hours in Moscow that proved to be the biggest challenge.

On arrival at our hotel we were refused check-in by the receptionist who insisted our "registered" visas were not valid.  We had initially registered them with our first-night hotel in St Petersburg and were told by a travel agent that this would be sufficient for the duration of our stay in the city.  Our Moscow receptionist wasn't buying it, and all our attempts at bribery failed.  We were faced with no other option than to take ourselves (and all our luggage) down to the local Police station to face their wrath!

As we approached the run-down station, we were greeted by a welcoming committee of two growling guard dogs and three heavily armed policemen.  Our attempts at explaining our situation were cut short by a gruff demand for our passports and papers.  The policeman immediately identified our predicament and seized his opportunity to fleece two newly arrived tourists to the tune of R6000 ($100 each).  Eric initiated bargaining negotiations with the head officer but was soon silence with a death-stare from Nikki, who having caught a glimpse of the cold, grey, uninviting jail cells just inside the door, was unwilling to risk remaining at the station for a single moment longer than necessary.  In Russia, the Police make the rules!! (It could have been much worse as the Lonely Planet Guide comments that fines can easily reach up to $500 each!)

Fine paid and "valid" registration procured; we checked into our hotel where we remained for the rest of the day unwilling to risk further venture around Moscow. 

Our stay in Moscow proved to be a pleasant surprise; we were both thoroughly impressed with the cosmopolitan feel of the city.  Our sightseeing was highlighted by trips to: the Kremlin, StBasil's, Red Square, Lenin's Tomb, GUM Arcade, and the Contemporary Russian History Museum.

Photo taken of the main cathedral inside the Kremlin.

The infamous Red Square (no longer red much to Nikki's disappointment)

NOTE: Our Moscow photos will follow shortly (hopefully, within a couple of days) - still looking for a fast enough internet connection to upload them.