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The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg

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The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg Plus optional extensions: Krakow & Warsaw, Poland and Moscow, Russia 2016 Overseas Adventure Travel The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg Handbook Table of Contents 1. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 3 YOUR PASSPORT ....................................................................................................................................... 3 VISAS REQUIRED ...................................................................................................................................... 4 EMERGENCY PHOTOCOPIES ...................................................................................................................... 5 AIRPORT TRANSFERS .............................................................................................................................. 5 2. HEALTH ................................................................................................................................................. 6 IS THIS ADVENTURE RIGHT FOR YOU ? .................................................................................................... 6 STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE YOUR TRIP ........................................................................................................ 7 JET LAG PRECAUTIONS ............................................................................................................................. 8 STAYING HEALTHY ON YOUR TRIP .......................................................................................................... 9 3. MONEY MATTERS ............................................................................................................................ 10 HOW TO CARRY YOUR MONEY .............................................................................................................. 10 CURRENCY .............................................................................................................................................. 11 TIPPING ................................................................................................................................................... 13 SHOPPING IN THE BALTICS ..................................................................................................................... 13 SHOPPING IN KRAKOW & WARSAW ....................................................................................................... 14 U.S. CUSTOMS REGULATIONS AND SHIPPING CHARGES ........................................................................ 14 4. OPTIONAL TOUR—RESERVE EARLY ......................................................................................... 15 Optional Imperial Russia: The Kremlin Armory tour ........................................................................ 15 5. CLIMATE: A WORD ABOUT THE WEATHER ............................................................................ 16 6. PACKING JUST WHAT YOU NEED ............................................................................................... 19 YOUR LUGGAGE & LOCKS ..................................................................................................................... 19 CLOTHING SUGGESTIONS ....................................................................................................................... 21 TRAVELER ’S CHECKLISTS ...................................................................................................................... 21 A WORD ABOUT ELECTRICITY ............................................................................................................... 24 7. LEARN ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS ...................................................................................... 25 ESTONIA AT A GLANCE ........................................................................................................................... 25 LATVIA AT A GLANCE ............................................................................................................................. 28 LITHUANIA AT A GLANCE ....................................................................................................................... 30 RUSSIA AT A GLANCE ............................................................................................................................. 33 POLAND AT A GLANCE ............................................................................................................................ 37 CULTURAL INTERACTION ....................................................................................................................... 38 SAFETY & SECURITY .............................................................................................................................. 39 COMMUNICATIONS ................................................................................................................................. 39 8. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................ 40 SUGGESTED READINGS ........................................................................................................................... 40 SUGGESTED MOVIES ............................................................................................................................... 42 USEFUL WEBSITES .................................................................................................................................. 44 Travel Documents 1. Travel Documents Your Passport Please take a moment to confirm that your passport meets all of these requirements: • It should be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S. • It should have the recommended number of blank pages (see below for details). • The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable. Recommended number of blank pages Know that this recommendation is based on a “worst case” scenario. When you are on this adventure, you might use fewer pages, depending on the whims of the Immigration official on duty that day. Since the consequence of having too few pages can be severe—you could be denied entry into a country—we at OAT feel that in this case, safe is better than sorry, and we strongly recommend that you follow these guidelines. • Main trip only : If you are taking only the main trip, you will require 5 blank passport pages. • Pre-trip to Krakow and Warsaw, Poland: This extension does not require any additional pages beyond the 5 needed for the main trip. • Post-trip to Moscow: This extension does not require any additional pages beyond the 5 needed for the main trip. • Both pre- and a post-trip extension: You will need a total of 5 blank pages. If you need to renew your passport: Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport. BLT.BLW 16 10/07/15 3 Travel Documents Visas Required We’ll be sending you a detailed Visa Packet with instructions, application forms, and fees about 100 days prior to your departure . In the meantime, we’re providing the information below as a guideline on what to expect. This info is for U.S. citizens only. All visas and fees are subject to change. • Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania—no visas needed: U.S. citizens do not need visas for stays of less than 90 days in any of these countries • Russia (main trip and optional extension)— visa required. Can only be obtained in advance: You must obtain this visa before you depart the U.S. It is very important that you apply for your visa through PVS International. Obtaining a Russian visa on your own through an embassy or consulate is a complicated and bureaucratic process. It requires a letter of sponsorship that Overseas Adventure Travel is unable to supply to you individually. PVS is able to work within this restriction when your application is processed through them, but for legal reasons cannot assist you with applying directly to the embassy. Details on obtaining your visa through PVS International will be included with your application. • Poland (optional extension)— no visa needed: U.S. citizens do not need visa for stays of less than 90 days. If you are staying longer in any of these countries, you should check with PVS International or their embassy for the applicable regulations: Estonia: (202) 588-0101 Latvia (202) 328-2840 Lithuania (202) 234-5860 Russia (202) 298-5700 Poland (202) 234-3800 Traveling without a U.S. passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about possible visa requirements. For your convenience, we recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org . BLT.BLW 16 10/07/15 4 Travel Documents Emergency Photocopies The smartest and easiest security precaution you can take is to carry photocopies of key documents: the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, your air itinerary, and credit card numbers. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the
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