England Fans’ Guide to Russia in association with the England Supporters Travel Club FIFA WORLD CUP 2018 TRAVELLER TACTICS PREPARATION Check out the latest travel advice for Russia and information on the different regions, local laws and customs Healthcare FAN ID VISAS PASSPORT The European Health Insurance Once you have an official ticket If you do not have an official Look after your passport and Card (EHIC) is not valid in Russia, you will need to apply for a Fan ID. ticket you will need to apply for keep it in a safe place. Make so it is essential that you take This replaces the need for a a visa to enter Russia. Allow sure it is valid for at least out travel insurance appropriate separate visa. You must apply plenty of time and make sure it 6 months after the expiry date for all the activities you plan to do for it before you travel covers the length of your stay of your visa or Fan ID. Take 2 copies of it and always keep one with you MATCH TICKETS GETTING AROUND ACCOMMODATION STAY UP TO DATE Only purchase tickets from Plan your journeys, Russia is You are required to register in every Sign up for travel advice official suppliers. You will need a huge country and distances host city visited within email alerts at a Fan ID linked to your ticket to between cities can be vast. Official 24 hours of arrival. Book gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/russia enter a stadium match ticket and Fan ID holders can accommodation in advance and apply for free travel on check that your hotel or host selected trains has registered your stay in each destination BE RESPONSIBLE IF THINGS GO WRONG Always follow the advice of local authorities In the event of an emergency, call 112. and respect local laws and customs. For consular assistance, for example if you Anti-social behaviour including excessive alcohol lose your passport, call +7 495 956 7200 consumption will not be tolerated #BeOnTheBall gov.uk/russia2018 @fcotravel @FCOtravel 000 FCO World Cup advice.indd 1 12/04/2018 15:06 Foreword This book has been written and possibility of changes due to a fluid compiled by the Football Supporters’ situation. We would therefore recommend Foreword Federation, and it is the product of a you supplement what you find here partnership between ourselves, the by keeping an eye out for updated Football Association and the Foreign information as it becomes available and Commonwealth Office. We have through all the usual channels. long worked together to provide the best possible backing for English fans English football has a lot to be proud of, travelling to tournaments, but this time and central to that is its welcoming and the co-operation has been closer than inclusive nature. The English fanbase is ever, not least because of the challenging passionate and diverse, uniting people circumstances leading up to kick-off. of all backgrounds behind our team, and the World Cup provides a great It will be no surprise to anyone who opportunity to demonstrate all those has kept abreast of the news that there positive features in practice, in the have been some tensions in political stadiums and in the cities. So, no matter relationships with Russia, and this has what our race, gender, heritage, faith posed a few extra challenges in providing or sexual orientation, or even what club the sort of support services that regular we support, at the World Cup we are travellers have become used to previously. all England – let’s unite, look after one We have all done our best to provide as another, embrace the experience of much accurate and up-to-date information meeting new fans and new cultures and and advice as possible, but inevitably with a bit of luck, cheer England all the there will be a few gaps, and even the way to the final. is even more the case when we consider A message from the manager the challenges involved in travelling to summer tournaments. I am very excited about our young and talented group of “It was always my players, and know you will once again dream to play for get behind them when they run out on to England so to have the pitch wearing the Three Lions. I know the opportunity from talking to them that they are all fans now to manage the too. Each has their own story of growing national team going up watching England teams compete on to a World Cup is an the biggest stage and each wants nothing incredible honour. more than to do their very best. We have been working hard for several All of us connected to England - fans, months to prepare in the right way and are staff and players alike - have a unique determined to make the country proud. opportunity to inspire a nation and project the very best of our country to the rest of On behalf of my staff and the squad, I the world. We are in this together. want to express our gratitude to all fans making the trip out to the finals. We never Thanks again for your wonderful support.” take your support for granted but that Gareth Southgate Image © PA www.fsf.org.uk/worldcup 3 Contents Contents Foreword 3 Welcome to the Free Lions Guide to Russia 6 Welcome to Russia 8 Getting to Russia 10 Getting around Russia 15 LGBT+ Fans in Russia 21 Safety and Security 24 Health and Health Insurance 28 General Information on Russia 30 Info for Disabled Travellers 36 The Group Stage 39 The group stage — Cities where England WILL play Volgograd Guide 44 Nizhny Novgorod Guide 52 Kaliningrad Guide 61 Moscow Guide 70 The knockout stage — Cities where England MIGHT play Rostov-on-Don Guide 84 Kazan Guide 91 Disclaimer The Free Lions England fans’ guide within this book, but can accept no to Russia has been produced by responsibility for any loss, injury or the Football Supporters’ Federation inconvenience suffered by anyone (FSF), the national membership-based relying on its contents. Neither the FSF organisation for fans. nor the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can be held in any way We have tried our utmost to ensure the responsible for the contents of, nor the accuracy of the information provided views expressed in, this book. 4 Contents Saint Petersburg Guide 98 Samara Guide 106 UEFA Rules 113 The Road to Russia 114 Respecting Russia 118 Tom Regan Q&A 120 The FCO in Russia 122 The other cities — The ones where England WON’T play Ekaterinburg Guide 124 Saransk Guide 129 Sochi Guide 133 About the FSF 138 The FSF in Russia 141 Essential Words and Phrases 144 In Case of Emergency 148 Checklist 151 Notes 152 Acknowledgements and Thanks 154 The FSF Website: www.fsf.org.uk www.facebook.com/thefsf www.facebook.com/FreeLions www.twitter.com/the_fsf www.twitter.com/FSF_FreeLions www.fsf.org.uk/worldcup 5 Welcome to the Free Lions Guide to Russia For those unfamiliar with our publication, Free Lions is the England fanzine produced and distributed by the Football Supporters’ Federation at each England away match as part of our ‘Fans’ Embassy’ service. Free Lions Guide to Russia Offering advice and information for travelling supporters at tournaments, qualifiers and friendlies alike. We hope that this guidebook continues in the traditions of the Free Lions fanzine by providing independent, accurate and reliable information that is relevant to all travelling fans. While the fanzine usually only runs to 16 pages for ‘normal’ matches, we can cover matters in a little more depth when it comes to major tournaments, given the extra time to prepare. But free does not mean cheap result of our own personal research and we have certainly not cut and visits to the host cities, and the any corners when it comes to result is very much a by fans, for quality, adhering to our usual high fans product. standards. We have ensured the information on the pages to follow is contemporary and current, as How to use this book best we can, covering all you will need to know. If you have negotiated yourself this For free you say? We are as far into the book, we are pretty ever indebted to the support sure you have read a book before of Her Majesty’s Government (open it, read words, turn the page; and specifically the Foreign and repeat until there are no pages Commonwealth Office. They have left). Although if you are reading offered financial support, as well as the digital version be sure you some notable chunks of information. scroll down, we are not liable for any broken computers should you We are not tied to any commercial decide to flip them over. sponsors, with no influence pushed upon this guide book from any Nonetheless it would be remiss of outside sources. The information us not to highlight a couple of handy provided in this publication is the pointers to our loyal readership. 6 Colour-coding As up-to-date as possible As with previous editions we have During the production of this book opted to colour code the book. we have ensured the utilisation of This is done in the contents as well every possible source and means to as on the corresponding pages produce information that is up to date. throughout the book. But don’t However with fixed deadlines on a panic it is nothing too complex, printed publication, some information with just four colours. was not available to us at the time of print.