Advices for travellers

Electricity

The electrical current in Russia is 220V AC. The European standard 2-prong plug is used. Be sure to bring a converter with you, as it is difficult to purchase in Russia.

Currency

The Russian currency unit is the Rouble (RUR).

See www.oanda.com/currency/converter/ for up-to-date rates.

American express is accepted in hotels and most restaurants and many stores, but is the least accepted card, so you will also need a Visa or Mastercard as well. Some stores, especially smaller ones and markets, will only accept cash, but there are thousands of ATM's (nearly all being in Russian and English language) so there is no great difficulty withdrawing cash.

Water

Tap water is purified and safe to drink. But it is recommended to drink bottled water.

Health requirements / insurance

The Congress Secretariat does not accept any liability for personal injuries sustained, nor for loss or damage to property belonging to the participants or accompanying persons, either during or as a result of the conference. Participants should make their own arrangements with respect to health and travel insurance.
If you take any prescription medication, be sure to bring enough of it for the entire duration of your trip, as some medications are unavailable in Russia. It is also advisable to bring some usual over-the-counter medications with you. These medicines are usually sold in pharmacies, however the labels are in Russian and most store clerks do not speak English. 
 

Safety and security

Moscow is as safe as most international cities. 
(1) Except for real necessities, leave everything else of value in the hotel safe. 
(2) Carry your passport, visa and hotel registration document with you, a police officer has the legal right to check your papers. If you carry only a copy, be prepared to pay a "fine" for invalid paperwork, if you are stopped. 
(3) As in any city, watch out for pickpockets. Reporting incidents to the police is not easy. 
(4) Use extreme caution when crossing streets on foot. For all major roads, use the underpasses that are available or cross at traffic lights.
(5) Make sure that your medical insurance will cover medical care outside your home country.
Emergency services

In an Emergency: call 112

01 — fire
02 — police
03 — ambulance
04 — gas accidents
Can be dialed direct from payphones, with no codes. If you are calling from a mobile phone — 112 — which will connect you to the emergency number of your service provider.

Language

The official languages is Russian.

Taxi

Avoid taking unlicensed cabs, as these drivers generally wait for taking advantage of foreigners. Also note that driving from (or to) airport is quite expensive. It is safer and cheaper to order airport and train station transfers beforehand. The recommended taxi service is Taxi-Nastroenie +7 495 765-4321, e-mail: dispatcher@taxi-nastroy.ru. 
Special discount for TCT delegates was negotiated. Discount code: “TCT”.

Country dialing code

Country Dialing Code: +7. If you need to make a call to Moscow, Russia, Moscow City code is 495

Entry requirements

As for all international travel, visitors to Russian Federation are required to have a valid passport. Travellers from certain countries also require a visa.

Time differences

Moscow time zone is 
+3 hours UTC/GMT
+8 hours Eastern Standard Time