5 Star Russian Tour!!!
My wife and I have just returned to Australia after a month in Europe. Our first part of the trip was the ‘Treasures of Two Capitals’ 9 day tour of Moscow and Saint Petersburg with Firebird/Travel all Russia. We arrived at Moscow airport early in the morning and were pleased to be greeted by our driver who transferred us efficiently to our centrally located hotel. Despite arriving early at the hotel we were soon allocated our room, so free for the rest of the day to explore Moscow at our own leisure. The hotel chosen by Firebird/Travel all Russia, Courtyard Marriott was excellent and well located to all the central attractions. Breakfast buffet was amazing with a wide selection of cold and freshly cooked food. The dining staff were very attentive and helpful. The following morning we met up with our guide and the rest of our small group of fellow travellers. Our guide, Alexi, was friendly, knowledgeable and had great people skills. For the next few days he entertained us with his vast understanding, passion and knowledge of Moscow. All tours were well organised, ran smoothly and there were no delays queueing at the attractions. The tours of the Kremlin, Tretyakov Gallery & Moscow Subway were amazing. We also had sufficient spare time to explore Moscow at our own leisure and even at night time we felt safe. We did a private river cruise to view the wonders of Moscow by night, which was very colourful and interesting. Our guide, Tamara, was very informative with many insights into the local culture. At the end of our tour in Moscow, our guide escorted us to the train station to take the High Speed Sapsan Train to St Petersburg. Our guide organised all the logistics of the transfer of our luggage without us having to worry about it. Upon arrival at St Petersburg, we were met by another guide, Constantine, and transferred to the Corinthia Hotel for the remainder of our stay in Saint Petersburg. The Corinthia Hotel was again well located in Saint Petersburg and within walking distance of most of the major attractions. Firebird/Travel all Russia certainly chose two excellent hotels on this tour and they could not be faulted for accommodation, service and breakfast. Over the next days we experienced the essence of Saint Petersburg with a guided tour of the city, followed by visits to the wonderful Hermitage Museum, Peterhof and Pushkin. We did two private tours, a Russian folk show at the Nikolayevsky Palace and the raising of the drawbridges night boat tour. The Russian folk show was an exciting showcase of traditional Russian dance and song, brilliantly performed with vigour and passion. It included nibbles and wine/vodka during the interval. Well worth the visit. The raising of the drawbridges night boat tour was on a very cold night and we didn’t return to the hotel until after 01.00 hrs, so a very late finish, but certainly a spectacular unique experience!!! The guide on this tour (unfortunately can’t remember her name) was particularly brilliant. Transfer to the airport on our final morning went smoothly; our driver was waiting for us in the lobby and the journey was uneventful. Overall we would recommend Firebird/Travel all Russia; their service from start to finish was impeccable. First rate performance, we would certainly recommend them to our friends and will use them again ourselves in the near future. Special thanks to the reservations and support teams. Polina, Alexandra, Anastasia and Vitalina you were all very patient, helpful and efficient in answering our many questions. Thanks again you are all brilliant and a real asset to your company!!!