Travel Russia Today

Just 5 years ago, our typical traveler was retired, well educated, well traveled and about 65 years old. Oh, how the things have changed. More and more we find ourselves planing trips for travelers of all ages, especially those between 5 and 15. We have had to reevaluate our programs and explore new options such as making your own matryoshka doll in Russia or creating your own marionette in Prague.

A few of the biggest challenges with planning a trip for multiple generations is:

1. Keeping everyone interested in the program- I'm bored is the last thing a parent wants to hear on a $30,000 trip. Our goal is to find out as much as possible about each traveler. Though the parents are paying for the trip and will ultimately have the final say on what will be planned, we still want to understand what the children like and more importantly dislike!
   
2. Finding a hotel with connecting rooms or multiple bedrooms- With all the new hotels popping up across Eastern & Central Europe and Russia, we are finding more and more options for family accommodations. A few of the hotels even stock the hotel rooms with games, toys and if need be a crib (best bet for this is the Four Seasons in Prague- they know how to make a kid (& parent) happy).
3. Keeping within the budget- We understand that planning a trip for the entire family can be quite expensive. Our consultants are experts in cutting costs and helping you save a few dollars! For the 2009 season, we developed a new program called "Go Green". This program not only promotes the environment but also saves you money. Our Go Green programs promote the use of public transportation, such as the metro, bus or taxi, instead of using private cars. This in turn saves the traveler about $500-800 per day and more importantly helps to save the environment.

So when you begin putting together your family travels this year, think about Exeter. We are your one stop shop for family fun.

While touring Prague last summer, we found ourselves in the very crowded Old Town Square around lunch. There were charming cafes everywhere but it appeared that all the outdoor seating was taken. I was with a Prague resident who told me she had just the place to go. I must confess I was quite disappointed when she lead me into a dark hallway of the U Prince hotel and got onto an elevator. It was so beautiful outside, the last place I wanted to be was in a dark air conditioned hotel restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised when the elevator doors opened to the outside and a set of stairs. We climbed the stairs and I gasped as I looked around and realized I had a 360 degree view of Old Town and the rest of Prague before me. The rooftop terrace had seating for about forty people and most tables had umbrellas to shade you from the sun. After being seated and looking across all the red terra cotta tiles, I realized I had a clear view to the castle district.

The menu was lengthy with a good mix of traditional Czech specialties and continental food. Of course, all of the food tasted even better when matched with the Czech beer, Pilsner Urquell. After lunch we took advantage of the view and captured some gorgeous pictures of the area. We then descended back down to the town square. Instantly we were engulfed by the crowds and for an instance we debated about retreating back to our new found sanctuary.

It was February and I was in Russia!

Most people that know this think I am stark raving mad. Who in their right mind goes touring in Russia in February?

Well, you might have to be a little crazy but more importantly you need REALLY GOOD footwear and thermal socks (these will quickly become your best friend's). Of course while your packing the socks don’t forget a good overcoat. It doesn’t have to be a sable or mink though you will see plenty of those in Russia during the winter. A good hiking jacket will work but you will need long thermals to keep the lower nethers warm if your coat doesn’t extend further south than your waist. And of course a hat…..a silly looking woolly tam that you can pull down over your ears works well but I can almost guarantee you will come home with a Russian style fur hat with flaps. Which looks sillier? – you can be the judge of that but the fur (real and synthetic) hats with ear flaps are everywhere in Russia and work a treat.

Once you have the right clothing the rest is easy. Russia in winter is simply magical. It can snow almost every day, several times a day or just all day. A blanket of white covers everything and you expect Dr Zhivago to come strolling across the park at any moment. The gilded domes of churches and the gold filigree on palace gates shines in stark contrast to the milky skies and snow covered trees and ground.

Is it really that cold – yes, you’d better believe it is, especially when you get away from the cities and towns and out into the countryside, but somehow the fact that you are in Russia in the middle of winter makes the searing cold perfectly fine. After all isn’t that what you expected?

You won’t want to walk too far but the scene will beckon you to stroll through parks and along streets watching children slide down the snow covered hillocks or being pulled along on sleds behind their parents. Of course not everyone has time for fun and as often as not that sled will be carrying the weekly shopping. Horse drawn sleighs are common place – in the countryside anyway. While they are there for the tourists there are so few tourists that they are really a means of daily transport for the locals. In some rural locales you either ride in a sleigh or propel yourself on cross country skis.

Yes, the city streets are often slushy and only half their normal width with snow accumulated on either side of the road but canals are spectacularly frozen over (even the major rivers carry a surprising amount of ice at this time of the year) and parks glisten in the little sun that makes its way to the frozen earth.

Don’t ever hesitate to travel to Russia in winter. It is a completely different world and the beauty far outweighs any inconvenience. A bonus - you will have the museums almost to yourself. And guess what? – the Russians love heating! You will never be so happy to walk outside into that cold crisp air.