What site would you reccomend now?

[chade1968]

I have a friend wanting to get started but when I sent him to the site I met my wife at it was $7 to send just one email.

Just FYI - Anna and I have been married 2 1/2 years and things are better than I ever hoped. She got a little mad yesterday when I told her we needed to go home and we had been fishing long enough... I don't think I'll hold that against her though

[SMS60]

EM

Yell, I know how you feel. One day my brother got upset at me and I popped him in the jaw.

[kievstar]

I would tell him go on a tour with Jack.  Learn first hand and than later join EM if he wants.  No reason to waste time on letters and skype if you have never been inside Ukraine and Russia. 

While he waits for the tour learn Russian with a teacher. 

[Manny]

I have a friend wanting to get started but when I sent him to the site I met my wife at it was $7 to send just one email.

That doesn't sound expensive; especially if they get translated along the way for that. Its cheap in fact.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend a tour if he is actually looking for a wife.

If I were doing this again, I would probably go with someone like Eduard here.

[Vinnvinny]

Personally, I wouldn't recommend a tour if he is actually looking for a wife.

No? What’s your personal experience of Jack’s tours then that leads to make such a comment?

[Manny]

No? What’s your personal experience of Jack’s tours then that leads to make such a comment?

Clean your specs Vincent. I said "tours", not "Jack's tours". Please don't attempt to twist my words; I choose them with care. 

But, as you mention it, I *personally* wouldn't go on a Jack tour either.

[ECOCKS]

EM remains my recommendation if you're only going to pick one site to work from to prepare for your visit. Reasonable, controllable costs, wide selection of women, geographic diversity and a good search engine make them the top site for most folks.

Keep your radar on and set your expectations to realistic with regard to age, looks, etc.

Have fun.

[Faux Pas]

I recommend EMs as well. It is a great place to start and after joining with a paid membership there isn't that constant hounding for cash.

I've never been on a tour. Just wasn't my bag. I know many guys do go on them and understandably why. They work for a certain segment. If I were to recommend a tour to someone, no doubt it would be Jack's tour.

[Voyager36]

No? What’s your personal experience of Jack’s tours then that leads to make such a comment?

Clean your specs Vincent. I said "tours",

I think we had a poll on "Romance Tours" and the verdict was pretty strongly against them.

Vinny, how much would you estimate a tour would cost?
$4,000 or $5,000 for a couple of weeks?

[kievstar]

$5,000 usd for 2 weeks is pretty cheap.  I have a hard time spending under $5,000 usd for one week when going on vacation even Ukraine.

[Vegas]

There are 2 free websites that are very good (www.freepersonals.ru and www.fdating.com).  Another good website is www.allsinglerussiangirls.com, it charges a set monthly fee.

[XMan]

$5,000 usd for 2 weeks is pretty cheap.  I have a hard time spending under $5,000 usd for one week when going on vacation even Ukraine.

No way to spend less than 5 grand, even DYI (booking your own apartment, travel, interpreter, etc.).  Not when one factors in daily expenses, flights, entertainment, etc.

IMO, men get hung up on "why pay an agency when I can do this on free sites?"
  
I don't want to start another never ending circular discussion (or argument as the case may be), but one can waste much time and money on the "free sites" chasing ghosts, just as one can with various agencies.  Everyone's mileage may vary, but I've done the free, the not so free, the partial service, and the full service routine.  I cannot recommend a big tour, nor say nay either, because I've never done that.  But I have done everything else.  The full service routine worked best for me but ONLY because I got a reputable, small agency that knew every single woman and took the time to learn as much as possible about me.  Do they want to make $$$?  Of course.  It's a business.  Do they actually care if you are successful?  Well, I can only speak for one agency like that, and I can say yes.  But I am biased because I've met some of the successful men in person who now have families and long relationships.  I HOPE to have the same success, but no guarantee.  Still, it's worked far better thus far than other methods I tried.  

I should emphasize that plenty of guys have had success on the aforementioned free sites or with various agencies that (IMO) nickel and dime you to death.  I will simply mention that the full-service alternative is also a viable one.  

If someone is concerned about $7 per letter, IMO walk away now and spend time hanging out at the bar or watching TV.  
If someone is serious about it, pony up the $$$ for a gold membership at EM (at least) and give that a whirl.  
If someone is confident they have the time, energy, and know-how to weed through the free sites, book eberything themselves, etc., go that route.  
If someone is interested in a guided, hand-holding experience, WISELY choose the appropriate full service agency that knows the women personally in non-major city (i.e. avoid Kiev, Odessa, Moscow, etc.).  If one chooses this particular option, get references, talk to guys who succeeded AND failed.  If the agency won't give you both, I would be less inclined to use them.

Only my opinion, and worth about $.02 adjusted for inflation.

[Jooky]

No way to spend less than 5 grand, even DYI (booking your own apartment, travel, interpreter, etc.).

You can easily spend less than 5 grand for a two week trip.

If I was planning a trip to Moscow in October:
$1000 for tickets
$2100 for a nice flat
http://www.apartmentres.com/en/apartments/moscow/cathedral/
Includes internet, calls and transfer from the airport.
$1400 spending $100 / day on meals and entertainment.

$4500 total and that's in a prime location in Moscow. You can spend less than 100 bucks per day on meals and entertainment and you can find much cheaper places than this Moscow flat, especially if you're going to a smaller city. You could even stay with the lady you're visiting.

And of course you can spent a lot more.

It all depends on how many ladies you're going to see, whether you got out to eat 3 times per day or stay at home, how much you drink and what you like to do.

If someone is concerned about $7 per letter, IMO walk away now and spend time hanging out at the bar or watching TV.

Why? $7 bucks a letter is just a waste of money in my opinion. If you're going to blow cash like that, forget letters, spend the cash to fly out and meet women.

[ECOCKS]

You can certainly spend two weeks in Kyiv for less than $5,000. Reasonable housing is far less than Jook's Moscow example and you can have a great time for $100 a day.

[XMan]

Why? $7 bucks a letter is just a waste of money in my opinion. If you're going to blow cash like that, forget letters, spend the cash to fly out and meet women.

My point is that if $7 per letter concerns someone, then that person is not ready for this pursuit (i.e. because it will be far more costly in the long-term).

I suppose the flight costs are going to vary greatly dependent upon where one lives. 
For me, $1,600 is the least expensive, and that gets me only to Kiev.  Another $250 to my end destination. 
Apartment $1,400 for 2 weeks, but perhaps I have more expensive taste than necessary.  I also selected what I consider to be a "Safer" part of town, secure building, etc.
$200 for airport parking / gas.
I'm over $3,450 before I hit the ground. 
I easily spend $120 per day on food, entertainment, taxis, interpreters, etc.  If you don't ever need an interpreter, there is some significant savings to be had.

So, I should say that I personally don't see a way to spend less than $5,000. 
Obviously, others have managed to do so.

[Voyager36]

You can certainly spend two weeks in Kyiv for less than $5,000.

You can easily spend less than 5 grand for a two week trip.

I was actually curious about the cost of the tour package not including flights or hotels.

[Turboguy]

If someone is concerned about $7 per letter, IMO walk away now and spend time hanging out at the bar or watching TV.  

I had a brief fling with Global Ladies long ago at $ 8.00 a letter.  I was concerned about the per letter price.   Some of the guys I met on the tours using it were spending $ 600.00 - $ 1,000.00 just to email what were mostly agency employees and scammers.   I don't see being concerned about $ 7.00 a letter as anything but smart.   There are enough sites where you don't pay per letter why waste the money.   I might think it is more logical if using a smaller agency where you know the money is going to have the letter translated and you are sure you are writing a real woman.

As far as tour packages go, Jack's tours are great but I would not recommend the large agencies such as AFA at all.  When I went on my three big agency tours it was in the mid three grand price with airfair and hotels.  I just took a quick peek and AFA now charges $ 3295 with no air or $ 3995.00 with air.  Both packages include hotels.    As far as Jack's prices, you do your own air and pick your cities and he is around $ 695 per city.  You pay for air, hotel (usually $ 50-60 a night) and transportation between cities, (jack splits the cost if they use a bus and most of the times it is $ 20.00 or so.)

If I were back where I started many years ago and single but had the knowledge from the many different attempts I would probably look hard at Jack's tours for my first trip because you can learn enough about the process and the FSU to make just the education worth the price of admission and do have a good chance of meeting some great women and maybe the right woman.

I would also look very hard at Eduard's services because they are unique and tap some women you might not meet otherwise.  I think for what he dies and how he does it that it would be a very good choice for anyone.

I would also use the sites I used when I met my wife, Elenas and free personals.  I might also look at some of the sites that have become more popular lately.

[GQBlues]

If I have to recommend anything, the first one I'll do is tell you to stay at home and date. If you like Slavic women, then there's more than a few in a neighborhood around you. Then I'll recommend Elena's Models if one must go to FSU. Nowadays however, more and more people are using free personal sites, so that's next for me.

What I wouldn't do is recommend that you pay people a ton of money just so they can take your silly hands so you can date a woman. If you have to rely on something like that, dude - you are an amplified loser. You may as well bring your mother along with you instead, at least her services will be free and you'll be able to give her a free vacation in return.

Lastly, I will bet a dollar the OP had already been inundated with PMs offering their services. I bet these guys are tripping over each other on who gets to get the OP's money first...LOL. Times are tough these days, man. Even the MOB peddlers are feeling the pinch  

[Misha]

I would still recommend a free Russian dating site, the mamba network. It is even easier now as http://singles.ru has an English-language interface 

[Ranetka]

I would still recommend a free Russian dating site, the mamba network. It is even easier now as http://singles.ru has an English-language interface 

I agree.

I also find it a bit ironic that men who are looking for a Russian wife are too afraid to contact Russian women on free sites or to go to Russia by themselves and meet Russian people on their own.
I sometimes wonder if some of the posters were considering asking an agency worker to stay overnight in a spare bedroom when they for the first time had sex with their RW. Just in case

[Vegas]

I met my wife on a free site and I know many other men that did the same.

[GQBlues]

I also find it a bit ironic that men who are looking for a Russian wife are too afraid to contact Russian women on free sites or to go to Russia by themselves and meet Russian people on their own.
I sometimes wonder if some of the posters were considering asking an agency worker to stay overnight in a spare bedroom when they for the first time had sex with their RW. Just in case  

LOL. Makes one wonder if they'll also require someone to show them how to be a husband on a day to day basis, eh?

If I was a RW in Russia and is being diligent in choosing my guy, I'd be leery of men who need to be hand held to meet with me. A dead giveaway of things to come...

[Daveman]

I agree.

I also find it a bit ironic that men who are looking for a Russian wife are too afraid to contact Russian women on free sites or to go to Russia by themselves and meet Russian people on their own.
I sometimes wonder if some of the posters were considering asking an agency worker to stay overnight in a spare bedroom when they for the first time had sex with their RW. Just in case

Hah!
Why yes, I'd consider it! Those stereophonic bilingual moans of ecstasy would add a whole new dimension to the spacial awareness of the moment!  It'd even be worth the translation fees!  :evil:

Um, if female of course.. that's a service I just don't think Ed could possibly render to satisfaction. lol

[dogspot]

$200 for airport parking / gas.

Super shuttle = $75.00 round trip (approx). There, I saved you $125. Thank me later.

[dogspot]

I have met a few wonderful women using laveplace.com (including my future wife). The cost is something like 20 or 30 bucks a month and there are no limits. Ladies don't need to pay anything so there are plenty and most of the ones I talked to seemed legit. I also met my ex there and she was super cool but just not the one for me. Another gal I met on lavaplace is now a friend of mine on vkontakte. She's a wonderful and gorgeous blonde who ended up marrying a frenchman and is now starting a family with him.