Scheduled for August - Trying to Find an Accommodation...

[scafidi454]

I finally have my visa and passport in hand, a ticket to Moscow, and still need to find a private double ensuite.
 
For those who live, or have traveled, to Moscow, where can I find a good deal (less than 1k) for a double private ensuite for about 8 nights? I've already been on hostels.com, hostelbookers.com, airbnb.com, Mosow's craigslist, and something else. I haven't found anything yet that's really interested me.
 
I want an apartment, actually.

Has anyone here ever had a stay in a private room in a hostel or ensuite? What was it like?

[Chicagoguy]

I have used two different apartment services and both were fine.
www.gotorussia.com
 
 
www.moscow-star.com
www.enjoymoscow.com
These two are run by an American who lives in Moscow. Moscow Star apartments are more upscale.
 
 
 

[Manny]

Speak to this guy perhaps: http://unclepasha.com/ and http://www.cheap-moscow.com/


(Note to mods, I have no affiliation with this chap)

[SteveOR]

Found this guy while Google searching.  He's an American expat that I've read some good things about.  Don't know anything more about him than that.  Never used him.  Good luck.
 
http://www.enjoymoscow.com/default.asp
 
 

[Boethius]

Speak to this guy perhaps: http://unclepasha.com/ and http://www.cheap-moscow.com/


(Note to mods, I have no affiliation with this chap)

I've known others who've used Pasha and rave about him.

[SteveOR]

 
I've never met Pasha and only know him from his web site which is certainly entertaining to read but if you're a newbie I'd advise some caution.  Under his "prejudices" section he doesn't speak kindly about "Russian Bride Seekers".  This quote is from his web site in regard to Russian Bride Seekers:  "OK for the dead season but I look forward to cutting them off at the first opportunity."
 
http://www.unclepasha.com/prejudices.htm
 
Anyway as with all things, your mileage may vary.  If you use Uncle Pasha's services let us know how it goes. . .
 
 

[Boethius]

scafi is not a Russian bride seeker.

[scafidi454]

Да!!! I met my girlfriend here in the US, and not with the intention of a Russian wife/girlfriend. It was attraction.

[chivo]

Moscow Star and Enjoy Moscow run by Moscow Rick are overrated IMO and are for people whom don't know any better or haven't any other option. Uncle Pasha is a good option. FYI, Pasha only despises "MOB seekers" because most of them want champagne service on a beer budget and are your basic "ugly American". Very typical BTW.
 
Here's another site you might try that is very affordable although I have never used them myself. The apts seem nice for the price. Similar places offered by Rick will go for almost double and will only be about 5-8 minutes closer to the center by metro. http://www.budgetmoscow.com/
 
One other thing, don't be put off by staying just outside the "третье кольцо" but inside the "МКАД", it's still considered close enough (only a 15-20 minute metro ride or 7-10 minute, 200-300ru cab ride sans traffic to the center, Red Square, etc.). You can get a more affordable apt without really sacrificing location and be close to a metro station.
 
 

[scafidi454]

Ok - I've just found out that I need an accommodation close to [size=0pt]Красные Ворота metro station.[/size]

[mendeleyev]

Good info from Chivo! I like the Budget Moscow link that he recommended.

Красные Ворота (Krasnye Vorota) is just inside the inner ring so let's map that out for you. I'm going to give you several links and the most important one is the interactive link for the Moscow Metro. Moscow lives and breathes by the Metro and it is how Muscovites often identify where they live and work.


http://engl.mosmetro.ru/flash/scheme01.html
Imagine this is a round clock. Follow the brown circle/ring up just past the 1 o'clock position where you'll see the Red Line. One tick below the point where the red line and the ring meet is the Красные Ворота station.


http://www.century21-star.ru/page_pid_132_lang_2.aspx
At the bottom left of the map, check the box that reads "Select region by Metro station." Finding your spot on this map just like you did above shows that you can look for an apartment in the Krasnoselskaya area which extends from your metro up to the nearby Krasnoselskaya metro.

These two maps should make your search a lot easier. (The apartments for rent on this site are generally way overpriced for most so will likely not end up renting one of theirs.) Here is your map in English: http://subway.umka.org/map-moscow/sokolnicheskaya-line/komsomolskaya.html

Now you can literally google "Moscow Krasnyie Vorota apartments" and also try "Moscow Krasnoselskaya apartments" to start your search.

One more link--the Mendeleyev Journal has a list of Moscow apartment services, hotels and restaurants here: http://russianreport.wordpress.com/come-to-russia-get-a-visa/lodging-restaurants-entertainment/

Have a great trip!

[mendeleyev]

Sans the snow in summer of course, here is what your Metro Красные Ворота looks like: http://www.photo-moskva.ru/Metro_Krasnye_vorota/Metro_Krasnye_vorota_50.jpg


The next station, Metro Комсомольская (Komsomolskaya), is one of the most beautiful of all the stations: http://metro-photo.ru/img6217

[Anotherkiwi]

Sans the snow in summer of course, here is what your Metro Красные Ворота looks like: http://www.photo-moskva.ru/Metro_Krasnye_vorota/Metro_Krasnye_vorota_50.jpg


The next station, Metro Комсомольская (Komsomolskaya), is one of the most beautiful of all the stations: http://metro-photo.ru/img6217

   I know, but I agree with the last statement:

[mendeleyev]

Nice photos, Kiwi!

[Anotherkiwi]

Nice photos, Kiwi!

Thanks - I spent a whole day on my first visit to Moscow just going around the ring and taking photos at all the stations except Revolution Square (ran out of time).  I filled in that gap when I went back last year.
 
On that subject, I'm sure you can help - there were several statues which just about every passer-by rubbed, leaving very shiny noses etc.  I presume it's for good luck, but what's the story behind it?
 
 

[shakespear]

Moscow Star and Enjoy Moscow run by Moscow Rick are overrated IMO and are for people whom don't know any better or haven't any other option. Uncle Pasha is a good option. FYI, Pasha only despises "MOB seekers" because most of them want champagne service on a beer budget and are your basic "ugly American". Very typical BTW.
 
Here's another site you might try that is very affordable although I have never used them myself. The apts seem nice for the price. Similar places offered by Rick will go for almost double and will only be about 5-8 minutes closer to the center by metro. http://www.budgetmoscow.com/
 
One other thing, don't be put off by staying just outside the "третье кольцо" but inside the "МКАД", it's still considered close enough (only a 15-20 minute metro ride or 7-10 minute, 200-300ru cab ride sans traffic to the center, Red Square, etc.). You can get a more affordable apt without really sacrificing location and be close to a metro station.

I don't agree.  IMHO location is EVERYTHIING when staying in Moscow.  Metro stops operating at 1am.  Descriptions of 5-8 minutes become differences of 20-30 minutes in actual practice.  200-300pyb cab rides in the daytime can morph into 500-1000pyb cab rides at nightime when you stay outside the "inner ring road".  Then one must consider the increased risk for personal safety when renting apartments well outside the Moscow city center. 
 
I've known Moscow Rick since 2000 and am of the opinion he charges a fair price for a first-class service.  Personally I wouldn't stay in one of those unreniovated "commie-style" apartments that Pasha offers when for $50 more per night I can stay in a modern, westernized comfortable apartment just yards from a centralized downtown Metro station.
 
Compare Ricky's prices to the prices for single rooms in any of the western downtown hotels and you will see that he offers great value for the "upper end" oriented consumer.
 
The usual disclaimers about no vested financial self-interest apply to these comments   
 

[mendeleyev]

Kiwi, more great photos!

Those are from the nearby Metro station (Площадь Революции) Plaza of the Revolution or Revolution Square. It is toward the centre on the dark blue Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line.

As you can see, it is considered to bring good luck when rubbing these bronze statues. The bronze gives this station a dark interior, very unique from other stations of that time period.

The statues represent ordinary types of citizens who participated in the revolution and also the various groups who evolved over time as the Soviet Union was born and the old military structures of the Tsars were disbanded or reformed. The dog's nose is the most popular item to rub. He is sitting by what was known as a "frontier guard" or "border guard." Those soldiers with dogs patrolled the borders, supposedly keeping out Western spies and Saboteurs.

[Anotherkiwi]

Kiwi, more great photos!

Those are from the nearby Metro station (Площадь Революции) Plaza of the Revolution or Revolution Square. It is toward the centre on the dark blue Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line...

Yes, I should have made it clearer in my post that they were taken at Revolution Square, especially as they're not labelled with their subject.

[JohnDearGreen]

I don't agree.  IMHO location is EVERYTHIING when staying in Moscow.  Metro stops operating at 1am.  Descriptions of 5-8 minutes become differences of 20-30 minutes in actual practice.  200-300pyb cab rides in the daytime can morph into 500-1000pyb cab rides at nightime when you stay outside the "inner ring road".  Then one must consider the increased risk for personal safety when renting apartments well outside the Moscow city center.     

I stayed well south in the suburbs near a red or orange line metro stop (too long to remember which).    A run-down concrete soviet apt building, but very nice interior. A bit scary the first couple of days, but overall I felt as safe there as near Red Square.   Only had one guy say something to me.  I just growled back at him and kept walking.  Overall, a much better trip than the 1st when I stayed at the Cosmos Hotel and just took the metro.


The lady Ms.A I rented the apt from had a 17 year old son-B.   An 18 year old friend-C of her son was  a waiter at a Chinese restaurant.  He drove me around town in his old car when he wasn't working.  The two boys were good friends until one evening son-B lured friend-C's girlfriend up to his apartment for an Intro to Romance 101 class.  C had a habit of speeding and leaving black tire streaks at every stop sign, but we were never stopped by police.  Nevertheless we went to many interesting off-the-beaten-path locations during my 2 week stay.


Ms.A showed me her photo album which included a trip to Netherlands with her Amsterdam boyfriend.  Something similar to a 3month K1 visit.  She said he lived in a dumpy old cottage, so she came back to Moscow.  I tried to explain to her that was not unusual for a bachelor, but it didn't seem to sink in.  I would guess there were other issues.   I brought a few things she requested - water bed patches,  colored sneakers from TJMaxx, and a small can of WD40 for the lock on the front door which was difficult to turn.

[chivo]

I don't agree.  IMHO location is EVERYTHIING when staying in Moscow.

First of all anything at or inside the 3rd ring is considered the "center". I live on Prospect Mira just inside the 3rd ring (третье кольцо) and it's considered a center location, by Russians. It takes me 20 minutes by metro to be standing on Red Square and that's including the walk from my apt. An apt near a metro station is just as good as an apt in the center by the Kremlin if it takes you 15 minutes to walk there from the apt. The difference between renting long or short term in price will be quite large.
 

Metro stops operating at 1am.  Descriptions of 5-8 minutes become differences of 20-30 minutes in actual practice.  200-300pyb cab rides in the daytime can morph into 500-1000pyb cab rides at nightime when you stay outside the "inner ring road".

Sorry but this just isn't true. If he is out clubbing at night he will not be racing to get to the metro by 1pm. You know as well as anyone that the real partying at Moscow clubs doesn't even begin until after midnight usually ending around 6-7am.
 
All other sightseeing will be done during the day or even at night but the metro trains run very consistently up to 11-1130pm before they start to slow down between stops. And stop with the doubling of cab rides. First he'll be with Russians so they can do the haggling, and secondly I pay the same price for a gypsy cab ride whether it's at 2 in the afternoon or 3am. The only exception would be on a cold winter night and I'm with a lady and even then the price is maybe another 50ru more. Lastly I think he wants to spend time with his lady so you figure it out.
 
200-300ru will get him around to wherever he wants to go. For the record I lived in the neighborhood behind the Cosmos Hotel for 5 years before I moved to my present location and never paid more than 300ru from anywhere around the Kremlin or Arbat no matter the season or time. Matter of fact I pay only 200ru to get home from Но́вый Арба́т (Novy Arbat to the 3rd ring)) presently, as in last week.
 

Then one must consider the increased risk for personal safety when renting apartments well outside the Moscow city center.

More boogeyman stories  . Anywhere inside the MKAD is safe. While there are areas outside the MKAD that are not considered safe, he won't be anywhere near those places if he stays 3-5 metro stops past the 2nd ring.
 
VDNHk is 2 stops from the 3rd ring and 4 stops from the 2nd ring (Садо́вое кольцо́). If he finds an apt in a similar area around the 3rd ring he'll be safe, close to the center and can save himself 100's of dollars for his apt time spent in Moscow to use on other things during his stay.
́

I've known Moscow Rick since 2000 and am of the opinion he charges a fair price for a first-class service.  Personally I wouldn't stay in one of those unreniovated "commie-style" apartments that Pasha offers when for $50 more per night I can stay in a modern, westernized comfortable apartment just yards from a centralized downtown Metro station.

He's a 23yr old guy not a 50yr old. He has a budget. Rick is OK, not great or terrible. As mentioned I have used his service in the past and quite frankly wasn't impressed. The apts looked much better in the photos (kind of like some of the women you meet online )
 
We do have to think about the budget and person involved.

[scafidi454]

I've been looking and looking - Are there any other sources that you guys can recommend? I do have a budget, and I'm asking for a lot. I am determined to find the right place for me, but I want to be sure about it first.


Also, I work at a resort, in the reservations department, and usually when someone books online all of the applicable taxes and fees are not included. Where they are included, sometimes, there are even more that they are not aware of. So, a 600 booking can turn into about 900 without that person knowing until arrival. Is it the same in Russia?

[shakespear]

I've been looking and looking - Are there any other sources that you guys can recommend? I do have a budget, and I'm asking for a lot. I am determined to find the right place for me, but I want to be sure about it first.

Going back to your original request:
 
"where can I find a good deal (less than 1k) for a double private en suite for about 8 nights?"
 
That would be the equivalent of a one-bedroom apartment with twin beds.
 
In the city center of Moscow, for $125 per night, such a thing that has been remodeled to "western standard" does not exist.  If you are not happy with what Pasha offers in the "unrefurbished commie-style" you're just not going to be successful.  Remember, Moscow is one of the three most expensive cities in the world.
 
In the city center (inside the ring road), you're going to have to increase your budget to $200-225 per night to find something you're going to be happy with.
 
Sorry to burst your bubble . . . . . . . .       

[scafidi454]

Actually, you're not bursting any bubble. I am looking forward to experiencing true Russian lifestyle, not only the lifestyle of Mocovites.

I have already found other accommodations that aren't exactly the same as that offered by Uncle Pasha.


I still think that my girlfriend can help me more, being that she lives there and can read the die-hard Russian sites.

[GQBlues]

...I still think that my girlfriend can help me more, being that she lives there and can read the die-hard Russian sites.

...and you should really give that thought a little more consideration. I hope the place you found was borne out of her assistance to make sure your scheduled visit will be as safe, relaxing and comfortable for you...

[scafidi454]

...and you should really give that thought a little more consideration. I hope the place you found was borne out of her assistance to make sure your scheduled visit will be as safe, relaxing and comfortable for you...

Actually, we will find something for us - I haven't found a place yet, or else I wouldn't be asking.