FSU Travel 101

[mendeleyev]

Perhaps this thread will be helpful to readers who have not yet traveled to the FSU. If you have a good idea, please post it for the benefit of others.

[mendeleyev]

Topic One: Cell phones.

Your lady will call it a "mo-byle" phone. This is partly because of the way Russian Cyrillic letters are accented. Really it is a мобильный телефон (mo-byle-nee tyle-fon), but you are more likely to hear it as a "mo-byle fon."

The good news is that the names of phones are generally in English: Apple is apple, LG is LG, Samsung is Samsung, and a smartphone is called a smartphone. All are spoken with accents, of course.

It is very expensive to use your own phone plan/service when overseas, but there are ways to dramatically lower such costs:

One way is to purchase a local SIM card. If your current phone card is quad band, and is "unlocked," then you will simply buy a SIM card upon arrival, insert in into your existing phone, and start making calls with a local number.

Another way is to buy a new phone upon arrival--but that strategy, while workable, has increased costs associated with it.

There are some tips to remember, too:

- Purchase a SIM card from the same company that your lady uses. Service to service is free when local, but if you have MTC and she has Beeline, then those calls will not be free.

- Most Russians and Ukrainians use a prepaid system and must either "refill" when minutes are used, or leave a credit card on file for auto refills. Given the amount of corruption and fraud in the FSU, rarely do locals leave a credit card on file with anyone. That means that you need to be aware, and considerate of, how and when you call her. Her plan is likely not "unlimited" like you may have in the West.

While there are several phone companies from which to choose, three large services dominate the landscape in Russia. Those are:

- MTC, pronounced as M-Teh-S, which is exactly what those letters mean in Russian.

- BeeLine, Билайн in Cyrillic.

- MegaFon, МегаФон in Cyrillic.


The largest mobile phone services in Ukraine are:

- Kyivstar, Київстар in Cyrillic.

- MTC Ukraine, and is "M-teh-S" in the Cyrillic alphabet.

- Life:-) is the third largest, a division of Turkcell, the largest mobile company in Turkey. 

Purchasing a SIM card is really easy. You can buy one at the airport upon arrival, or at thousands of locations across the country. You will need your passport and an address. Usually listing the hotel or apartment where you will stay is sufficient for the address. Don't worry, the passport is a standard requirement, so no stress as to why they ask for it.

So, how easy it is to buy a SIM card?

Just watch this video of Sergei Baklykov from Real Russia:

[JayH]

The largest mobile phone services in Ukraine are:

- Kyivstar, Київстар in Cyrillic.

- MTC Ukraine, and is "M-teh-S" in the Cyrillic alphabet.

- Life:-) is the third largest, a division of Turkcell, the largest mobile company in Turkey. 

Purchasing a SIM card is really easy. You can buy one at the airport upon arrival, or at thousands of locations across the country. You will need your passport and an address. Usually listing the hotel or apartment where you will stay is sufficient for the address. Don't worry, the passport is a standard requirement, so no stress as to why they ask for it.

So, how easy it is to buy a SIM card?

Sorry to sound a smart a.. !!
My comments pertain to Ukraine specifically.
You can buy a SIM  from virtually anywhere-- commonly on street booths  for example.
No    id is required at all --just pay and collect--it will come with a small amount of credit. I cant remember the cost-- but $10 will buy sim and credit for sure.
The easiest way to top up credit-- buy a scratch card  from the same type of booth or vendor.  Cards can be from 10gr to 500grv. About 100GRV a reasonable weeks solid use is plenty.Calls to like carriers are generally free. They will sms you when credit is getting low.
Data is  on auto when you do settings-- you need more credit( ie higher $ amount) but it is still cheap.
That is the simplest way. You can also go into any store and they will add for you.

You can go to any of the above named stores--they all have large numbers of stores that are western standard at the least-- and do the above or set up account. Account can be operated over the internet.

If you are returning-- buy a few 10GRV vouchers to do top ups  keep your number alive( usually 12 months) and you can still receive SMS anywhere

INTERNET ACCESS-- also very cheap . Buy modem(dongle) plus credit-- and you have your own internet access anywhere.The same top up procedure as described above.

Personally__  I recommend LIFE for all round ease of use and coverage-plus helpful in store .

[mendeleyev]

Valid points Jay, but I would not choose a service until I was assured that the one she uses is the one that I'd buy.

I have MTC, my wife has MTC, our daughter has MTC, my son-in-law has MTC and Mother-in-law has MTC. That way our calls to each other don't have extra tariffs for crossing providers.

If you are returning-- buy a few 10GRV vouchers to do top ups  keep your number alive( usually 12 months) and you can still receive SMS anywhere

Good idea, and readers can do the same with Russian SIM cards.

[msmobyone]

Hi Mendy

If we are taking abut a valid city - check the coverage on the link - I can recommend a new player in the Russian market - YOTA

I pay just under 300 roubles / month - for unlimited data, tests and 200 minutes of calls

Then I have SKYPE . Viber, What'sapp email and my UK - applies to USA / Canada, too - Vonage and I'm away

yota.ru

Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yota

All you need is a Smartphone that is unlocked .. 

[Chicagoguy]

My phone is locked. When I asked a Moscow friend if it was possible to have it unlocked there he said "about 10 minutes". But I do not know where he was talking about.

[msmobyone]

My phone is locked. When I asked a Moscow friend if it was possible to have it unlocked there he said "about 10 minutes". But I do not know where he was talking about.

Most places that repair mobile / cell phones can do it.

If it's an android make sure to ask them not to 'root' the phone - just unlock it...  I am speaking about the UK, here but I doubt other nations differ. Rooting WILL void any warranty / support

[mendeleyev]

My phone is locked. When I asked a Moscow friend if it was possible to have it unlocked there he said "about 10 minutes". But I do not know where he was talking about.

It means that your service provider is the only one that can utilize the phone. Yes, it can be "unlocked" but some phones never work the same after being unlocked by a third party. Unlocking one is really very simple, and is done by your phone company with a simple code entry. However, some companies refuse to do so out of fear that you will take the phone and use a competing service.

You can buy unlocked phones easily, or better, buy a new phone upon arrival in the FSU. They are not that expensive, and then you always have it for trips.

[mendeleyev]

Moby, we love Vonage (not to mention the fact that they are a Mendeleyev Journal sponsor). Vonage to Vonage is free, as you know, and it is possible to take a unit to the FSU and give your family there a "local" number. For example, a lady in Saint Petersburg can use Vonage and have a local London (or Chicago, etc) telephone number in her Saint Pete home.

Vonage also has a mobile phone app (free to Vonage customers) so that you can use Vonage on your cell, and make local calls no matter where you are in the world.

[Anotherkiwi]

Valid points Jay, but I would not choose a service until I was assured that the one she uses is the one that I'd buy.

I have MTC, my wife has MTC, our daughter has MTC, my son-in-law has MTC and Mother-in-law has MTC. That way our calls to each other don't have extra tariffs for crossing providers.

mendy, I don't know if things have changed since my last trip, but I was told then that Russian SIM cards were area-specific (e.g. if I had a Moscow SIM card, I paid roaming charges when I went to St Petersburg).  It was explained to me that this was because, unlike in other countries (Ukraine is a perfect example), there are no national networks because Russia is simply too big.  Although you have Beeline and MTC in all these cities, I was told that they're all separate companies, operating more as franchises than being direct subsidiaries of the parent company.

I was told in Rostov that, although this was correct, there was also a type of SIM card which cost slightly more, but where the minutes cost the same no matter which part of Russia I was in (i.e. it might cost more for a call within Moscow, but it would be the same price in Kazan - rather less than a call on a Moscow card would cost after you included the roaming charges).

Is this still the case?  Or were the people who told me this just slightly confused?

[msmobyone]

mendy, I don't know if things have changed since my last trip, but I was told then that Russian SIM cards were area-specific (e.g. if I had a Moscow SIM card, I paid roaming charges when I went to St Petersburg).  It was explained to me that this was because, unlike in other countries (Ukraine is a perfect example), there are no national networks because Russia is simply too big.  Although you have Beeline and MTC in all these cities, I was told that they're all separate companies, operating more as franchises than being direct subsidiaries of the parent company.

I was told in Rostov that, although this was correct, there was also a type of SIM card which cost slightly more, but where the minutes cost the same no matter which part of Russia I was in (i.e. it might cost more for a call within Moscow, but it would be the same price in Kazan - rather less than a call on a Moscow card would cost after you included the roaming charges).

Is this still the case?  Or were the people who told me this just slightly confused?

I'm not Mendy, but while  you wait for his response..


I only know about Yota


If you buy one of their sims ..and pay monthly - no minimum contract term - ''In Russia - no roaming.
Prices do not vary in travelling around the country.''  That's quoting from their site  - calls to other Yota numbers are free. Unlimited internet - mostly 4G

You can pay from 80 roubles - for 100 minutes - to be able to call other networks and 50 roubles for unlimited sms

I am not affiliated with them - just a fan..SC has a dongle from them and it costs 800 roubles for a month - unlimited internet - c.2.5MBs - more than enough to surf / skype .. for 1400 R/ month you can get up to 100MBs sec - works in all cities covered by Yota - no roaming charges on their network in Russia

[mendeleyev]

Anotherkiwi, you heard correctly. There are regional networks, such as subsidaries of MTC, for example. You dial an area code for calls outside your home region. There are different "area codes" for landlines and mobile phones, too.

According to the daughter who handles such admin tasks for the Mendeleyev Journal, with MTC, the best "pay as you go" plan for calling outside your home region is the Red Energy plan. If you travel and call all over Russia, then the Ultra plan (a monthly plan) might be the best way to go.

[msmobyone]

Hi Mendy

You might like to read my post that predates your response to AK..

with Yota - if you are on their network - anywhere in Russia - there is NO roaming charge. My sim card was bought in Sochi and I could call another Yota user from Domodedova airport in Moscow, back in Sochi, for zip.

 

[mendeleyev]

I will check that out, Moby. Everyone at the MJ, and everyone in the family, uses MTC and it seems that since those in=network calls are free, it pays for that plan at the moment.

I also use the Vonage app on my mobile, that way I can make "local" calls back to the USA and just about anywhere in the Western world with no long distance charges.

[wrf101]

Great advice mendeleyev and co.

[2tallbill]

My phone is locked. When I asked a Moscow friend if it was possible to have it unlocked there he said "about 10 minutes". But I do not know where he was talking about.

I bought a local sim card for my Verizon locked smart phone. It worked for calling, sms and
wifi but it wouldn't connect to the internet on 4G.

[Rick4G]

First of all, just to help everyone out who often travels to Russia or Ukraine (or virtually anywhere now) there are several services such as www.ding.com that allow you to load your phone from anywhere by credit card.  I use it all the time to pay for mine when I am in USA or loading loved ones and friends.

I, like most people in Ukraine. will have 2 phones and sometimes even 3 phones to cover the networks they use most for communicating with friends and family.
Only one needs to be smartphone for internet use.  the other can be a cheap $25 for making calls and sms.  I use Life and MTC but both are on Salaxy S5 duos synced to all my other samsung devices including my US phone.
Ive learned that coverage varies from place to place and Life, while the cheapest, doesnt always have good signal and internet quality.

Dual SIM card phones are also very popular, allowing you to have 2 carriers on the same phone.  I have noticed that many of the cheaper ones with less than a 1gh processor wont allow you to receive a call from one network while on a phone call on the other network.

However, if you are a hi-tech junkie and dont mind spending $600 on a phone that can be used virtually anywhere in the world then the Galaxy S5 Duos will keep you connected better than anything on the market.  The samsung store has an app that will allow you 3 way and conference calls between both networks.  If you have data plans on both SIM card then you can toggle data from whichever one has the best signal.

[mendeleyev]

Rick, that is an awesome link!

It works with Beeline and Megafon in Russia, but not with MTC. That being said however, I can see members not only using it for themselves, but also as a nice way to keep lines of communication uninterrupted once engaged to someone.

I am guessing that you'd need to know the user and password of the person whose phone is being filled. That in itself indicates a level of commitment and trust since you would then have access to all that person's communication activities.

(Caveat: Never send money, or top off a phone, to someone you've never met and are not in the serious stages of planning a life together.)

[2tallbill]

Take care of your Feet !!!


I usually walk 5 + miles per day while in the FSU. If you are good
to your feet then they will be good to you. Basketball shoes are excellent
for playing basketball in. The are made to make quick starts, stops and
changes in direction.

They are horrible for walking long distances  over pot hole filled concrete
and asphalt. They do not let your feet breath properly and they make a
negative fashion statement in the FSU. Don't bring your church shoes that
give you a blister if you attend a long service. Fashion is nice but quality
and comfort are more important.

Blisters, foot rot, bloody socks, stinky feet rarely attract the cutest FSUW.
Walk 7 miles a day for a week in a pair of Nike Airs and you will have
many if not all of the above foot maladies.

Here is what I suggest.

1. Buy a couple of pairs of high quality fashionable dress shoes and or boots
that are comfortable and durable.

2. Break your shoes in before bringing them to the FSU or the shoes will break
in your feet it's your choice. Wear them for three days (not in a row) to your
office. Then Polish them up nicely or have a pro do it.

3. A little bit of baby powder will keep your feet cool and dry in the summer and
warm and dry in the winter. A dry foot is a happy foot!

4. Cut your toe nails. It will cause the shoe to fit properly on your foot and cause
less stress on your toes and feet, it will keep your socks from looking like Oliver
Twist's socks and besides mens feet look bad enough, properly cut toe nails is proper
hygiene especially in the FSU. For best results go to a nail place and get a proper
manicure and pedicure.

5. In the winter a good pair of boots will keep you warm comfortable and not feeling
like you are wearing roller skates on an escalator during snowy days. If you prevent
just one slip and fall on an icy sidewalk you will be infinitely happier.

6. Alternate your shoes. Don't wear the same pair each day. It will give your feet and
your shoes a break. Change your socks frequently, and don't buy the thinnest socks.
A slightly thicker sock gives your feet some additional cushion and is more absorbent.

7. I bring a small polish kit and touch up my shoes especially on rainy / snowy days.
Your shoes will last longer, repel water better, be more comfortable and look much
better.

8. Tip for shining shoes, take a little extra time, bring a little plastic bag to keep polish
off of your fingers. You don't want to look like you just overhauled your Harley.

[SANDRO43]

It would be nice if we could summarise all those bits of advice into a sort of summary table, for later posting to the RWDpedia . I'll give it a first try below - feel free to amend/add to it as necessary.

USING WESTERN MOBILE PHONES IN RUSSIA/UKRAINE

Mobile phones are quite widespread in former USSR countries, but contacting their owners via voice and/or SMS can result in problems for Western users (in the case of Russia, this is futher complicated by its huge geographical territory, not covered in its entirety by any mobile phone company).

1. Their providers are different, and may not be linked to your own provider. To circumvent this, you may consider:

A. Installing Skype Mobile on your smartphone and your callee's (free voice/video calls and SMSs).
B. Buying locally a cheap phone and their provider's SIM.
C. Buying locally their provider's SIM, and inserting it into a Dual smartphone - for instance, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Duo - their store has an app that will allow you 3 way and conference calls between both networks, if you have data plans on both SIM cards then you can toggle data from whichever one has the best signal.
D. Using DING (www.ding.com) to load your phone from anywhere by credit card - works with Beeline and Megafon in Russia, not with MTC.

2. Locked Western smartphones may also be a problem:
- A user bought a local SIM card for his locked Verizon smart phone: it worked for voice calls, SMS and WiFi, but it wouldn't connect to the Internet on 4G.

Largest Mobile Phone Service Providers

Russia: MTC, BeeLine, MegaFon, Yota.
Ukraine:  Kyivstar, MTC Ukraine, Life  (a division of Turkcell, the largest mobile company in Turkey). 

[Larry1]

Take care of your Feet !!!

I usually walk 5 + miles per day while in the FSU. If you are good
to your feet then they will be good to you. Basketball shoes are excellent
for playing basketball in. The are made to make quick starts, stops and
changes in direction.

They are horrible for walking long distances  over pot hole filled concrete
and asphalt. They do not let your feet breath properly and they make a
negative fashion statement in the FSU. Don't bring your church shoes that
give you a blister if you attend a long service. Fashion is nice but quality
and comfort are more important.

Good topic. I have a friend who got a bad blister while walking in FSU and it caused a pretty serious infection.

I've had good luck with Ecco shoes. http://us.shop.ecco.com/mens-shoes

I bought my first pair after I suffered a foot injury from doing calf raises that caused long walks to be a bit painful. They helped that problem quickly and allowed the injury to heal.

I wore another pair on my first trip to FSU when my girlfriend walked me to death.  I distinctly remember suggesting that we take a taxi after we had been walking a long time. She would always say, "It's not much farther. We can walk."  My legs were tired but thanks to my Ecco shoes my feet were ok.

You'll have to order your size in metric but that's not terribly difficult.  By the way, I think you can get them from Amazon. But some local stores here also have them.

[ML]

Mendy, Rick, Sandro and others.

What is needed badly (by me and others) is an update to the websites and procedures that can be used to send SMS to the various carriers in FSU.  I am talking about from a website to a mobile phone.

Years ago when I was prowling around the FSU, this was doable once a person found the website, knew the codes for the various carriers, etc.

However, on Ochka's July trip to Ukraine, I found that all such websites don't seem to work anymore.  There were days when we couldn't contact via Skype and she was in the garden without phone  that I wanted to get a SMS to her to be read later.

I had zero luck.

It is possible that such web ability has been shut down to eliminate junk SMS.

Could those in the know give us an update on this situation.

Oh, and please try your website before recommending/posting it.

Thanks

[2tallbill]

Oh, and please try your website before recommending/posting it.

Thanks

Please send in your requests using the proper form in triplicate.

ML, I previously had exactly the URL's you are looking for, back on my ancient
XP machine that has died. When I went to look them up again it appears that they
have been moved or no longer exist.

I do have an idea. Have Ochka send a message from her cell phone to your email.
Then you should be able to respond to it, thereby effectively sending her an sms
to her phone.

[JayH]

Mendy, Rick, Sandro and others.

What is needed badly (by me and others) is an update to the websites and procedures that can be used to send SMS to the various carriers in FSU.  I am talking about from a website to a mobile phone.

Years ago when I was prowling around the FSU, this was doable once a person found the website, knew the codes for the various carriers, etc.

However, on Ochka's July trip to Ukraine, I found that all such websites don't seem to work anymore.  There were days when we couldn't contact via Skype and she was in the garden without phone  that I wanted to get a SMS to her to be read later.

I had zero luck.

It is possible that such web ability has been shut down to eliminate junk SMS.

Could those in the know give us an update on this situation.

Oh, and please try your website before recommending/posting it.

Thanks

When you pay a Skype subscription--  you can send SMS anywhere. Also make calls to phones--cost of subscription is cheap  and also allows free calls  to many phone destinations( not Ukraine!) -- and cost of calling is still cheap.

The feature also gives you a phone number- in quite a few possible countries.

A important part of the Skype feature is it allows you to put in your number( ie in my case my Ukrainian number) so the sms or call appears to come from that number. Replies come to that sim in my phone. When sending sms from my phone--the options are shown to choose which method the reply will be sent-- so very simple to use at all times.

Using this way--in conjuction with my comments upthread  about keeping your  FSU  phone number alive-- anyone in Ukraine can call me at local cost( free if on the same network.)-- and modest local call cost if not-- with no concern about international call costs.
Now-- thru my data plan wherever I am-- I access Skype -- so can receive calls wherever.

As Rick said above--I also have dual sim capacity in my No1 phone-- and my 2nd phone carries 4 sims -- so I keep sims alive in a few countries.It means you have working phone on arrival-- and how much easier it makes life !

Using the above methodology keeps you in contact with your worlds-it keeps contact at one point and not constantly changing-- it saves a lot of time and makes life on the road so much easier.

BTW-- I have a slightly used 4 sim phone for sale if anyone is interested--!!

[msmobyone]

It would be nice if we could summarise all those bits of advice into a sort of summary table, for later posting to the RWDpedia . I'll give it a first try below - feel free to amend/add to it as necessary.

USING WESTERN MOBILE PHONES IN RUSSIA/UKRAINE

Mobile phones are quite widespread in former USSR countries, but contacting their owners via voice and/or SMS can result in problems for Western users (in the case of Russia, this is futher complicated by its huge geographical territory, not covered in its entirety by any mobile phone company).

1. Their providers are different, and may not be linked to your own provider. To circumvent this, you may consider:

A. Buying locally a cheap phone and their provider's SIM.
B. Buying locally their provider's SIM, and inserting it into a Dual smartphone - for instance, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Duo - their store has an app that will allow you 3 way and conference calls between both networks, if you have data plans on both SIM cards then you can toggle data from whichever one has the best signal.
C. Using DING (www.ding.com) to load your phone from anywhere by credit card - works with Beeline and Megafon in Russia, not with MTC.

2. Locked Western smartphones may also be a problem:
- A user bought a local SIM card for his locked Verizon smart phone: it worked for voice calls, SMS and WiFi, but it wouldn't connect to the Internet on 4G.

Largest Mobile Phone Service Providers

Russia: MTC, BeeLine, MegaFon, Yota.
Ukraine:  Kyivstar, MTC Ukraine, Life  (a division of Turkcell, the largest mobile company in Turkey).

THANKS, Sandro