Frommer's Moscow & St. Petersburg (Frommer's Complete)

This guide reads like a draft.... I don't think it was ever tested with a live tourist.

The Book format has the same information being partially repeated, with confusing cross references. In particular chapter "Suggested Moscow Itineraries" described the exact same places as chapter "Exploring Moscow", and the former chapter constantly referred to the latter chapter for details (WITHOUT page number!) which is annoying.

Addresses given are vague and often inaccurate: that is a big problem in Moscow where addresses (even aside from the problem with Cyrillic) are highly confusing to westerners: as a result I sometimes got very lost.

For example, the Kremlin tourist entrance was specified differently more than once, which is a big problem as the Kremlin is huge (e.g. p3 "The tourist entrance is on the north side ... at the Borovitsky Gates". p 117 has a map that doesn't show Borovitsky Gate. It shows the visitor's Entrance at Kufaya Towers on the west side. The latter was correct, the former in error).

The location of internet cafe "Time Online" was unclear. (p.73 "... on the bottom floor of the the Okhotny Ryad shopping Center near the Kremlin
(1 Maneshnaya Ploshchad" was very misleading because it was not mentioned the whole shopping center is underground and huge. I never found it after looking for 90 minutes)

Many of the main attractions in St. Petersburgh and Moscow are museums and the like.

Museums in both cities tend to be closed at least one day during the week. It is different days for different museums.

There were a significant amount of attractions (probably about 1/3) in both cities where the book had incorrect days. So we'd show up on a day it was supposed to be open, and they were closed. Or the hours were wrong. Or the book would say that they had english tours and they did not.

I was extremely disappointed at such a major oversight.

I think the guide is useful and concise, very much to the point and touches on many interesting and relevant topics. I've lived in Russia most of my life, so far, and I think the guide more than does it justice.

I was very disappointed by this book, which feels largely like a cut-and-paste job. It opens with a bunch of general travel advice and then goes on to describe a few things to do and see in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Many blocks of text are repeated in various parts of the book and I felt the actual amount of information about things to do and see in these two amazing cities was pretty limited, especially given the number of pages I carried around with me. I found all the hotel info I needed on the Internet (see tripadvisor.com) and would have liked this book better if they'd left out all the hotel info and left out the repetition.

I feel like I could write you a better travel guide after spending just one week with natives in each city. Surely somebody else has done a better job!

With that said, I have been to Russia only once (about 10 years ago) and it was with a tour. I am planning my second trip this Fall (2006) and was pleased to see that Frommer's finally put out a book for Russia. The matter of fact reviews as well as prices cited for absolutely everything give you a snapshot of what it "might" cost. I say "might" because there are so many variables that a book can't truly predict (i.e. fluid exchange rates, supply/demand, the "current will of a taxi driver", etc.) but this book gives you at least a starting point to evaluate if you are overpaying or getting a deal. I am planning to go this Fall without a guide and my confidence is building, as result of this book. I should say that I can read & write in Russian and speak a little, but it was still an intimidating country for me 10 years ago. I can read a Frommers book anytime even if I do not have trip planned. I've just started reading this one and I already love it. Good job (again) Frommer's!