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getting around

Way to Russia Talk Lounge Forum Index -> Travel Advice (Practicalities)

Author	Message
pip Just Starting Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Location: UK	Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:43 pm    Post subject: getting around hi are there bilingual signposts and directions and bus stop signs etc in russia? im teaching myself the alphabet and important words/phrses but was wondering how complicated it will be just trying to get off at the right train/bus stop if i dont recognise the sign. also is it easy to find your way around the cities? im counting on having maps and phrasebook etc but as will be travelling solo am abit nervous as to just getting around generally, getting lost, not being able to find my hotel. do the cab and bus drivers speak reasonable english? ive travelled round european cities alone and got by ok its just the differnt alphabet that makes it seem alot more nerve racking travelling russia alone, pip
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DITTRICH WayToRussified Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 429 Location: London UK	Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:12 am    Post subject: You are lucky. Russian is said how its spelt. Learn the alphabet it not too hard. You are more likely to encounter a helpful passenger who speaks english rather than an employee of the railway, bus company etc. Assume signs will always be in Russian - eg very few road signs in English and these mainly on major highways to the west for truck drivers. Don't assume any english! Les
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Kesha Talk Show Host Joined: 26 Sep 2005 Posts: 258 Location: Terrapin Station	Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 2:29 am    Post subject: The most I saw in English (2001/2002) were adverstisements. If you're in larger cities, you'll be able to find someone who can speak English. If you're away from major tourist cities, you probably won't. I had folks wanting to practice their English when I was in Moscow & SPb, but when I was in small areas on the Black Sea, folks looked at me like I was speaking Martian when they heard me (of course this was Ukraine, not Russia). My advice is to definitely speak as much Russian as you can. Mine always yielded at least one of two results: 1. A big smile (and sometimes a laugh); 2. A confused look because my pronunciation (being from the southeastern region of US). Either way, I got the impression they appreciated my attempts all the same!
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mr-barley Lounge Lizard Joined: 04 Dec 2004 Posts: 159 Location: somewhere in minnesota	Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:08 am    Post subject: When my wife and I were in Russia (mostly Moscow) for 4 weeks two years ago we found that very few Russians spoke any English and I never saw a sign in English. After a while you start to be able to read Russian signs though. Some words are similar but very few. We got around alright using the Metro. Like I said, after a while you can read the signs if you have to. Adapt.
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Groobs Lounge Lizard Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Posts: 83 Location: China (but missing St Pete!)	Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:52 am    Post subject: St Petersburg has, recently, made something of an effort to get some English signs up, obviously the current drive to raise SPB's tourist profile is the driver for this, but as others have said, assume precious little in English. The best thing you can do with your time is to learn the alphabet - it is actually quite rewarding to read an advertisement poster and, as if by magic, the meaning of the words dawns on you - it looks like Klingon to start with, but when the penny drops, its great!
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Rick Moderator Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 854 Location: Касабланка	Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:33 am    Post subject: I won't know about Klingon, but once you get some feel for the alphabet you will discover that Russian has many familiar words for speakers of germanic languages. The alphabet may look intimidating at first sight, but it's really not hard at all. Actually the least of your problems, when starting to learn Russian Only 31-32 characters or so, the only downside being that it sometimes seems like a parody on the Latin alphabet in some respects. (cyrillic is actually derived from capitals from the Greek alphabet) A friend I was with in St. Petersburg this summer, managed quite well after 2 weeks, from a start at level 0 arriving on Pulkovo airport.
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Groobs Lounge Lizard Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Posts: 83 Location: China (but missing St Pete!)	Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 12:23 pm    Post subject: Shop names can sometimes be amusing - for a while I saw girls walking around SPB carrying blue plastic bags with what to my (Latin alphabet) eye looked like "PNB row",,,,,,,,,,,,, and I thought to myself, WTF?!?! Then it dawned on me,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, "Rive Guache"!!!! (рив гош)
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Rick Moderator Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 854 Location: Касабланка	Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:29 pm    Post subject: Макдоналдс is always a funny one to me.
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