Rick M.

[Ramblin]

Hi Rick,
on your last trip to Bishkek, how long did it take you to get there and which airline did you use?
Thanks.

[RickM]

... in response to Rick M., posted by Ramblin on Jun 15, 2002

Ramblin!
Bishkek is a 4 hour flight out of Moscow.Beautiful country,Kyrgyzstan is.Definetly some "must see" places if you go there.In summertime there is usually daily flights in and out of Bishkek's airport but after summer it is only 2 or 3 times weekly from Moscow and other areas.Aeroflot was the airline I used both times to get from Moscow to Bishkek (FRU airport code for Frunze as it is now called Mannas Airport but still uses the same old airport code from before 1991).I left JFK New York to Moscow (10 hours).One time I went Delta from JFK and connected to Aeroflot in Moscow and another time I used Aeroflot all the way.Both were reliable airlines but if you stay in Russia (Moscow) 1 or more days whether it is for touristing or waiting more than a day for plane connections,you'll need a Russian visa as well as a Kyrgyz visa.Roundtrips JFK-Moscow-Bishkek were usually in the vicinity of around $1,200.00.
There are other airlines such as Royal Dutch and KLM that go via Turkey or some other countries that make their ways to Bishkek but the fares were in excess of over $3,000.00 every time I checked.
We still get daily e-mails and have just about weekly phone contact with friends and family in Bishkek if you need any help once there.I haven't booked yet but will be going there probably late fall myself.
Feel free to ask whatever!Be glad to help if possible.
Best of luck,RickM

[Ramblin]

... in response to Bishkek, posted by RickM on Jun 15, 2002

So do I understand you correctly that if your connection out of Moscow is the same day, you don't need a transit visa for Moscow?  Have you ever gone through Russia without any type of Russian visa?  My Kyrg visa ap is in the mail.  Oh and thanks for the info.

[RickM]

... in response to Re: Bishkek, posted by Ramblin on Jun 15, 2002

Shermatevo-1 will transfer you and your luggage by shuttle to Shermatevo-2 for a flight out to Kyrgyzstan."Hopefully" you'll schedule closely but arrivals in Moscow are usually 11am and flights out to Bishkek are usually around 8 or 9 at night.As long as stay in the airport...you don't need a transit visa...

[Rags]

... in response to Yep! No Visa Needed ..., posted by RickM on Jun 15, 2002

You definitely need a "transit" visa to enter Russia. You will not even be able to get on the plane here without one. If you doubt me, call Aeroflot (good luck getting through).

Aeroflot will give you a shuttle bus ride (go to the "transit" kiosk on the arrival level, don't go down the stairs to passport control/Customs) and they will process your entrance and give you your boarding pass for your next flight. Then you are herded, under guard, onto a bus to take your around to the other side of the runway (SVO-1) where you wait until another guard opens a door to a processing room. Here you surrender your passport, visa, and boarding pass (YIKES) for exit processing. Finally they will come out, distribute the passports, and load you on a bus to take you to your plane.

If you book directly through Aeroflot they may give you a double entry/double exit visa. (I met a couple of guys from LA that they did this for). If you book online, they will not even tell you that you need one (except for the standard disclaimer that you may need to obtain a visa to travel to certain countries). Another reason to use a travel agent familiar with EE travel. That cheap internet fare with Aeroflot just cost you another $180 (minimun) and more hassles to get another visa. I hope that you have at least three weeks to get this done.

Also be aware that if Aeroflot is late (DUH?) and you miss your connection, you will need to have them change your visa exit date to the next day (the Russian Consulate only gives you the dates scheduled on your tickets). They will tell you that it is not nesessary as your visa is good until your return flight. B.S.!!! I wasted another whole day (while my fiancee waited for me in Kyiv not knowing what was happening) because of this.

[RickM]

... in response to WRONG!!!, posted by Rags on Jun 16, 2002

1st time I went through Russia to Kyrgyzstan I got a russian tourist visa because I planned to spend some time in Moscow anyway.
Second time I went to Kyrgyzstan I was told to go to the Aeroflot customer counter in SHO-1 after going through the transit gate (NOT the customs downstairs)...I never touched my luggage...There at the counter I was given my boarding pass for my second leg of the journey and instructed on how to catch the shuttle to SHO-2...On the way back through Russia it was the same routine...Things have changed

ANOTHER VERY GOOD QUESTION...Seems Russia customs changed their policy on amounts of money a person has on them...Before if it was "under" $1500 you did "not" have to declare it but as I understand it now you must declare "every penny"...

[BrianN]

... in response to WRONG!!!, posted by Rags on Jun 16, 2002

This is based on my experience three weeks ago:

I met a former (american) peace corps girl in washington dulles doing the exact same thing.

She was now no longer a peace corps worker but was going back to K-Stan to spend time with her boyfriend who was from there.

She had two passports.  One was a K-stan thing with peace corps transit authorization and the other was a newer US one.  She had a tourist visa to VISIT russia for 90 days later based on her US passport when she returned via moscow.

When she left the plane, went through passport control, they whisked her away.  I was in the airport for a while and waited on her... because we had spent the entire transit and waiting time prior to getting to moscow together.

The other american guy that I had met up with in dulles knew that this girl was going to have problems with no russian visa.... and she was only transiting moscow enroute to k-stan with an 8 hour layover.

While waiting in SH1 Airport, the girl finally shows up 2  hours later...  The only thing that had saved her butt was that K-Stan passport with the peace corps authorization.  (even though she was no longer working for the p-corps, it was still valid for another year).

I'd be real careful with this folks!

Just my observations.

[Richard]

... in response to Re: Bishkek, posted by Ramblin on Jun 15, 2002

check this out from the archives:

http://www.planet-love.com/wwwboard/show.php?russian/archive00163/messages/69478.txt