Russia

Types of trips: Sight-seeing, City Tourism, Outdoor and Active, Culture, Music and History, Skiing and Winter sports,  

Best known for: World Class Space Exploration (Sputnik, Gagarin), Music, Tchaikovski and the Ballet Russes, Sporting successes, Archtecture such as St. Basil's Catherdral (see picture below)

Why Go?: Russia is a huge and diverse country with a lot to see and a lot to do. You could head for the big city of Moscow and see some amazing architecture, or visit one of the relatively quiet ski resorts. Whatever you do you're guaranteed to experience things unlike anything you'd find in Europe.

Fact File

Population: 143,800,000

Capital: Moscow

Language(s): Russian and 27 other co-official regional languages

Ties to the UK?: Many Russian owners in Premier League Football, Energy trade

Landscape: Because of its size Russia encompasses almost a full range of geographical features including mountains, rivers, lakes - shares northern regions with the Arctic Circle

Climate/Seasons: Again vastly diverse because of the size of country and it's topography meaning record highs and lows of 45.4°C in July and an incredible -71.2°C in January.

When to Go: As ever, it comes down to what you want to do there. For city tourism go in the summer for the more pleasant weather, but for skiing the best month is March. Snowfall can be on the heavy side at the start of the year and temperatures can hit incredible lows at that time. 

Reasons to Visit: A diverse country with a lot to offer, Russia makes for an interesting place for a school trip.

How to Get There: Flying is the only option though most areas are within a reasonable distance of an airport.

Places to Go: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Sochi, Vladivostok, Lake Baikal, Pskov & Pechory, Novgorod

Famous People: Maria Sharapova, Leon Trotsky, Vladimir Lenin, Catherine II, Mila Kunis, Roman Abramovich, Dimitri Shostakovich

Natural Wonders/Wildlife: Volga River, Virgin Komi Forests, Uzon Caldera, The Valley of Geysers 

History: Soviet Union, WWI, WWII

Architecture: Saint Basil's Cathedral, Red Square

Culture: Traditional Russian dance, folk music, Circus entertainment

Sport: Olympics, Basketball, Ice hockey, Bandy, Football

Events: Maslenitsa, Golden Mask Festival, Pashka, Stars of White Nights Festival

Watch Out For: The UK government is currently advising against travel to certain regions of Russia, please see the gov.uk website for more info and consider travel carefully.

Medical Issues: No mandatory vaccinations required

Watch this video about visiting Russia!