<p>Upcoming business trip - will have 1 day in Moscow and 1 day in Rome to sightsee. Will be by myself. Have never been to Moscow; was in Rome 20 years ago (and consequently have forgotten some of what I’ve seen).</p>
<p>Any suggestions for day itineraries for either location? I’m open to hiring a driver / guide through my hotel, but if it’s a city that doesn’t require one, I’ll just go by myself (I’m not the scaredy-cat type about traveling by myself). I want to make the absolute most out of each of these days. The Moscow one is on Sunday, if that makes a difference.</p>
<p>I’m a big fan of Frommer’s In One Day books. Their guides to Stockholm and Berlin were perfect for me when all I had was just a couple of days. I suspect that some stores could be closed on a Sunday, just like in most European cities. Museum and galleries should be open. DH traveled to Moscow last summer and highly recommends the State Historical Museum, but since you have only a few hours you should probably just see the city. I will ask DH for more tips and post when I have a chance. He did not use a tour guide since one of his collaborators volunteered to show him the city.</p>
<p>I don’t know about Moscow but you can see quite a bit of Rome in a day.</p>
<ul>
<li>In the morning head to the Vatican and tour it. If your hotel isn’t close to it then take a taxi there.</li>
<li>When done with the Vatican taxi to the Colosseum.</li>
<li>Next walk to other sites - walk to the Pantheon, then to the Trevi fountain, etc.</li>
</ul>
<p>In between keep up your energy by eating gelato 2 or 3 times.</p>
<p>It’s surprising how much you can cover in a day - especially if you’re by yourself.</p>
<p>Or better yet, have the taxi drop you off at the entrance to The Forum. Stroll through the Forum and when you come out the far end you will be right by the Colosseum.</p>
<p>Moscow is one of the most dangerous city in the world. As a single woman, I wouldn’t advise you to venture out by yourself. Hire a driver and tour guide.
We were in St. Petersburg last summer with a tour group. One couple who ventured out on their own were arrested while in a park. The police threatened to put them in jail and they were able to get themselves back to the hotel and $1K poorer.</p>
<p>One day in Moscow–go to Lenin’s tomb in Red Square and the Kremlin. Get yourself a guide for the Kremlin and travel there with her/him. Our hotel concierge arranged for the guide. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton and we were within walking distance of Red Square. We didn’t feel unsafe walking–but I was with my family. We weren’t alone. We went over Thanksgiving (two years ago) to visit my D when she was studying there for a semester. The Bolshoi was being renovated when we were there; I believe it’s re-opened. I would definitely try to get to see a ballet. Two restaurants that I enjoyed–Beloye Solntse Pustyni (Uzbec food–we went here on Thanksgiving) and Pushkin. We also went to a Tibetian restaurant during our stay. I think it was called the Tibet Kitchen.</p>
<p>We used a private tour guide in Rome. I got her through someone from CC. The tour guide was very knowledgeabe. We had her for 3 days and covered most of the city. She bought tickets for us ahead of the time, and there was no waiting in line.</p>
<p>I’ve not been to Moscow but did spend several days in St. Petersburg a few years ago. I concur with cbreeze. While I’m not sure Moscow is ‘dangerous’, I wouldn’t go around by myself. Hire a private tour guide. Russia is a very different place, the kind of place where you can get arrested for taking a picture in a subway. They were ultra strict in the museums, etc. Our tour guide saved us several times from getting into trouble with the authorities. The bonus with a tour guide is you can see a lot more and they will often get you to the head of the line.</p>
<p>One problem with tour guides is that sometimes, apparently for the sake of what they consider to be a better story, they tell tourists the most ridiculous nonsense. </p>
<p>E.g. a Classics professor I know was in Athens and joined a tour of the Parthenon. One of the tourists asked the guide what the Greek writing said on some stone monuments lying nearby. The guide replied that those were the inscribed names of the champions from the ancient Olympic games. The prof, who could read Greek, could see this was completely false. They were in fact routine dedications and prayers to various gods.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I asked H (who was in Moscow just a few months ago) if it was safe for a single female foreigner to walk around touristy sites in Moscow. H says it is perfectly fine, as long as said female does not decide to check any dark, narrow alleys. H also recommends staying away from any large gathering that might look like a political protest (could be a common sight near the Red Square due to the upcoming elections). I hope that did not scare you. Being a seasoned traveler, you are well aware of such typical dangers as pickpocketers, money drop scams, etc. that are always lurking in large cities.</p>
<p>However, if your don’t know Russian well, a tour guide will definitely help you to get the most out of your one day stay. While almost everyone in Moscow can speak and understand some English, the signs are predominantly in Russian, so it might be hard to navigate the city without someone who knows the language.</p>
<p>One important thing: according to the Russian laws, everyone has to carry an ID at all times, and the cops have the right to check your ID without any reason. Foreigners have to carry a copy of their passports and visas to prove that they are in the country legally. When we were in St Petersburg a few years ago, our local guide told us that a color photocopy would do, and that’s what we carried with us. However, I just checked the Department of State website - it says the originals should be carried.</p>
<p>I meant to respond before–glad that BB did. My impression on safety (I was there 2 years ago) is that you would be safe at museums and public places like Red Square. You could visit St. Basil’s, Lenin’s tomb, and the various monuments in the area on your own. The Kremlin is right by Red Square too. I thought having a guide at the Kremlin was really useful. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and we were able to avoid lines and went right in to many of the museums/buildings in the Kremlin. </p>
<p>Many of our opinions are based on personal and anecdotal experiences, if the experiences are positive then we wouldn’t be aware of the dark sides that could happen. Traveling in Russia, as a general rule,extra caution should be exercised.</p>
<p>If you don’t speak Russian, I would definitely recommend a guide. As was mentioned previously, Russia is a very different country, with very different mentality (speaking from the personal experience, I grew up there). And I don’t think it’s worth the time to go to the Lenin’s mausoleum. Go see Krenlin, St. Basil church, Bolshoy theater (it is opened after renovation), Tretyakov Art Gallery, many superb theaters (they have repertoir theater in Russia). And keep in mind - Moscow is a huge city, and majority of moscowitz do not speak English. </p>
<p>Also it is VERY cold in winter time, so dress warmly.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I forgot to mention one thing that H brought up. He noticed that business women in Moscow tended to dress very well and classy, heels and Chanel-kind of well. Even young ladies wore the latest fashions, judging by the photos he took. I would not be surprised that furs and suede are the staples of Muscovites’ winter wardrobes, so don’t be afraid to look nice. H said that his suit and tie helped him a lot to be able to blend with the crowd. :)</p>
<p>I second BunsenBurner’s advice. Russian do like to dress up. Heals, firs, jewerly, and make up are expected. Brands are important and noticed by others.</p>
<p>While on a NYC bus, 3 young women, all dressed in boots, furs, bold jewellery, make-up-perfect boarded. Immediately, I nodded knowingly at H. He and I both guessed correctly that they were Russians and it was confirmed after listening to their conversation.</p>
Being a seasoned traveler, you are well aware of such typical dangers as pickpocketers, money drop scams, etc. that are always lurking in large cities.</p>