World Cup 2018 in Russia: how to go, visa, what to do?

Our best tips to prepare your trip to Russia to attend the 21st edition of the 2018 Football World Cup

Every four years since 1930, the FIFA organizes the Football World Cup, the most popular sports event, for your greatest happiness. La prochaine édition, du 14 juin au 15 juillet 2018, se tiendra en Russia . While Russia attracts 3 million visitors each year, the event should attract an additional million people.

If you want to attend this long-awaited sporting competition all over the world, you will have to organize your trip beforehand, as you do not travel to Russia as easily as you travel to Europe. The conditions of entry and residence in Russia are indeed for us, French, subject to a drastic protocolary regime, and the Russian authorities do not harm the controls, although these have been relaxed with the organization of the sporting event. Here is how to prepare your stay to go to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

How to buy a ticket to attend the 2018 World Cup in Russia?

Online ticketing to book a World Cup 2018 ticket is open since September 14, 2017.

As the demand exceeds the offer of available seats, FIFA has put in place a selective draconian device to buy tickets:

• From September 14, 2017 to October 12, 2017: everyone can file an application, but the decision to approve is subject to the drawing of lots, with a response made before November 16, 2017
• From November 16 to 28, 2017, it is the competition: the FIFA applies the method of “first arrival = first served”
• From December 5, 2017 to January 31, 2018, selection by drawing
• From March 13 to April 3, 2018, "first come = first served" method
• From April 18 to July 15, 2018, last minute ticket sales, "first come = first served" method

To try to get your ticket, go to the FIFA online ticket office as soon as possible. Any payment card is accepted.

What is the World Cup calendar?

The World Cup kick-off will be given on June 14, 2018, by Russia’s national selection. In accordance with tradition, it is the organizing country that is the first to play. At the moment, no calendar of the games of the Russian world has been communicated.

What cities will host World Cup games?

Although this country has a foot in Eastern Europe, Russia is an immense territory. As a result, some games can take place more than 2000 kilometers each other.

By setting up your schedule for the marathon of the stadiums, it is therefore essential to take into account the geographic dimension, which will inevitably affect the transport and travel times between the host cities.

These are:

• Moscow
• Kaliningrad
• St. Petersburg
• Volgograd
• Kazan
• Nizhnij Novgorod
• Samara
• Saransk
• Rostov-on-Don
• Sochi
• Iekaterinbourg

Know that 3000 kilometers separate Kaliningrad from Iekaterinburg. In addition, there are 2340 kilometers to go to St. Petersburg to Sochi... It is easy to understand that the aircraft will prevail, between the matches, in front of such distances. But thanks to the Fan-ID (see below), you can travel for free in Russia (excluding airplanes).

Going to Russia for the World Cup: what formalities?

Usually, entry to Russia is rather complicated, you have to show white mat with a wide range of documents and steps to obtain his visa :

• A valid passport (6 months after return) with at least 2 free pages
• Photocopy of the first pages of the passport (photo and signature)
• Online visa application form
• Named health insurance and repatriation benefits
• Photo of recent identity, in colour, not scenary
• Voucher with invitation (travel agency, host, hotel, etc.)

In all, there are five types of visas for Russia: tourist visa, business visa, study visa, private visa and transit visa. Whatever it is, you will not be able to get it if you have not booked accommodation in advance.

But for the World Cup, approaches were somewhat relaxed in 2016. Indeed, a new law of the Russian executive advocates that it will not suffice – in addition to having a ticket purchased with its invoice – “only” of get a Fan ID or passport to bear.

The request is made online after receiving confirmation of the ticket to the World Cup by FIFA, on the official partner website .

This Fan-ID must be requested by everyone, even children under the age of 14 (on the issuance of the birth certificate and the identity document of the legal representative in addition to the ticket). Once issued, it allows its holder to enter the stadiums, as well as to use public transport (bus, metro, trains) free of charge, linking the host cities of the competition.

Magic, right? So now, here’s the trip...

How do I get to Russia?

To go to the world of football, four possibilities are available to you: the plane, the train, the coach and the car.

On average, a round-trip flight from Paris to Moscow – with stopovers – will be around 200 €-250, but it will be around 180 € depending on the companies and times of the year. For a direct flight, count at least 400 €.

Between June and July 2018, prices are expected to increase due to high demand. Buy your flight tickets only when you have your confirmed ticket and your Fan-ID visa .

Rallier Moscow in coach will be much longer: according to the chosen bus company, the trip can last up to 60 hours, but will cost around 170 € to 200 €.

Make a road-trip by car throughout Eastern Europe, can also be an unforgettable experience. The car trip will last four to six days, the opportunity to see many landscapes.

Finally, the train, a more comfortable option than the bus or car, to be carried at 200 km/h across Germany, Poland and Belarus.

Find a cheap flight ticket for the 2018 World Cup in Russia

Several sites compare prices of flights, selected from all types of companies, including low-cost. Small preference for comparison Kiwi.fr , because you can choose a flexible date all month, change the airport according to the price and actually get the lowest rates out on the calendar.

How to stay during the 2018 World Cup in Russia?

With the global slump, staying in Russia is likely to be more complicated than usual. Great Russian metropolises are known to be rather expensive. The average cost of life is, of course, lower than in France, but the housing in Moscow or Saint Petersburg , for example, is among the highest budget posts.

Accommodation offers vary between the great luxury hotels – taken from business travelers and the rich Russian oligarchs – and other comfortable accommodations. In the face of this, affordable establishments will be difficult to find, as well as to warn you.

Nevertheless, the youth hostel, the Saint-Graal of the unsold traveller to the febrile budget, also experienced a great boom in Russia, as in Europe and Asia: staying in a kommounalky , these former community apartments of the Soviet era, it will be cheap and an interesting experience...

What budget for Russia?

How much will I spend in Russia to live? There, everything depends on your consumption and travel modes, but it is the plane and the accommodation that will weigh the most in your budget travel .

To be large, count at least 30 € per person per night (100€ on the highest level) for your accommodation, 30 € to 40 € for the food, 5 € per person for transport and 6 € for activities and visits.

This can only be an order of ideas, as the general price index in Russia is subject to great recurring fluctuations and this rate of inflation will be mechanically led to an increase in the approach to the 2018 World Cup...