Irkutsk Travel Guide Russia 2025 🇷🇺

Russia is the most sanctioned country in the world, so what is it like travelling to Russia in 2025?

PAYMENTS & CURRENCY 💵

Visa, Mastercard, AMEX doesn’t work here so you will need to use cash. Russia has their own payment network called ‘Mir’ which means ‘world’ or ‘peace’. It was developed in response to the sanctions on Russia that began in 2014.

The most common place to obtain rubles is at the bank. I recommend checking with a few banks for the best exchange rate - I noticed Sberbank (Сбербанк) to have the worst rates. VTB’s (ВТБ) rates were alright so I used them the most throughout my trip in Russia.

SIM CARD 📱

I was told at the mobile phone store that a new rule had been put in place recently regarding selling SIM cards to foreigners. The new rule being that foreigners have to get their identity documents notarised at a government administration prior to being able to purchase a local SIM card. I can’t find the source backing this up online. However, I’ve heard that it’s possible to buy a local SIM card at the Moscow airport. I bought a monthly plan at Megafon for around ~800 rubles (US$10) with a sizeable data allowance, local calls and text messages.

Once you have those two things set up, you’re good to go! Very few people speak English in Russia hence I managed to learn some Russian.

My Buryat sister sent me off on my first Russian train across the trans-Siberian railway, and it was a bittersweet goodbye to her. The trans-Siberian is a bucket list journey for many travellers, and I’ve been recommended to do this journey by multiple people I’ve met travelling across the world. I was excited and nervous at the same time as I didn’t know what to expect being one of the very few foreigners in this country during a period of conflict.

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