With temperatures sinking as low as minus 20 C, Moscow winters are very cold. Although such temperatures are accompanied by large amounts of snow, the air is mostly dry and strong winds are rare. The thaw begins in April?roads turn to slush, the ice melts on the Moscow river?and temperatures rise to about 10 C. Summer weather is sunny but not hot, with temperatures peaking around 20 C. Summer rain showers can be heavy, but they are mostly short in duration and not frequent. With September comes the onset of autumn and colder days. The first snows of the season usually occur in November.

American Chamber of Commerce in Russia . Dolgorukovskaya Ul. 7-9 ; Tel. : +7 (095) 961 2141

French Chamber of Commerce and Industry . Bol. Tcherkasski Per 15 ; Tel. : +7 (095) 927-0632

German Industry and Commerce Delegation . 1er Kazachy Per 7 ; Tel. : +7 (095) 234 4950

Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce . Znamensky Mal. Per. Str. 8 ; Tel. : +7 (095) 916-5560

Moscow Chamber of Commerce 22 Akademika Pilyugina; Tel.: + 7 (095) 132 7510

Russian-British Chamber Of Commerce . Smolenskaya Pi 3-5 ; Tel. : + 7 (095) 937 8249

Germany . Mosfilmovskaya Ulitsa 56 ; Tel.: +7 (095) 937-9500

Australia 10A/2 Podkolokolny Pereulok, 2 Tel.: +7 (095) 956-6070

Brazil . B. Nikitskaya Ulitsa 54 ; Tel.: +7 (095) 363 0366

China . Druzhby Ulitsa 6 ; Tel.: +7 (095) 956 1168

United States . Bolshoy Deviatinsky Perenlok n.8 ; Tel.: +7 (095) 728-5000

France Bolchaia Yakimanka Ulitsa 43 ; Tel.: + 7 (095) 937 1500

Italy . Denezhny per.5 ; Tel.: + 7 (095) 241 1533

Japan . Kalashny Pereulok 12 ; Tel.: +7 (095) 291 8500

Mexico . B. Levshinsky Pereulok 4 ; Tel.: +7 (095) 201 5631

Czech Republic 12/14 Yulius Fuchik St.; Tel.: + 7 (095) 251 0540

United Kingdom Smolenskaya Naberezhnaya 10; Tel.: +7 (095) 956 7200

Netherlands Kalashny pereulok 6; Tel.: +7 (095) 797-2900

Most large international hotels have a business center. The usual facilities are available: telephone and fax, high-speed internet connections, interpreting, conference rooms, video-conferencing.

Radisson Business Center SAS Slavjanskaya Hotel . Berezhkovskaya nab 2 ; Tel.: +7 (095) 941 8815 / 8200

Riverside Towers . Kosmodamianskaya nab. 52 ; Tel.: + 7 (095) 258 6868

Business Center Mariott Grand Hotel . Tverskaya Str. 26 ; Tel.: + 7 (095) 937 0000

WTC Business Center . Krasnopresnenskaya nab. 12, Hotel Mezhdunarodnaya 1 ; Tel.: + 7 (095) 258 1212

Mosbusiness Center . Prospekt Mira 72 ; Tel.: +7 (095) 258 5308

Novotel Moscow Centre Hotel . Novoslobodskaya Str. 23-29 ; Tel. : +7 (095) 780 4000

Marriott Grand Hotel . Tverskaya Str. 26 ; Tel. : +7 (095) 937 0000

All-Russian Exhibition Center GAO VVC, Estate 119, Mir Prospect; Tel.: +7 (095) 544 3400

Zao Expocentr . Krasnopresnenskaya nab. 14 ; Tel. : + 7 (095) 255 3799

Sokolniki Cultural Exhibition Center . Sokolnichesky val 1, pavilion 4 ; Tel. : +7 (095) 268 6323

Moscow, Olimpiysky Complex . Olimpiysky Prospekt 16; Tel : +7 (095) 786 3117

There are numerous translation and interpreting services. Hotels catering for business customers also often offer such services.

Alrud . 17 Skakovaya ul - fl 6. Tel.: + 7 (095) 234 96 92

Interlingua 38 Bol. Tishinskiy pereulok ; Tel.: +7 (095) 788 7257

Andomed . 42 Matveevskaya ul ; Tel.: +7 (095) 441 4340

Kalita Ltd . 12 kostyakova ul; Tel.: +7 (095) 976 3081

Penny Lane Consulting Tverskaya 16/1, Business center "Gallery Actor" ; Tel.: +7 (095) 933 2828

DHL 11 Samotechnyy 3-iy pereulok; Tel.: +7 (095) 956 1000

TNT Moscow . Svobody Str. 31 ; Tel.: + 7 (095) 797 2770

UPS . 8 B. Tishinskiy, Bld 2 ; Tel.: +7 (095) 961 2211

Cafe Image . Novoslobodskaya Str. 16 ; Tel. : +7 (095) 737 3700

Internet Cafe RSUH . Chanyanova St. 15 ; Tel. : +7 (095) 250 6169

Time Online Internet Salon . Manezh Mall, Niveau inférieur. Tel. +7 (095) 254 9578

A visa is necessary for travel to Moscow. Whether it is a business or tourist visa, you must have a certificate from an organization in Russia. This can be from the agency that is organizing your stay while you are in Russia, from the hotel where you have your reservation, or from the company with which you are doing business. You must also show that you have insurance coverage , which includes repatriation costs. Applications usually take about a week. It is often simpler to call an agency that has been approved by the consulate, which will, for a fee, organize these documents for you. If you are staying less than 72 hours, you can obtain a transit visa at the airport on presentation of your hotel reservation. Since June 15 2004, Russia and UE intend to simplify visa issue by reducing obtaining delays, simplify visas' prolongation for businessmen, abandon of strict invitation certificate for staying in Russia, a simple request from the inviting organism is now enough.

The code for Russia is 7. The area code for Moscow is 095. To call Moscow from abroad first dial your country's international dialing code, then 7 followed by 095 and the seven figures of the number that you wish to reach.

Fire : 01

Police : 02

Ambulance : 03

For local calls there is no need for any codes, just dial the seven digit number. To call another city dial 8, wait for the tone, and then dial the city code followed by the number that you wish to reach. To make international calls from Moscow dial 8, wait for the tone, and then dial 10 followed by the country code and the number that you wish to reach. There are numerous public payphones in Moscow. Those belonging to the MITC network function with cards that may be bought in kiosks and in the subway. Instructions are displayed in several languages including English. For operator services, dial 9.

Use of mobile phones is spreading in Moscow. The GSM network functions and you should be able to use your own phone. Check with your service provider before departure about using your phone in Russia and call charges. Another possibility is to hire a phone or to open an account with a local operator (MTS, Beeline, Megafone or MSS). To buy a phone number costs 40 US$; SIM cards are between 10 and 50 US$.

The Russian unit of currency is the rouble. You should pay in roubles even if prices are displayed in American dollars. The major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners) are accepted in hotels, restaurants and department stores. You can also use credit cards to withdraw money from cash point machines. Traveler's checks can be changed in bureaux de change. However it is preferable to bring cash, particularly American dollars. Make sure that the bills are in good condition: changers will refuse damaged bills.

A 10% tax is usually included in the bill in restaurants and bars. It is nevertheless customary to leave a tip if you are happy with the service. Usual tipping practices are as follows:

Restaurants : yes, to the waiter or waitress

Bars : no, but it is common to leave the change

Taxi : no

Hotel Receptionist : no

Concierge : no

Hotel housekeeping : no

Porter for luggage : yes

Parking Attendant/Valet : yes

Hairdresser : no

In summer (March to October) four hours ahead of GMT, in winter three hours ahead.

VAT is 20 %. Hotel also charge a 3% urban tax. When asking for information about room prices, confirm that all taxes are included.

220 volts 50 Hz. Two pin plugs.

Driving in Moscow can be stressful: not only do you have to avoid the pot holes, but you must also be prepared for frequent lane changing. Car hire is available at Cheremetevo 2 airport.

The center of town is comparatively small and can easily be explored on foot if you stay in the three main tourist districts: the Kremlin and The Red Square, Arbataskaïa and, on the other side of the Moscow River, Zamoskvorietchie.

Official taxis are yellow. Even if the taxi has a meter, drivers will often prefer to negotiate a price before departure. Muscovites frequently hail private taxis (tchastniki); again, it is advisable to fix the price before you get in (5 US$ is the average price for a ride).

Lastly, it would be a shame not to travel on Moscow's splendid subway. Some stations look like palaces with their chandeliers and glittering mosaics. The subway network covers the entire city and the nearby suburbs, with nine north-south lines and one circular line. The circular line serves the railway stations. Be warned: all signs are in Cyrillic, so it is best to obtain a plan that displays the station's names in both alphabets.

There are no compulsory vaccinations for entry to Russia. For stays of over three months, proof of HIV negative status is required.

• New Year's Day January 2
• Orthodox Christmas January 7
• Defender's Day February 23
• International Women's Day March 8
• Labor Day May 1
• Victory Day May 9
• National Holiday - Independence Day June 12
• Reconciliation Day November 7
• Constitution Day December 12

Located on the fourth floor of the Hotel Metropole, Boyarsky Zal is considered Moscow's finest Russian dining establishment. The Petrovich Club features Russian nouvelle cuisine and nostalgia for a Soviet childhood in the 1960s and 1970s. Reputed to be Boris Yeltsin's favourite restaurant, Tsarskaya Okhota is one of the most impressive places to eat in Moscow. Expats flock to Graf Orlof, a sumptuously decorated restaurant located in a seventeenth-century dacha that serves up a menu of East-West fusion dishes. The Gouria offers a view of Gorky Park and the riverfront and owes much of its ambiance to its Gregorian chant soundtrack. At cozy Maison Centrale des écrivains (The Writer's Meeting House), dishes like ossetrina (sturgeon) can be sampled in a literary atmosphere. For a chic lunch in true 19th-century style, the four floors of Pushkin are the place.

No matter what your taste, Russian gift ideas are plentiful. The Elisseev delicatessen has a good selection of high quality vodka and caviar, as well as an atmosphere evoking the Czars' lifestyle. For Russian crafts like Matriochkas (Russian wooden dolls that fit inside one another), lacquered Palekh boxes, painted wooden eggs, copper samovars, balalaïkas or other traditional musical instruments, try the souvenir shops on Arbat Street. Other gifts to look for include religious images, gourmet delicatessen products and Soviet-era remnants.

International designers are now for sale alongside Russian labels in the enormous state department store GUM, located near Red Square. Izmaïlovo Park is host to a flea market on weekend days.

The Kremlin, historical and political center of the city, comprises a structure of ramparts that enclose many gilded cathedrals and luxurious Renaissance-style palaces. Visitors can tour the Palace of the Patriarchs, the frescoed Cathedral of the Assumption and the Arsenal, which houses a stunning diamond collection. On Red Square, just outside the ramparts, oft-photographed St Basil's Cathedral with its colorful cupolas and Lenin's Mausoleum are worth a visit.

Nor far from Red Square is the Arbatskaïa district, where you can enjoy a drink at one of the many cafés on Oulitsa Arbat, a pedestrian street. The neighborhood is also home to the striking Ministry of Foreign Affairs building

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts exhibits works by illustrious artists including Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh and Renoir, while the largest collection of Russian art in the world can be found at the Tretiakov Gallery.

Performances by Moscow's world-renowned ballet company are staged in the Bolshoï Theatre, which can be visited by tourists even when no performances are scheduled.

Moscow's famous Gorky Park is where local residents run, boat and, in winter, ice-skate. Boats to the park leave from the pier at Bolshoï Oustinski Most, close to Red Square. Visiting the monastery and baroque churches of Novodevitchi is another favorite Moscow-area excursion.