Business travel: Novosibirsk

General
Novosibirsk surely is not Moscow or St. Petersburg. You cannot find amenities such as cash machines here, nor can you expect to be able to use your credit card very often. The Intourist hotel (Sibir) accepts Visa and Mastercard for room payments. Both Lufthansa and TransAero airlines accept payment with Visa, Mastercard and American Express for tickets. Cash advances can be made with an American express card at Credobank, and a Visa card at Siberian Bank, Siberian Trade Bank, Novosibirskvneshtorgbank, Mosbusiness Bank, and Credobank. For all other restaurants, stores and transactions, rubles must be used. You can exchange money at any bank, and new and unblemished bills are recommended. Money can be wired to the Western Union office at the Siberian Bank.

The area code in Novosibirsk is 3832. Local calls can be made at any pay phone and from the hotel phones. Pay phones work on a special 15 copeck piece that can be purchased at Metro stations for 100-200 rubles. To dial out, first dial 8 and wait for a dial tone. Then dial 1, the country code and the full number (including area code). For example, to dial the Washington area, dial 8 (wait) 1-01-202...

Transportation
Airlines: Novosibirsk is serviced by Aeroflot, Lufthansa German airlines, airline companies Sibir and TransAero.

        Aeroflot: phone: 291999 (general)
        Sibir: phone: 669078, fax: 227572
        Lufthansa: phone:  696377 (reservations), 227151 (general), fax: 227151
        TransAero: phone: 231917 (general), fax: 230321

For your comfort and safety, the Review advises TransAero flights. Airport (Tolmachevo): phone: 298941 (general)

Trains: Tickets can be purchased only in person at the Main train station or at travel kiosks. Rubles are the only acceptable form of payment. The Main train station is located two blocks north of the Hotel Sibir on Lenin ul. (it is big and bright green - you can't miss it). Passengers can travel to regional cities (Barnaul, Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, Tomsk...) as well as to Moscow daily, to Western Russia via the Vladivostok-Moscow Express, to Mongolia and China via the TransSiberian Express, and to other foreign cities such as Almaty, Bishkek, and Tashkent.

*The Vladivostok-Moscow Express (numbered #1 going West and #2 going East) arrives from the East at 07:00 on odd numbered days, departs at 07:15 the same day, and arrives Moscow 52 hours later. The train arrives from the West at 19:40 on odd numbered days, departs at 19:55 the same day, and arrives Vladivostok 105 hours later. Stops in between Moscow and Vladivostok are: Yaroslavl, Kirov, Perm, Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Kransnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Chita, Khabarovsk, and Ussurissk.

*The Trans-Siberian or Moscow-Beijing Express (numbered #3 going West and #4 going East) arrives from the East at 13:20 each Saturday, departs at 13:35 the same day, and arrives Moscow 50 hours later. The train arrives from the West at 23:36 every Thursday, departs at 23:51, and arrives Beijing 60 hours later. Stops in between Moscow and Beijing are: Yaroslavl, Kirov, Perm, Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude,and Ulan-Bator.

*The Sibiryak or Novosibirsk-Moscow Express (numbered #25 going West and #26 going East) departs for Moscow at 09:15 each morning and arrives Moscow 51 hours later. Stops in between Moscow and Novosibirsk are: Yaroslavl, Kirov, Perm, Tyumen, and Omsk.

        For group bookings call: 242185.
        For general information call: 207711, 292011.
        For international purchases call: 293530.
        *Prices  vary  for  train  rides  depending  on duration,
        accommodations.

Bus & Metro: Rides cost 600 rubles (some .15 dollars) and can cover most of the city and surrounding environs. City maps are available in local bookstores and at Metro stations.

Taxi: Taxis can be hailed simply by waving your hand at oncoming traffic. Many "taxis" are, in fact, private citizens who make extra money ferrying people along. Be prepared to pay from 4,000 to 10,000 rubles ($1-2.5) for a trip within the city and from 40,000 to 70,000 rubles ($9-16) for a trip between Tolmachevo Airport and the city (or Tolmachevo - Akademgorodok, or the city - Akademgorodok).

        Hotels
        Novosibirsk
                Lenin ul. 68
                phone: 292376; 292375
        Novosibirsk Airport hotel
                phone: 281430, 283930
        Sibir
                Lenin ul. 23
                phone: 231215
        Tsentralnaya
                Krasny prosp. 25
                phone: 220313, 227660

(To be continued.)

Information courtesy of the American Business Center, Julie A. Riddler, and James Whitman contributing.