Renting a Moscow apartment is an excellent alternative to the pricey hotels that the city is known for. But a holiday flat is a much different type of holiday than most people are used to. Before booking a flat, you need to consider whether this option is the right one for you. Some flats may be on a high floor of a building without a lift. But you also may find a brilliant, spacious flat awaiting you at the top of the stairs. You may not have amenities like room service or a concierge but you may have free Wi-Fi and a well-equipped kitchen. And if you decide on a Moscow apartment, you can always communicate with the landlord or rental agent and ask for more information about the flat before you rent it.
Moscow is a fairly easy city to navigate once you figure out where you are going. It is a city of circles, and most tourists don't venture outside the first two rings – at least on their first trip to the city. And why would they need to? There's so much to see and do in the center of Moscow that you can spend your entire vacation just visiting all that you'll find directly outside your door.
At the very centre of Moscow is the Kremlin in Red Square. And just north of the Kremlin is an area called
Tverskaya Street. This area is a very conveniently located for seeing all that Moscow has to offer as well as shopping and dining. There are stylish boutiques, GUM shopping department, cafes, museums and nightclubs. There are a number of new, trendy restaurants in this area that cater to the newly-rich of Moscow.
For even better dining and a less well-known section to stay in, look for a holiday flat in
Kitai Gorod . This area is popular with high-brow food lovers, is very close to the Kremlin and is full of adventure. If you wander the streets, you will discover courtyards and churches that are not in the guidebooks. If you are lucky, you even may find a holiday flat that overlooks the Moscow River.
Or you may prefer to stay near
Arbat Street, a pedestrian-only street with souvenirs shops, cafes and street vendors. For the best shopping, you can find authentic craft stores in this area, a much better deal than what you will find at the typical souvenir shops. This area is popular with tourists as it has many beautiful mansions to see and a good amount of history.
A Moscow apartment is a good way to feel like you are really experiencing the city. It's a great place to catch your breath and plan your next outing into the labyrinth that is Moscow. And it's a very good place to take a break from all that Moscow has to offer and make yourself a simple meal that will make you feel not so far from home.
