Russia Travel Procedures
 

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS - From U.S. to Russia

Your CHI Adoption Consultant will contact you when it is time to make the international reservations and will give you suggestions regarding those flights. You are free to use the travel agency of your choice for the US domestic and International flights or to make your own arrangements directly with the airlines of your choice. You can do it. We can help.

Families will be notified immediately by email and phone call of the travel dates and asked to make their international flight arrangements. CHI will give you the necessary dates for departure and return. 

*You may not change the dates of travel for any reason without prior approval by the St. Louis office Travel Coordinator. CHI will need a flight itinerary from you within 2-3 business days from the call with your travel dates. This is necessary for us to get the information to the Moscow staff and to the region so that they can make the necessary arrangements in Russia.

For domestic US airline reservations, CHI highly advises families to save their Frequent Flyer Miles for these flights, if possible. If for any reason there are plane delays, you must work that out with the airlines to make the proper connections. Unfortunately, once you are at the airport and enroute, neither the travel agency or CHI are able to help in rearranging and working with the airlines.

Things to know when booking your international flights:

• Tickets purchased over the Internet or through a travel agency must be changeable or refundable. If they are not changeable and your travel dates need to be changed for any reason, new tickets will have to be purchased at the family's expense.
• When arranging your US flights to the city of departure, please allow enough time (a minimum of 2-3 hours) to catch your international flight. If need be, you should fly the night before and spend the night in order to catch your international flight.

* 2nd trip for court hearing

A return international ticket for your child in his/her English Name is required even if your child is under the age of two. You do not have to purchase a seat ticket, but a lap ticket is required, and the cost is a percentage of your adult ticket. The ticket must be in your child?s English Name, because that is the name that will appear on his/her Russian passport.

In Russia, the last name is always listed first, the next one or two names is considered to be your child?s first name. All names on tickets must match the names on the passports.

Please click here: for a list of resources / travel agencies that can assist you in booking your international tickets.

CHI will need to know your specific international airline flight information with carrier name, flight numbers, arrival date/time and departure date/time. Within 2-3 business days, please send by E-mail a copy of your complete travel itinerary from the airlines to CHI: Attn: RussiaTravel@ChildrensHope.net.
 

INSIDE RUSSIA FLIGHTS - From Moscow to Region

Our agency offers to make travel arrangements for your flights inside Russia. CHI cannot make arrangements for Inside Russia Travel until we receive the family's confirmed international flight information, so it is very important to confirm your flights quickly. Please visit http://www.childrenshope.ru  for the latest airfares to the regions via Moscow.

• Our Russia Travel Team will coordinate the schedules, so all travel can flow together with arrangements and appointments in Russia. You will pay the Russian representative directly for your flights inside Russia as these flights are booked through the regional office.
   
• If you go early or stay late, CHI will book extra nights at the hotels in order to accommodate your stay in Russia.
   
• CHI will automatically arrange airport/hotel transfers when arriving or departing Russia during hours (6:00 am ? 11:30 pm).

We estimate travel time based on past family experiences. If changes are made based on unforeseen circumstances or you choose to make flight changes, Children's Hope International cannot be held accountable for the cost of these changes. Typically, the penalty costs are $150 per international ticket and $100 per domestic ticket and these costs are incurred every time a change is made in the reservation.

• Please be advised that you will need to bring the phone number for your airline?s contact office in Moscow in case you need to make any changes to your tickets. It is the family?s responsibility to make changes to airline tickets.

INSIDE RUSSIA FLIGHTS, HOTELS, SIGHTSEEING, GROUND TRANSPORTATION

• Children's Hope International will make all the inside Russia hotel arrangements. If a family wishes to stay at a particular hotel or use Marriott points, they must make the arrangements themselves directly with the hotel and then notify us when confirming their travel itinerary. Please visit http://www.childrenshope.ru for the most recent hotel prices in Moscow and the regions.
   
• CHI will coordinate flights, hotels (breakfasts are included at most hotels), sightseeing, ground transportation and airport/hotel transfers.
   
• CHI will email or fax your Russia Travel letter which describes the process and what to expect during your trip. You will also receive a welcome letter from our Moscow office with emergency numbers and general itinerary for your flights to the region and return to Moscow. If traveling on your second trip for your court hearing, your final fee will also be included in this information. CHI requests that you pay this fee by a certified check or bank check which must be received before you travel.
   
• CHI books the same type of rooms (usually standard or deluxe) for all families. Please inform the Russia travel coordinator if this will not work for your family.
  
  Standard/Deluxe room arrangements: Most hotels have 2 twin beds and we will request a crib for a child under the age of two. For children over the age of 2, a rollaway bed and breakfasts will be included. Only one rollaway bed will fit in a room.
   
• Refund Policy for inside Russia Travel: We cannot refund money for hotel rooms when families make changes while they are in Russia or if changed within 3 days of travel. If you cancel your trip to Russia, 72 hour prior written notice is needed in order to obtain a refund for hotels.
   

FINAL TRAVEL DETAILS

Our Coordinators in Russia will arrange your ground travel details within the country. We will make all the arrangements for your travel from the US to Moscow and to the orphanage city and back home. We will notify the Russia staff of your arrival time. They will meet you upon arrival and help you with your travel details if needed. Your return flight date will be based on the estimated time within country. Be prepared that this may need to be altered if the paperwork, court proceedings, etc. change or take shorter/longer than expected.

Children's Hope International has no control over bureaucratic decisions or changes made by the adoption and government officials in Russia. We are committed to working efficiently to complete the work necessary for all families in Russia. Scheduling for return to the US is based on an approximation of time needed to complete all legalities. You should expect to spend some additional amount of time in Russia and arrange your affairs accordingly.

We will keep a complete copy of your flight itinerary so our representatives can meet you when you arrive in Moscow and in the region. However, if arrangements change for any reason, (plane delays, etc.) we must be notified immediately to get word to our representatives.
 

After confirmed travel dates are received, CHI will send the following travel letters to you to help in the preparation for gathering all documents for the adoption process. This package will include:

• Regional specific information
• Emergency numbers for our Moscow staff
• How to process through the airport and customs
• Money issues
• Final Check List of Documents to take to Russia
• Your Summary of Adoption Fees along with your Travel Letters will be emailed or faxed to you just prior to you traveling.