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Intourist has a near-monopoly on tourist bookings, having contracts with some 80 North American travel agencies. At least a month should be allowed for confirmation of bookings, and the whole trip must be paid for in advance. The deluxe plan of travel is the only way that individuals and couples may go during July and August, and it is a bargain. For $35 a day ($50 for couples) the deluxe tourist receives coupons providing for lodging, meals (breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner), three hours' use of car and driver and Intourist guide—in practice, the guide will work longer on request. There is no choice of hotels. Indeed, unless a tourist pays a $25 surcharge, he cannot discover where he is being lodged until he arrives.
In preparing for the trip, Nagel's U.S.S.R. Travel Guide ($8.95) is indispensable. Trying to master the Russian language in a hurry is hopeless, but it is a good idea to learn the Cyrillic alphabet. Many words, especially on signs, are really French or English; pecTopaH simply spells "restaurant," Tede^OH spells "telephone." It also helps to memorize about a dozen words or phrases such as "please" (pronounced puzhzal'sta), "thank you" (spaseeba), "now" (saychas), and "then" (patom), for restaurant ordering. The larger Intourist restaurants have menus in four languages including English, and it is a good idea to liberate one—preferably with permission—as soon as possible. Thus armed, the visitor finds it easy to order meals in out-of-the-way restaurants where only Russians go.
Pigeons & Pornography. Even in summer, the suitcase should contain warm as well as summer clothing, plenty of color film to be developed back in the U.S., a rubber sink stopper (many of the sinks are plugless), toilet paper (public washrooms don't provide any), a small short-wave radio for picking up the BBC or Radio Free Europe (the only English-language sources of non-Party-lining news) and an assortment of gifts. Tipping is officially not allowed, and many Russians are insulted by the offer of money. But Intourist guides gratefully accept paperback editions of Hemingway, Faulkner and Salinger, jazz records, makeup, ballpoint pens and chewing gum.
Entering and leaving Russia, many tourists zip right through customs without so much as opening a bag, while others get a thorough going-over. Visitors are allowed to bring in the usual items for personal use duty-free. Not to bring: Soviet currency, firearms, pigeons, pornography or propaganda. Tourists are asked to declare any gold they are bringing in and, since customs officials seem obsessed with this, it is not a time to be careless. An overlooked charm bracelet has been known to result in a lengthy inquisition.