Muscovites criticized holidays in old Russian cities: “Crowd and wild prices”

Prices for trips to resorts in 2023 are breaking records: even Russian beaches are too expensive for many, because it is almost impossible to spend less than 100 thousand rubles for a week of vacation at sea. Russians who still do not want to give up their vacation choose simpler options: go for 2-3 days to small towns filled with Russian antiquity – Suzdal, Plyos, Kolomna, etc. However, here you should not count on an inexpensive comfortable stay: the hospitality industry can not cope.

According to a study conducted by one of the major real estate agencies in July 2023, in large cities of the Golden Ring (Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Vladimir), you can almost always rent an apartment, the average cost of which will be about 3,200 rubles per day. In such cities, visitors come for 3-4 days to calmly see all the sights.

It is a completely different story – small towns, which, in principle, can be bypassed in one day, but it is better to stay overnight. Some of them have already become real tourist gems … only now they, like pearls, cannot be called publicly available.

In Suzdal, which back in the Soviet years was known for the fact that “There is a Russian spirit, there it smells of Russia”, today it is practically impossible to break loose spontaneously – well, or real for those who do not count money. Those who decide to go to Suzdal for the next weekend and at the same time live within walking distance from the sights should be prepared to pay at least 8-9 thousand rubles per night in a hotel. Other expenses will also not please.

“We were surprised: it seemed that Suzdal is a small city, which means that the prices should be appropriate. Nothing like this! Prices are absolutely Moscow, more expensive than in neighboring Vladimir. In principle, everything is clear – designed for tourists from Moscow. Dinner at the restaurant both times cost us 6,000 rubles for two, despite the fact that we were not chic, ”a 38-year-old Muscovite named Alexander shared his impressions.

“We went together for the weekend and spent almost 30 thousand rubles in two and a half days,” echoed another tourist, 33-year-old Evgenia. “Though it doesn’t look like much.” Two nights in a hotel – 12 thousand rubles, dinners cost us 6-7 thousand each time, we also went around museums, rode a boat along Kamenka, bought home some delicious souvenirs from cucumbers. I liked it, but this city just sucks money!”.

Even more than the prices, tourists are impressed … the abundance of tourists, which turns into crowds. In cities located 200-250 km from Moscow, one-day group excursions are often brought by bus, which create fuss and crowds. More than 12,000 people came to Suzdal for the recent cucumber festival alone (twice its population), and on other days the flow of tourists is no less. In other cities, the situation is similar.

“We encountered this in Kolomna,” says 29-year-old Katerina. – We thought to take a calm walk around the town, try kalachi and marshmallows, go to the Kremlin. But on the main pedestrian street, there was nowhere for an apple to fall! No silence of the county town, a solid crowd. In the evening, when everyone had left, it became calmer. I’m glad we booked the hotel.”

Kolomna will cost tourists less than Suzdal – it is quite possible to find a decent room for 4-6 thousand rubles, and you can stay in a hostel even for 1000 rubles per day.

The most hype of the small towns is Plyos. Since the reputation of the “Volga Riviera” began to be created in this city, Plyos has turned into a luxury resort city. With appropriate prices and conditions. In the best hotels of the city, which create its tourist brand, prices reach 20 thousand rubles per day, moreover, they need to be booked six months in advance.

“I read a lot about Plyos and Levitan’s landscapes, and back in the spring I decided to book a hotel for some summer weekend. But there is nothing to book! – shares a 32-year-old Muscovite named Nadezhda. – I went through all the options from June to August, dully. On weekdays, maybe there are free rooms, but I do not have the opportunity to go on weekdays. The stretch is small, and it’s simply unrealistic to break into it spontaneously.”

When it comes to Plyos, many people mention a certain special “Volga hedonism”: they say, you need to go to this town to sit on the veranda of a restaurant overlooking the Volga and drink tea from a samovar. However, in practice, according to tourists, Volga hedonism turns into chefs’ snobbery.

“We went to a advertised restaurant, specially booked. A very arrogant waitress said they were having a “chef’s set” today, a five-course set at a hefty price. I was not encouraged, I asked if it was possible to simply order dinner from the menu. I heard: “No, you can’t, our chef works with sets.” Well, we got up and left. What the hell, they were ready to spend the money! ”- says 48-year-old Galina. According to her, a lot of things in a small town gave the impression of pumping money out of tourists, and not the opportunity to immerse themselves in a cozy provincial atmosphere.