Practical information
Hotels in Perm
http://www.amaks-hotels.ru/en/
http://en.hotel-ural.com/
http://hi-perm.ru/indexeng.html
http://www.newstar-hotel.ru/en.html
http://hotel-gem.com/en
Time Zone
Perm is located in the Yekaterinburg Time Zone. Yekaterinburg Time (YEKT) is the time zone six hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time: GMT+6 and 2 hours ahead of Moscow Time (MSK+2). All timetables on Russian Railways (except Sakhalin railways) follow Moscow Time. Airports however follow local time.
Useful link: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html.
Electricity
— Voltage: 220-240 Volts
— Electrical sockets (outlets) in Russia are one of the two European standard electrical socket types: The "Type C" Europlug and the "Type E" and "Type F" Schuko.
If your appliance's plug doesn't match the shape of these sockets, you will need a travel plug adapter in order to plug in. Travel plug adapters simply change the shape of your appliance's plug to match whatever type of socket you need to plug into. If you need to be able to plug in no matter what, bring an adapter for all three types:
Adapter for "Type C" European CEE 7/16 Europlug, Adapter for "Type E/F" European CEE 7/4 or CEE 7/5 Schuko.
Useful link: http://www.adaptelec.com/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&products_id=187.
Health Services
The city of Perm has a selection of private and public hospitals with good standards.
Useful link: List of Perm medical centres
To find out if you will need a medical insurance, please contact your nearest Russian Consulate/Embassy and clarify this point.
Absence of medical insurance can be a reason for rejection of a visa application. If you were not able to contact your Consulate and find out whether this requirement is applicable to you, please apply for advice and/or help to an authorized Russian travel agent in your country.
Water
Tap water is chlorinated. However, it is recommended that you consume bottled water, which is readily available.
Food
Budget
Blinnaya Skovorodka (literally: "Blini Skillet"), a chain of restaurants in Perm serving blini (pancakes) with pretty much anything you want in them...jelly, apple, ham, cheese, etc. Link to the website: http://skovorodka.com/
Southern Fried Chicken. Restaurant addresses
McDonalds. McDonalds restaurants in Perm
Mid-range
The Stroganov restaurant at the basement of the Ural Hotel offers decent Russian cuisine.
S-36 city café offers European and fresh sea-fish dishes.
The Casa Mia restaurant offers Italian cuisine.
Splurge but worthy
Cafe "Drugoe Mesto" (Some Other Place)offers European cuisine. Provides all in one – friendly and relaxed atmosphere, location near business quarters of the city, a wide range of dishes including Balkan cuisine specialties, Montenegrin wine and adequate service.
How to dial a Perm phone number internationally
Call to Russian Federation Landline, Perm:
XXX: International Access Code / 7: Country Code for Russian Federation / Area code: 342 / Local Subscriber number: 7 digits (xxx-xx-xx)
Call to Russian Federation Mobile, Perm:
XXX: International Access Code / 7: Country Code for Russian Federation / Mobile Number
Call to Perm from Russian Federation Landline: 8 dial tone (342) xxx-xx-xx
Call to Perm from RF cell phone: +7 (342) xxx-xx-xx
Useful link: http://www.russiacards.com/en/russia/how-to-call/russian-cell-mobile-phone
Currency
The ruble or rouble (Russian: рубль rublʹ, plural рубли rubli) (code: RUB) is the currency of the Russian Federation.
The ruble is subdivided into 100 kopeks (sometimes transliterated kopecks, or copecks; Russian: копейка, kopéyka; plural: копейки, kopéyki).
For information on the current exchange rates please see: http://www.cbr.ru/eng/
For currency exchange offices, please see http://www.permonline.ru/index.cfm?page=205.
Business Hours
Usual business hours in Russia:
Banks 8am or 9am-5pm or 6pm Mon-Fri
Offices 8am or 9am-5pm or 6pm Mon-Fri
Restaurants noon - 11am, many are in fact virtually 24hr establishments.
In Perm, a lot of stores are open on Sundays.
Useful link: http://www.visaexpress.net/russia/holidays.htm
Climate
Perm has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Temperatures in winter dropped as low as -50 C in 1992, although -15 to -20C is close to the norm in winter. Average depth of snow cover is 55 cm. Summer temperatures exceed + 20C. Average air moisture is 70-80%. The average annual precipitation in the area ranges from 550 mm to 800 mm. Useful link: http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/europe/russia/perm_e.htm