MY PARTNER AND I ARE TRAVELLING TO LONDON IN OCTOBER. WHEN IS THE CHEAPEST TIME TO BUY PLANE TICKETS? OR SHOULD I WAIT TO TRY AND GET A LAST MINUTE DEAL? WE'RE THINKING OF VISITING RUSSIA BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW SAFE IT IS, CONSIDERING WORLD EVENTS. WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?
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C. HANCOCK, SYDNEY
The cheapest time to buy plane tickets is right now. Airlines usually release their tickets 11 months in advance. The first to sell out are the "saver" fares and once they're gone you're left with tickets that become progressively more expensive as flight time approaches. On the plus side, October is not high season and you should still be able to score a good deal. If you're thinking of visiting Russia, investigate the price of a return ticket from Sydney to Moscow, with another return Moscow-London ticket.
Russia's meddling in Ukraine has not made it any less safe for visitors. Neither Moscow nor St Petersburg are particularly dangerous cities but you should put yourselves in the hands of a specialist travel operator, I recommend Eastern Europe Travel Bureau, (eetbtravel.com) in the heart of Sydney, which has decades of experience organising tours in Russia.
What has happened in Russia as a result of world events is a catastrophic fall in the value of their currency. Your Aussie dollars will now buy many more roubles than they would have a year ago, and you should find some real bargains in the price of hotels, tours and meals.
