The national currency of Russia is the ruble, but the dollar is also of great importance. All the prices are given either in rubles or basic units, which are linked to the ruble-dollar exchange rate.

There are a number of ways to get money in Moscow.

• ATM Machines: You can get dollars or rubles from ATM's in Moscow using either local or foreign credit and bank cards.

• Bank Transfers: You can have money wired to you through a number of Russian and foreign banks even if you don't have an account with the bank (or any bank, for that matter). Service charges are in the range of 1.5 to 3 pct. There's also Western Union, which will enable you to wire money into the country, and if you hold a foreign passport you can collect the funds in dollars. But as always, their services are a bit pricey.

• Credit Card Cash Advance: Most major banks and hotels will enable you to get cash from your credit card from a cashier. Again, service charges are in the range of 1.5 pct.

• American Express: If you have an Amex card you can write a personal check at their office or use your card in their ATM machine.

Since the ruble exchange rate was freed in August 1998, the official exchange rate has been in the range of 27 to 28 rubles to the dollar. The official exchange rate is set daily by the Russian Central Bank (The official exchange rate can be checked on the main page left column, bottom). Another rate is set by trading on the Moscow Inter-bank Currency Exchange (MICEX).

Your can exchange virtually any major currency in Moscow and other large cities. However it's always best to have dollars on hand.