For those heading over to Russia this weekend, here’s a few top tips after having been here a few days now.

Kick, push and shove everyone out your way getting off the plane at Moscow and go straight to passport control first. It’s all done manually and you will be stuck in the queue for ages if you don’t get there first. No, really. 

They will check, double-check and triple check every single detail and match you repeatedly against your pic. It is not a quick process.

I got lucky and befriended an off duty Russian air hostie who steered me through that and customs and check in to Kazan painlessly – but be prepared for a lot of paperwork and checking. Everyone takes their job really seriously and mistakes are not allowed.

Get a Russian sim as soon as you can. They can be dirt cheap - I have one with two weeks of unlimited data and 30 minutes of calls  (yeah, like anyone uses phones to call people) for a whopping $15. 

Just remember to take your passport and fan ID/visa and be prepared for a lot of tedious paperwork. This is true of everything in Russia. Changing dollars to roubles? Paperwork literally in triplicate, multiple rubber stamps, signatures, the works. It’s much easier and simpler to withdraw from an ATM.

Always carry some cash – taxis and some Ubers will only take cash although Paypass works in most places – and make sure you also have your hotel address printed out so you can just show the driver. Google Maps is your other essential app along with Translate, which is why a Russian sim is vital. 

You might also want to invest in a month’s subscription to ExpressVPN and install it on all your devices (and turn it on) just to safeguard your personal details from prying eyes. It may also help you watch TV from back home too…

The police can be in your face, but a Louis Theroux-style smile, a handshake and immediately showing your ID has immediately defused all situations for me so far.

There’s a Las Ramblas-style pedestrian area in the city centre which is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and shops and leads up to the Kremlin and Mosque which dominates the city skyline. You will end up here. It also has a craft beer bar (Top Hop) so you may not remember it though. Take pictures, just in case.

And finally, bring a jumper/warm jacket. The weather is also Edinburgh/Melbourne-like – it will be beautiful and mild in the sunshine, then suddenly the breeze turns to icy blasts with a sprinkling of actual cold rain. Apparently there was a tornado last week but, you know, whatever.

Oh and finally, finally. Don’t joke about Putin and stuff like that. It’s a tough crowd. But that’s a blog for another day (possibly after I’ve left…)

See you when you get here…