Booking and paying for hotels in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities in Russia in 2026 still comes with several restrictions due to sanctions and payment limitations.
Popular booking services like Booking.com and Airbnb.com no longer show accommodation listings in Russia.
Most Russian booking systems accept only cards issued in Russia and do not support international Visa or MasterCard for online payments.
So how can you book and pay for a hotel in Russia now?
In practice, there are two workable options — but with an important update for 2026.
Option #1 (recommended): Ostrovok.ru — a Russian booking platform that reliably shows hotels in Russia regardless of your location. You can often pay online with an international Visa/MasterCard, or choose pay at check-in (cash in rubles at reception). Availability of international card payments depends on the hotel and payment gateway.
Option #2: Trip.com (limited in 2026) — Trip.com may accept foreign cards, but since 2026 Russian hotels may be hidden when you search from outside Russia. In most cases Trip.com works only if you are already in Russia.
How to book a hotel in Russia without a Russian bank card
If you do not have a Russian bank card, there are two practical ways to book accommodation in Russia in 2026: online payment with an international Visa/MasterCard (where supported) or payment at check-in in cash.
Processing may take longer and sometimes requires an additional verification step, but in most cases payments are successful. If it fails on the first attempt, try again later or select another room rate — availability of international cards depends on the hotel and payment gateway.
For travellers who prefer not to prepay, some accommodation can still be booked without using a credit card, with cash payment on arrival at the hotel.
The main advantages of the Ostrovok.ru site are a large selection of hotels and apartments in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities in Russia, as well as the ability to use the English language and display prices in a convenient currency for you.
The option to book accommodation without a credit card is available for some but not all hotels. For example, in St. Petersburg out of 6,200 hotels you can book 2,000 accommodation options with cash payment at check-in.
To find only such hotel offers, select the Payment and booking option: No card required for booking.
When you select a suitable hotel and room, you will see a message about the need to pay at the hotel and the amount in Russian rubles.
Trip.com in 2026: works mainly if you are already in Russia
If you search for hotels in Russia from outside Russia, Trip.com may show “No properties found” and hide Russian listings. In many cases VPN does not fix this. Trip.com is most useful when you are already in Russia.
, registered in Singapore, currently continues to operate in the Russian hotel booking market and accepts various credit cards for online payment: Visa, Mastercard, Japanese JCB, Chinese UnionPay and Russian MIR cards.
However, if you try to find accommodation in Russia, for example in Moscow, as you usually do on other booking services, you will see the message: «No properties found.»
Don’t believe that accommodation cannot be found 🙂 Change the language to Russian (Русский).
You will see that many hotels in Moscow become available for booking. Hotels can be paid for with Visa, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay cards.
The currency must be indicated as EUR, USD or any other currency except the Russian ruble (RUB). For payments with foreign cards, choose EUR or USD (avoid RUB). If you select RUB, you will only be able to pay with a Russian credit card, not an international one.
You can also go directly to the Trip.com website using with the correct settings.
The main inconvenience is that hotel names and details are shown in Russian, but you can use Google Translate.
The advantages of are that you use a reliable international booking service and pay for hotels with your credit card online. With the other option, you would have to pay for accommodation in Russian rubles.
How to book a hotel in Moscow and St. Petersburg with a Russian credit card?
If you have a Russian credit card, opportunities for booking accommodation in Moscow, St. Petersburg and any other city in Russia are significantly expanded. In addition to Trip.com and Ostrovok.ru, you can book hotels on Yandex Travel, and apartments on Sutochno.ru (the Russian equivalent of Airbnb).
To use a Russian credit card on the website, you need to change the currency to Russian rubles (RUB), and you can select Russian as the language.
The booking service does not require any special settings. Using online payment rather than booking without a credit card will increase the selection of hotels and apartments by about three times.
— is one of the largest hotel and apartment booking services in Russia. Unfortunately, this site does not support any languages other than Russian.
is a Russian site similar to Airbnb. You can find apartments, homes, hostels and a few hotels here. English language is available, as well as displaying accommodation prices in US dollars and euros.
How can hotels in Russia be paid for now?
Payment for hotels booked in Russia is now possible in three ways. This depends on the booking service you use.
1. Online payment with Visa and Mastercard credit cards. This payment option is available on the website (you must switch to Russian).
2. Booking without a credit card with cash payment in Russian rubles on arrival at the hotel. This option can be used on the service.
When booking without a card, you need to remember that apart from cash in Russian rubles, you will not have any alternative ways to pay for your stay. International Visa and Mastercards do not work in Russia due to sanctions, and cash US dollars or euros are not accepted at many hotels.
3. Payment with a card issued in Russia. If you have a Russian credit card, you can book accommodation online with payment on Trip.com, Ostrovok.ru, as well as .
The table shows all options for paying for hotels in Russia when booking on the most popular sites.
| VISA/MasterCard | Russian cards | Without a card | |
| Trip.com | Yes** | Yes | No |
| Ostrovok.ru | Yes* | Yes | Yes |
| Yandex Travel | No | Yes | No |
| Sutochno.ru | No | Yes | No |
* — In 2026 some hotels on Ostrovok support online payment with international VISA/MasterCard. Processing speed and availability depend on the specific hotel.
** — Trip.com may accept international cards, but in 2026 Russian hotels can be hidden when searching from outside Russia. Trip.com is most reliable when you are already in Russia.
FAQ
Can I book hotels in Russia from abroad in 2026?
Yes. Ostrovok.ru is usually the most reliable option from outside Russia: it shows Russian hotels regardless of your location and often supports international Visa/MasterCard, depending on the hotel.
Why does Trip.com show “No properties found” for Russia?
Since 2026, Trip.com may hide Russian hotels when you search from outside Russia. In many cases VPN does not solve it. Trip.com works best when you are already in Russia.
Can I pay on Ostrovok with an international Visa/MasterCard?
Often yes, but it depends on the hotel and payment gateway. If online payment fails, choose another rate, try again later, or use “pay at check-in”.
Is “pay at check-in” still possible?
Yes. Many hotels allow booking with payment at the property. You usually pay in Russian rubles at reception (cash).
What if my payment is declined?
Wait a few minutes and try again, select another room rate, or choose another hotel. Some providers use different payment processors.
Further Reading: How to book a hotel in China?
