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.
Foreign bank cards do not work at ordinary payment terminals in Russia, and many Russian booking sites accept only cards issued in Russia. However, a few services still let foreign travellers book accommodation from abroad and either pay online with an international card or pay at the property.
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. Trip.com is usually more reliable 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: a secondary option
Trip.com may accept international cards, but Russian hotels are not always shown when you search from outside Russia. For this reason, we treat Trip.com as a backup option rather than the main recommendation.
Trip.com is an international booking service and supports several payment systems, including Visa, Mastercard, JCB and UnionPay. If Russian hotels are available in your search results, an international card may work for online payment.
However, when searching from abroad, Trip.com may show “No properties found” for Russian destinations even though accommodation is available.
If Trip.com does not show Russian properties, use Ostrovok.ru instead. It is the more reliable option for searching Russian hotels from abroad.
How to book a hotel in Moscow and St. Petersburg with a Russian bank card?
If you have a Russian bank 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 bank 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 main ways. The available method depends on the booking service, the hotel and the selected rate.
1. Online payment with an international Visa or Mastercard. This is available on for supported rates. Ostrovok lists Visa and Mastercard among the payment systems it accepts; availability for a particular foreign-issued card may still depend on the issuing bank, hotel, rate and payment processor. In our experience, a foreign-issued Mastercard has worked successfully. Trip.com may also accept international cards when Russian hotels are shown in the search results.
2. Booking without a bank card and paying at check-in. Many properties on can be reserved without entering card details. Payment is usually made in Russian rubles at the hotel. Remember that international Visa and Mastercard cards do not work at ordinary payment terminals in Russia, so if you choose pay-at-property, cash in rubles is the safest option.
3. Payment with a card issued in Russia. If you have a Russian bank card, you can book accommodation online with payment on Trip.com and 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 bank cards | Without a card | |
| Trip.com | Yes** | Yes | No |
| Ostrovok.ru | Yes* | Yes | Yes |
| Yandex Travel | No | Yes | No |
| Sutochno.ru | No | Yes | No |
* — Ostrovok accepts Visa and Mastercard, but availability for a particular foreign-issued card may depend on the hotel, rate, issuing bank and payment processor.
** — Trip.com may accept international cards, but Russian hotels are not always shown when searching from outside Russia.
From March 1, 2026, new hotel service rules apply in Russia. Under these rules, if a guest cancels before the arrival date, the accommodation provider should refund the payment in full. If the guest cancels on the arrival date, arrives late or does not show up, the hotel may normally charge no more than the cost of one night. However, always check the cancellation policy on the booking page and keep in mind that conditions may differ when booking through intermediaries or non-hotel accommodation.
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 supports online payment with Visa and Mastercard for supported rates. Many properties can also be booked without a card and paid for at check-in.
Why does Trip.com show “No properties found” for Russia?
Trip.com may hide Russian hotels when you search from outside Russia. If this happens, Ostrovok.ru is usually the more reliable alternative.
Can I pay on Ostrovok with an international Visa/MasterCard?
Yes, for supported rates. Ostrovok lists Visa and Mastercard among the payment systems it accepts, although availability for a particular foreign-issued card may depend on the issuing bank, hotel, rate and payment processor. In our experience, a foreign-issued Mastercard has worked successfully.
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?
Italian version: Come prenotare un hotel in Russia