Visa of the week: Russia

Getting to Moscow has rarely been tougher. Travellers applying for visas at the Russian Consulate in London around Easter found that if their applications were not in the first 150 of the day, they were rejected. Desperate travellers started queuing as early as 2am. Some visa agencies used Russia's consulate in Edinburgh; others sent applications to the embassy in Washington.

After 10 days, normal "service" was restored. For about £60 and a bundle of paperwork, a visa can be had in around two weeks. Tour operators are dreading June, when business travel, cruises and trips to St Petersburg are at their height.