Take cash. seriously. ATMs in Russia and former Soviet Union are completely unreliable. completely. Don’t take bills over $50 ($20 is best) – they don’t trust large bills. There are a LOT of ATM scams in the FSU. Don’t flash large wads, either. Prepare the amount you wish to transfer before you go in public, and convert that amount. The best exchanges I got were at local bazaars and smaller villages. As is generally the case everywhere, airports and hotels will rip you off (even more). i brought an AmEx with me, simply because AmEx has Travel Services offices in Ukraine and Russia (St. Pete/Moscow/probably other major locations), in case I needed to get out ASAP or something. but i never used a card the whole time i was there.