So you have finally decided to get on a plane and visit Russia or Ukraine. Maybe even Belarus or another ex-Soviet Union, USSR state. You may well have been making contact with one or more women, and you are now ready to move on to the next stage of the international dating game, and actually go on a date that does not involve Skype, a webcam and no actually interaction in person.
This is a big step; and you do not want to get it wrong.
Now assuming you are meeting just one girl, I would recommend that you ask her to meet you at the airport. Unless you are fluent in the native language of the country you are visiting you will be prone to getting the tourist rates with everything you do. The worst I have heard of is a Japanese guy being charged about $120 USD for a taxi journey that would normally cost about $25 USD. He was in a foreign country, and could not speak the language. He also had not worked out the exchange rate properly! There is a lesson in that alone I believe.
This is getting much better however. This is particularly true in Kiev, where in March 2011 you would be hounded by taxi drivers in the international terminal, by October 2011 there had been an official taxi booking station placed within the terminal, with only authorized taxis charging the set fee being allowed to operate. It is amazing what being granted the European Football tournament in 2012 can do for a country.
Once the Russian girl you have travelled to meet has met you at the airport, she can help you travel to your hotel, and help you settle into your room. It is amazing just how much easier having a native speaker with you will make this process. Especially if she speaks good English- Which I assume she does, otherwise you are in danger already of things not working out for you.
Now if you have spent some time liaising with this Russian girl you should be quite comfortable having a conversation in the taxi, and in your room. She will already trust you to an extent, and you her; otherwise why would you travel thousands of miles to meet her. However, please be aware it is my experience that generally Russian girls in hotels with western men are viewed in a very negative way, and generally thought of as prostitutes. This will definitely not be the case, but please be aware that if this girl is genuine, it may make her feel slightly uncomfortable being there with you, as she will be watched by everyone.
Once you are settled in I recommend the first date be a very relaxed situation. Ideally it needs to be somewhere you can talk. A coffee shop is ideal or a quiet restaurant for if you have arrived later in the day. The first date with a Russian girl will say a lot about you and about her. Please note it is very much expected in Russia and Ukrainian that on dates’ men pay for things. This was the biggest cultural shock I had when dating Ukrainian girls. Although I am more than happy to do this; unlike a lot of western girls they will not offer to pay or share the bill. This is where you can learn a lot about her. Mainly because in my experience, if she is out to scam you, she will buy the most expensive thing she can, and be very demanding; otherwise she will be very modest, and generally follow your lead on ordering food and drinks.
When your first date is finished, and assuming still this Russian Girl is the only one you will be meeting on your stay, I suggest you pay for a taxi to take her home, after arranging what time to meet the following day for your next date.
The following day should take the form of her showing you around the city or town she lives in in Russia or Ukraine. Let he be your guide, and really take an interest in what she is showing you. I cannot describe how important this is; and that you are genuinely interested in what she is showing you and you are learning not only about her, but her culture and history.
Throughout the day you can stop for lunch and coffee, and then in the evening you can go for a more upmarket meal.
From my vast experience, and success with Ukrainian and Russian women [My girlfriend is half Ukrainian and half Russian- best of both worlds I believe] this is the best 24 to 48 hours you can spend with a Russian Girl you have spent many hours with online, but never met in person. It gives you a foundation to discover whether the chemistry that made you get on the plane I the first place actually exists in the real world.
It is important however to state many guys who date Russian women will actually travel to the country to meet more than one girl, as it is just not economic to do otherwise with expensive airfares, and the costs of hotels etc. There is probably a better plan than this if that is your agenda, otherwise being shown the sites of the same city over and over is going to be mind numbingly boring.
