Tour guide for Moscow

Q: My grandchild (15) years old is going with a team of girls to a place near Moskow called Dubna. While they are there, they have two free days and I would like to find out about arranging a reliable tour service to Moscow. We need a reliable English-speaking guide who will be prepared to collect them in Dubna and arrange a trip for them with the emphasis on safety. Is there any high security association we can contact to try and arrange a memorable outing for them? - Rika Van Der Merwe

A: You have a number of options. Your first option is to contact the South African Embassy in Moscow and ask them for advice and a recommendation (Tel: +7 (495) 926 1177). They should be able to provide you with one or two operators or assist you in organising it. Alternatively, you could directly contact a Moscow company offering this service. You can contact the Moscow Tour Guide service, which can arrange an English-speaking driver with car and a tour guide. Prices are negotiable, but the price of a guide is usually US$25 per hour and US$25 per hour for a car and driver. You may wish to ask for a woman tour guide, so emphasize your special requirements when enquiring. You can contact Ms Daria Nesterovskaya by email: nesterovskayadaria@rambler.ru or on her mobile phone: +7 (916) 250 07 53. If you feel happier dealing with someone in South Africa, you could contact American Express Travel (tel: 021-4089700) and ask them if they can organise a private tour for your daughter through their international network.