Winston Churchill famously described Russia as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." I…read moredidn't realize how incredibly true his words are ... even today ... until I tried on my own to obtain a tourist visa to visit Russia. Byzantine procedures. The vetting is beyond what America considers "extreme" these days, and I was close to just giving up. Then a little Yelpishness led me to Russian-American Consulting Corp., a tiny office in the bowels of a private Russian parcel service in Brighton Beach Brooklyn. The boss (Lena) sorted me out right quick and for a reasonable fee -- I had my visa in about two weeks. I admit it was uncomfortable turning my original American passport over to a complete stranger along with loads of personal information and payment in advance ... but don't let that deter you. Lena knows Russia and the ins and outs of travel there. She even does ticketing at rates that beat the published fares on the internet. RACC is not the most convenient business to get to, and there are no weekend hours -- which accounts for my 4 star rating. Still, I consider it the best service of its kind in the metro area and well worth the up charge over the basic Russian consular fee. Top Tip: Don't bother filling out a Russian visa application online. Waste of time. Lena will do it for you in 10 minutes -- just come prepared to answer the dozens of personal questions the enigmatic Russian government asks for. You can pay by credit card -- but there is a 4% fee if you do.

Disclaimer: I've never been to the Brighton Beach location, but I have been to their 34th street…read morelocation in Manhattan twice and used their website extensively, so will speak to that in my review. Both times, they exceeded my expectation in helping me obtain a visa to Russia. They are extremely thorough and professional and defy cultural stereotypes by being upbeat. The first time I applied for a visa, I had no clue about what I was doing; an employee walked me through the visa application step-by-step, didn't charge a fee for that (as I learned later, the agency that the consulate officially outsources to charges a $25 fee for that), and didn't make me feel stupid when I had a question. I was so pleased with their professionalism, that I used them again when I needed to apply a second time for a Russian visa. I also very much like the fact that their website is designed to support the user. Someone with a solid knowledge of web design and foresight clearly created it. They have a flash demonstration of how to fill out the online visa application step-by-step. You can order a hotel voucher right from the website and it generates automatically, which takes much of the hassle out of filling out the visa application. Kudos to these guys!

Extremely rude! I signed up for there affiliate program and I've gotten zero help thus farread more

Another beautiful travel by Brand New Travel! We are using…read morethis agency 6 years, and we are very happy. I can trust them completely insure that we can get a beautiful vacation. Thank you Konstatin for all your help!

If only zero stars were an option. I had made a 240pm appt to have my minor child's passport…read morerenewed. Prior to the appointment I took personal time from work, arranged coverage for work responsibilities, picked up my child early from school, and raced across South Brooklyn by bike to make it on time. We arrived about two minutes late then had to wait on a bench with no one there for a bit. Eventually someone came out, named "Santiago." I told him we had an appointment, he said we were late and couldn't be seen. I asked to speak with someone else. His colleague came came out with a scowl, reiterated that they wouldn't see my child, and told me the agent had left for the day. I asked, "So, I have a 3:40 to 4pm appointment. It's ten to four now, and this person left?" She replied in the affirmative. Then she walked away and - yes - slammed the door to her office behind her. I went to a "welcome" desk nearby and asked for help. They called someone who came down, named Bryanna. Bryanna was pleasant but firmly repeated the policy. I expressed how this felt terrible to be treated this way by a public institution that we support and believe in, that I had made genuine efforts to make it to the appointment, and that we arrived than ten minutes late. At this point her attitude changed and she challenged my position, saying "exactly what part of this do you have a problem with?" and reminded me we arrived late. I was surprised but of course simply explained that we were only a few minutes late, that traveling with a child is inefficient, and that a reasonable interpretation of the policy - of which we were certainly unaware - would include a view to serving the community and, in cases like this, simply seeing the customer and helping them. I filled out a paper complaint form, but of course expect little from them in terms of accountability. One strike for so-called public service libraries, sad given how they're under attack everywhere and would seem to want to remind the community of how they're essential and deserve our support.

From the moment we arrived, staff was rude and nasty. No professional manners. No clear with the…read moreinformation.

Typically, I am very much "do it yourself" vacationer. I always thought that travel agencies are…read morerelics of the past. Who needs a travel agent, when you can go to countless web sites, and book everything you want then and there, without even putting a shirt on. Vacation Spirit was recommended to me by a friend. Work was beating me up, and I had to get away. I prepared by researching options myself, in case I have to back out and went to their office. One thing I did not realize that travel agents are open encyclopedia of knowledge. Location I chose was fine, but it appears that hotel I researched was not as good as travel sites made it appear. Per owner's recommendation, I took another property nearby. It was much easier to access the beach, resort was newer, cleaner, and had better pool. I have to say I loved personal touch that Vacation Spirit, and their owner offers. My job planning future vacations just got much easier. They are not a big shop and I guess this is what allows them to offer personalized service.

Honestly, I could not believe the level of personal service I got with Vacation Spirit. Boris and…read moreMarina were on top of everything, answered any question I had. Made changes to my reservation should I need it. Got me an amazing price and itinerary. This was a big deal for me and the trip was smooth sailing. Thank you!

Its been a long wait till out vacation time. It would of be great to stay someplace in the sun and…read morerelax on the beach. Would of been great to see something new and and visit an amazing place. Vacation could get to be very expensive. However when we contacted agency Happy Planet, our agent Marina Kroll, has surprised us time and time again. No one can beat her prices. She will make your wishes come true. The unbelievable deal that we got to Caribbeans, on Royal Princess cruise ship, was so amazing, we told everyone we knew. Just give her a call, and you won't be disappointed.

Had a great experience with Mila at Happy Planet - she found a fantastic deal for an all-inclusive…read moreresort and flight to Mexico, beating the cheapest Internet price by $500. She was also extremely helpful and patient dealing with payment issues due to bank spending limits. I would highly recommend her for anyone looking for a great deal and wonderful above-and-beyond service!

Timeka White is amazing, knows all the interesting places to go. I will be using her planning…read moreskills again.

From the owner: We are a full service leisure travel agency. Our goal is to handle the details, small and large, so…read morethat you, our client, can focus on having a successful meeting and/or a wonderful and memorable vacation. We specialize in the following types of travel: * Corporate * Destination weddings and honeymoons * Reunions and groups * Family * Ocean and River cruises * Europe * Disney * All-inclusive Payment plans are available, on select trips, to make your dream vacations and adventures a reality. Supplier Partnerships: We are partnered with these travel suppliers and many more! Royal Caribbean Carnival Funjet Vacations Apple Vacations Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Sandals/Beaches Globus Disney Universal Resorts Orlando GOGO Worldwide Vacation Travel Impressions

I bought tickets to Uzbekistan and returned with the child, thank you for your help! Fast service!read more

Bella's travel is a very good travel agency. They made my life much easier after my cruise ship…read moreicon of the seas was canceled. Why book with a travel agent they say?? Bella went above the call of duty to put me on another ship saving my pre booked vacation after the cruise. Definitely book with Bella as she's super knowledgeable, smart and very informative!

Best Deal Travel is really the best company that addressed my needs with respect to application for…read moreRussian visa. I had to deal with highly professional people that did their job timely for a very reasonable price. I would definitely recommend their service to anybody who needs travel advise or booking. Thank you Alisa!