The 2014 Winter Olympics are taking place this year in Sochi, a resort town on the Black Sea in Russia. For many, the immediate assumption has been that Sochi might as well be on another planet, and that the cost of traveling there must be outrageous. Fortunately, I’m here to tell you the opposite.

First, let’s talk about cost. The 1980 winter games took place in Lake Placid, N.Y. Extensive research (a quick Google search) shows the average cost of a domestic U.S. airline ticket was $223.53 in 1980. Add three decades of inflation and you’re looking at a $718.75 ticket that wouldn’t have even earned you a passport stamp.

Now, with a better understanding of how much your parents paid to travel to the Olympics over 30 years ago, what would you do if you could find tickets to Russia for under $700 roundtrip?

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch.com, we told readers how to get to the Olympics in Sochi on the cheap. Our suggestion: book a flight to Moscow with fares as low as $658.82 roundtrip and take the train to Sochi. Just be aware “it’s a 26- to 32- hour ride, though special double-decker train cars were built for the Olympics.”

If you think the price tag seems too good to be true, keep in mind that it’s Russia’s low season. That’s great if you’re a value-conscious traveler, but it’s low season for a reason: in Moscow, that reason is single-digit temperatures – though it will be much warmer further south in Sochi.

With air and ground transportation coming in under $1,000 roundtrip, we think Sochi is not the most expensive games to attend. Besides, with the added bonus of experiencing Moscow – the iconic Red Square, the historic Kremlin – why would you want to fly directly to Sochi anyway?

Flights to Moscow start at just $658. Fares are roundtrip, and include our services few and taxes. Fares are based on historical data, are subject to change and cannot be guaranteed at the time of booking.