If you want help Compare expediters' prices. PassportVisasExpress.com charges $59 (seven days), while Zierer Visa Service asks $55 (10 days).

KENYA (DIY)
Get a visa for $50 (U.S. cash only) at the airport upon arrival. Forms are available at the airport.

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To apply in advance If you're mailing your paperwork, allow at least seven days--and up to 16 days from May through August. It's possible to get a visa within a day if you apply in person and pay a $10 rush fee at the consulates in New York and L.A. or the embassy in D.C. (kenyaembassy.com). Cashier's checks and money orders only.

If you want help Expediters charge from $39 for seven-day processing, and $55 or so for four-day service.

RUSSIA ($)
Beyond the $100 fee, tourist visas require proof of a Russia-based sponsor (often a tour operator). Expect to pay $45-$55 for assistance if your trip is booked through the operator, and more if you arranged your trip some other way. Alternately, Travel Document Systems charges $45 for 10-day processing. If you need a visa sooner, the fees go up, and the consulate tacks on charges: $50 for three- to five-day processing, $100 for next-day service, or $200 if you require same-day turnaround.

To save money You still need to show that you have a sponsor--a hotel in Russia will do. Your hotel should have the standard tourist confirmation document that you need to submit with your applications. You'll need a confirmation document for each place you stay. Apply in person or by mail through a consulate, and be sure to include a prepaid return envelope; payment must be through cashier's check or money order (russianembassy.org). You should allow 6 to 10 business days for processing.

TURKEY (DIY)
Pay $20 at the Istanbul airport visa booth before going to immigration.

To apply in advance Visas processed by mail cost $9 more and can take three weeks (turkishembassy.org). Consulates accept money orders and cashier's checks by mail, and cash in person. You used to be able to apply online for $29, but the service is down and no one knows when it'll be operating again.

If you want help PassportVisasExpress.com charges $39 for two-day service.

VIETNAM (DIY)
The prices and policies vary by consulate, and you need not apply via your regional office (vietnamembassy-usa.org). The San Francisco consulate charges $45 for three-day processing and $65 for next-day service. Others ask more--four-day service from New York, for example, is $105. For D.C., include a prepaid U.S.P.S. Express Mail envelope.

If you want help PassportVisasExpress.com charges $89 for four-day service; Travel Document Systems charges $45 (7 to 10 days). There's also the somewhat complicated option of asking a travel agent or tour operator to get an approval letter from the immigration department in Hanoi. Through Sinhcafe Travel, for example, you pay $30, get your letter in a week or so, and then bring the letter and $25 more to the airport.