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Travel to Saint Petersburg

 

Saint Petersburg (Санкт-Петербу́рг Sankt-Peterburg;) is Russia's second largest city, with a population of 4.7 million perched at the eastern tip of of the Baltic Sea and the Neva River. The city was formerly known as Petrograd (Петрогра́д), and later Leningrad (Ленингра́д).

By plane

Pulkovo Airport (IATA: LED | ICAO: ULLI) serves a wide variety of destinations both international and domestic. Terminal 1 serves domestic flights, while Terminal 2 is for international connections. The airport is located approximately 17 kilometers south from the center.

Taxis at Terminal 2 have now joined a structured pricing scheme based on geographic zones, which is prominently posted on a billboard outside the arrivals hall at the taxi stand. The fixed price for a taxi to the central district (Nevsky Prospekt/Hermitage area) is 600 RUB, for example, plus luggage surcharges. Traffic is usually quite heavy in the city, so plan on about two hours minimum during the day to get to the city by car. Those who speak Russian can order a taxi by phone for a lower price than the taxis at the airport. Companies such as 068 or 600000 (which are also their respective phone numbers) charge about 500-550 RUB for a trip to the city center/Hermitage area. The operator will take the order, then call you back to tell you the license plate number and color/model of the taxi that will meet you. They will also tell you the fare in advance, so there is no need to haggle. If calling from the airport arrival hall, it will take about 15-20 minutes for the taxi to arrive.

A cheaper option is to take a bus to the nearest Metro station, Moskovskaya, which will cost you only 16 RUB (Bus 39 to/from terminal-1, bus 13 to/from terminal-2). From there you can go to any station on the Saint Petersburg Metro for a 17 RUB (.80 USD) token. Private bus companies also operate full-size buses, which often have more space for large luggage, from Pushkinskaya Metro via Moskovskaya Metro to both airport terminals for about 100 RUB per person.

In addition to the visa, which you need to arrange before arrival, non-Russian citizens will be expected to fill in two copies of the migration card, which is sometimes only available in Cyrillic characters (translations into English and German are available on Lufthansa and Aeroflot). Passport control will tear off one copy of the migration card, leaving you with one copy. Keep track of this card. It is vital to registering your visa and leaving Russia. Not being able to present a migration card when leaving Russia can result in fines and the possibility of being detained in Russia. Those who enter Russia with valuable electronic items or musical instruments (especially violins that look antique and expensive), antiques, large amounts of currency, or other such items are required to declare those items on the customs entry card and must insist on having the card stamped by a customs officer upon arrival. Even if the customs officer advises that it is not necessary to declare such items, the traveler does have the right to insist on a stamp on his declaration. Having this stamp may save one considerable hassle (fines, confiscation) upon departure from Russia should the customs agent at departure decide that an item should have been declared upon entry.

 By train

Saint Petersburg is a major rail hub. The 5-hour train ride from Helsinki (Finland) is one of the most comfortable ways to reach the city. Trains also connect to destinations in the Baltics and Central Europe. Alternatively, you can head inland to Moscow.

There are five principal stations:

• Moscovskii Station (Московский вокзал): for Moscow, Novgorod, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Volgograd, Kazan, Samara, Rostov-na-Donu, Ufa Sochi and others cities. Metro: Ploshchad Vosstaniya (closer) and Mayakovskaya.
• Vitebskii Station (Витебский вокзал): for Pushkin (formerly Tsarskoe Selo), Pavlovsk, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia . Metro: Pushkinskaya.
• Baltiskii Station (Балтийский вокзал): for Petrodvorets (Peterhof), Lomonosov (Oranienbaum), Gatchina, Luga. Metro: Baltiiskaya.
• Ladozhskii Station (Ладожский вокзал): For various destinations including Murmansk, Ekaterinburg, Cheliabinsk, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Astana (Kazakhstan), Helsinki (night-train Leo Tolstoi). Metro: Ladozhskaya.
• Finliandskii Station (Финляндский вокзал): Now used again for trains to Finland. The luxury express trains Sibelius and Repin for Helsinki. Also trains to Vyborg. Metro: Ploschad Lenina.

Note: Warshavskii Station (Варшавский вокзал) is now closed, trains to/from Poland arrive at the Baltic or Vitebsk Stations.

By bus

The cheapest, although by no means the most comfortable way of reaching Saint Petersburg from neighboring countries are long distance buses. Buses from Belarus, Ukraine, Germany, Finland, the Baltic states and Scandinavia stop at the main bus station (Avtovokzal).

Metro: Ligovskii Prospekt (far away from metro).

Two private bus companies also run overnight routes to and from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as to Belarus and the Ukraine:

• Ecolines : has daily departures to Riga with stops at Luga, Pskov, and Ostrov as well as twice-weekly service to Minsk, Belarus and Kiev, Ukraine. From Riga, one can easily find connections to Poland and from there to most countries of Western and Central Europe. Tickets can be purchased online or through their Saint Petersburg Office at Pod'ezdniy pereulok 3 near Metro Pushkinskaya from 10am-8pm. Tel: +7 812 314 2550, +7 901 300 6170

   Ecolines buses depart from Vitebskii vokzal (near Metro Pushkinskaya) and the Bus Station (Avtovokzal)

• Eurolines  has multiple daily departures to Tallinn with a stop in Narva. They also maintain a daily route to Riga from which buses to most of Western and Central Europe can be found. Connections can also be made to the Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova from Riga and/or Vilnius. Tickets can be purchased online (although their website is rather difficult to navigate) or at their Petersburg office at Mitrofanjevskoe Shosse 2-1, near Metro Baltiskii. Tel: +7 (812) 438 28 39

   Eurolines buses depart from Metro Baltiskii.

Eurolines also offers a quite attractive Baltic Pass , which allows for travel between Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius and Saint Petersburg over a 14-day period.

 By boat

In summer, cruises from Helsinki and Tallinn sail to Saint Petersburg. There is also a regular ferry connection from Stockholm, Kaliningrad and Rostock, which arrives at the harbor station. Subway: Primorskaya.

Passenger boats also operate on the inland waterway "Volga-Baltic" which links Moscow, the River Volga and Lakes Onega, Ladoga and Neva.

To get out, you could try your luck for Freighter travel, although the port is very large. It would be easier if you have connections in the port. Try to find a dispatcher .

Nearly all the major cruise lines (Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Carnival, Celebrity, etc.) offer a Scandinavia/St. Petersburg itinerary, and most stay overnight to allow shore excursions to Moscow. Azamara has itineraries that dock for three days/two night.