Saint Petersburg Travel Forum

I have a vacation between 19th-23rd December. Do you think it's a good timing for a visit to this lovely city? Or would it be too dead because it's just before christmas or because of the freezing cold (will it be so?). I love to walk around cities all day long when i'm travelling. Would i get frozen like a "step taking man" monument? :))

Hi

My husband[diabetic insulin] and I are thinking of doing a 4 day trip to St. Petes on our own as the inclusive tours are so expensive.

We're thinking of taking organized coach trips and airport pick up through Viator. May be someone has a better tour company they could recommend please. Also any hotels in central St. Pete's. We're thinking of hotel Doeteskvy - is this OK

We've heard that there's a lot of street crime and not being the fitest of people we couldn't handle it or take the stress before we went.

The other thing that worries us is the cost of meals out = one tour company suggested that you allow £150 per person for evening meal.

Has anyone any ideas on car hire please - whats the driving and traffic like + gas prices

Given the large number of visitors in June would we get into Pushkin and Tsarkoe without being on an organized excursion - or is there someway that we could pre-book tickets.

All advice greatly received -

Thanks -

Hi VTers

My friend and I will be in St Petersburg for a week in December. We are part of a tour for a few days which will take in the main sites (including Peter and Paul Fortress, St Isaac's Cathedral, Hermitage and a trip to Peterhof).

For the rest of the time we are not really sure what to do. Can somebody please give some ideas for places to visit, restaurants/bars to hang out in etc? Ideally we'd like a few easy days hanging out eating and drinking and another few days sightseeing.

Also, we will be staying at Karelia Hotel. Anyone stayed there? Is it easy to get around from there and are there any decent restaurants/bars nearby?

Also - any ideas on what to do New Year's Eve will be much appreciated!!

Thanks :o)

Hi,

Is Tzar Village worth visiting if we are only going to Saint Petersburg for 2 days?

Should we stay at the Hermitage longer instead of going there? We are big art lovers.

Thanks

I think I posted this in the wrong forum before. Anyways:

Which is the better area to stay in St Petersburg; Nevsky Prospect (near corner of Vladimirsky Prospect) or Bolshoy Prospect (near petrogradskaya metro)? I can get a good deal on an apartment for my stay in both locations. I will be there on business, so I probably wont have much time to do any sight seeing. My main concerns are which area will have the better selection of restaurants (not looking for over-priced tourist traps), shops, etc. in the area. And also which area is safer for a foreigner to be in.

Hi,

We will be in SP July 26 & 27. Is there any way to book tickets for the Kirov online? I don't read Russian, of course.

Also, it's our second time there and we are visiting the Hermitage again, as well as Peterhof, St. Isaac's, and the Spilled Blood. We think these locations are worth visiting twice.

Should we visit something else?

Thanx

Cruising to St Petersburg in June 2008. Looking for shore excursions sources other than the cruise ship offer. Been referred to DENRUS (www.denrus.ru) & PETROGRAD TRAVELS.

Has anyone booked tours with them?
Interested in your experiences and recommendations, especially reliability, integrity, satisfaction, etc.

Hi VTers

My friend and I will be in St Petersburg for a week in December. We are part of a tour for a few days which will take in the main sites (including Peter and Paul Fortress, St Isaac's Cathedral, Hermitage and a trip to Peterhof).

For the rest of the time we are not really sure what to do. Can anybody please give some ideas for places to visit, restaurants/bars to hang out in etc? Ideally we'd like a few easy days hanging out eating and drinking and another few days sightseeing.

Also, we will be staying at Karelia Hotel. Anyone stayed there? Is it easy to get around from there and are there any decent restaurants/bars nearby?

Also - any ideas on what to do New Year's Eve will be much appreciated!!

Thanks :o)

After weeks of research, hours of telephone calls and a post to this forum etc. the decision has been made to attend a reputable Russian language school in St. Petersburg for two months beginning in August of 08.
Yes, it is far down the road, but this gives me a chance to study the written Russian language and try to get a basic understanding of Russian Grammar (I thought English was complicated – Russian Grammar has left my head spinning – and I’ve only just begun!)

Right – on to my next request for advice – and honestly, I’m just interested in your personal opinions - you needn't back up your opinion with facts! ;-)

What would you recommend; home stay, apartment rental or hotel for two months?

I’m leaning towards a “home stay” so I can practice my Russian but I can’t find any reviews online regarding anyone else’s experiences.

My only concern with this option is that I would feel like I would be intruding in the lives of the people I’d be staying with. It can’t be easy to have a stranger stay in your house for 2 months. Of course I would be considerate, quiet and tidy…but…it just seems like such an intrusion!

An apartment is an option however a seemingly lonely one. And of course the hotel option is there as well, although I believe it to be an expensive one – meaning that I’d have little or no money to do anything other than attend class and sit in my hotel room.

I know it seems as though I’ve made up my mind. I’m just looking for your opinions and if you have a story or have heard stories about home stays, apartment rentals or hotel options in St. Petersburg I would appreciate your thoughts and comments.

Thank you in advance for your time.

Marie

Hello,
Im planning on visiting st petersburg and moscow for my honeymoon, which will be in april 2008, i was wondering what type of clothes i shud bring? winter or spring? and what good places are there to go to for honeymooners not just sightseeing but adventourus tours. and i was wondering if ul hav any national festival during that time of the year? or something worth visiting, i hav a list of museums and palaces to go to but i was looking for something more exciting

My group will be in St. Petersburg in late November and our tour operator has booked us at the restaurant "Izba ohotnika". Has anyone heard of this restaurant and, if so, what is it like and where in SPB is it located?

Also, does this reatuarant have a website with photos?

I'm considering attending a Russian language school in St. Petersburg from March 10 2008 - May 10th 2008. This being said, the school has offered me my choice of Moscow or St. Petersburg. Can anyone tell me if one city is safer for foreigners than another?

Oh by the way - I'm not a young student...just young at heart.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, being a Canadian I'm not afraid of the weather in St. Petersburg in March, I have an idea of what to expect.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice etc...

I am looking for a unique dinner experience for my large group (26 people) in Russia. When I took a tour group to Romania, the tour operator offered a "dinner with the peasants". We drove to a farm in a rural community and sat down to a nice private dinner prepared by a peasant family. Does anyone know if this unique experience is offered to tour groups in Russia? This was an incredible experience in Romania and allowed us to see Romanian life up close and personal. My group will be in the Moscow, Novgorod, and St. Petersburg areas of Russia in November.

I heard that you can get a group visa for a boat cruise to St.Petersburg. Can you get a group visa for a family?

can anyone also tell me useful information about budget hotels are hostels?what is the cheapeast way to stay ?how much should i espect to pay for it?
all informain you got for me i would be wery glad to get
thank you bjarki mar

i am thinking is it possible to go to saint petersburg by ferry from helsinki finland,are sweden any ideas somaone
thank you

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me with this question I am planning my next years holiday and was thinking of perhaps a baltics cruise which would stop in St Peterburg if going I would be doing a ship tour so I know that I will not require a Visa. My question is I would be travelling with a child of 7 who I am not the legal parent or guardian of. I was just wondering if anyone knew if she would be able to travel into st petersburg on the ship visa and/or if she needed any other documentation such as her birth certificate or letters from her parents giving me authorisation to be travelling with her etc.

Thanks for your help

Donna

Hi:

My wife and I are thinking of a trip to St Petersburg in 2008. We want to have decent weather for sightseeing, but most importantly, miss the huge croweds. Especially the cruise ships. It looks like it all kicks in big time early May. To complicate matters, it looks like Easter 2008 is late next year. April 27th I think for the Orthodox church.
My questions:

1- Is Easter a big problem for sightseers in St Petersburg I am guessing not, given recent history, but are things changing? Problem?

2- Would like to take some boat tours. To Petershof? and the canals for examples. Reading the tour books, it looks like they do not begin until mid may. True? Alternatives?

3- I know April may be a bit of an iffy month, but in general late April Ex. 20th to 30th. should be okay?

4- I know we need visas and rooms to go with it. Anything else that time of the year we should book well in advance?

We are in our early 60's, good health and have done a fair amount of independent travel around western and southeastern europe, it that gives you any insight into answering our questions.

Thanks in advance for advice and your time.

Bob

Hello,
I would like to visit the Hermitage by myself, I mean without taking a tour. Are there any special days when it is open only for groups?
Thanks for your help.

Is there any way I can go to Moscow by boat (on Volga) without booking a long cruise? I would like to do my own thing in St Petersburg, go to Moscow by boat and after a few days in Moscow, take the trans-siberian to Beijing. All tips and pointers will be appreciated. I am totally strange to Russia and would like to start arranging my trip. Thank you

Hello- my husband and I will be spending 4days in St Petersburg with our 1 year old son next month. Does anyone have advice re. traveling in St. Petersburg with a baby? I would love recommendations for restaurants which might accomodate children (e.g. have high chairs). Also curious whether it is to find diapers, baby wipes and baby food in Russian supermarkets.

Any thoughts would be great. thanks!

I will be there for 2 nights next month and was promised by a friend that he would take me to the best and wildest nightclub there. I've asked him the name of the club amd in light of recent news about all the raids on the clubs, I was wondering how many were closed down and for how long?

TTS

I know Elton John and The Rolling Stones are playing concerts in July,are there any up coming around August 20- 26 at Palace Square or other venue's
Pete

I will travel there with a few co-workers from HK and we need some English language help; hopefully presentable young people who speak well.

We have several different meetings to attend throughout the city and my colleagues speak zero Russian.

We will have several full days days of work and will pay of course.

I would also like opinions of what the best value restaurants and pubs are in the city centre???

Thank you in advance!

Hello, I will be in St. Petersburg for the Rolling Stones Concert at Palace Square. I arrive from Helsinki on the Repin train at 2230 on 27 July. I am staying at the St Petersburg International Hostel 3rd Sovetskaya, 28. I do not speak or read any Russian. Is it easy to navigate the metro to Ploschad Vosstaniya. Is Nevsky Pr. a direct route to the Palace Square? How far? is it walkable? Is anyone going to the show?
Thanks in advance,
Joe
Philadelphia, PA USA

We will be travelling from Helsinki to SP by Sibelius train on 8 July (i.e. Sunday) and arriving at about 14:00. Should I have the money exchange on the train? Or wait until we arrive SP? Which one has the better exchange rate? Will the banks close on Sunday?

Thanks for any help in advance!

If we were to take a trip out of St. Petersburg, either within a six hour drive or by way of overnight train, what would any of you knowledgable people reccomend as an interesting place to visit? We will arrive in St. P on Tuesday afternoon by plane.
Thanks!
P.S. And we have to be back by Thursday morning.

I visited St. Peters Lutheran Church on Nevsky Prospekt in 1994. At that time a swimming pool (not being used) existed in the nave. I understnad that the church has been restored. Is there a photo of the restored sanctuary?

Thank you,
Paul Schaible

What is the weather like in St. Petersburg in early September. Will be there from Sept. 8 to 12. Thanks

We will be in St Petersberg for the first two weeks in July. We are bringing only a small carry on because we are using the trains and busses. What type of clothes should we pack. Looks like temp in 70 degree range. Are shorts appropriate? We would like to "fit in" but still we won't have much choice on what we can bring. Any suggestions?