Visa
Visiting St. Petersburg as a part of a cruise is a very popular choice, as for arriving this way entitles you to enter Russia visa-free for 72 hours. This allows you to see St. Petersburg without going through hell preparing visa. Don't listen to cruise ship staff, saying that nobody will let you go through customs without an excursion with cruise ship. They are trying to promote only their excursions, it is a trick! You are allowed to go through customs if you have a tour ticket from a company. If you are about to travel to Russia and St. Petersburg and have a lot of questions, just contact me and I will help you^^ Port of arrival
The nearest subway station is "Primorskaya", from where only two stops to the "Gostiniy Dvor" station right at the center of the city. If you are traveling on your own, you have a few options: take a taxi (500 rub/8 USD) to the city center, take a bus (30 rub/50 cents), that will bring you to the "Primorskaya" station from where you will travel to the city center by subway. In the subway you buy token (zheton) that allows you to travel for as much as you want, without exiting the subway. Zheton costs 35 rub (about 60 cents)
Tours Spend time choosing a tour company before you go on a cruise. One of the worst options is to buy a tour on a cruise ship, they offer a lot of tours, but all of them cost three times more than tours that you can buy from a local tour company. What is more, tours offered by cruise ships consist of just a couple of museums, you will not see as much as you could with a local company. And the worst thing is: cruise ships offer group tours and you will find yourself in a huge bus, with 50 other tourists, some of them will definitely get lost in the Hermitage museum and everybody else will be looking for the lost guy more time than you spent inside the museum. Guys, please, don't travel with huge buses. Once I've been on such a tour and God save you from such experience.
0 Comments
Nowadays in St. Petersburg we have one huge airport terminal "PULKOVO" that was built in 2013. One terminal incorporates all flights. Before 2013 we had separate buildings for international and domestic flights and a lot of people happened to arrive to a wrong one. Two old terminals are used as private airports for jets of businessmen, politicians and presidents.The new terminal's capacity is 17 million passengers per year. This airport is very convenient and spacious, there is 110 passport control booths and 88 check-in counters.
Airport code is LED, shorten form of the Leningrad (name of the city during Soviet times). City was given it's original name in 1991, when Soviet Union collapsed. So when you fly to St. Petersburg you actually fly to Leningrad! PULKOVO is located 23 kilometers away from the central Palace Square of the city. It will take you about 20 minutes to get to the nearest subway station. City bus number 39, 39A and private buses called “marshrutka” number K39 run between the nearest metro station and the airport, ride fare in public buses is the same as everywhere: rub 32 (about 50 cents), ride fare in "marshrutka" is a little higher, about rub 45 (about 70 cents). All buses are waiting right outside the terminal. You also can take advantage of taxi or your personal car. If you are in St. Petersburg for the first time and you don't know how much a usual taxi ride should cost, be ready that taxi drivers waiting inside the airport will charge you an astronomic price. Prices vary but expect between rub 800-1000 (USD 12-16),depending on where exactly in the city center you are heading. Drivers don't speak much English, but just hand them a slip of paper with the price you are willing to pay. You can bargain about the price and trying to lowers the price offered by driver is not a bad idea. Date of birth City was founded on the 16 (27) May, 1703 by the first Russian emperor, Peter the Great. City's birthday is celebrated each year on May 27. Names St. Petersburg changed its name couple times: from May, 1703 to August, 1914 city was called St. Petersburg, from August of 1914 to February of 1924 city was called Petrograd, later on in 1924 Russian government changed its name again and called the city Leningrad, in honor of a deceased leader of the Bolshevik revolution, our comrade Lenin. Finally in july of 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union the gave the city it's original name St. Petersburg. Origin of the name Named in honor of St. Peter, holder of keys from Heaven doors and not Peter the Great, the founder of the city. The name can be translated as "The City of St. Peter". St. Petersburg, FL was named in honor of St. Petersburg, Russia by Russian-born railroad builder Piotr Dementyev (Peter Demens). Location St. Petersburg is located in Eastern Europe, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, that is a part of Baltic sea. Latitude of the city is 59 degrees 57' North and longitude is 30 degrees 19' East. Time Zone: Moscow time (UTC+3) Population: 5.2 million (dates of 2015) Area: 1400 square kilometers Main river Mother river of the city is Neva river. The city is located in the delta of the Neva River on numerous islands, a fact which prompted some observers to call it "The City on 101 Islands" Nicknames:
The Seal The seal of the city reminds us about significance of the city-it was one of the biggest and most important sea and river ports, connecting Russia with Europe. That is why on the seal of the city you may see a sea anchor and a river anchor with a scepter - a symbol of royal power - on a red field. Zoning St. Petersburg is divided into 20 administrative districts, including satellite towns under St. Petersburg's jurisdiction. Main cultural attractions:
|
AuthorHi there! My name is Mila, I have been working as a local guide for six years and I've decided to share with you essential information about St. Petersburg, life in Russia and Russian culture. I hope you will enjoy! Archives
January 2018
Categories
All
|