'''Saint Petersburg''' (_R_p_~_{__-_P_u___u___q__?___s ''Sankt-Peterburg''; [http://www.spb.ru/eng/]) 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 (_P_u_______s___p?_t), and later Leningrad (_L_u_~_y_~_s___p?_t).
Founded by Peter the Great, the former home of the Czars and the center of Russian culture, Saint Petersburg was known as "The Venice of the North" in its heyday. Rechristened '''Petrograd''' during the first World War, the city was renamed '''Leningrad''' in 1924 in honor of the communist revolutionary, V.I. Lenin. Bombed, blockaded and starved during World War II, the city took a back seat to Moscow during the Soviet era.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the city has been rapidly making up for lost time and is by far the most cosmopolitan of Russia's cities. Renamed once more in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union, most Russians know it as '''Piter''' (_P_y___u__), a familiar diminutive of Saint Petersburg.
'''Pulkovo Airport''' ({{IATA|LED}} | {{ICAO|ULLI}}) [http://www.pulkovoairport.ru/eng/] 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 18 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 20 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.
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. It takes 4.5 hours to get from St Petersburg to Moscow on Express (day-time) train.
There are five principal stations:
''Note'': Varshavskii Station (''_B_p_____p_r___{_y_z _r___{_x_p_|'') is now closed, trains to/from Poland arrive at the Baltic or Vitebsk Stations.
Until recently, you could only buy a ticket for a Russian train at a train station, but now you can purchase an electronic train ticket.
The Finnish VR Group provides excellent information on train travel from Finland to St Petersburg [http://www.vr.fi/eng/ulkomaat/venaja/pietari_moskova_ja_viipuri/]. There are two daily departures from Helsinki. The morning departure, on the ''Sibelius'', is a Finnish train with Finnish crew, while the afternoon ''Repin'' departure is a Russian train with Russian crew. Tickets can be purchased through some travel agencies and at major VR [http://www.vr.fi/] train stations in Finland, but cannot be purchased online. Border crossing formalities are handled on board the train, and currency exchange is available. Beginning in 2010, the high-speed Allegro rail service between Helsinki and St Petersburg will come into service, cutting the travel time from five and a half hours to three hours.
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:
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'' [http://www.ansc.ru].
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 nights.
At night the city is divided in two by the Neva; all the main bridges are drawn up to allow for boat traffic, except during the winter, when ice makes the river impassable. Remember to make it to your side of the river in time; otherwise, you could find yourself stuck on the wrong side until early morning. One bridge - ''Volodarsky'' - closes once per night from around 3:45AM to 4:15AM to permit crossing. Most of others are up between 1:45AM and 5:15AM; see below for details. The Big Obukhovski bridge is not drawn up, as it is an important part of Saint Petersburg Ring Highway.
The folowing table represents a drawn schedule of Saint Petersburg bridges in 2009 (actual since 15 April): {| style="border:1px solid #AAAAAA; border-collapse: collapse;" | ! style="border:1px solid #AAAAAA; background-color:#EEEEFF" rowspan="2" |Bridge ! style="border:1px solid #AAAAAA; background-color:#EEEEFF" colspan="2" |Drawn (AM) ! style="border:1px solid #AAAAAA; background-color:#EEEEFF" | first ! style="border:1px solid #AAAAAA; background-color:#EEEEFF" | second
Tip for using the Metro: Be aware of your belongings and don't be afraid to push when you arrive at your stop!
:Ticketing is complex, but the Hermitage itself is 100 rubles for Russians and 350 rubles for foreigners. Students of ''all'' nationalities get in for free, but don't forget your student card with photo! Entrance is free on the first Thursday of every month. Bags aren't allowed in the museum (and while technically neither are cameras without the appropriate ticket, they never check the photo-permission tickets so it's not worth buying them), so stash them in the busy cloakroom.
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No trip to St. Petersburg is complete without seeing an opera or ballet performance. The Mariinsky is perhaps the most well-known institution, but it is by no means the only theater in the city. Tickets are sold throughout the city at kiosks and shops called Teatralnaya Kassa, which charge a nominal (usually about 20 RR) fee for "insurance," which is theoretically optional. The theater box offices themselves sell tickets directly, too, and usually for the same price. Sometimes blocks of tickets sell out at the kiosks but tickets are still available at the theater, or vice versa, so it is worth checking both places if you have your heart set on a particular performance. It is possible to take not-so-small children into some performances if you take a private box, although you will need to ask when you buy your tickets.
The music scene in St. Petersburg is diverse, with several classical, jazz, and pop concerts to choose from each week. Tickets are available at the same Teatralnaya Kassa locations as ballet and opera tickets, although tickets to pop concerts - especially US and European stars on tour - sometimes use exclusive distributors. For pop and rock concerts, unless you buy tickets for the dance floor (tanzpol), you are expected to sit quietly in your seat as if you were at a ballet - ushers are vigilant about keeping the audience from standing up, dancing, or cheering (polite applause is allowed, but that's about all).
Several of the ballet and opera theaters above also offer orchestral and recital performances, so those are not repeated below. Also, don't forget the many small clubs where up and coming bands play.
Most cinemas in St. Petersburg show Hollywood films dubbed (often quite poorly) in Russian. DVDs of American/European films are also often dubbed. There have been crackdowns on sellers of bootleg DVDs, so it may be difficult or expensive to find DVDs in English these days. There are several DVD stores in the city - often near Metro stations - and it is worth asking about films in English.
A tour of the canals by boat is a great way to see the city in the summer. The typical tour is through the Moika, out to the Neva to see the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Cruiser Aurora, then in through the Fontanka (sometimes as far as the Mariinsky Theater). Tours start at many points along the route and return to their starting point - hawkers for different boat companies abound - and the boats may or may not have a cafe and toilet on board. Almost all tours are in Russian. 400-600 Rubles seems to be the average price.
Universities and private schools offer Russian language courses (individual and group tuition).
<!-- Apraksin Dvor is closed to reconstruction at end of 2008
Nothing, absolutely nothing, tastes better than hot Russian crepes with caviar, mushrooms, caramel, berries, or what have you with a cup of tea on a cold winter street.
For international calls, consider buying a calling card which allows very cheap calls (a few rubles for a minute to Europe or the US). Calling from a hotel room may result in rather painful bill. There are a lot of internet cafes around the city, although it is not so easy to find one when you need (you'd better ask locals). Also there are so-called computer clubs with dozens of computers for network gaming (usually crowded by kids playing CounterStrike) which also offer internet access in separate rooms for a little charge.
Free wi fi is available in the airport, most major hotels, business and shopping centers, restaurants and other public places.
As with most major cities, avoid traveling alone at night, and do not get into altercations with drunks. If traveling at night, it is recommended to stay on the main sidewalks and not go into any dark alleys or yards. Gypsy cabs are not recommended in any circumstance, and those which linger near bars where expats and tourists congregate have been known to be especially dangerous.
'''The Downtown''', '''western''' and '''south central''' parts of the city are the most safe. Suburbs like Kupchino, Kolpino are struggling with criminality and poverty.
As a general rule remember - the further you are from the city center, the more dangerous it is.
'''Gangs''' are a problem, although mafia gang wars are unlikely to affect tourists. Some gangs, however, such as neo-Nazis or angry hooligans, are out looking for trouble and committing crimes that can affect tourists. After the war with Chechnya and terrorist attacks in some Russian cities, local hatred is growing toward people with darker complexions, and neo-Nazism is a concern. As of 2007, St. Petersburg and Russia in general can be regarded as a seriously dangerous destination for tourists of darker complexions. Travelling in groups is highly advised.
Also, Saint Petersburg's football club, Zenit Saint Petersburg, is one of the biggest clubs in the country, and has its own band of hooligans. If you decide to visit the football stadium to watch the club play, you should buy tickets to center sectors. If you do not do this, and a fight starts, you are likely to get dragged into it by either the hooligans or the police since both will think you are part of the brawl.
Take care of money, documents, cameras, mobile phones, and anything of value because of '''pickpocketing'''. Especially watch out on the Metro during busy times, as people start pushing and pickpockets are frequent. In 2007, several expats and tourists have been pickpocketed at the '''Gostinyy Dvor Metro Station''' by the same scheme: a group of men will block the train door while their "mark" is trying to enter or exit, and they will lift items in the frenzy to get in or out of the car before the doors close. When riding the Metro, keep in mind that robbery is a real threat; you should constantly watch what is going on around you and who is standing very close to you. Cameras must be kept in bags slung across the body at all times, with your hands keeping a firm grip on them, and no watches or jewelry should be visible at all. Quite obviously, do not show in public that you have a lot of money. Robberies are not uncommon and many foreigners have been threatened at '''gun''' and '''knife''' point. However, foreigners are not targeted, and robbers attack both foreigners and tourists that openly show that they are wealthy. In the 90's, Moscow and Saint Petersburg experienced horrific times where rich people were hunted and murdered, many of whom were Westerners. These times are thankfully over.
Take special care on '''Nevsky Prospekt''', particularly the area with the city tour buses, a favorite spot of pickpockets and particularly of those after photo equipment. A recent (November 2008) article in a local newspaper cites rampant theft of cameras and camera gear in this area with an open letter to the city's mayor asking for help since the police do not show an interest in reporting, much less putting an end to, these crimes. On the bright side "Nevsky Prospekt" is the safest concerning physical abuse.
Russian driving is ''wild''. Drivers attack their art with an equal mix of aggressiveness and incompetence. Guidelines are lax and rarely followed. As a pedestrian, take great care when crossing the roads, as pedestrian crossings are in 99% of cases ignored (even by police). If you are thinking of driving yourself, bear in mind that the Russian traffic police is the most notoriously corrupt institution in the country.
Saint Petersburg has a relatively big problem with '''street children''' who make their living out of stealing. They could be a hassle and can beg you aggresively. Act like any other Russian would. Say no then just ignore them and go away.
'''Homosexuals''' must practice extreme caution while staying in Saint Petersburg as attacks often occur. Russian people really hate public demonstrations of homosexuality.
'''Bar fights''' do occur. In the center of the city and around '''Nevsky Prospekt''' they are unlikely to happen. However, in the suburbs and local pubs, fights occur almost daily. If you are staying with locals living in these areas, it might be a good idea avoid these bars. Police are unlikely to show up as they consider fights as small, unimportant, regular and a waste of time, and_@they will probably laugh at you for calling.
'''Overall''', be warned that if you are used to living in the US and/or western Europe, Saint Petersburg, as well as the rest of Eastern Europe, will seem different, and, at times, a bit intimidating. Russian people are extremely friendly and welcoming towards foreigners and nothing should happen to you unless you really want it yourself. If you don't care about them, they don't care about you and nothing should be in your way of having a great holiday!
In Saint Petersburg cold water is cleaner than hot, also there isn't hot water for 3 weeks every summer.
There are numerous public toilets, most of which are attended by a person who will charge about 15 rubles for entry. It is a good idea to take your own toilet paper, as it is not often provided. The toilets are typically extremely dirty by Western standards. If you are a Westerner, you can get away with wandering into the Western hotels, which have lovely bathrooms— the Grand Hotel Europe in particular. Just don't ever push your luck with suit-clad men guarding the hotel entrances, they are tough as nails if provoked.
The first 24 hours in Saint Petersburg may be a shock to the system. The welcome from immigration officials seems like a hang-over from Communist times- don't expect to be spoken to or even looked at by officials. Flying into Saint Petersburg may seem unusual, with the sight of old concrete tower blocks and factory chimneys. The suburbs of the city are a contrast to those with which you may be familiar. Nevsky Prospekt is the most 'Westernized' street in the city and would be more familiar to Westerners traveling to Saint Petersburg. If you are from a Western country, you will find this either shocking or amusing.
Saint Petersburg is plagued by a number of mosquitoes during the summer, as the swampy surroundings of the city give the mosquitoes excellent living conditions. In budget accommodation with few counter measures against the mosquitoes, this can be a problem at night, putting your well deserved sleep at risk.
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