St Petersburg tours query

Hi. We're off to the Baltic on Britannia in June and would like to pick the brains please of you experienced Balticers...? We've read a lot on CC about private tours options and companies to use, which it really useful info. Are the P&O tours on big coaches or small groups in minibuses - and are they really twice the price of a private booked small tour, or just slightly more costly? Mixed messages in some threads. Tour options aren't on our CP yet so want to do our homework beforehand. Many thanks for any tips and experiences doing P&O v private tours.

And a final query while I remember to ask, if you do a private day tour and a P&O folklore evening, is there enough time to get back onboard and change before setting off again for the evening event?

Thanks so much for any thoughts, folks!

P&O do tours on both full size coaches and also on minibuses, The minibus is more expensive. In our case our 2 day minibus tour was marginally more expensive than Alba though they offered a very similar tour. We booked in advance and because of Peninsular Club discount the price was marginally cheaper on P&O. Our P&O tour did not get back in time for you to reboard the ship before the evening tour

Traffic congestion in St P has become horrendous in the years since our first Baltic trip and delays in return times not uncommon so I wouldn't rely on being time to change and eat before an evening trip.

Thanks for the speedy reply! Very helpful too. Does a P&O day tour go onto the evening event, if booked, without returning to the ship then? Or does it mean if you want to do an evening event such as the ballet or folklore, that a shorter day tour is better so you're back at the ship in time to pick up the evening transport? Sorry it's so many questions....

There are hundreds of threads about excursions in SPB on the Northern Europe Ports of Call.

We did the Comfort Tour with Alla Tours and it was excellent. There were only two other passengers from our ship booked on it, so it was like doing a private tour.

We weren't interested in the evening tours and felt it would have made the day too long.

Like Steve, we did the 2 day P&O Minibus tour and it was really excellent with a terrific guide. It went to all the same places as the Alla minibuses etc. We didn't plan any tours or activities for the evening as we thought that we would have very strenuous days and we were right. We had very early starts on both days - had to be ON the minibus by 7 00 on Day 2 - and a full day, returning after 5pm. And this was after losing an hour for three times saling up to St Petersburg with the different time zone changes. It was very very worthwhile though and a wonderful experience, but I would suggest pacing yourself a little whilst planning your tours and entertainment.

We did the Alla Comfort tour too. It was excellent but exhausting. We went to the Folk show in the theatre on the ship after the first day's tour. I have never seen so many people snoozing after a long day. Think whether or not you would be fit enough to enjoy the ballet or concert and still be up to a second day's tour.

We did the two day Alla tour which included the Faberge Museum. Wonderful excursion and would highly recommend. Some of our group also did the ballet in the evening.

We were also on Britannia for our Baltic cruise, great itinerary. There is a roll call for the one I did which had some really useful information.

A very active thread and many organised trips among the group.

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I'm glad you asked this Gina as I'm going to the Baltics in July. There seems so much to try to fit in in St Petersburg that it is quite difficult to know what exactly to do. I will be so glad when the excursions come online.

Thanks for asking, OP, and thanks for the helpful replies. I'm sailing the Baltic Sea on Arcadia in June, and I am most anxious about arrangements for Saint Petersburg. I'm glad to know that there is a minibus option via P&O, as that's my likely choice. I do not want to miss the ship!

Missing the ship is unlikely/almost impossible. A P&O excursion will certainly be back on time, and if you have taken a private excursion then the guides and owners will know exactly when they have to get you back and they will move heaven, earth and the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin to make sure you are back.

The private excursions could lose their permission to take foreign visitors ashore without individual visas if someone gets left behind.

Would I take a private excursion? Yes, next time I would. I've been to StP twice so far, and I'll be going again probably in 2019. Do I know which private excursion company I'll use? Yes - it turns out a Russian friend of mine is a licensed guide in StP! :)

VP

We did the Alla Comfort tour too. It was excellent but exhausting. We went to the Folk show in the theatre on the ship after the first day's tour. I have never seen so many people snoozing after a long day. Think whether or not you would be fit enough to enjoy the ballet or concert and still be up to a second day's tour.

We too did the Alla Comfort tour. Very well paced, never felt hurried. Excellent. Never had any worry about being late back to the shop.

The folk show in the evening was terrific. We went with Princess but probably similar.

We know from speaking to our dining companions that we saw a lot more on our Alla tour Han they did on the ship's excursion. We were back at the ship a long time before we sailed. Never for one moment had any reason to think we would miss the ship.

I would highly recommend Alla tours. I originally booked comfort tour, but on advice received. I changed it to grand tour and so glad we did. Catherine's palace is not to be missed and it was on itinerary of comfort tour. If you're fit and mobile do grand tour rather than comfort, It's 2 full on days, but you will most definitely not miss the ship. There was one couple on our minibus who also booked the ballet through the ship, they told us next day they only just made it and didn't have time to get changed.

Check out trip advisor on Alla tours, TJ travel and SPB Tours, also ports of call section on this board

Another vote for Alla Tours here! We have been on both the 2 day P&O minibus tour and also the AllaTours 2 day grand tour and preferred the Alla Tour. The Alla Tour guide was much more professional and seemed to be better at getting us into places before other tours! The price difference is less than it used to be as the local Tours are all priced in dollars ( another down side of Brexit!)

I would really advise against coach Tours in Saint Petersburg - they just don't seem to work very well. You just end up spending lots of time in traffic - whearas the minibuses dart about up side roads to avoid the jams.

Tnanks so much for all the useful insight - and on behalf of the other first time Baltic posters on here too. St PB doesn't seem quite so scary now! I'll carry on ploughing through all the destination threads on N Europe - very helpful advice coupled with TripAdvisor. At least when the excursions come on CP, we'll be able to make easier decisions now. :)

There are hundreds of threads about excursions in SPB on the Northern Europe Ports of Call.

 

We did the Comfort Tour with Alla Tours and it was excellent. There were only two other passengers from our ship booked on it, so it was like doing a private tour.

 

We weren't interested in the evening tours and felt it would have made the day too long.

We also did a tour in St Petersburg with Alla tours we did a two day tour, it was wonderful and visited every where including the leterhof by boat.

We also did the evening ballet though it was a rush to get on the ship change and off again to meet th taxi taking us there.

The tour was in a small mini bus with a few overs off the ship, it's very personal and the. Tour guide jumped all the queues at the various palaces getting us inside very quickly.

Janet and David

Hi

Used TJ tours last July excellent service. Russian guide accessed all locations through different entrances avoiding long queues.

Back on time as stated, traffic the same as any city.

Meals included lunch time all of great quality,only 10 of use on mini bus.

They sort out all the visas, meet inside cruise terminal after clearing immigration, which can result in a long wait.

People on night trips back on time to get ready,one couple used TJ travel they where met in St Petersburg and had no need to go back to the ship.

Palaces a must visit plus Faberge.

Check out our Britannia Baltic Roll Call for ideas for all the Ports of call. There were a few who organised separate excursions in ports. Britannia-B509-Baltic- May/June 2015 should get you there.

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I thought I would pass along that the excursions just populated yesterday for my sailing on Arcadia leaving Southampton June 18. Based on the above I decided to book the P&O minibus tour as I thought I would. I was tempted by all the praise of Alla, but the P&O excursion actually has a maximum of 14 versus Alla's 16. And with the exchange rate, P&O was only about 10 percent more. My travel buddy wants to see some ballet in the evening, but I'm going to do my best to dissuade him. Thanks for all the advice.

I thought I would pass along that the excursions just populated yesterday for my sailing on Arcadia leaving Southampton June 18. Based on the above I decided to book the P&O minibus tour as I thought I would. I was tempted by all the praise of Alla, but the P&O excursion actually has a maximum of 14 versus Alla's 16. And with the exchange rate, P&O was only about 10 percent more. My travel buddy wants to see some ballet in the evening, but I'm going to do my best to dissuade him. Thanks for all the advice.

I don't think you will be disappointed, John aka CB. Our P&O minibus tour and guide and driver were absolutely excellent. Do enjoy St Petersburg - and chill out on the way back when you get the lost hours back as you return through the time zones. ( Sounds like Dr Who, doesn't it, lol?)

Think we going to be joining you on that excursion Cruise Bruiser - thanks for heads up excursions now showing

I would give a mention to Insider tours who we used this last summer. Fabulous guide and driver for just the three of us. Alla and SPB seem to get more US customers and therefore dominate sites like this one and trip advisor however Insider gave us a fabulous 2 day tour.

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