St Petersburg, Russia

[Banjo]

My wife and I will be sailing on the Emerald on August 20th for a Baltic Cruise. One of the stops is St Petersburg, Russia for 2 days. Does anyone know the requirements on visas? I am getting mixed interpretations of the rules for going into Russia. I also checked on line the cost of visa through a visa agency and they are not cheap. Again, any advice on past experiences would be great.

[cruisemom42]

You do not need to obtain a visa if you either:

 

a) Take the ship's excursion, or

 

b) Take an excursion with a recognized tour provider -- such as any of the ones frequently mentioned on these boards (Den Rus, SPB, Red October, etc)

 

Probably only a very small percentage of cruisers get a visa on their own. Just remember, though, that without either of the above, you cannot get off the ship, even just to walk around a bit. Not a big deal, just something to be aware of.

[Coral]

If you are a US citizen and go on a Princess tour, you do not need a visa. If you go with a number of private tour companies such as Red October, Denrus, Alla or some other tour companies - they arrange for a group visa and you do not need one.

 

If you decide to go on your own and tour on your own - you will need a visa.

 

There is quite a bit of information on this on the Northern Europe/Baltic part of this board http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=192

[paul929207]

The Russian visa application asks for a number of stupid things that probably date from the Cold War days. However, you just plod thru and answer them. They are not real difficult. Like most visas, it is not cheap.

[Pam in CA]

Coral is right. About the only time you'd need a visa is if you decide to go off on your own and explore St. Petersburg without a licensed tour agency. Independent tours are an excellent way of seeing the sights and they issue a "tour ticket" for each person on the tour that includes the visa. We used SPB Tours for a two-day excursion and they were about the best I've ever had.

 

When you exit the ship, you go through Russian Immigration and they will examine your passport and tour ticket (or visa) very carefully before you're allowed to pass through. You are issued a control ticket that you pass back in when you re-board the ship. The Russians take this very seriously and look as though they'd prefer to toss you in the Baltic Sea than welcome you into their country.

[phillipahain]

St Petersburg has many attractions however its not safe to go off alone hence you are far far better to take a tour with as suggested den rus /red ocrtober etc they take care of all formalities and you can dictate what you want to do

 

We did Red October and avoided lunch in a restuarant or with a family but took room service for our group and included the guide and the driver and they were delighted to take us wherever we wanted ...........food in Russia is a big problem so what is normal fare to you is a real treat for them .........huge filled rolls , chocolate cookies ...fruit etc will be gratefully accepted

[Talisker92]

We did the Baltic on the Star and took the ship's tours in St. Petersburg. The first day we toured the Hermitage, The second day we took the boat ride on the Neva.

We were allowed to wander quite a bit and did some shopping at a place near the Church of the Spilled Blood.

Our trip story and pictures are on our website http://www.stevekathytravels.com

[Coral]

St Petersburg has many attractions however its not safe to go off alone hence you are far far better to take a tour with as suggested den rus /red ocrtober etc they take care of all formalities and you can dictate what you want to do

 

I actually don't think St. Petersburg is really unsafe. Pick-pocketing is usually the worst crime that tourists run into there which I found far worse in Rome compared to St. Petersburg. I have been here 2x and both times I had my own visa and wandered around by myself and never felt unsafe. Though, if arriving on a cruise ship, I wouldn't bother getting my own visa as the tour companies listed in the above posts have such a good reputation and you don't need visas when you use them.

 

I may be tad biased as St. Petersburg and Moscow are definitely 2 of my favorite cities to visit. Anyone who visits these places are in for a wonderful experience.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

We used Alla Tours for our 2 days in St Petersburg in 2008. We were a group of 12 and can't say enough about Alla and the tour experience she provided. Those who went on ship tours didn't see as much as we did and paid more $$$ for their experience. http://www.alla-tour.com/

 

On day 1 we brought snacks from the ship and on day 2 we went to a local restaurant that was recommended by others on CC.....Stolle Pies.

http://www.stolle.ru/eng/main.html

 

We were very comfortable with all aspects of our tour and always felt safe......even on the busy Russian subway. :)

[rdsqrl]

Coral is right. About the only time you'd need a visa is if you decide to go off on your own and explore St. Petersburg without a licensed tour agency. Independent tours are an excellent way of seeing the sights and they issue a "tour ticket" for each person on the tour that includes the visa. We used SPB Tours for a two-day excursion and they were about the best I've ever had.

 

When you exit the ship, you go through Russian Immigration and they will examine your passport and tour ticket (or visa) very carefully before you're allowed to pass through. You are issued a control ticket that you pass back in when you re-board the ship. The Russians take this very seriously and look as though they'd prefer to toss you in the Baltic Sea than welcome you into their country.

We dubbed that forbidding look that all officials and a lot of private citizens in public have, "the Moscowl"!

St Petersburg has many attractions however its not safe to go off alone hence you are far far better to take a tour with as suggested den rus /red ocrtober etc they take care of all formalities and you can dictate what you want to do

 

We did Red October and avoided lunch in a restuarant or with a family but took room service for our group and included the guide and the driver and they were delighted to take us wherever we wanted ...........food in Russia is a big problem so what is normal fare to you is a real treat for them .........huge filled rolls , chocolate cookies ...fruit etc will be gratefully accepted

What year was this post made, 1972?! St. Petersburg is perfectly safe on your own, no more unsafe than any other big city and in some cases much safer. And they have plenty of food in Russia -- the era of bread lines and empty store shelves is over. My local grocery store there was packed full of comestibles of all types. I ate very well indeed, with the sole exception of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, which is apparently unheard of in Russia . . .

[Coral]

 

What year was this post made, 1972?! St. Petersburg is perfectly safe on your own, no more unsafe than any other big city and in some cases much safer. And they have plenty of food in Russia -- the era of bread lines and empty store shelves is over. My local grocery store there was packed full of comestibles of all types. I ate very well indeed, with the sole exception of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, which is apparently unheard of in Russia . . .

 

We went to a really cool gourmet grocery store in Arbat District in Moscow. That grocery store was nicer and had more diverse food than any grocery store I have in the city I live in now. Go figure!

[Jacqueline]

Right on advice. Use the port of call boards for even more help planning your trip.

[Tatka]

We did Red October and avoided lunch in a restuarant or with a family but took room service for our group and included the guide and the driver and they were delighted to take us wherever we wanted ...........food in Russia is a big problem so what is normal fare to you is a real treat for them .........huge filled rolls , chocolate cookies ...fruit etc will be gratefully accepted

 

I hope you are joking! :D

 

I am not even talking that in addition to their wonderful foods there are many US based fast food chains now...

[billie5]

I also traveled on my own in and around St. Petersburg, and never felt the least bit unsafe.

 

Bill

[caribill]

I also traveled on my own in and around St. Petersburg, and never felt the least bit unsafe.

 

 

For a cruise ship visit, it is not a matter of safety, but more that the ship is not docked near any of what you want to tour.

 

If, having obtained a visa so you can go off on your own, it is unlikely that there would be a cab available at the pier and if there was it would be unlikely that the driver understands English.

 

It is just more practical to tour with a recognized tour operator.

[billie5]

Caribill, I believe several of us were addressing phillipahain, who wrote: "St Petersburg has many attractions however it's not safe to go off alone".

 

I should add, however, that I never used taxis in St. Petersburg. I traveled only by public transportation, and I do not speak a word of Russian. The Russian people are both very generous with help and evidently pretty good at interpreting sign language!

 

Bill

[phillipahain]

Given the costs of private visas and what we managed to see with Red October theres no comparison

 

I really doubt you could see absolutely all the sights of St Petersburg plus Catherines Palace and Hermitage in 2 days on your own

[Banjo]

Thanks all for the advice concerning visas and tours of St Petersburg.

 

Since I don't live near a Russian consulate or embassy for a visa, I would have to go through a visa agency which is rather pricey. Therefore, I will probably use one the approved/certified tour companies that you folks mentioned.

[billie5]

If seeing everything in one day is your goal, then phillipahain is correct: there is no reasonable alternative to an organized tour. Of course, there are those who would argue that seeing everything is seeing nothing! On the other hand, touring independently is the only way to see a particular interest in depth, for example, spending the day at the Hermitage.

 

Although I have toured St. Petersburg and its environs on my own, when I travel there in August I will be taking a two day organized tour. Why? Two reasons. First, I will be traveling with friends, who have been active in organizing the tour. Second, they have arranged to enter the Diamond rooms at the Hermitage (something less than 1% of visitors get to do), and some other delicacies I have never sampled, so to speak. And, of course, not needing to get a visa is a real convenience.

 

I believe on the issue of independent versus group touring there is no single answer. It depends upon what you are after.

 

Bill

[shorefolks]

What year was this post made, 1972?! St. Petersburg is perfectly safe on your own, no more unsafe than any other big city and in some cases much safer.

Actually, in 1975 when I was there it was probably the safest place you could be as a tourist. Governmental control was absolute; street crime was nil.

 

As to sightseeing, I would definitely book with a licensed tour because St. Petersburg has a lot of amazing sights. If you are a museum person, dedicate a day to the Hermitage. (Like the Metropolitan Museum in NYC, one day won't be enough, but you can't not go.) Make sure to see St. Isaac's Cathedral, too.

[stevehg]

We toured with Red October, Elena Suhova was our guide. Best time ever! They can tell you about visas.