Visa Requirements for St. Petersburg

[LouiseATL]

Have any of you applied for the visa? We are doing 2 Princess sponsored tours and are not sure we want to wander around on our own.

 

Do you know if one has to apply in person for the visa or can it be done by mail? The Russian websites say two different things.

 

Thanks!

[JAF1]

If you take either a cruise ship excursion or use a recognised local tour company then you do not need to apply for a visa as Princess and the Tour Companies are able to obtain these on your behalf. We were on the Emerald in 2014 and used SPB Tours and had absolutely no problems with getting off the ship and going on the tours. Would not wander around completely on my own as entry queues can be large to the major sites whereas the tour companies are able to arrange the tickets more easily. Have a great trip

[capriccio]

Have any of you applied for the visa? We are doing 2 Princess sponsored tours and are not sure we want to wander around on our own.

 

Do you know if one has to apply in person for the visa or can it be done by mail? The Russian websites say two different things.

 

Thanks!

 

If you are doing sponsored tours (either Princess or through a private company), they handle the visas. We found that our 2 day tour (with Alla) left no time to wander on our own. If you want to wander around on your own - not under the auspices of Princess or a private company - you need to get a visa. Did you check the US State Department's website on the need for a Russian visa? http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/russia.html

[Colo Cruiser]

Have any of you applied for the visa? We are doing 2 Princess sponsored tours and are not sure we want to wander around on our own.

 

Do you know if one has to apply in person for the visa or can it be done by mail? The Russian websites say two different things.

 

Thanks!

 

There are a few threads on this, a quick search found this one.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310212&highlight=visa+st+petersburg

[Keith1010]

JAF1 has given you great advice.

 

Keith

[Astro Flyer]

Have any of you applied for the visa? We are doing 2 Princess sponsored tours and are not sure we want to wander around on our own.

 

Do you know if one has to apply in person for the visa or can it be done by mail? The Russian websites say two different things.

 

Thanks!

I took the 2 day Princess tour in St. Petersburg & we were too tired to do any additional touring on our own so we didn't need a visa & thus don't remember the process to get your own visa.

 

The ship is a considerable distance from town & even further to many of the sites to see & the Princess tour provides the necessary visa to go on their tours. I believe the visa is also provided with independent tours which were about 25% less than through Princess & I have read many positive reviews about them.

 

Cruise Critic's Northern Europe & Baltics forum has a lot of useful info including for St. Petersburg:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=192

Edited February 14, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[LouiseATL]

The State Department website referred me tho the Russian sites.

 

There is an on line application to complete that you have to print out and attach a passport type picture to and submit to the embassy or some such. One of the Russian sites says no more mail applications and the other one has a mailing address. Will call and get clarification.

[LeeW]

I took the 2 day Princess tour in St. Petersburg & we were too tired to do any additional touring on our own so we didn't need a visa & thus don't remember the process to get your own visa.

 

The ship is a considerable distance from town & even further to many of the sites to see & the Princess tour provides the necessary visa to go on their tours. I believe the visa is also provided with independent tours which were about 25% less than through Princess & I have read many positive reviews about them.

 

Cruise Critic's Northern Europe & Baltics forum has a lot of useful info including for St. Petersburg:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=192

 

 

We also did the Princess 2 day and it was two very long days. Good food and bypassed many very large lines. Other folks on our bus came back to the ship, ate, and then went out to the ballet or "Evening with Catherine the Great". They enjoyed it immensely, but looked like they had died when they got on the bus for the second day at 7:30. You will get some shopping time at a few stores and street vendors (like outside the Church on Spilled Blood), but you won't get any real chance to tour on your own. No time and the vendors (either through Princess or private) are responsible for your behavior and will not let you leave the group. If you want to go independent you will need to get your own visas and arrange a local guide. Frankly not worth the trouble. For example, the non-tourgroup line to get into the Hermitage was probably 2 hours long. Tour groups walked right by because they already had our tickets. Catherine Palace and Peterhoff were the same way.

[Astro Flyer]

For example, the non-tourgroup line to get into the Hermitage was probably 2 hours long. Tour groups walked right by because they already had our tickets.

Yes, very long days indeed!

 

Our tour to the Hermitage was on a Monday & it was closed to the general public so it was considerably less crowded. I don't know if it was open only to cruise ship tours but would think it'd also be open to those using one of the several independent tour companies.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[Rosethorn40]

I am going to second what others have said. The cruise terminal(s) are quite far from town, and I didn't see any buses or independent taxis for those going it alone. The visa's for independent touring can be expensive. This is one place when using the ship sponsored shorex or even better, one of the many Russian tour operators is your friend. We used Alla tours, others uses SPB or TJ tours (And I know there are others) and everyone appeared pleased with their choice. The tour guides know what they are doing, and they will pack in more sightseeing then you thought possible in two days.

[Pam in CA]

If you go off on your own, you'll need to apply for and purchase a visa before your cruise. It's a bit of a hike from the dock to where the trolley heads to where you can get the subway. Nothing is in English and few speak English. There is literally nothing to see anywhere near the dock. Haven't done it but the trolley can take quite a long time to get anywhere as it runs on surface roads and traffic is horrible. Russians like to create driving lanes where none exist which makes things "interesting."

 

Forget going on your own and book a tour with SPB. Don't be penny wise, pound foolish.

[Coral]

I have received my Russian visa 2 different times but they were different types of trips. It was a process.

 

If you want more independence, book with a Russian tour company (SPB, ALLA, Red October) and work with them to customize your trip or do more private touring (less people or a private tour). This way, they handle the visa and you have a tour guide with you.

 

With such little time in St. Petersburg, you are best to work with a tour company than manage it on your own. As others stated, you dock pretty far from the center of the city and several of the sites you want to see are pretty spread out (Hermitage, Catherine's Palace, Peter the Great's Summer Palace, etc...).

Edited February 14, 2016 by Coral

[paul929207]

You really don't want the hassle of getting a visa. Also, if you get one, you will have difficulty getting around with the different alphabet and the Russian language. English is not widely spoken like in western Europe.

 

If you decide to get a visa, you can do it without going to an embassy. We took a 2 week river cruise. We flew to Moscow, sailed to St. Petersberg and flew home. Since we were flying in, we needed a visa.

[land lover]

Yes, we have but not for cruise travel. Like Coral we have gotten Visas because we were doing independent travel in Russia. We also needed an invitation to enter the country. Take a look at what questions they ask on the visa app you don't even what to go there, BTW the visa it's not cheap! Enjoy...L:)ri

Edited February 14, 2016 by land lover