Questions about St. Petersburg

[12B@C]

We are planning a trip to St. Petersburg with O and have a few questions. Can you help?

• A satellite photo by Google shows a cruise ship along the south bank of the south branch of the river, not too far from the Hermitage. Is that the dock area where O goes? Can you walk from the dock to the museum, and if not, are there taxis?
  
• Are the displays at the Hermitage in Russian only or are there English translations? We usally like to take our time to see museum displays.
  
• How much is the entrance fee to the Hermitage if you go on your own?
  
• How and where are good places to exchange US dollars into rubbles?
  
• Are there places to have lunch on your own?

We realize that the ship offers tours and that there are several independent tour operators that can help and we would probably do one of those. However, since the ship is in port for more than one night, we were curious what others might think of doing some of the area on our own.

[jfb128]

First of all the ship usually docks very near the Hermitage. However, that is not always the case and you can be docked quite far away on some occasions. In other words don't count on being able to walk to the Hermitage.

 

Second, please understand that Russia requires individual visas if you are not part of a tour such as with Oceania or the private tour groups such as Red October or Denrus etc. When you leave the ship you will be required to go through the Russian gendarmes and either show your passport with the tour documentation or an individual visa for each of you before you will be allowed to go venture on your own.

 

Finally, there is so much more to see other than the Hermitage that is quite a distance from even the best docking location for Regatta such as the Peterhof, Church on the Spilled Blood, Catherine's Palace, Yusopov Palace, Nevsky Prospect, etc. The Hermitage has a wonderful collection of art and treasures but it is far from the only thing to do in St. Petersburg.

[Kane]

The most difficult issue are the visas that jfb mentioned. You will need a "sponsor" to write a letter before you can get the visa(s). There are authorized agents that can do the letter and process the visa for you, but it is a complex and costly procedure. We gave up and took ship tours. It seems like the cold war is not yet over for the Russians.

 

Last summer on our visit Insignia was supposed to dock at the English dock (close to the Hermitage), but Seaborne or Silversea was there and we ended up in the commercial zone. A couple we met on the ship did have visas and decided to hoof it in from there ... it's not that far, about 1.5 miles at the most.

 

The major venues (including Hermitage) are organized for large numbers of large groups. They move the groups through one after the other at a reasonable pace. I suppose it is possible for you to take your time going through, but be prepared to be surrounded by wave after wave of large groups.

 

We normally explore on our own and prefer it this way. In St. Petersburg we did the ship tours and were glad we did ... they were good.

[Clark Family from Canada]

We are looking for 2 persons for our 2 day tour.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=8981218&postcount=71

 

Thanks the Clarks

[shedevil]

Before you make plans to go hiking around St. Petersburg. You will need to get a visa. If you want to do St. Pete's on your own, you will need to complete the paperwork through the State Department to get a Visa for Russia.

 

There are numerous ports that the ship might use to dock. St. Pete's isn't like Miami or Dover that has a single area that cruise ships dock. When we were in St. Pete's in June 2007 there were a lot of cruise ships in port and they were spread over a broad area in the harbor. We were lucky because the Insigina was smaller and the ship docked in the center of town almost. So, before planning to walk anywhere you will need to know if the ship is docking in a berth in the center of town or out in the industrial area. We were told that our berth was not usually used for cruise ships.

 

A way around the visa issue is a letter of invitation. If you arrange a tour with a ship tour or a private company like Red October, they will give you a letter of invitation. The letter of invitation works like a pass to get in the country. But you will have to be with a representative of the company that issued the pass any time you are off the ship. So, if you spend the day on a ship's tour and get back and want to go visit the night life of St. Pete's on your own......you aren't getting off the ship......unless you have also secured a Visa. They take the visa/letter of invitation situation very seriously and you are not allowed to wander off on your own while out on the tour.

 

We are very independent and usually do our own tours or just hike around the city/port. St. Petersburgh is one of the few cities that you will be short changing your visit if you try to do it on your own......especially if you have never been in St. Petersburgh before. I would strongly suggest a private tour....but many enjoyed the ship's tours.

 

I suggest a private tour because of the flexibility and chance for one-on-one chats with your guide. Also, the large groups take longer to get in and out of the venues. We had 4 people in a van with driver and a guide. We were able to easily get in and out of the many attractions. Often, our guide was able to get us to the front of the line because of our small size. A secret......we got off the boat before the large ship tours started filling up customs.

 

Victoria of Red October was fabulous. She took us to a couple of local restuarants, including one that she and her friend eat at when they are just hanging out. She gave us her perspective of Russia and St Pete's and it made the entire visit very personal and educational. She took time to tell us about her family and her views. It was worth every dollar we spent on a private tour.

 

St. Petersburg can be done on your own. You will need to do a lot of homework and you will need to make sure you understand that while Russia has opened it's doors to tourism......it still likes red tape.

 

I loved St. Pete's and which we had 3 weeks there instead of just 3 days.

 

I would also suggest you search this board and the Baltics board for more information on visiting St. Pete's and visas for St. Pete's. When we planned our trip - 80% of our planning information came from insight from folks here at cruisecritic.com.

 

Have a great trip!

[shedevil]

I loved St. Pete's and which we had 3 weeks there instead of just 3 days.

 

Yikes - typo.

 

....wish we had 3 weeks......

[shoshona2]

We used Red October several years ago and we were able to tell them how much time we wanted in each place. Our four friends went off at night with Red October to a ballet performance. They came back to the ship to shower and change after our long sightseeing day and were off again.

 

Our friends used Alla for their St. Petersburg excursions. The Baltic port section of this board has all the email addresses for all the private guides.

 

If you use a private company, they will get you into the Palaces and the Hermitage without any problems or LINES.

 

Sheila

[mk101]

I totally agree about getting a private tour. I usually prefer to explore on my own but was happy to have the tour in St Petersburg. Having a guide was useful in getting into all of the tourist spots - she knew EVERYONE and snuck us in ahead of lines and got through a lot of red tape. I highly recommend using a tour - we used www.travelinrussia.com.

[russia2007]

First of all the ship usually docks very near the Hermitage. However, that is not always the case and you can be docked quite far away on some occasions. In other words don't count on being able to walk to the Hermitage.

 

Second, please understand that Russia requires individual visas if you are not part of a tour such as with Oceania or the private tour groups such as Red October or Denrus etc. When you leave the ship you will be required to go through the Russian gendarmes and either show your passport with the tour documentation or an individual visa for each of you before you will be allowed to go venture on your own.

 

Finally, there is so much more to see other than the Hermitage that is quite a distance from even the best docking location for Regatta such as the Peterhof, Church on the Spilled Blood, Catherine's Palace, Yusopov Palace, Nevsky Prospect, etc. The Hermitage has a wonderful collection of art and treasures but it is far from the only thing to do in St. Petersburg.

Did you visit on your own Catherine (Ekaterininsky) summer palace in Pushkin or ??? If you visit on your own, what is your suggestions for doing this?

 

Yuri

[jfb128]

We used Red October to take us to Catherine's Palace. There were four couples in our group and we went right around the long lines and into the palace. Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave us so much more information than we could have gotten on our own.

[mike35]

The most difficult issue are the visas that jfb mentioned. You will need a "sponsor" to write a letter before you can get the visa(s). There are authorized agents that can do the letter and process the visa for you, but it is a complex and costly procedure. We gave up and took ship tours. It seems like the cold war is not yet over for the Russians.

 

Nor is the cold war over for we Americans. One of the best tour guides we've ever had (you can find tons of positive references for her on this and other boards) is Alla Ushakova (www.alla-tour.com). After our 3 wonderful days with this amazing tour guide, we returned to our home in the States. A month or so later, Alla contacted us and indicated that she would like to visit us (we had extended the invitation when we were with her in St. Petersburg). She went to the U. S. Consulate, where she obtained the necessary information on obtaining a visa. One of the requirements was that we hand-write a letter indicating our agreement to sponsor her visit. We did so and faxed it back to her. She presented it to the State Department official, who summarily said "no", with no explanation. So the visa situation goes both ways.

 

With regard to the Hermitage, Alla had pre-arranged our entry, and she took us to the head of the line, in front of other large organized tours. She is exceptionally knowledgeable about the Hermitage's major art works, and she guided us to each gallery with in-depth explanations of some of the world's greatest art works. This knowledge also applied to the numerous other venues she took us to. She also obtained wonderful tickets to the Mariinsky Ballet, and took us to exceptional dining venues that were patronized primarily by Russians.

 

In short, to the OP - if you're anxious to maximize your exposure to the wonderful sights, sounds and flavors of one of the world's greatest and most interesting cities, I highly recommend that you use a licensed guide, who can obtain the necessary visa for you and insure that your time is well spent.

 

Mike

[merryecho]

Despite all of the dire warnings on CC we did St Pete on our own. We had been there before, and had seen the major tourist attractions, and wanted to see everyday Russian life. We felt quite safe, and would happily do it again.

VISA; Can be obtained in a couple of days from online agencies. You could do it yourself at a Russian embassy except for the necessary letter of introduction. Visa agencies supply this for a fee, or free if you purchase $500 worth of tours from them. All together we paid about $150 for our visa.

 

SHIP TO TOWN; We were docked about 2 miles from the hermitage- church of spilled blood and peter and paul fortress are nearby to that. Some days there was a taxi at the ship, some days not, but it was a pleasant walk. If you are at the English Embankment it is even closer.

 

TOurist services: At the square in fback of the Hermitage there is an english speaking tourist info booth, with lots of offers for walking tours, canal tours, etc. They can also direct you where to go to change money, which was not done in very many places. Not many people speak english, but you can get your point across with lots of hand waving.

 

In general- Russians are not the friendliest people on earth, so don't be put by lack of smiles returned. I highly recommend taking a an hour or two to learn the cyrillic alphabet (that is really all it takes) as it makes it much easier to read street signs. Watch out for taxi crooks- we took a cab from spilled blood back to the ship. DH asked him how much before we got in, he said he was an official metered taxi- fee would be on meter. WHen we got to the ship (2 miles) he pulled out a calculator (his meter) and wanted 65$.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Jane110]

Despite all of the dire warnings on CC we did St Pete on our own. We had been there before, and had seen the major tourist attractions, and wanted to see everyday Russian life. We felt quite safe, and would happily do it again.

VISA; Can be obtained in a couple of days from online agencies. You could do it yourself at a Russian embassy except for the necessary letter of introduction. Visa agencies supply this for a fee, or free if you purchase $500 worth of tours from them. All together we paid about $150 for our visa.

 

SHIP TO TOWN; We were docked about 2 miles from the hermitage- church of spilled blood and peter and paul fortress are nearby to that. Some days there was a taxi at the ship, some days not, but it was a pleasant walk. If you are at the English Embankment it is even closer.

 

TOurist services: At the square in fback of the Hermitage there is an english speaking tourist info booth, with lots of offers for walking tours, canal tours, etc. They can also direct you where to go to change money, which was not done in very many places. Not many people speak english, but you can get your point across with lots of hand waving.

 

In general- Russians are not the friendliest people on earth, so don't be put by lack of smiles returned. I highly recommend taking a an hour or two to learn the cyrillic alphabet (that is really all it takes) as it makes it much easier to read street signs. Watch out for taxi crooks- we took a cab from spilled blood back to the ship. DH asked him how much before we got in, he said he was an official metered taxi- fee would be on meter. WHen we got to the ship (2 miles) he pulled out a calculator (his meter) and wanted 65$.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Hmmm... you say....

 

1. You've been to St. P before and already saw the major sites, so only wanted to experience the everyday. Okay, so you didn't need to travel the distances from museum to palaces that all first time visitors want.

 

2. Learn the cyrillic alphabet.

 

3. Not many people speak english, and there are few places to change money.

 

4. A taxi driver charged you $65. for a two mile ride after you negotiated a metered rate with him.

 

5. A "free" Visa can be had if you buy a tour for $500. (don't know how that differs from Red Oct or Denrus) or you can pay $150. and write to embassy's and try to get a letter of letter of introduction.

 

I think you've answered all the questions as to why people shouldn't do it on their own for their first visit! :) :)

What a hassle!

 

We've been to St. P, and we shared a Red Oct tour w/ one other couple and I think that to do to St. P on one's own for the first time is nuts. There's just no way to navigate from place to place. Distances are far. People will end up seeing less, getting ripped off by taxi drivers, and probably end up spending more and enjoying it less than if they went on an organized tour - whether it's a one person guide or a tour group.

 

Years ago DH and I spent 2 weeks in Moscow while he was working and I was on my own. I'm an independant person and travel the world by myself, but even there, I hired a private guide for a few of the days when I needed to travel far to various palaces and special places. I spent most days wandering around on my own and learned the local bus routes, and DH and I travelled the subways on weekends, but only after we had a good orientation by our local guide the first few days.

 

You're certainly right about them not being the friendliest people. Sure, our hired guide was nice, but everyone we encountered - store clerks, museum ticket takers, bus drivers, subway token clerks, coat check people, waiters, people in the street, were extremely unfriendly. No one smiled, no one wanted a pleasant exchange. When I politely asked 4 people in Moscow where GUM was, they said they didn't know and hurried on with a scowl. No one on the subway would help us. So, getting by with the help of the locals is not something a tourist can depend up on in Russia.

[merryecho]

Dear Jane- I never said anyone visiting for the first time should do it on their own! What I was trying to reply to was a question about how to do it on ones own if that is what you want to do. Yes, we too used red october the first trip, and if you want to see all of the major tourist sites in a short time, a private guide is the most efficient way to do it.

But, wanting to do it on our own this time, and not wanting to revisit the same places, we found very little helpful info about what it was like- and a lot of dire warnings from people who hadn't done it. Maybe in my desire to pass along the benefit of our experience I made it sound like we had an unpleasant time, and if so it was unintentional. We enjoyed our time on our own thoroughly, it wasn't terribly confusing or hard, and we saw lots of things we didn't see the first trip.

[Jane110]

Merryecho,

Okay, but I got the impression that you were recommending people do it on their own the first time they visit.

 

I think that the dire warnings on CC not to do St P on your own has always been geared to first time visitors who want to see a lot in a short period of time.

 

Now I understand thar your recommendation was for visit #2 and after. Thanks for clarifying.

[gtragitt]

The Oceania tours are not the greatest. I used Den Rus for a tour from Warnemunde to Berlin. It was exceprtionally good. I assume their St Petersburg tours are even better.

 

To see the palaces an organized tour is the best way to go. They can get you into the palaces before the general public. Make sure whichever company you select has the radio transmitters and earphones.

 

I have been to St Petersburg twice and have seen the palaces; so, I would get a visa and go on my own if I returned.

 

If you have a chance to go to Moscow, I suggest going. It is truly beautiful and very unique. It will probably mess up the organized tour schedules. In our case it was scheduled for the second day of a 3 day stop in St Petersburg. For the price we paid we should have been on a chartered aircraft rather than on a commercial flight. The flight times were one hour and the only disappointing part of the day. The second day was the only day Oceania booked tours to the Hermitage. I had been there on a previous visit and was not overly disappointed that I could not see it again. If you go to the Hermitage, a guide is highly recommended. They know when and where to see the most important items in the museum.

 

If you plan to use Red October, Den Rus or Alla, be sure to book at least 60 days prior to sailing. We were delinquent and had to use the Oceania tours which weren't so pleasant.

 

We had a great guide (Tatiana) for Catherine's Palace but had a disappointing lunch at the Austeria Restaurant inside the fortress. The meal took a long time and was poor. We would have perferred a sack lunch and spent more time touring.

 

The canal trip using the Oceania excursion was totally unacceptable. We had to wait 40 minutes near a stinking sewer to board the most dilapidated craft on the river. The wait was probably not the fault of the tour company, but they could have booked a better boat with comfortable benches rather than tiny chairs. They then took us to an outreageously expensive souvenir shop where they probably get big kick-backs.

[merryecho]

gtragit- We did the Moscow trip too, and I agree, it was well worth it for us. I didn't think O's tour was very well done though. As you probably did too, we spent the first 45 minutes at a new church no one cared about, and then only had time for about 45 minutes in Red Square. There was a forced 45 minute "coffee break" at a dismal hotel which also wasted time, and another 45 minutes standing in the rain to get into the Kremlin- the red october guides always seemed to cut us to the front of lines. The dinner was great though.

[gtragitt]

gtragit- We did the Moscow trip too, and I agree, it was well worth it for us. I didn't think O's tour was very well done though. As you probably did too, we spent the first 45 minutes at a new church no one cared about, and then only had time for about 45 minutes in Red Square. There was a forced 45 minute "coffee break" at a dismal hotel which also wasted time, and another 45 minutes standing in the rain to get into the Kremlin- the red october guides always seemed to cut us to the front of lines. The dinner was great though.

We must have had a better guide in Moscow, and we definitely had perfect weather in Moscow.

 

When I traveled to Moscow with a NCL excursion we had a much nicer tea at a 5 star hotel. The coffee break was not a high point this year. We had Danish pastries (no choice of pastries) and not so good coffee. The dinner at the Writers' Club was at the same location used by NCL in 2002. I have no complaints about the dinner.