Has anyone in a wheelchair been to St Petersburg?

[jojo18]

My husband and I would like to take a cruise that goes to St. Petersburg.We understand that it is not "wheelchair friiendly". Has anyone in a wheelchair visited this city? How did you manage? Any advice? Thanks for your help!

[leoandhugh]

we have spent a couple of days in St Petersburg with a wheelchair and you are right, it is certainly not "wheelchair friendly" We did manage to take a couple of sightseeing trips around the center city, but the places that most people want to see such as the palaces and the Hermitage and some of the churches are very difficult - either no ramps, very steep ramps or one small elevator. If you are able to get up a few steps with someone else to carry a manual wheelchair up the stairs for you, some are doable. The ships dock in an industrialized warehouse, containerport area which is about 30 minutes from the city center and there are few if any cabs available there. There is a tourist office on the pierside but we found them less than helpful. In summary, driving around the city on a great weather day is fantastic, but the real beauty is in the buildings dating back to the days of the czars and they are not easy with a wheelchair. incidentally we also found Tallinn in Estonia to be difficult in the old medieval parts of the city because of cobblestone streets and steps. Helsinki and Stockholm and Oslo were much more "friendly"

[amstelveenscooter]

Travel around St. Petersburg for wheelchair or scooter users is virtually impossible, as the visas for many nationalities are only available through local tour companies.

 

We had a superb two-day tour from Liberty Tour, a new agency specializing in St. Petersburg tours for disabled guests. They have access to several lift-equipped vans, and know all the tricks (including where to find the accessible restrooms). They are half the price of the cruiseline tours, and twice the value.

 

Contact Sergey at info@libertytour.ru, and please feel free to use us as a reference (Marilynn, the lady with the fiberglass ramp).

[DEL67]

We were there a few years ago and LeoandHugh are correct, there is very limited accessibility. We did not have visas so we had to go on ship tours. Luckily my husband could still board a bus with assistance. We went to:

 

- The Hermitage. There were steps at the entrance and exit. My husband really wanted to go so my daughter and I supported him up the steps while another passenger brought up his manual wheelchair. Once in there was a very small elevator to get from floor to floor. I asked the guards for help to bump him in his chair down the exit steps and they got two men from the street to help.

 

- The Peter and Paul Fort and Catherdral was accessible by means of rudimentary ramps.

 

- Peterhof was not accesisble since there was nothing of interest on the ground floor. The gardens could be reached via a winding road off to the side.

[kitty9]

The best route to go with this is a private tour, but even then, there's no guarantee about seeing much of the best sites. I don't use a wheelchair, but I do use a cane and I have limited mobility with stairs, and that's what you're going to find the most of in St. Petersburg. The Hermitage is virtually impossible unless you can do a few steps into and out of the buildings. There is one elevator, but it doesn't work very often. The Church of the Spilled Blood cannot be accessed with a wc. Peterhof is also inaccessible unless you can do a few steps and take the wc up the stairs and then use it.

 

BTW, it's NOT impossible to get a Russian visa and you don't need to go through a Russian tour agency. All you need to do is apply for a visa through a US based agency, such as Zierer Visa Service, and they do most of the work for you. If you go off on your own, and not through a ship's tour, you need an individual visa. I've been to SP three times, once using the ship's tours and the other times using a private car and guide and a private car is the best way to go.

[jojo18]

:) :) :) :) :)

Marilyn

Thanks so much for the information about the tour company in St. Petersburg. I emailed them yesterday and they have promptly replied. We really appreciate the help. Now, tell us about your "fiberglass ramp"!

Enjoy your day!

[amstelveenscooter]

The fiberglass ramp is a Austrailian-made Decpac -- very lightweight and rapid folding, immediate deployment. I carry my 36" ("Personal Edition") on my scooter armrest, and can go up curbs and single steps.

 

For tendering ports, we also have a 6' version that will span four steps or the distance between the tendering platform and into the tender. Much safer than a lift, since I can't stand at all.

 

Google "Decpac ramps" and you can find the details, with distributors in both the US, UK, and here in the Netherlands.

 

As for Kitty9's comments, she's right about Zierer, but they are very expensive unless you're traveling on a cruise that subscribes with them. The Hermitage now has a platform lift available, so it is step-free. Sergey's team has a heavy metallic ramp to allow for visiting the Church of the Spilled Blood and the Summer Palace at Peterhof, but we used our Decpac ramp instead. Visiting the main building at Peterhof is very difficult, but you can cover the gardens and the ground floor of the Summer Palace.

[jojo18]

Once again, your help has been so valuable. We are now much more excited about the possibility of seeing St. Petersburg during our brief visit there. (I am assuming that Sergey is part of the tour company which you recommended to us). We will be checking out the ramp-it sounds like a very useful apparatus. I'm sure that we can make arrangements to receive one in Canada even though you didn't mention a distributor here.We truly appreciate your responses.

[jojo18]

Thanks for your recommendation of Liberty Tours (February). We booked with them and had an excellent tour of St. Petersburg in June.

[FinelyRetired]

Thanks for your recommendation of Liberty Tours (February). We booked with them and had an excellent tour of St. Petersburg in June.

 

Jojo18:

 

I would love to hear more about your tour experience. 3 of us visiting next summer, one uses a wheelchair.

 

Thanks, Martha

[WEELYNCRUZER]

If you want to see pictures and comments :) of wheelchair travelers in St.Petersburg log on to wheelchair escapes.com