Metro/Tram/Bus in St Petersburg & Moscow

[Karanja]

For Metro, buses, trams in St Petersburg & Moscow, are instructions in Metro stations in our alphabet as well as Cyrillic

 

Are there ticket sellers in stations, on trams and buses?

 

Do the metro station machines take coins or paper money?

 

Is there a day transit pass? or does pay for each trip?

 

Thank you

[Karanja]

No one knows anything about aforementioned? We have been to both cities before and want to see them independently. I can read the Cyrillic alphabet after one year of Russian in college 45 years ago. Spacebo

[msmoger]

For Metro, buses, trams in St Petersburg & Moscow, are instructions in Metro stations in our alphabet as well as Cyrillic

 

Are there ticket sellers in stations, on trams and buses?

 

Do the metro station machines take coins or paper money?

 

Is there a day transit pass? or does pay for each trip?

 

Thank you

 

No one knows anything about aforementioned? We have been to both cities before and want to see them independently. I can read the Cyrillic alphabet after one year of Russian in college 45 years ago. Spacebo

 

I think the problem is that this is a website catering to people who visit different places on a cruise ship. As a result, most of us will be visiting SPB as part of a tour group. Some go with their ships excursions and many of us book small group tours with private tour companies.

 

Unlike many other countries in Europe, Russia requires a visa and it is not that easy or economical to procure one on your own. However, any licensed tour company in Russia will take care of all the paper work and provide a blanket visa for the entire group. The catch is you must stay with the group under the "watchful eye" of your tour guide at all times.

 

Therefore, these type of questions are infrequently asked on this board.

 

That's not to say someone won't chime in with informed answers. However it might take awhile. You might want to try a website like www.tripadvisor.com.

 

Good Luck and have a Great Vacation!!

[Karanja]

I think the problem is that this is a website catering to people who visit different places on a cruise ship. As a result, most of us will be visiting SPB as part of a tour group. Some go with their ships excursions and many of us book small group tours with private tour companies.

 

Unlike many other countries in Europe, Russia requires a visa and it is not that easy or economical to procure one on your own. However, any licensed tour company in Russia will take care of all the paper work and provide a blanket visa for the entire group. The catch is you must stay with the group under the "watchful eye" of your tour guide at all times.

 

Therefore, these type of questions are infrequently asked on this board.

 

That's not to say someone won't chime in with informed answers. However it might take awhile. You might want to try a website like www.tripadvisor.com.

 

+++++

 

Yes, if one takes a deepsea cruise that calls at St. Petersburg, then one gets a blanket visa friom the cruise line, but if taking a river cruise, then an independently Russian-sourced visa is required.

 

Yes, it is expensive and a visa service needs to be contractd to help secure it w/o problems - approx $464 for the two of us.

 

So now we have the chance to travel on our own...and Metro/tram information would be most helpful. I shall be patient given that a number of people were helpful about getting from Finlanska Station in St. Pete to the river cruise landing with an arrival at 2251.

 

After much gnashing of teeth, we were able to get a transfer and feel very comfortable about arriving by train from Helsinki at a cost of about 40 euro pp vs 250 euro pp by air.

 

If you know your pre-Soviet history, V.I. Lenin arrived Petrograd from Helsinki by train in April 1917 and we would like to arrive the same way. The locomotive that brought him is in the station forecourt as I recall from an earlier visit when I was 22.

[dinoman]

We did take a short metro ride in St Petersburg with our guide during the 2-day excursion tour. From what I remember there seems to have no English signages in the station, and you have to buy token from the ticket office windows. I think they do have day passes for locals but doubt the same for tourists.

[LHT28]

Yes, if one takes a deepsea cruise that calls at St. Petersburg, then one gets a blanket visa friom the cruise line, but if taking a river cruise, then an independently Russian-sourced visa is required.

 

Yes, it is expensive and a visa service needs to be contractd to help secure it w/o problems - approx $464 for the two of us.

 

 

You might try also posting on the river cruise forum... there may be more people there that will have spent more than 2 -3 days in Russia via cruise ship & will have the needed info you seek

 

Lyn

[tacritic]

For Metro, buses, trams in St Petersburg & Moscow, are instructions in Metro stations in our alphabet as well as Cyrillic

 

Are there ticket sellers in stations, on trams and buses?

 

Do the metro station machines take coins or paper money?

 

Is there a day transit pass? or does pay for each trip?

 

Thank you

 

You can not buy a day pass for transportation in Russia. You also should not use local bases. Trafic is slow and you will remember your bus ride for a very long time. Use Metro. You can buy a card for mutiple rides. You metro is not available, ask the hotel to arrange a taxi for you. It is very expensive, but it is your choice to travel to Russia.

[Karanja]

You can not buy a day pass for transportation in Russia. You also should not use local bases. Trafic is slow and you will remember your bus ride for a very long time. Use Metro. You can buy a card for mutiple rides. You metro is not available, ask the hotel to arrange a taxi for you. It is very expensive, but it is your choice to travel to Russia.

 

++++

 

tacritic. Thank you for the multiple ride card information and not using buses.

Ted