Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

Register Log in

Moscow and St Petersburg



G

Goring Gull

New member
Jul 5, 2003
6,725
Huddersfield
Looking at flying out Moscow and having a few days there then heading up by train to St Petersburg. Hopefully a few people on here will have been so a few questions?

1 - Is it easy to get around communicate with English? Funnily enough my Russian is non existant.

2 - Is the train the best bet to get to from St Petersburg?

3 - Best and most efficient way to get a Visa?
 




Black Rod

Black Rod

Well-known member
Jan 19, 2013
947
Visa is realitvely straightforward - send it off to the embassy, let them check it and you are laughing

The metro in Moscow can be a bloody nightmare to navigate as it is all in cyrilic. Still, getting lost down there isn't the end of the world. Some of the stations are breathtaking
 




S

Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
23,830
GOSBTS
Horrible country, rude people. St Petersburg is quite nice though.
 


J

jasetheace

New member
Apr 13, 2011
712
Spent Far too long in Russia for my own good.

Fly between those two cities.

St Petersburg much more outward looking and English likely to be spoken in bars/restaurants especially in and around Nevsky Prospect. You must stay at the Kempinski and hang the expense. Go to their rooftop restaurant with views out over the Hermitage and wider city.

Take a canal boat tour. Can be done fairly cheaply. Peterhof by boat and the Peter and Paul Fortress among many highlights.

Each has their array of cultural activities and key places to visit, a bit more in SPB IMO.

Visa easiest from Real Russia. A tiny bit more expense than direct but they take all the hassle out of it.

Muscovites ain't nowhere near as nice as people from SPB. You have been warned.

But enjoy. Despite my intro, has always been a real joy..
 




Bry Nylon

Bry Nylon

Test your smoke alarm
Helpful Moderator
Jul 21, 2003
19,844
Playing snooker
The daughter of a guy at work is off to Russia soon as part of her degree course. Since the EU sanctions on Russia came into effect, getting a visa has become much more of a pain. She had to go to a doctors between Christmas and new year and pay £90 for an HIV test as part of her visa application.
 


AK74

AK74

Bright-eyed. Bushy-tailed. GSOH.
NSC Patron
Jan 19, 2010
1,190
jasetheace said:
Spent Far too long in Russia for my own good.

Fly between those two cities.

St Petersburg much more outward looking and English likely to be spoken in bars/restaurants especially in and around Nevsky Prospect. You must stay at the Kempinski and hang the expense. Go to their rooftop restaurant with views out over the Hermitage and wider city.

Take a canal boat tour. Can be done fairly cheaply. Peterhof by boat and the Peter and Paul Fortress among many highlights.

Each has their array of cultural activities and key places to visit, a bit more in SPB IMO.

Visa easiest from Real Russia. A tiny bit more expense than direct but they take all the hassle out of it.

Muscovites ain't nowhere near as nice as people from SPB. You have been warned.

But enjoy. Despite my intro, has always been a real joy..
Click to expand...

Agree with this apart from flying between Moscow and St Petersburg: take the high speed Sapsan train (I did this last year when I was in Russia on business).

http://www.russiantrains.com/en/page/sapsan-train

Arrow-straight line, few stops, comfortable seats, and a Soviet-era war film playing on the TV. What's not to like?
 






C

cheshunt seagull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
2,496
AK74 said:
Agree with this apart from flying between Moscow and St Petersburg: take the high speed Sapsan train (I did this last year when I was in Russia on business).

http://www.russiantrains.com/en/page/sapsan-train

Arrow-straight line, few stops, comfortable seats, and a Soviet-era war film playing on the TV. What's not to like?
Click to expand...

I got the Sapsan train 3 years ago between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod. It's the same one that goes to St Petersburg and it was great; fast, comfortable and Kozel in the buffet.
 


moggy

moggy

Well-known member
Oct 15, 2003
5,050
southwick
Been to both on seperate holidays, St peters is much nicer than Moscow, do the underground in Moscow though
 








H

Hampster Gull

New member
Dec 22, 2010
13,462
I am going to moscow in february. Went to stp 15 years ago. Bot so straightforward on visa, you now need a finger print so have to go in person, only open 830 to 330 etc. but looking forward to it,
 


Mr Bridger

Mr Bridger

Sound of the suburbs
Feb 25, 2013
4,441
Earth
Be prepared if you have to queue up for anything , because if you haven't got you wits about you , you will be at the back of the queue in no time.
Missed a flight home from Moscow after the cheeky feckers ducking under the tape to push in.
 




1

1234andcounting

Well-known member
Mar 31, 2008
1,609
It is a long time since I have been to either - Gorbachev had just come to power so that tells you how long ago it is.

Did Moscow-St Petersburg on an overnight train - one of the great journeys of my life. It was December and the countryside was blanketed with snow.

Always prefer to train it internally - you see so much more.
 


C

Czechmate

Well-known member
Oct 5, 2011
1,212
Brno Czech Republic
jasetheace said:
Spent Far too long in Russia for my own good.

Fly between those two cities.

St Petersburg much more outward looking and English likely to be spoken in bars/restaurants especially in and around Nevsky Prospect. You must stay at the Kempinski and hang the expense. Go to their rooftop restaurant with views out over the Hermitage and wider city.

Take a canal boat tour. Can be done fairly cheaply. Peterhof by boat and the Peter and Paul Fortress among many highlights.

Each has their array of cultural activities and key places to visit, a bit more in SPB IMO.

Visa easiest from Real Russia. A tiny bit more expense than direct but they take all the hassle out of it.

Muscovites ain't nowhere near as nice as people from SPB. You have been warned.

But enjoy. Despite my intro, has always been a real joy..
Click to expand...

Think you're find the Neva river will be frozen almost solid in January if that's when the OP is going , but very beautiful never the less .
 




C

Czechmate

Well-known member
Oct 5, 2011
1,212
Brno Czech Republic
Did New Year's Eve in the Red Square and Christmas in St Petersburg , 10 days in all , my highlights were going ice skating in Gorky Park (amazing) , easy to get to by underground , then the old traditional overnight train to St Petersburg including piped Russian music to your cabin and tea from an urn at the end of the carriage via a large Russian woman . Then in St Petersburg went to the Hermitage , the best museum I have ever been to and the palace where Rasputin was murdered and also the Peter and Paul castle where the Tsar's are buried and family of Tsar Nicholas the last Tsar .

Try and visit as much as possible the trip was one of the best trips I have made and I have been to a few places . Amazing !!!!
 








You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here