To get to St petersburg

gary the great

Anyone know the cheapest way of getting from dublin to st petersburg?

Air baltic flights from dublin to petes via riga reuire nearly a day of a stopover and thats no use, anyone know any icker/cheaper/efficent way?

Also the ryanair flights dont match up timewise. Any suggestions would e cool as were pretty stuck and wanna go back!

Hmm_Messiah

fly to riga and get eurolines bus for circa 26 euros. or to taillinn and do similar, or either and the train (overnight sleeper)

try s7( formerly siberia airlines) the fly to moscow, but also internally etc

RATM

Tis also possible to fly to Tampere in Finland on Ryanair then get a train to St.Petes. This involves changing train once in Finland and possibly again at the border ( depends on the service ). Tampere to St.Petes takes 5-6 hours depending on how long it takes to clear Russian immigration ( it can sometimes take over an hour )

Irish Gunner

RATM wrote: »

Tis also possible to fly to Tampere in Finland on Ryanair then get a train to St.Petes. This involves changing train once in Finland and possibly again at the border ( depends on the service ). Tampere to St.Petes takes 5-6 hours depending on how long it takes to clear Russian immigration ( it can sometimes take over an hour )

This is what I am doing. Spending night in Helsinki and then hope to get train to St Petes spend a few days there and then back to Helsinki

Looking for accommodation in St Petes, Gary the great where did you stay ?
Myself and Miss Gunner going so no hostel etc just reasonable

gary the great

We stayed in an apartment, was nice but expensive. Used a woman called irinia, she has a website if you google her name and st petersburg. its on italianskya which just off nevsky.

Were only going back for a weekend so doing train journeys etc is no good, plus i really dont want to enter overland again, was 2 hours at the border last time was crazy. The country is really so awkward, difficult and expesnive to get to. it wouldnt be that grea tonly we have some brilliant russian friends over there who are great fun and love having us, next time we'll be staying with them.

I actually dont think its possible to get to Spb without doing a stopover in another city for about 6-7 hours, and when we're only going for the weekend thats not really possible.

Dam, might have to rule this trip out till we have more time.

RATM

Russia's a hassle to get in to alright with the visa troubles and the snarly border guards.

One other option you could try is a Ryanair cheapie to Berlin and then transfer with Air Berlin to St.Petes. If you are lucky and the times work out then maybe it will only be a 3 hour stopover in Berlin.

Pythia

I went back from St Petersburg via Prague to Dublin. Not much wait as far as I remember. It was Czech Airlines.

Irish Gunner

Emailed crowd at helsinkiexpert and got the below quote for 2 day trip from Helsinki to St Petes. Word doc so just cut and paste so may be out of line

All trips are over €200 including return train trip and one nights accom seems a bit much better to do it myself ?

Found a place called B&B Sabrina Bolshaya Morskaya good reviews on Trip advisor

English translation of website Here

Better to do this myself get train and accomodation

FIT TOUR

2008

to ST. PETERSBURG from HELSINKI by train



— Future Quality Today —

DAILY DEPARTURES APRIL 01 - OCTOBER 31, 2008
RATES PER PERSON IN EUR

including breakfast
1 night package additional

night
single

suppl/night
Nevsky Forum 14.5 - 15.7 **** 295 165 135
1.4 – 13.5 & 16.7 – 30.9 255 125 95
1 – 31.10 220 90 67
Dostoevsky 15.5 - 30.6 ***+ 250 115 95
Other periods 225 95 75
Belveder Nevsky 20.5 - 30.9 *** 220 85 80
1.4 – 19.5 185 55 52
1 – 31.10 175 45 42
AlexanderPlatz 1.5 – 30.9 ***- 205 70 55
Other periods 190 60 43


RATES INCLUDE

* Helsinki-St. Petersburg-Helsinki by train in 2nd class
* Accommodation with breakfast in double room with bath/shower in chosen hotel

EXTRA CHARGES

* Obtaining of visa in Finland in 6 working days EUR 25 net per person plus consular fees (please contact Helsinki Expert for valid info !) and supplement EUR 65 if visa to be obtained in 5 working days.
* Supplement for first class in rail EUR 80 in Sibelius and EUR 100 in Repin per person

Programme package EUR 180 per person (minimum 2 pax travelling together), including the following

tours with private car and local guide:

- Panoramic city sightseeing tour combined with arrival transfer

- Visit to Hermitage Art Museum or Yusupov Palace

- Transfer from hotel to railway station
TOUR CONDITIONS


The rates are valid from from 01 April 2008 until October 31 2008.

The rates are based on tariffs, exchange rates and timetables valid in November 2007 and may be changed in case

there is a change in any of these. The tour price must be paid in advance unless otherwise agreed upon.
Cancellations and amendments

* EUR 30 per person is charged for amendments or cancellations made earlier than 6 days prior to departure

* 6–2 days 50 % of the tour price

* later than 2 days or no-show 100 %

Costs for visas already obtained in Finland are charged in full in case of cancellation.
TRAIN TIMETABLES

Subject to changes Valid until 24.5.2008 !
HEL-SPb TRAIN SPb-HEL
07.23 – 14.05 SIBELIUS 15.40 – 20.48
15.23 – 22.28 REPIN 07.27 – 12.35


All times are local. Moscow time, applied in St. Petersburg, is one hour ahead of the Finnish time.

Sibelius (Finnish train) 2nd class seats in open compartment (non-smoking and smoking sections)

1st class 6 seats in one compartment, saloon in same car

Repin (Russian train) 2nd class seats in open compartment

1st class 2 berths in one compartment (sleeping car)



NEEDED FOR VISA


A duly filled visa application form of the Russian Consulate, one passport photo, the valid passport and a copy of valid travel insurance for citizens of certain countries.

The visa can also be obtained in the home country of the passenger, in which case we will forward a Russian visa support

letter for the Russian Consulate.
EXCURSIONS BY PRIVATE CAR AND GUIDE

Language by clients´ own choice, main languages available)
RATES PER PERSON IN EUR 2 pax 3 pax 4 pax 5 pax 6 pax
Peterhof & Grand Summer Palace 4 hrs 107 100 87 78 72
Pushkin & Catherine´s Palace 4hrs 85 75 65 58 52

HOTEL INFORMATION

Information on November 01, 2007, subject to changes.
NEVSKY FORUM****
Address Nevsky Prospect 69, tel. +7 812 333 0222 , www.forumhotel.ru

Centrally located on Nevsky Prospekt, the main street. 20 rooms with bath/shower, satellite-TV, telephone, Internet access, minibar, safe, air-conditioning. Restaurant.

DOSTOEVSKY ***+
Address 19 Vladimirsky Prospect, Vladimirsky Passage, tel. +7 812 331 3200, www.dostoevsky-hotel.ru.

Located at some five minutes´ walking distance from Nevsky Prospekt in the historical centre of St. Petersburg, in a trade and hotel complex called Vladimirsky Passage, which also accommodates several restaurants, bars, cafes and shops. The building dates back to 1837 and was opened renovated in the end of 2003. 8 floors, 207 rooms and suites with bath/shower, TV, telephone. Fitness centre, sauna, Business Centre.

BELVEDER NEVSKY***
Address 29 Bolshaya Konyushennaya , tel. +7 812 571 8338, www.belveder-nevsky.spb.ru

A comfortable, small hotel located in the very heart of St.Petersburg – next to main street Nevsky Prospekt, within 10 minutes walk from the Palace Square and St.Isaac´s Cathedral. 34 rooms with bath/shower, TV, telephone, mini-bar, air conditioning. Breakfast room.

ALEXANDERPLATZ***-
Address 53 Voronezhskaya st. , tel./fax +7 812 490 4810, 490 4811 , www.eurasia-hotel.ru

Located in the historical centre of St.Petersburg. 47 rooms with shower, telephone, SatTV. Restaurant. Sauna with small swimming pool. 15min by tram or shuttle minibus to main street Nevsky Prospekt.


Discover one of the world’s greatest open-air museum – St. Petersburg: the Winter Palace, a pearl of the Russian baroque architecture, the Palace Square, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Peter and Paul Fortress and summer residences of the Russian tsars. One huge palace after another, imposing architectural ensembles and austere granite embankments bear testimony to a magnificent kingly past of the city. A city of imperial proportions and romantic vistas, St. Petersburg has been a source of inspiration to generations of artists. A museum in its own right, this lovely city boasts of the world’s greatest museum collections, making it a superb destination for art-lovers.

Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703. It was designed to rival the splendour of the most impressive cities of Western Europe. A city of infinite charm with its majestic palaces, churches and cathedrals, river embankments, beautiful parks and innumerable bridges has a relatively short but outstanding history. For almost 200 years it was the capital of the Russian Empire. No longer a capital city now it still preserves its imperial grandeur.

The city was planned and built with the help of leading architects from all over the world, and the result is an eclectic blend of European and traditional Russian styles. St. Petersburg reminds some visitors of Rome, others of Paris, still others of Venice, Vienna or Amsterdam. Elements of all these cities are here, yet at the same time it resembles none.

During this restless time of midnight sun, when the sun disappears below the horizon for only a brief respite and the skies never completely darken, romantics flock to the river embankments to witness the rising bridges in twilight hues, and the city’s architectural jewels take on new life in the strange luminescence.


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