Russia - St. Petersburg

MadYaker

I'm visiting St. Petersburg next week, I'm in Finland at the moment so its cheap to get there by boat. Anyone ever been? Do many people speak english? I'm slightly worried about the language barrier considering they don't even use the same alphabet. Can anyone recommend any good places o visit in the city?

Gatica

if you're not there for long the main sites to see are:

• The winter palace/The Hermitage
• The summer palace and garden in Peterhof
• The Kunstkamera science museum

If you want to travel by public transport you'd want to be able to at least read the alaphbet and recognise signs. However, I'm sure touristy hotels would offer most of the sites as part of tour packages, which would be easier without the language.

Rasmus

I'd go with the first two recommended above, as well as the Church of Spilled Blood, Pavlovsk and The Pushkin museum. Just walking along the river and stopping at shops, stalls etc is lovely too.
I don't think you will have a problem communicating during a short stay. For your own benefit, maybe learn some basic words in the cyrillic alphabet or print a copy of a list of common words - (if you have a guidebook the one is the back would be grand).

zeirtz

I went with the boat. Very simple process apart from the queue for the passport control at arrival in St. Petersburg. Get to the ships doors early if you can in the morning. The cruise company provides minibuses that go to the centre. Better to stay near Nevsky Prospekt. The bus can leave you at St. Issac's cathedral and it's a short walk to Nevsky from there. I would get a Russian guidebook or even better, take the Pimsleur course in Russian as far as you can. It can help with the basic phrases. Good luck!

Rasmus

zeirtz wrote: »

I went with the boat. Very simple process apart from the queue for the passport control at arrival in St. Petersburg. Get to the ships doors early if you can in the morning. The cruise company provides minibuses that go to the centre. Better to stay near Nevsky Prospekt. The bus can leave you at St. Issac's cathedral and it's a short walk to Nevsky from there. I would get a Russian guidebook or even better, take the Pimsleur course in Russian as far as you can. It can help with the basic phrases. Good luck!

+ 1 to the Pimsleur!

Hmm_Messiah

Rasmus wrote: »

+ 1 to the Pimsleur!

+1 to Pimsleur