Introduction:St Petersburg (Leningrad), is often considered the most famous beautiful city the world over. It could well be , if you ask me!. P’Burg, or SPB in tourist lingo, has a history which can suck a curious student into its unfathomable depths with sheer grace and beauty. I personally would consider it among the best 3 destiantions I have ever visited. Having gone through the other reviews on SPB, all of which provide elaborate accounts of White Nights, Hermitage (the second largest of its genre in the world, after its contemporary in France), St Issacs Cathedral, Theatres (Major & Minor, for Operas and Ballets), Fontanka et al, I shall stick to useful tips for foreigners/ Indians visiting the place. I shall try to make it such that if I were planning to visit it, I be able to make a prudent decision reading the review.
Getting There:SPB is connected to India by daily flights from Bombay and Delhi. The fare is the same for both cities. You need to take one stop over. If budget is your constraint, Aeroflot is the pick, and takes you via Moscow. But then, at Moscow, you need to travel from the International to the Domestic Airport, on your own.Believe me, Russians generally do not speak Englishand getting aroubd isdifficult, especially if there are kids travelling along. If you can afford a little more, travel via Frankfurt, London, Paris or Vienna. Austrian Airlines often gives you a companion free scheme. So please explore Lufthansa, Austrian and Air India sites well before you decide. And also, the Aeroflot office, because the site is identical to the dumps that the Russian administration stands for. If you are not travelling peak season, you can get a return ticket for anywhere from 25K - 40 K, Economy.
Once there,
Currency, Language, Transport, Climate:The currency is the Rouble, which is about Rs. 1.60. Carry dollars, preferably in 50 or 100 bills. There are numerous Currency Converters in SPB (called Obmen Valyuta), where greater volume of exchange earns a better rate. Dont carry Travellers Cheques or Pre-Paid cards (Thomas Cook etc), cos, you are in Russia, which is a world unto itself, privately obsessed with their past glory and refusing to come to terms with the new world economy or order! Hardly 10% of the polulace speak English in SPB, though many more may know it! French and German are an added advantage, as a lot of youngsters speak them. The best transportation at SPB is by Metro, which is underground at a depth of 50 or more metres and escalators take you down into the bowels of the earth. Tickets are 10 rubles a ride, which could be a whole day, if you so wish. Trains run on 4 lines (like the Western, Central etc at Bombay) and the frequency is about every 2-4 minutes. You can also flag any caron the road, bargain with the driver on the fare you will pay to your destination, and if agreeable, take a paid lift (!), often so even if the driver wasnt originally going in that direction.!
Temperature is from -35C (Feb) to +30(Aug). Best time: May - Nov. Great discounts on Off season tickets.
Sightseeing:Seeing everything the city has on offer needs a minimum of 10 days. Almost every place has an entry ticket. Dont be disgusted to see rates for Us much higher than for Them...even we do the same in our land!! Dollars, you see! If you have anyI-card saying you are a student, try flashing it and saying ’stoodyent’, you have a 20% chance of a discount!
Boarding, Lodging and VISA:Russia is kind of new to tourists, so dont expect to get pampered. VISA regimes are getting relaxed slowly. You can book online and get a registration confirmation from any approved hotel. There are many of them. You can try the site https://byki.com/free_lang_software.pl for a fast download of essential russian. The site https://waytorussia.net/SaintPetersburg/Guide.html gives you all you need regarding VISAs, hotels etc. Check out their FAQ section, it answers almost all your queries. Stay in SPB may range from $20-100 per day, with the lower end being fit only for backpackers. Save a metro map of the city, helps you decide on where to stay. Any hotel aboout 5 metro stations from Nevsky Prospect (City Centre) is a good bargain, as it gives you a truer vision . Hotels in City Centre are just for Business class, on company expense.
Food:When you say Food in Russia, know that what they understand is ’Non Veg’. The veg movement hasnt yet been initiated in Russia. So if you are one, and staying long enough, you could be the one to! Veggies rush to either McDonalds or Subway, for safe bets. If non-veg, check out every meat you get there. They even offer good Arabian, Greek and Turkish cuisines, for great bargain prices.
Fun:Dont think Russia (or SPB) is all about sightseeing in the day. They have Walking Tours at night, a good experience, if you can walk 5-10 km. If you want bolder fun, visit their famous clubs, which open from 10pm, right up to 7 am, where you can drink, smoke, dance and have a ball. Take your pick, based on your ’appetite’! But if the last has had your adrinaline rushing, read the next paragraph before you venture out!
Safety:Russia, in recent times, has had its share of extreme right wing fanatics, called skinheads. They are most commonly found in Moscow and SPB, though you may even spend 2 months (like I did at SPB) and not get to see them at all. Which anyway bodes well for you, your family and your insurance company. Reason being that occasions when skin heads (in groups of 3-10, armed, and dressed in black leather ) have spotted a dark-skin and the target having got away are rare. The standard advise if you encounter these apes is to RUN, to the nearest shopping mall (lots of them,thank god!), bank or other crowded/guarded place. And, always travel in groups . The police arent too eager to help. Please carry your passport everywhere you go, including the registration slip , which your travel agent at Russia gets done for you, on your arrival there.
But dont let the above dissuade you, the worst would be your foregoing the nightly prolws in search of fun. Otherwise, and during the day, SPB is safe, doubtless. But advise on danger never hurt anyone, I guess.
Conclusion: If all the above has you in two minds, let me help you decide. SPB is among the most exotic places on Earth. The city is a classic case of development without destruction of a glorious past. A walk along the Neva or Nevsky Prospect will make you proud of your decision to have made the choice of SPB. But, do your reservations in advance, get enough money, copies of all documents, photographs, speak to your travel agent in SPB and the hotel, double check everything, pack your digital camera and a minimum of 512 MB of memory disks, and like a popular carmaker says ....say....Lets Go!
"Vsyo Budyet Kharasho"...go figure that, as Yanks would say!!
