BY BUS
The cheapest, although by no means the most comfortable way of reaching Saint Petersburg from neighboring countries are long distance buses. A few tour companies offer bus tours to St. Petersburg from Scandinavia on top-class Finnish coaches. From Helsinki the ride takes about 6 hours, including the long stop to clear Customs. Ordinary, non-tour buses, which are cheaper than the train, are also available to and from Helsinki.
Two private bus companies also run overnight routes to and from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as to Belarus and the Ukraine.
If you travel alone you must take care of your visa yourself. The road from Helsinki is relatively well maintained, unlike many others in the region. Buses arrive at St. Petersburg Bus Station.
Address: Avtobusny Vokzal; 36 Naberezhnaya Obvodonovo Kanala
Tel: 812-166-5777
BY BOAT
Many Scandinavian cruises include a stop in St. Petersburg, the major commercial port 20 minutes south of the center. Most cruises include an organized bus trip to the center. In summer, cruises from Helsinki and Tallinn to Saint Petersburg. There is also a regular ferry connection from Stockholm, Kaliningrad and Rostock, which arrives at the harbor station of St Petersburg. Passenger boats also operate on the inland waterway "Volga-Baltic" which links Moscow, the River Volga and Lakes Onega, Ladoga and Neva.
The fare is generally $20 each way. You can arrange a ride back to the pier from Kazansky Cathedral on Nevsky Prospekt. |
