Getting Around
1. Metro
The city’s metro is incredibly good value and trains come at fast intervals, ranging from a minute during rush hour, to four or five minutes late at night. The metro is open until midnight, although trains continue to run until 12:15am. More than just a mode of public transport, the metro is a sight in its own right.
2. Buses
While ticket prices are increasing rapidly, a bus journey is still good value. Bus stops are identifiable by their white and yellow signs with a red “A” (for avtobus). These buses can be very crowded during rush hour. The expensive, privately run buses add a “K” before their bus numbers, which are the same as those of the state-operated buses.
3. Trams
Trams (tramvai) are popular all over the former Soviet Union, and St Petersburg is no exception. The stops are identifiable by the red and white signs above the tram rails. Less crowded than buses, they are a great way to see the city. However, they tend to break down frequently.
4. Trolley Buses
Trolley buses, unlike trams, run up and down Nevskiy prospekt, and in this part of the city, at least, are a very convenient and cheap way of getting around. However, they can get uncomfortably crowded and, like trams, often break down. Blue and white signs mark the stops.
5. Taxis
Official, licensed taxis are very hard to find, but the number is steadily growing and it is now possible to order a taxi. Numbers for taxi firms can be found in most local newspapers. Licensed taxis are easier to find outside the top hotels, although their prices are, as you would imagine, a lot higher.
6. Walking
St Petersburg is an excellent city for walking. Many of the main sights, especially those at the city’s centre, are extremely close together, making it easy to travel from one to the other by foot.
7. Street Signs
Street signs are in both Russian and English in the centre, but those in the outskirts of the city are in Russian only. Many of the English street signs were erected in time for the city’s 300th anniversary.
8. Mini Buses
Mini buses (marshrutnoye taksi) are privately run and sprang up in the years following perestroika, quickly becoming a feature of city life. They travel around the city, following standard bus routes. Pay the driver when you get in or take your seat and pass the money on. Be careful not to slam the door – for some reason the drivers particularly dislike this.
9. Chastniki
Chastniki are private taxi drivers who drive around the city looking for fares. Their cars are not designated as taxis – you need to put your hand out to attract one. In the days following the collapse of the USSR, many of the chastniki were newly impoverished scientists, lawyers and other professional people looking to make ends meet. Today they mostly tend to be pensioners, immigrants and students trying to earn a bit of cash on the side.
10. Tickets and Travel Cards
Yediniy Bileti are travel cards that cover all forms of transport and are available with a fortnightly or monthly validity period. Good value if you are staying for a long time, they can easily be bought at metro stations. All modes of transport run on a flat fare system. Regular tickets can be bought from conductors or drivers, and at ticket booths in the metro.
