TRANSPORTATION IN ST. PETERSBURG

The public transport network  in St. Petersburg is very extensive. The resources for public transport are quite over-stretched and most public transport is not particularly user-friendly. Nonetheless, the metro is a very reliable and cost-effective way of medium and long-distance transportation. It is also good for journeys within the central area. For the shorter trips you are more likely to use trams, buses and trolleybuses, or taxis (if you have money to spare). If you come on business or with a large family, you might also consider renting a car or a van (with driver or without).

Metro: St. Petersburg has a very good metro system. Trains run every 3 minutes or so and the metro's coverage is quite good. Whilst visiting St Petersburg, it is well worth experiencing the metro. You will be surprised at the beauty of many of the stations - they are really quite fantastic. To find the metro look for signs with a big "M". Remember that, in the metro, most signs are written in Cyrillic, so you should bring a map with you and study the words and letters carefully. The St. Petersburg metro is quite interesting in that it is extremely deep because the city was built on a swamp. So you end up riding virtually endless escalators down, down, down into the depths of the system. In fact, St. Petersburg is the deepest metro system in the world. Rides cost 17 roubles. During rush hour, the cars can be quite crowded but off-peak you can usually find a seat. As in most countries, remember it is always polite to give your seat to an elderly person, middle aged woman or parent with children.

To buy tokens or metro cards, go into the metro station, where you will usually see 1 to 3 ticket windows open with short or long lines in front of them depending on the time of day. Stand in line, decide how many rides you will need over the next few days and when it gets to be your turn, ask the lady (in Russian) for tokens, that look like coins (called zhetoni) You can also buy tickets but this tends to be more complicated. She will take your money and hand you your change and the tokens. Then, proceed to the turnstiles, insert your token in the coin slot, then continue through the turnstile. If an alarm sounds, it may be because your token has been rejected. Do not panic if this happens. Just look for the reject slot, find the token and reinsert it. All should be fine this time!

Next, go down the escalator and into the magical world of the Russian metro. Signs for the stations are written on signs in the centre of the hall and along the walls by the track. To understand which direction you need quickly, it is good to know the last stop of the train so you can quickly identify it at the bottom or end of a list.

Trains usually come quite often (every 2-3 minutes) and can be very crowded depending on the time of day. After you enter and the doors close, you can look around at all the other happy people riding the train! A recording announces what the next stop will be. It is a good idea to also count your stops if you don't understand Russian.

When it is your turn to get out, exit the train and walk towards the exit of the metro. Remember that, if the train is overcrowded, you will find yourself somewhere in the middle of the car but if you want to get out you should ask people around if they are planning to get out at the same station as you. This way, people will know that you want to get off the train and will let you get through. If you are standing in the overcrowded car and don't say anything, you might miss your stop. Frequently, the stations will have more than 1 exit. To find the one that you will need, follow the signs in the hall which have arrows pointing to orientation points for each exit (such as street name or name of shopping centre, etc.). Get on that escalator, ride up towards the surface and you have succeeded in riding the metro. The metro opens around 6am and closes at 12 midnight.

Trams: St. Petersburg has the largest tram system in the world, consisting of over 400 miles of track and with over 2000 cars. To ride on a tram is relatively inexpensive (16 rubles). You can buy the tickets onboard from the conductor. Tram stops have a sign with the letter "T" which hangs over the road. Most trams run from about 06.00 to 01.00.

Trolleybuses: St. Petersburg has a relatively extensive system of trolleybuses, which are fairly inexpensive. Most trolleybus stops have yellow signs with dark lettering which are distinguished by a "T". Trolleybuses generally run from 06.00 to 01.00. Russians like trolleybuses as being more 'ecologically friendly' than the regular buses, as they run on electricity. Some of them have curtains, making for a pleasant, home-like journey (when they're not bursting at the seams and leaking). Rides usually cost 16 roubles. You can buy tickets onboard from the conductor.

Buses: Buses serve a large area within St. Petersburg. Commercial buses, which are somewhat more expensive but less-crowded, are distinguished by the letter "K." Bus stops have yellow signs with dark lettering which are distinguished by the letter "A". The buses are slowly being updated, but you can still ride in the old, cold, smelly ones, if you are unlucky. You can buy tickets onboard from the conductor.

Taxis: In St. Petersburg you will see taxis all over the place, especially along the major thoroughfares. You can flag down a taxi, which is usually distinguished by a chequered bar on the rooftop. They are usually overpriced. As with taxi drivers all over the world, keep track of what they are doing and don't trust the meters so much. It is always better to negotiate the price before you get in rather than relying on a meter. You can order a taxi cheaply if you speak some Russian by phoning 089.  A great alternative to official taxis are gypsy cabs. These are just regular people in their regular cars that are out to make a few rubles. It is the Russian equivalent of 'hitch hiking' but in Russia, you always pay. This is how it works; stand at the curb and put your arm out. Cars will begin to stop for you. As with taxis, always negotiate the price beforehand. Also, be a little careful, it is best to not get into a car with more than 1 man in it or not to get into a car with suspicious looking characters. Furthermore, if you are a single female, it is better to call or flag an official taxi if travelling at night just to be on the safe side.