What to bring & wear
Gifts: You could give something typical for your country.
Note: be aware that foreign-made spirits (including Scotch) are cheaper in Russia than in many countries, and Russian chocolate is good.
Things: money/ document pouch – essential – preferably slung under one arm and worn under your shirt; water sterilizing tablets; stomach upset pills; mosquito repellant (they are active from May); guide book in your language; electrical adaptor for Europe if you have Australian, US or UK electrical items (approx. 230 volts here).
Clothing: potentially very cold season is November-March: longjohns/ under-trousers, hat, fur-lined boots, puffer or ski jacket with high collar (light and warm – more effective than overcoat), woolen gloves and scarf. The looser your clothing, the warmer you will be. From May-September: as per Western Europe and not forgetting that it often gets very hot here a little earlier especially in June/ July. Dress smart for the theatre, you will be appreciated. Ladies: headscarf for church/ monastery visits.
Customs
On arrival in Russia you should fill in a customs declaration if you have more than the equivalent of $3,000 (including travelers cheques), as well as valuables such as expensive jewelry. Get it stamped by a customs officer. On leaving the country hand-in the declaration with a new declaration, in order to take all your hard currency and valuables back out of the country.
You need Ministry of Culture approval to take paintings and other works of art out of the country, especially if you take any antiques (which includes stamps, books and anything looking old).
Items requiring declaration on leaving and found by Customs undeclared, may be confiscated; you may be fined and you may miss your flight.
Passport & Visa: Registration
On arrival in Russia you should fill-in a Migration Card in duplicate (top and bottom halves). Get it stamped by the Border Guard who will return one half to you. If you stay more than 3 days in Russia, you should be registered by your hotel. If not staying in a hotel which is accredited to do this, you should be registered by the P.V.S - O.V.I.R. department of the Militia; your visa invitation entity should organize the registration for you. Otherwise some visitors pay a small sum to a receptionist in an accredited hotel to be registered in that hotel if they are not staying there.
Note that you have to be re-registered if you move to another region for more than 3 days.
The Border Guard should not in theory fine you on leaving if you do not have a migration card (registered or not), however the Militia can fine you if you are stopped in the street and asked to show your documents and are not registered, (this is much more frequent in Moscow) and you could be taken to the Militia station.
Note: The passport & visa registration system was changed on 15/1/07 to a more complicated and confusing system which as at June 2007 is still unclear and which will need to be changed again for it to be able to operate properly. But in essence the “inviting organization” for visa purposes (hotel, university, etc) should register you, and you should check before ordering your visa, as to whether that organization can indeed register you for the whole of your stay in Russia. It has become harder to get a hotel receptionist to register people who are not in the hotel.
You will not be allowed to leave Russia without your passport and an unexpired visa. If lost or stolen, you will need to replace your passport at your country’s consulate in St.Petersburg (if it has the facility to do so) or embassy in Moscow, before applying for an exit visa.
Money
The U.S. dollar and the Euro are the foreign currencies most accepted by banks and exchange points and these currencies have the smallest gap between buying and selling rates compared to other foreign currencies (i.e. the best rates). So don’t worry about changing perhaps too much into roubles, as when you change them back, you will lose very little while the rouble is stable. Notes should be clean, not crumpled, and not marked. Bring U.S. dollar $100 or Euro €100 notes and change them at a bank or exchange office, never on the street. Do not offer to pay for anything in hard currency as you may be charged more.
Serious problems sometimes arise with credit cards here, such as overcharging or passing of credit card numbers to fraudsters, but bring your card in case you lose your cash, and for spending in obviously respectable establishments. They are useable in ATM’s to withdraw cash. You should keep separately a list of credit card numbers, and the 24hr/day phone numbers to call immediately to block them in case of loss or theft.
Few banks change travelers cheques but you could bring them too as an emergency measure if you wanted to, in case you lose your cash.
Transport
Metro
Extremely good method of transport – fast and reliable.
Taxi
Agree the fare in advance, in roubles, (make sure you have change). You can order a taxi by phone: eg 327.2400, 242.2022/2017 (no English spoken). Taxis and unofficial taxis can be hailed (stopped) easily on the street. Marked taxis are safer.
Bus, minibus, train & trolleybus
Preferable to have a local person with you to assist you in getting the right route.
To the airport
Taxi: about 17 km (Pulkovo 2, the international terminal) and 22 km (Pulkovo 1, the domestic terminal). The airport “mafia” make sure that if you take a taxi from the airport, you will pay much more than if going to the airport. Or take the metro to Moskovskaya then “marschrutka” (minibus) or taxi to the airport making sure you go to the correct terminal.
Either way, allow one hour from the centre, and plan to arrive at the airport 2 hours before departure.
Restaurants & Bars; Entertainment
The city does not have a particularly good selection of good value restaurants by Western standards but they are improving. The English-languages St.Petersburg Times (Tuesdays & Fridays) has a list of restaurants, bars, night clubs, theatre shows now on, cinema programmes. etc. in its Friday edition. This newspaper is available free from many hotels and restaurants.
Souvenirs, gifts, shopping
There is an alley of open-air souvenir vendors’ stalls just North of the “Church on the Spilled Blood” (Canal Griboedova/ Moika River junction). Probably some of the best value-for-money gifts available, made in Russia, are porcelain and bone china items from the “Imperialny Farforovy Zavod” or Imperial Porcelain Factory. You can buy from their outlets in the City including at Gostinny Dvor, or at the factory where there is also a museum.
Cameras, electronic goods, computer hardware and software in City shops are generally cheaper than anywhere in Europe including airport tax free shops.
Safety
St.Petersburg is a wonderful city and you will be fairly safe if you follow common sense advice.
In St.Petersburg generally, there is not as much violent mugging as in parts of many major Western cities. On the other hand there are many very adept pickpockets, bag slicers, and bag & phone grabbers everywhere – indoors, outdoors, and in public transport. Also gypsy children who swarm over foreigners and steal from their pockets. So keep your documents and money under your shirt. Keep money for the day in a more handy location.
The Militia (real or bogus) are known to stop young foreigners to check documents. Bogus militia will try to steal money at the same time or to extort payment to release the person if he is unregistered, so you could keep your money separately from your passport.
Some people keep a few hundred roubles in their passport so that the money is taken in the belief there is no more, and they are left alone. Some people leave their passport and most of their money locked-up in their hotel safe. In this case carry a photocopy of your passport details page and visa. (However you are supposed to carry the originals).
Getting a replacement passport and visa is much easier if you have a photocopy of each.
Be medically insured (to get good treatment); don’t accept drinks from strangers in night clubs (drinks may be spiked); don’t buy alcohol from street kiosks or basement shops (quite likely to be dangerous spirit); don’t drink tapwater (the cause of bad stomach complaints); wear a seat belt in cars (due to the very high accident rate); take a lot of care not to slip and fall on pavement ice (as you are quite likely to break bones).
It is advisable to read-up your government’s advice to foreigners before coming to Russia, for example the Australian DFAT website www.smartraveller.gov.au
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