Useful links and information

What's the place St.Petersburg

You have an opportunity to spend some days in St.Petersburg - Northern capital of Russia, its cultural, historical and architectural center! Saint-Petersburg was named in honor of patron saint of Peter The Great, who founded the city more than 300 years ago and for more than 200 years (till 1917) it was Russian capital. Peter the Great modeled the city after European capitals and it has been referred as Russia's "Window into Europe" for a long time. You can find additional information about the city here: http://www.travel.spb.ru

Where to stay in St.Petersburg

You can reserve a room in one of the hotels, but do it some weeks before your arrival, as there are not so much free rooms in summer or early autumn.

http://www.hostel.ru

http://www.hihostel.com

Going out in St.Petersburg

http://www.waytorussia.net/

http://www.petersburg-russia.com/

http://petersburgcity.com/

St.Petersburg metro map (in English):

The Moscow metro map

Telephone

Card phones can be used for local and domestic calls. There are special pay phones for international calls (you’ll need a card for at least 100 units). Phones are usually multi-language. Most of the volunteers use their own mobiles.

Internet-cafe

No problem. There are a lot of Internet-cafés in St.Petersburg. One hour of working in internet costs 2-3 euro. One of the internet-cafes is situated in the yard of Hermitage.

Opening hours

Most shops are opened from 9-11 am till 18-20 pm. But it’s always possible to find twenty-four-hours shops, where you can buy some food. Most metro stations in St.Petersburg open at 6 a.m. (to 24:00).

Buses, trolley-buses, and trams operate throughout the city, and run from 6:00 a.m. to 23:30 a.m. Ticket costs 20-25 roubles, because some of the buses are private and some belong to the state.

Currency exchange

We recommend you to bring your money in US dollars or in Euro.

Exchange offices are open every day and you definitely will find at least one near a metro station. Please use banks or exchange offices only. Credit cards are accepted in many places, but not on Valaam!

Do not bring cheques, they aren’t accepted in Russia.