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Russia Vibes

Independent travel guides: places, food, transport and practical tips, checked and kept up to date.

Latest guides

How-To

Learn to use the Saint Petersburg Metro, from choosing lines and buying tickets to changing trains, navigating exits and understanding local rules.

How-To

Buy a Podorozhnik transport card at a Saint Petersburg metro station, add travel credit, activate online top-ups and use it on the…

How-To

Reach central Saint Petersburg from Pulkovo Airport by express bus and metro, regular bus or taxi. Compare routes, journey times and late-night…

Guides

Nine historic areas of Saint Petersburg to explore on foot, from Vasilyevsky Island and Kolomna to the Petrograd Side, its northern islands…

Guides

Nine winter ideas for Saint Petersburg, from Christmas fairs and skating rinks to the Nutcracker, the Hermitage, ice sculptures and the greenhouses…

Guides

Ten ways to enjoy the white nights in Saint Petersburg, from watching the bridges rise and the Scarlet Sails to the Mariinsky…

Guides

Eight family picks in Saint Petersburg, from the Leningrad Zoo and the giant Grand Maket Russia model to the planetarium, oceanarium and…

Guides

Ten restaurants in Saint Petersburg, from tasting-menu rooms like Birch and BOBO to rooftop views at Blok and a window seat on…

Guides

Eight Saint Petersburg metro stations worth riding for their architecture, from the glass columns of Avtovo and the Stalinist halls of the…

Guides

Eight boat trips in Saint Petersburg, from small canal boats on the Fontanka and Moika to the night Neva cruise and hydrofoils…