By plane

St. Petersburg has two airports, side-by-side, just south of the city. International flights arrive at newly renovated Pulkovo-2 while flights from Russian cities and most former Soviet Republics like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan arrive at Pulkovo-1.

Both airports have restaurants and Pulkovo-1 has a couple of nice bars and a good Irish pub. Both airports also have money exchanges (obmyen valyuty) and ATMs (bankomaty) – although they may not always be functioning. It’s always a good idea to have some cash in your pocket when you arrive. Also there are toilets with free entry, seat covers, a baby’s table and a special room for the disabled. If you do not want go in to town immediately there is a 24hr cafe.

Getting into town: Beware of taxi drivers at the airport! They’re notorious for overcharging, asking 1500Rbl (US$50) and up for the 18-km ride to the city centre. Always agree on a fare before getting in, keeping in mind that a reasonable price shouldn't exceed 700-800Rbl, (US$25). Theoretically, this price has been fixed and there should be a small stall to the right of the exit where a man with a clipboard will write down your destination and put you in a queue for the next available driver.  If you don’t want to take a taxi, there are plenty of public-transport options to get you to Moskovskaya metro, on the southern edge of town. From Moskovskaya, you can hop on the metro (22Rbl).