JoeyJoJoShabadu

I read this thread and others before we left. We did SPB on our own as well. It starts with the Visa. You need to apply; fill out the forms, get passport photos (get the correct size for a russian passport, 35 mm x 45 mm I believe), get an russian visa invitation from a tour company online for a nominal fee ($30 Canadian), money order for the visa cost (no credit cards are accepted). We had a consulate in Toronto so it was easy to go down, visit, supply a return courier envelope and they send back your passport with the visa. It was prompt. Total cost was about $250 for the 2 of us. It took a half day to compile it all, half day to go to the consulate.

After that... easy peasy. We went through customs and there is no problems. No issue about tours or who the invite was from, no questions. It takes a while to record all our info but we went through in about 15 minutes form the ship. We left later in the morning about 9. Every trip though immigration after the first is very fast and quicker.

BIg note here; There is a NEW CRUISE PORT. MAKE NOTE of where you are!!!! We made it back the first day but we realized with the route we drove in, we did not come from either of the 2 cruise ports in the book we had. The cruise port is on the island northwest of the hermitage, west of the fortress at the far west end, by the Park Inn. Taxis know where it is... but just make note of your port name/location.

Taxi stand on the pother side of immigration. Cost is $20, 20 euros or 600 rubles! Pay in rubles if you have it, if not there an ATm there for a fee no doubt. We took the taxi, paid euros and were dropped off by the hermitage. There is a Barclays bank and ATM on Nevsky "Road"just south from the hermitage and admiralty just past the bend. This was a no fee ATM for us so was awesome!

Take note of hours and days of operation. Churhces were closed on Wednsday, which we found out at our first stop.

We visited around west of the hermitage, the hermitage (order the pass online and skip the line please). Line took 25 minutes to get though. We walked down Nevksy (shopping and lunch, and a beer), saw a few smaller thinngs, walked up to church of spilled blood, museum and souvier market. Went back about 8 PM, tired. We are 45 and 35 btw... and semi-fit (I'm still overweight, but not hobbled!), and walk alot on cruise vacations.

Getting a taxi back takes some time. You want to end off by the Hermitage or a taxi stand. Not as easy to flag one down as most places. Took 15 minutes. That was after waiting 30 minutes for a cab we arranged to meet us. I wouldn't advise that. Just find one or call from a hotel. Price was all over from 400 to 1000 rubles. Didn't seem to be a bargaining price, just different opinions from different drivers. Considering the time it took to get one, we settled on 600 instead of finding a cheaper one. Tour times at Hemitage for the Gold and Diamond rooms and you can't see them without it (400 rubles each). Plan your day accordingly. Hermitage is massive... you will want to be picky what you want to see especially after an hour or two there.

Next day we cabbed to Peterhof (1200 rubles but we got a deal since its an hour drive - drive went by the Soviet, Gates and Monuement on way south though). Hydrofoil takes a half hour so its the same time to cab in and take hydrofoil there, as it is to take a taxi there. I would think most people take a cab to the hermitage and the hyrdofoil to peterhof and back (every 15-30 minutes, 2 companies there - be sure you use the right one on returning).

We came back form Peterhof about noon and had lunch, visited the inside of Church of spilled blood, peter and paul fortress (which was pretty dull and pointless), shopped, stop for pints. We did not get to see the "Seige Museum" or whatever its called.

SBP is very european. Not what we expected. Prettier. Sign reading is not easy but easy with a map (names look similar enough that you can tell where you are at). We spent about $500-600 total which included taxis, souveniers, lunch, visa costs etc.

Blocks (street blocks) in SPB are huge. Maps can be decieving making things look close when in fact walking around some big buildings must be a mile! We didn't use the subway but we understand its easy. We walked but in retrospect we could have taken the tube a couple times. OInly problem was there we not many stations , they are far apprt and we didnt have a decent map showing the streets AND the subway. download this as it would have been invaluable probably.

Currency of choiuce is ruble. anything else and your getting shafted in the exhange.

It was easy on our own. Everything I read made is seem like it would be hard. It wasn't. There are challenges with language and reading you don't have in other ports, but these are easily overcome. Some english is spoken. Bring a pencil and map for taxis and that should take care of most of it.

We enjoyed it greatly. Good luck.

Hi Ruth

We port in Haifa and leave the next evening in Ashdod. We wanted to rent a car in Haifa and travel to Jeruselum, and then the Dead Sea. 2nd day see the dead sea, travel back and take in possibly one or two small things.

Probelms I have are 2 fold. Car rental has to return the Ben Guiron airpoirt from what I can tell since return date is a Friday, then cab from airport to Ashdod. More importantly... can I drive throught the west bank from Jeruselum to Eni Gedi or similar? Can I even drive a car with israeli plates from Haifa to Jeruslum through the West Bank.

Any places to specifcally avoid if driving? Do companies rent to people driving through there?

TIA. Receiving conflicting info so far. sorry if this is naive or insane or silly. We're Canadian btw, no dual passport if it matters.