Viking River Russia "Waterways of Czar" Question

[MSEm]

I am booked for the Viking River Waterways of the Czars for Oct 2008. I have several questions:

MOSCOW:

"See Bolshoi Theater & St Basil's Cathedral". Is that just a drive by with no inside visit?

Did you visit any muesums other than the Armory?

Any offerring to see a Ballet?

 

Thanks for the help.

Emily

[Suite 16]

Emily, When we were on the Viking Waterway of the Czars nearly two years ago, we did drive by the Bolshoi - it had just closed for complete renovations, which may still be in progress. (Maybe internet could confirm.) We stopped at various churches, but did not go inside in St. Petersburg, but did in Moscow. We were in St. Petersburg for a few days, also Moscow, and in St. Petersburg, we had an escorted tour of the Hermitage, and additional time on our own. The Ballet (Kirov, I think) was offered as an optional tour, and those who attended really loved it. Since we had visited St. Petersburg previously, I am not sure what exactly we did on the Viking cruise - mixing up our visits. In Moscow, we visited so much including the Kremlin, GUM, museums, but our visit started on a Friday, and our memory of the world's worst traffic jam has stayed with us. (Some on our boat took the subway, located near our boat, docked in an outskirt of the city, and were downtown in about 20 minutes - one of our trips was 3 hours on the bus due to the traffic and a driver's "short cut." If we had it to do again, we would opt for the subway - we enjoyed a short trip on it as part of our Moscow tour.)

 

We were more than pleased with our Viking cruise - especially what we saw at the various towns. We will never forget seeing the all-wooden church rising out of the mist on the lake while having the continental breakfast in a forward lounge, with classical music playing - just a wonderful experience and my favorite of the trip. Incidentally, we bought Uglich watches for our family even though we were warned they might not workfor long. But pretty, and still working if you remember they are wind-ups.

 

Have a wonderful time - we did, and met some really nice people.

[MSEm]

If you were on the VR tour to Peterhof Palace did you have enough time at the Fountains and the Palace. Would it be better to go early to view the Fountains and then rejoin the group for the Palace tour?

 

Any suggestions for the "free" day in St Petersburg?

 

Thanks for the help.

Emily

[Suite 16]

Emily, I am so sorry I am not exactly sure of what we did on the Viking Tour and our previous visits to St. Petersberg. However, we did not feel that we didn't have enough time at any of the sites we visited with Viking. I do remember, after our escorted tour of the Hermitage, we enjoyed having a glass of wine and emailing messages to our family - from the Hermitage! Cheap, too, at that time, less than two years ago.

 

One tour company that we have recommended to friends visiting St. Petersberg is "Red October." You can look it up on the internet. Friends have loved using them - very educated tour guides and drivers in cars or small vans. When you use either a tour company like that, or the boat's tours, you avoid waiting in line which you will have to do when you "do it on your own" at palaces and museums.

 

I am always sure I will remember every moment, every site, each time we travel, but find especially when we visit a place more than once, after a few years I mix them up, unless something is outstanding. However, we did not feel that we didn't have enough time at any site - fortunately we have been to the Hermitage more than once, because that is surely a place where you could spend hours if you enjoy art treasures.

 

Sorry I can't be more helpful - but you will love seeing a culture so different from our own. Our family came home from St. Petersburg with loads of nesting dolls bought from street vendors - at that time very cheap - price kept going lower the longer you resisted buying.

 

Have a great time, Emily.

[Tennessee Traveler]

Emily,

We loved the Peterhof (which was an add-on). I took fabulous pictures there. The guide said we had to leave at 11:15 to return to the ship. But we complained and said that we wanted to see the fountains working and were told by the tour director on board that we would see the fountains. So, we stayed longer. And it was wonderful - just like Versailles.

We drove past the Bolshoi. But we went into the Peter & Paul Fortress. Catherine's Palace. I would suggest more time in the Hermitage and a canal tour in St. Petersburg.

In Moscow you could go into St. Basil's if you went right away. We got to Red Square late in the afternoon, and St. Basil's closed around 5PM. Our favorite things in Moscow were the circus and the Armory. I also enjoyed the tour of the Kremlin.

Let me know if you need more information. I'll be glad to send you a link to my pictures if you'd like.TT

[MSEm]

We will be spending 2 nights in Moscow after the end of the tour. That will give us about 1 1/2 days for extra touring. I know I want to go to the flea market. I think we will go to the WWII musuem.

 

Our tour list 1 full and 1/2 days as "free" time in St Petesburg. It seems like VR offers an optional tour to Petehof Palace on the full "Free day".

 

I am thinking about hiring a private guide for the full day and maybe doing Petehof Palace and Fountains. Sometimes I can get "musuemed out".

 

I have toured lots of the castles of Germany and Crazy Louie's places in France. (We lived in Germany for 4 years).

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

Emily

[volkoff]

I recomend you visit:

Pushkin (Ekaterina's palace, amber room), Petrodvorets/Peterhof, City Sightseen excursion, walk in the center (Palace's square, St.Petr& Paul fortress) and... (you'll have no enought time)... :(

If you'll have 5-6 hours free you can visit Kronshtadt (city of naval base) with tour.

 

I reccomend to take a Private car and do this route:

 

1st day: Center of STP-> Kronshtadt (dam, city, forts...)-> trip from Kronshtadt to Lomonosov by ferry-> Lomonosov-> Peterhof/Petrodvorets-> Strelna (president's residence)-> City...

 

At the Night: City

 

Next day: Pushkin-> Gatchina...

 

You can take city tours in the center: metro "Gostiniy Dvor". There is a lot of tours. I reccomend you "Davranov" company. :)

 

It'll be difficult but you can see most of beautiful in STP but not all.

Next time you can visit our city and look more detailed what you want.