Subway Ride in St. Petersburg

[ACHOI]

Can someone share the experience of riding the Subway in St. PetersburgÉ

 

If we go with the tour on the Subway trip, is it safe

 

Any precaution tips and recommended `must-see`subway stations will be very much appreciated. Thanks.

[dfwguy62]

We went on a short subway tour as a part of the DenRus packaged tour this past summer. It was as safe as being in any city can be, I suppose. The guide got us off our bus as a group and gave us each a token for the turnstyle. Then we filed thru one at a time, putting our own token in the machine. We then gathered as a group just inside the station before heading down long escalators into the main part of the station. We then were all herded on to a train car when it approached. Other passengers were also on the train car, but it wasn't super crowded or anything. We rode the subway for one stop, I think and then all walked out together where our bus soon picked us up. A couple of things come to mind: The stations we saw were very ornately decorated and quite nice to look at once inside. The trains themselves, were a bit vintage looking... like i something from the 1960s. They were chunky looking rather than sleek, but they were in decent shape. No photographs were permitted once inside the stations. We were told this was a carryover from the communist era when the stations were part of the emergency preparedness procedures for the city. I believe we were advised to not bring any purses or cameras with us to minimize the chance of a theft. It never really got super crowded around me, but there were many other people in the station. It went smoothly. And as for the stations we visited... I couldn't tell you. They each had 10 or 12 letters that I didn't understand anyway.

[Lair Bear]

The experience we had was almost the same as dfwguy's.

There is no reason to be afraid in the station or on the train. It is no different than being on the street with your guide.

 

We were told that the subway is still 'owned and operated' by the USSR military and that is the reason that photography is prohibited. One person was actually fined for taking pictures inside the station (we were told). So don't take any chances, is my suggestion.

What impressed me was that the subway is very deep underground (a long escalator ride) like it was intended to be a 'shelter' area. Hence the military implications.

[TLCOhio]

Can someone share the experience of riding the Subway in St. Petersburg, If we go with the tour on the Subway trip, is it safe? Any precaution tips and recommended `must-see`subway stations will be very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

The various comments on the Russian subway experience sounds very much like ours during our cruise into St. Petersburg last summer. We did our subway trip, however, while in Moscow. As I understand, the experiences are very similar. The stations are all different and each has a certain architectural/artistic design/style. Very interesting in both the station designs as well as in seeing the "locals" there, etc. Like in any urban area, if you are careful and do the normal, reasonable things, safety should not be a problem. Plus, we were traveling in a group with a guide who had the wireless sound connections for all in our group to hear him and be knowing when to get off, getting background on the stations and systems, etc.

 

Below are some pictures while we were in the subway, showing the art and designs. In Moscow, there was no problem or restriction against taking pictures there. As I understand when many of the stations were built in the 1930's, it was Stalin's view that these were to be the "People's Palaces". They were designed and built that way with first class materials and unique designs for each different station. In both Moscow and St. Petersburg, these subway lines are well used and well maintained. Moscow's subways have twelve million riders . . . each day! St. Petersburg is a town of "only" five million and does not have as many lines. BUT, it is still a very busy system there and well used. We visited during the middle of the day so there were less hassles than if you were traveling at peak, rush hour.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[Rickdabear]

Can someone share the experience of riding the Subway in St. PetersburgÉ

 

If we go with the tour on the Subway trip, is it safe

 

Any precaution tips and recommended `must-see`subway stations will be very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

Our group did that with the guide. Since I'm handicapped, that was the only thing I opted out of. There are 100 steps on each end. The subway is safer than in New York. It is gorgeous from what my wife tells me. The other people in our group really liked the experience.

Da Bear

[LucyH]

What impressed me was that the subway is very deep underground (a long escalator ride).

 

They say it's the deepest metro system in the world. The deepest section around Admiraliteyskaya Station is more than 100 metres down. It was built during the Cold War and the stations were intended to double as bomb shelters.

 

But the main reason for the great depth is that the central part of StP is built on a swamp, so the builders needed to get down below the mushy stuff to find solid land. In the 1970s, they hit an unknown cavity of the River Neva and, although they eventually completed that section, it had to be abandoned later.

 

The metro is still being expanded. There's a new map of the central part of the network in Discover the Baltic, with the station names in Latin script.

[belle907]

We rode the subway in July for 2 stops. The stations are very ornate with crystals tiles, chandeliers, and sculptures. The subway cars are very basic an older but they were clean and we felt safe.

We had a small group of 12 and our guide so it was easy for us to all stay together. We did leave our bags in the tour bus with the driver since we wouldn't need anything for the short ride.

There was a local woman on the bus and she was talking with our guide telling her how she thought our guide was doing such a great thing telling foreign visitors about their lovely city.

[mtnmusic]

We've booked DenRus for a tour in July. What are your impressions of their services? Incidentally, we live in Sherman about an hour north of DFW.

 

We went on a short subway tour as a part of the DenRus packaged tour this past summer. It was as safe as being in any city can be, I suppose. The guide got us off our bus as a group and gave us each a token for the turnstyle. Then we filed thru one at a time, putting our own token in the machine. We then gathered as a group just inside the station before heading down long escalators into the main part of the station. We then were all herded on to a train car when it approached. Other passengers were also on the train car, but it wasn't super crowded or anything. We rode the subway for one stop, I think and then all walked out together where our bus soon picked us up. A couple of things come to mind: The stations we saw were very ornately decorated and quite nice to look at once inside. The trains themselves, were a bit vintage looking... like i something from the 1960s. They were chunky looking rather than sleek, but they were in decent shape. No photographs were permitted once inside the stations. We were told this was a carryover from the communist era when the stations were part of the emergency preparedness procedures for the city. I believe we were advised to not bring any purses or cameras with us to minimize the chance of a theft. It never really got super crowded around me, but there were many other people in the station. It went smoothly. And as for the stations we visited... I couldn't tell you. They each had 10 or 12 letters that I didn't understand anyway.

[Rickdabear]

I used Anastasia, however, everything I've heard about Denrus has been good. Most of the Russian tour companies are highly recommended. You will have a wonderful time I'm sure.

Da Bear

[thumper860]

Has anyone had any experience with a tour group called StP?

[gilew]

Has anyone had any experience with a tour group called StP?

 

*****************************************************************************

 

Do you mean SPB-Tours? If so, I highly recommend the company.

 

We plan to visit St. Petersburg in May, with one of our stops being a subway station..

 

I've heard some of the stations can be absolutely breathtaking! Some have full cut crystal columns and chandeliers.

[RetiredFL]

We visited a couple of stations on our tour. Be sure to pay attention to the small details/carvings that show soviet "boasting" and idealism. Funny and sad at the same time.

We were warned not to take pictures. We were told people were still afraid of people with cameras and we could have an incident of we pointed the camera towards the wrong person.

Interestingly, we wanted to send something from Calif to our driver as he had expressed interest in something. All of a sudden he could not remember his last name or address. Later, per our guide, we were told his neighbors would get very suspicious if a package arrived from the USA.

There is still some fear of the police, etc. especially for the older crowd.

They are not sure the old ways are gone for good.

[thumper860]

Thanks "gilew" I did mean STB (as opposed to the oil STP). Your input is appreciated as I haven't seen any other comments about the group. Enjoy your visit to St. Petersburg in May.

[gilew]

Thanks "gilew" I did mean STB (as opposed to the oil STP). Your input is appreciated as I haven't seen any other comments about the group. Enjoy your visit to St. Petersburg in May.

 

Hi:

 

There are excellent reviews about SPB-Tours on Cruise Critic. Use the search option above, and

you will find numerous favorable comments. But, keep in mind that it is SPB and not STB.

[crusingnut]

thumper860,

 

A group of us (10) also booked a tour in St. Petersburg in May with SPB. Viktoria, was highly recommended on CC and she has been very helpful and flexible in organizing our tour. She responded to my e-mail within the same day. I'm looking forward to meeting her in person. Good luck with your planning.

[dfwguy62]

We've booked DenRus for a tour in July. What are your impressions of their services? Incidentally, we live in Sherman about an hour north of DFW.

 

Ah, Sherman. I know it well. I lived in Irving, TX for years, but moved to Chicago a couple years ago.

 

I was very pleased with DenRus. The entire process from booking via their website, email communications from them, credit card billing, port logistics, schedule, etc. were all as I expected from the info I had been supplied with. I was a solo traveler, so opted to just use their standard pre-package Value Tour or whatever they call it -- 2 days of specific sites. We were a bus of about 25 people and it went very smoothly. They juggled the sequence of stops as needed when a sporting event/foot race stopped us dead in the water enroute to a planned stop. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, experienced, etc. She was entertaining to listen to and I valued every word she offered for the most part. She wasn't one to talk just for the sake of talking, as is sometimes the case with guided tours.

 

So, all-in-all... I was very pleased and felt their service was worth every penny of the $300 it cost me.

 

Regarding the subway stations, another fact occurred to me as I re-read this thread. One of the stations we visited was built pretty much exclusively for the use of a military tank factory and was named in it's honor if I recall. The factory apparently was huge and had thousands of employees and a dedicated subway station was part of the mass transit system that supported the daily routine of the employees. The pictures of the Moscow stations above are very indicative of what you will see in St. Petersburg. The stations were full of marble columns, chandeliers, wall art, ornate tile floors, etc. Since I love stuff like that, it was something I was truly "into". And yes... the long escalator ride is part of the amazement. They are also very clean and graffitti-free, which is a real joy compared to some of our US system.

[MercedMike]

We've booked DenRus for a tour in July. What are your impressions of their services? Incidentally, we live in Sherman about an hour north of DFW.

 

We had a great tour with DenRus, including the subway. They were wonderful in every way.

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/baltic.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!