Cheap Flights to St Petersburg Pulkovo Airport

Discover St Petersburg Pulkovo

The Pulkovo Airport (LED) serves the glorious city of St. Petersburg, and is one of the busiest aviation hubs in Russia. Passengers can access ATMs, free WiFi, foreign exchange counters, luggage storage, first aid services, a good selection of restaurants and bars, as well as a good duty-free section, and a number of shops to browse in.

The airport is conveniently located only 14km from St. Petersburg centre, and you can make the connections with buses, shuttles and taxis. If you choose to take a taxi from the airport, the rate tends to fall between 800-1400RUB ($13-23).

Getting to St. Petersburg can be done via carriers like S7, Emirates, Qantas, Finnair, SAS, Etihad Airways, China Southern, Aeroflot, Air India, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, KLM, among others.

Why visit St. Petersburg?

There are few places in the world that command the kind of majesty that the streets of St Petersburg do. The brain-child of Peter the Great, and easily Russia’s most beautiful city, St. Petersburg is a point of pride for the nation, and a stark reminder of a turning point in its history. Once the home of the Tsars, visitors will see the palaces where these rulers once lived, and where the revolution bore out its seeds. Beyond its fascinating history, you will be able to duck into traditional restaurants, contemporary bars, extraordinary museums, and strike out to some beautiful terrain just outside the city’s borders.

Things to do in St. Petersburg

Once the most powerful seat in Russia, the streets and avenues of St. Petersburg tell a thousand different stories, and to learn them you must first go to the amazing Hermitage Museum. This extraordinary museum is housed in the lavish Winter Palace, and you can wonder through over 300 rooms with art from all over the world.

In fact, this city is not short on palaces; go to the Mikhailovsky Palace where you can tour the State Russian Museum for the history directly related to this fascinating country. And then there is the Summer Palace of Peter the Great, a lovely two-story house that this Emperor spent his summer months in.

Then there are the colourful churches, like the Church of Saviour on Spilled Blood Exterior, which drew inspiration from St. Basil’s in Moscow. And don’t forget to spend some time in St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and look inside to see the lavish gilt interior of this 19^th century Orthodox church.

Just outside of the city, you can go on day trips to medieval cities like Veliky Novgorod or Staraya. Or tour the brooks, bridges and lakes of lovely Gatchina, where the infamous Romanovs would spend their days away from the city.

Best time to visit St. Petersburg

·         When you decide to tour this city depends a lot on what you’re looking for. If you dream of the snow swept landscapes described in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, then winter can offer up a freezing, but magical experience. You will need to come prepared, lows sink to -13°C.

·         Summers on the other hand are pleasant, and are subject to the famous white nights. Don’t expect the mercury to rise too much, highs at this time of year sit at about 20-21°C.

Arriving in St. Petersburg by plane

·         Strolling the historical streets of St. Petersburg will involve one or two layovers depending on your journey choice. Expect to stop in Dubai (DXB), Singapore (SIN), and often, Moscow (DME, SVO).

Currency

·         Russian Ruble (RUB).

Visa requirements

·         Travellers from Australia will require a visa to enter Russia, and the best way to go about this is to contact your closest Consulate or Embassy of Russia. The Foreign Affairs Department of Australia has an excellent travel resource called the Smart Traveller, a portal that has a page on Russia with all the necessary information and links you’ll need to apply for your visa.

Please note that information is correct as of December 2016