St Petersburg DIY

Rick Steves said, "Russia is by no means an easy place to be a tourist. But for hardy travelers, it's invigorating, intoxicating, and undoubtedly worthwhile."

Getting There

Getting to Russia is easy and cheap if you are in a major hub like Germany or Great Britain. There are flights originating from the US. See Getting to St Petersburg for more details.

What to See/Do

My plan for St Petersburg is to make it to all the "Must See" places plus the places that are exciting for kids. From my research, I believe there should be plenty to do in 5 days.

The Hermitage Museum (1 day) (see more info)
Petrohof excursion (1 day) (see more info)
Catherine the Great Palace (Tsarskoye Selo/Pavlov Park excursion) (1 day) (see more info)
Peter & Paul Fortress, Church of the Savior on Splled Blood (1 day) (see more info)
Zoological Museum - great for kids (see more info)
The Artilery Museum - great for boys (see more info)

Tours/Guide

St Petersburg can be DIY with careful research. My strategy is to pay a more to stay at a more centrally located hotel so that a guide is not required. Staying close to the Palace Square is a logical choice because the Hermitage and the hydrofoil embarkment for Petrohof are located there. Catherine's Palace is a hassle to get to so a group tour via a minivan is a great choice. Eclectica Guide charges 1800 rubs per person for 5 hours tours to Catherine Palace. It's a reasonable price considering it includes transportation, guide, and tickets. Eclectica Guide has kiosk at the intersection of Nevskiy Prospekt and Dumskaya Street (Metro Gostiniy Dvor).

If you don't want the hassle of DYI, here is a research on St Petersburg tours comparison.

Accomodations

St Petersburg is not expensive if you are willing to stay in mini hotels. My goal is to stay at a newly remodeled hotel that is centrally located. Check out my list of affordable and highly recommended St Petersburg hotels.

The Russian Visa

Everyone traveling to Russia needs a VISA. Although, it's expensive ($130 as of 2009), it's not difficult to get. If you don't want the hassle, pay passportvisasexpress.com $39 to handle it for you. If you live near a Russian consulate, these are the steps on how to obtain a Russian Visa:

You will need an "invitation" from either a hotel or a travel agent. Both will require you to fill out a form. There may be a fee associated with this letter.
You will need a passport that is valid for 3 months after travel date and has 2 clear VISA pages.
You will need 1 passport size photo.
You will need a cover letter containing: applicant names, dates of arrival/dep in Russia, transportation and itinerary in Russia.
Fill out the VISA Application
Apply in person