Page 65 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - St. Petersburg

St Petersburg for Free ❮❮ 63

Explore the Metro
7 TOP 10 BUDGET TIPS
Great for a rainy day, the older
stations of St Petersburg’s Metro
system are elegantly decorated with
stunning mosaics, murals and
sculptures celebrating Soviet
achievements; newer stations are
more functional yet often have bold
design features (see pp48–9).
Opening the Bridges
8
Between May and November,
the city’s many drawbridges are Bike hire station
raised for several hours after
midnight to allow the passage of 1 Become a couchsurfer at www.
river traffic. The spectacle of their couchsurfing.com and find free
opening draws crowds, especially local accommodation.
during the White Nights Festival, 2 Stay in an apartment with
but be sure you’re on the right side self-catering facilities to cut down
before they open as it essentially on meal costs.
splits the city in two. 3 Get a Russian pay-as-you-go SIM
card for cheaper local calls and
internet data on your mobile phone.
4 Buy a St Petersburg Card (www.
petersburgcard.com) valid for 2, 3, 5
or 7 days. It gives free access to many
of the city’s top sights.
5 Make lunch the main meal of your
day. Many high-end restaurants
offer great-value “business lunches”
between 12pm and 4pm.
6 To qualify for student discounts
across a number of St Petersburg’s
sights and attractions, students
will need to get an ISIC card
before they go.
Opening the bridges
7 If you are staying in St Petersburg for
Beaches
9 longer than a week, consider buying a
metro travel card for discounted fares.
St Petersburg’s most popular
central beach lies on the Neva river 8 It’s much cheaper to make a single
side of the Peter and Paul Fortress large ATM cash withdrawal rather
(see p99). Packed with sunbathers than several small ones as Russian
on sunny summer days, the narrow banks will usually charge a fixed fee
per transaction.
sandy strip has wonderful city views.
9 If the weather permits, hiring a bike
Free Tour
0 can be a cost-effective way to navigate
the city. Velobayk (www.velobike.ru) is
www.petersburgfreetour.com
The St Petersburg Free Tour covers a network of rental stations dotted
across the city.
most of the city’s must-see sights
and runs every day from 10:45am. 10 Many of the events during the
Most tours take around 2 hours and White Nights Festival are free, but do
be aware that hotel prices at this time
30 minutes. While completely free in (from late May until July) are sky-high.
theory, it’s customary to tip the Be sure to book well in advance for the
professional guides if you’re satisfied. best rates. Short-stay apartments may
Popular and highly rated, places be a good option during this period.
should be booked in advance online.
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