When is the Cheapest Time to Fly to St Petersburg Russia?
The best time to find cheap flights to St Petersburg is from March through to April and November to December. From late spring to late autumn airfares are quite a bit higher so the shoulder and low seasons are your best bet. However, finding great deals during the peak summer months is possible if booked well in advance.
When is the Best Time to Book your Flight to St Petersburg Russia?
Airlines tend to offer slightly lower rates for return flights to St Petersburg around 6-8 weeks prior to departure. Savings on last-minute flights can be limited but on occasion you can find great offers as little as a week to 10 days before departure. The best way to guarantee savings is to be flexible with your travel dates.
Flying to St Petersburg Airport (LED)
St Petersburg Airport (LED), or Pulkovo International Airport as it is generally known, is Russia’s third-busiest airport and is located 23 kilometres south of the centre of St Petersburg. Direct flights are available from London Heathrow and London Gatwick through British Airways and Aeroflot respectively. These direct flights tend to be the cheapest option in the peak season but more expensive in the off-peak season. Indirect return flights to St Petersburg are readily available from London as well as major UK airports such as Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Stopovers will generally occur in Europe but can also be in the Middle East and Moscow depending on the airline. Other carriers operating St Petersburg flights from the UK include Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, Baltic Air, FinnAir and Turkish Airlines. A good indirect service will only take a few hours longer than its direct counterpart.
On Arrival and Getting Around the Airport
In 2014, all domestic and international air traffic for St Petersburg Airport (LED) was transferred from the old Pulkovo 1 and 2 Terminals to a new, all-inclusive single terminal. This terminal is spread over four floors and features 88 check-in desks and 17 departure gates. Arrivals and baggage reclaim is on the ground floor. Taxi and car rental desks are also found on this floor. The airport also boasts a selection of restaurants, cafes, pharmacies and business lounges. All lounges have showers. The interior design of the airport matches the design and style of the city.
Getting to the City from St Petersburg Airport (LED
Once disembarked from your St Petersburg flight, make your way to the Arrivals Hall. From here you’ll find buses and taxis to transport you into the city. Bus Lines 39 and 39Ex run to Moskovskaya Metro Station where you can transfer onto Metro Line M2. The bus stop, along with the taxi rank, is just outside the Arrivals Hall. Drivers will only take cash but if you want to pay by card you can pay at the taxi counters inside. The train station is a 15-minute walk from the terminal.
Why visit St Petersburg Russia?
St Petersburg is full to the brim with dazzling sights and year-round events. There are museums celebrating almost every aspect of Russian history and culture you could desire. The Hermitage Museum is Russia’s oldest museum and is the second largest in the world behind the Louvre in Paris. It houses one of the finest collections of paintings and boasts a collection of three million items. It is just one of many, including the Russian Museum and the Street Art Museum to name a few.
If discovering more about Russia’s empirical past is on your mind then St Petersburg, with all its palaces, pomp and grandeur, is the place to be. The Grand Palace certainly lives up to its name. A decadent and delightfully lavish building, the Grand Palace is overflowing with original pieces thanks to the removal of the paintings, furniture and chandeliers prior to the German invasion in WWII. If your appetite for tsarist Russia still isn’t satiated, you can pay a visit to Catherine Palace and Yusupov Palace.
Don't Forget Before you Fly
You will need a visa when travelling to Russia. The country has very strict immigration policies, so you must ensure that your visa is correct for the type of visit and the duration of your stay. Applications should be made well in advance of your St Petersburg flights, particularly at peak times when it can take longer than the usual 10 days; keep this in mind when booking last-minute flights. Russia uses the rouble, which can be ordered at most major travel money vendors.
