St. Petersburg has a well-developed system of public transportation. This includes metro, buses, trolleybuses, shared taxis, and trams. You can get from one end of the city to another by metro in just 50 minutes. Living and studying on Vasilievsky Island, you can get to the main attractions in about 20 or 30 minutes.
Key modes of transport in st. Petersburg:
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Surface transport
Its main modes are buses, trolleybuses, shared taxis, and trams. You can either buy a ticket for all these modes of transport from a conductor or purchase a single travel card for all transport called "podorozhnik" at a metro cash desk. Additionally, students can apply for a discount monthly payment card (BSK), which allow them to travel via metro, trolleybuses and trams with reduced prices and a fixed montly fee.
Bus routes can be divided into two groups: "social routes" and "commercial routes", so-called "Marshrutka" (shared taxis). The most convenient way to choose your travel route around the city is through the mobile application Yandex-Transport.
Social buses have fixed routes and make stops only at the designated stops.
Commercial buses (fixed-route minibus taxis) stop at passenger request in any authorized place, both when leaving and boarding the bus. Their routes can vary. The route number of such a bus has the letter "K" before the numbers: for example, к257. Payment is made to the driver in cash when boarding the bus.
In order to use such commercial buses you should know the name of the place where you need to go in Russian, so you can tell it to the driver.
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Metro
This is the most convenient, fast and safe mode of transport in the city. Besides, it is an underground museum: each subway station is beautiful in its own way, and the escalators are among the longest in the world. You can find out about fares and see the metro map on the official website of the Subway.
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Traveling from St. Petersburg
It is very convenient to travel from St. Petersburg to other cities in Russia and European countries. You can use the website of Russian Railways or international bus services to purchase tickets for long-distance trains.
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Taxi
You can take a taxi anywhere in the city, any time of the day or night. While more expensive than public transport, taxi prices are reasonably priced and much lower as compared to any European city. By taxi, you can also go to the airport or train stations. The most convenient way to call for a taxi is through mobile applications, such as Yandex Taxi, City-mobil, Gettaxi. Also, the social network VK has an app to order taxis on a reduced fee.