Arriving by Plane
Pulkovo
St Petersburg’s main passenger airport, Pulkovo (airport code LED), is located about 18 km SE of the city centre and consists of two terminals. Terminal 1 handles domestic traffic and flights to neighbouring CIS countries, while Terminal 2 is the main international terminal for flights to and from western Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia. The airport, first opened in 1932 as Shosseynaya, is Russia’s fourth busiest after Moscow’s three main airports (Domodedovo, Sheremetevo and Vnukovo) and saw almost 8.5 million passengers pass through in 2010. Since 2010 an international public-private partnership called Northern Capital Gateway (which includes the operator of Frankfurt airport) has been responsible for managing airport operations and is overseeing a much-needed development project which should see the opening of a new centralized passenger terminal by 2013. The airport offers all the usual services – cafes, restaurants, banks, currency exchange, postal services, duty free shopping, and internet terminals as well as free airport-wide wifi.
Public transport to city
From Terminal 1, city bus number 39 runs every 12-20 minutes between 0530 and 0130 and takes around 35 minutes to do the trip to Moskovskaya metro station in the city centre. The bus leaves from outside arrivals on the ground level and costs RUB21. Marshrutka number K39 does the same trip for RUB 30.
From Terminal 2, rather confusingly there are two stops for city bus number 13. Buses from the bus stop closer to arrivals go to Moskovskaya metro station, those from the bus stop closer to departures go to Aviagorodok. Buses run every 13-20 minutes between 0540 (weekdays) or 0600 (weekend) and 0047, and take around 25 minutes for each trip. Tickets are RUB 21. Marshrutkas numbers K3, 39A and K113 do the same trip for RUB 30, K3 stops at several other stations after Moskovskaya metro station including Park Pobedy, Moskovskie Vorota, Frunzenskaya and Sennaya ploschad.
Taxis
Taxis are available from both Terminals 1 and 2, the trip to the centre of the city should cost around RUB 900 (depending on location), you receive a voucher from the stand in the terminal and then pay the driver directly upon arrival. To avoid touts, be sure to book directly at one of the stands or offices inside the terminal - there are a lot of drivers milling around arrivals with convincing but falisified taxi accreditation.
More information can be found at the surprisingly useful airport website: pulkovoairport.ru/eng/ , or on +7 812 704 3822, or +7 812 704 3444.
