St. Petersburg-Russia (1 Viewer)

[clonan attack]

Hey,
Going here on 1st of June for a few days.
Lookin for the usual advice/things to not miss if anyone cares to share?
Cheers,
Also where is the Russian embassy in Dublin?Need to get my visa sorted out pronto

 

[broken arm]

http://ireland.ru/embassy/

i have memories of the visa not being that straight forward.

ask Rimbaud. he was in russia not so long ago

 

[jane]

Hey,
Going here on 1st of June for a few days.
Lookin for the usual advice/things to not miss if anyone cares to share?
Cheers,
Also where is the Russian embassy in Dublin?Need to get my visa sorted out pronto

You'll need an 'invite' from someone in Russia to get your visa. Your hotel/hostel should be able to sort this out. Once you get that, you take it to the embassy, which is -- I think -- somewhere in Milltown, and they can sort out your visa. You'll need to leave yourself a lot of time so you don't have to pay late fees.

You should eat in an Indian place called Swagat, which is at Bolshoy pr 91, on Vasilevsky Island. Best food, best service, best everything in the universe. One of my top three restaurants in the world. Yum yum yum.

Make sure you're back on whatever island you're staying on early enough in the evening. They lift all the bridges between the islands at 2am (I'm not sure about the time) and you're stuck wherever you are until morning.

I only spent 4 or 5 days here, but it was incredible. Didn't make it to Novgorod, a medieval town a few hours away, but wanted to. We just read the bus timetable wrong and missed the only bus that would have made the trip worth our while. From what I've heard, it's really worth a visit.

Don't try to see the whole Hermitage. Everyone tells you this, but I didn't listen, and ended up totally exhausted at the end. Even just have a wander through and a gawp at the building itself -- it's pretty incredible.

Watch out for dodgy vodka.

 

[Rimbaud]

http://p10.nonmuseum.ru/index_e.html
Check this place out - its great.


I had a LOAD of recommendations written out, but when i went to post i was logged out!

Basicallt, its one of the coolest cities i`ve been in....

Ceck out the Banya that Dostoyevsky himself used to frequent, its in the alley on the right of the Idiot cafe.You`ll see all the naked guys cooling off half way down the dark/dodgy alley - thats when you know you`ve found it.
2 euro in - as opposed to the 20+euro banyas they have for tourist which are crap.

Check out Moloko bar - address should be online somewhere.Grungy industial bar.

Explore the non-tourist parts of the city via the metro - Narskaya metro, cool boulavard & park near that.

Don`t go to Molly Malones, 9euro a pint of guinness, rich russians, crap...

Most young russians tend to buy beer in shops and drink in parks - as opposed to pubs like here.Hence all the drunk young (and oldies) everywhere!

Bad points about the city - i found it difficult to get a good decent priced dinner.
So i started buying bread, cheese and ham and having me own picnics in some of the finest parks in the world!

 

[clonan attack]

Commie Rep all round.

When you say 2 "dont leave yrself too late", is 3weeks enough?

 

[Rimbaud]

Have you contacted a hotel/Hostel yet?


For whoever is going to Moscow/wants to get away from the whole package tour thingy...
http://www.unclepasha.com/misery_russian.htm

 

[clonan attack]

No, do i need to?can you advise?
really appreciate all help with this Visa/embassy

cheers

 

[Rimbaud]

Firstly you need an Invitation.
So you’ll have to email the hostel/Hotel in St Petersburg.
Book a night or two with them, and they’ll send you a invitation for a visa (30 day tourist you should be getting).Make sure of the lenght of your invitation with the hostel.
Then take this invitation to the embassy with your passport and the dates your entering/leaving Russia – or post it to them – and that’s it!
Some embassys insist on the original invitation letter itself (hence the hostel will have to post this to you, and russian post is`nt fast).But the dublin embassy is cool(as of last year anyway) with a photocopy/scan.So get the hostel to email this to you as well.Makes things quicker.

The embassy address should be in the link broken arm provided - I got a cab out there, it’s out past Rathmines, and i got mine done the same day(and hour or so).

www.waytorussia.com

Is a great site for more information.

Get cracking!

 

[clonan attack]

Any good hostel tips?

Again thanks,
oh would i qualify for the 72hour visa since im only gonna be there 60 hours?

 

[Rimbaud]

I suppose, you would`nt want to go missing any bus's though!

Not up with Hostels that might suit you i'm afraid if your staying a few days.
Think most people stay at the Nord Hostel.
I was on a budget and stayed at one - a college accomadation place past Baikalskaya metro station - which is only open during the summer, and only has russian speaking staff/people staying there.5 euro, quite, no foreigners..
I stayed at another - All Seasons hostel - which is near Electricila metro.5 Euro a night, mice running around the kitchen.

 

[RSJ]

This place seems to have gotten very very good reviews. EDIT: Sorry eamon, just seen that's the one you reccomended. Still, e12 for a room...

Here, how are you getting there? Wouldn't mind visiting the place for a few days later in the year if it's not too expensive...?

 

[Bellatrix]

My dad was in St. Petersburg last week.

He got elaborately mugged in the metro and had to hide out in his hotel for a day and a half because he was being followed by some scary men.

Still, I think he enjoyed The Hermitage and apparently the Leningrad University Choir is only su-poib.

I'll ask about his dining experiences.

 

[clonan attack]

My dad was in St. Petersburg last week.

He got elaborately mugged in the metro and had to hide out in his hotel for a day and a half because he was being followed by some scary men.

Still, I think he enjoyed The Hermitage and apparently the Leningrad University Choir is only su-poib.

I'll ask about his dining experiences.

thats a bit of a scary story Bellatrix,

i got mugged and was scared shitless but the cabbage was great

 

[Bellatrix]

thats a bit of a scary story Bellatrix,

Yeah, I was completely horrified when he told me. He seemed pretty relaxed about it though. He said that the mugging was so well-choreographed that it was almost impressive. What was even more bizarre was that, as he was on his way back to his hotel to cancel his credit cards, he was stopped by a man in a long leather jacket who handed him his camera and wallet back (sans €50 worth of roubles but cards etc. perfectly intact) then disappeared into the crowd. Only to reappear outside the hotel the following day...

I don't want to put you off though. He still enjoyed his time there and the murkier stuff just made him feel like he was in a Bond movie - and it isn't every day he gets to feel like that!

 

[clonan attack]

Having a NIGHTMARE with this, and i pride myself on not being stupid (maybe thats my problem)

Filled out the questionnare
Booked with NordHostel
Requested my Tourist Confirmation and Voucher
Made sure my passport had two clear pages for Visa and is valid until 3months after my departure date
Got copy of my health insurance policy.

NOW;

Hostel doesn't deal with the Confirmation/Voucher side, a seperate company does, so they want 35euro to get involved, waytorussia want 30dollars, I've applied through them but am awaiting a response nervously.

I've been 8days trying to get to the embassy now with this information and if i don't get there by Friday the processing of the Visa will cost me nearly double as im off in 16days.(inc wkd days)

Very frustrating and taking away the fun of going to be honest, hope it gets sorted soon. Any advice lads?

Thanks,
Niall

 

[Rimbaud]

Very frustrating and taking away the fun of going to be honest, hope it gets sorted soon. Any advice lads?

Thanks,
Niall

Any advice?
Hope for the best i'd say!!

A friend of mine is going in July, and he went through waytorussia (paying the 30$ for the invite and 100 or something for the visa from the embassy..).
A mate of mine in Limerick is going to Yakaterinburg next week, but did'nt hear any issues on him getting he's visa.But he did it all in good time.
Probably the same costs.

Whats this Confirmation/Voucher thing about?

I'm going in November, and will be on a tourist visa, not looking forward to applying for one!Bit of a pain, whereas the business visa invite was free last time and the visa itself was 120 for same day processing.

Hope it all works out!

 

[clonan attack]

A friend of mine is going in July, and he went through waytorussia (paying the 30$ for the invite and 100 or something for the visa from the embassy..).

Hope it all works out!

this line makes me optimistic,thanks Rimbaud, i thought it highly unusual that the hostel (Nordhostel) werent sending me the confirmation/voucher.
To answer your question the confirmation/voucher is what im being asked to pay 30euro for via waytorussia.com, did he get it quick?
Ive now 11working days to get a 10day process, optimistic?

 

[Rimbaud]

this line makes me optimistic,thanks Rimbaud, i thought it highly unusual that the hostel (Nordhostel) werent sending me the confirmation/voucher.
To answer your question the confirmation/voucher is what im being asked to pay 30euro for via waytorussia.com, did he get it quick?
Ive now 11working days to get a 10day process, optimistic?

He got it very quickly from waytorussia.
He then sent it to the embassy with passport, but he has alot of time to spare.
Your cutting it tight!Hope the post is working in order.

 

[clonan attack]

Well once i get it from them i can go to the embassy myself with it tomorrow,its just a matter of them getting back to me tonight
Heres hoping!,

Cheers,
Niall

 

[Rimbaud]

Well once i get it from them i can go to the embassy myself with it tomorrow,its just a matter of them getting back to me tonight
Heres hoping!,

Cheers,
Niall

You may have to get cracking on your Cyrillic!!For the metros and stuff.
If you think the visa stuff is a bitch, wait until you have to by a train ticket in a crowded station!(if your training it someplace that is)Fun fun fun!
Of course they now have foreign help desks in some stations in st pete/moscow i think.