How to get to St. Petersburg
Visa requirements
Arrival by air
Arrival by rail
Arrival by car
Arrival by sea
St. Petersburg is one of the largest transport hubs in Russia. The city is home to Pulkovo International Airport, five rail terminals, and a seaport. St. Petersburg is also linked to Russian and European cities via numerous highways.
All transport hubs are expected to see increased traffic during International Arctic Forum 2019, so please plan your travel route in advance.
Visa requirements
A valid passport and a visa are required to enter the Russian Federation.
Visitors holding an invitation to the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ 5th International Arctic Forum are eligible to apply for a short-term visa through a simplified procedure in Russian consulates abroad.
To apply for an entry visa to the Russian Federation, the invited person must contact in advance the appropriate consular office of the Russian Federation abroad (information on locations of the Russian Federation’s consular offices can be found here).
It is not recommended to apply for an entry visa through intermediaries.
More information on a short-term visa to the Russian Federation.
Arrival by air
Pulkovo Airport
Pulkovo Airport (LED) is the only airport in St. Petersburg that serves scheduled flights (more than 160 destinations and 75 Russian and international airlines).
If there is no direct flight between your point of departure and St. Petersburg, you can fly via Moscow. There are more than 40 flights each day between Moscow and St. Petersburg, departing from three Moscow airports – Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Sheremetyevo. The approximate flight time is 90 minutes.
Pulkovo Airport is located 17 kilometres from the historic centre of St. Petersburg and 7 km from the Forum venue. The journey time from the airport to the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre is approximately 15–20 minutes (depending on the traffic).
41/ZA, Pulkovskoye Shosse, St. Petersburg
+7 (812) 337 3822, +7 (812) 337 3444
VIP aircraft and passenger service
+7 (812) 324 3446, +7 (812) 324 3644, +7 (921) 765 2620, +7 (921) 909 0440
vipservice@pulkovo-airport.com
Pulkovo Airport lounge for officials and delegations
+7 (812) 331 4875, +7 (921) 930 1492
+7 (812) 704 3343
Luggage and customs control
Commercial airline passengers are advised to familiarize themselves with any limits on luggage size and weight to avoid extra charges and inconvenience. For safety reasons, carrying dangerous materials, objects, and liquids in hand or checked luggage is prohibited.
For a full list of items requiring a written customs declaration and to find out how to fill in the declaration form, see the Customs section of the Pulkovo Airport website.
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
We also recommend that participants who are arriving on charter flights use Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Finland. Aircraft can be left in a hangar at one of the airport’s terminals, and road or rail links will take you onward to St. Petersburg. To learn more about airport car rental, click here. More information on the facilities available at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport can be found here.
Charter flights in Pulkovo Airport
During International Arctic Forum, Pulkovo Airport will operate to a special schedule. Available parking for private planes will be limited. Participants are kindly requested to plan their flight in advance.
To learn about the procedure for obtaining Pulkovo Airport landing/departure clearance, please click here. The slot application form can be downloaded here.
Due to the large number of aircraft arriving at Pulkovo Airport during the International Arctic Forum, it is imperative that strictly coordinated slots for arrival at and departure from Pulkovo Airport are adhered to. In the event of a violation, the airport reserves the right not to receive the aircraft and to direct it to a backup airfield to await a possible arrival slot on a first-come, first-served basis.
A-Group Business Aviation Centre
17A, Startovaya Ulitsa, St. Petersburg
+7 (812) 677 7645, +7 (921) 391 3297 (24 hours)
+7 (812) 677 7642
ledops@a-group.aero
a-group.aero
SITA: LEDAGXH
AFTN: ULLLNRDX
Pulkovo 3 Business Aviation Centre
37A-5, Pulkovskoye Shosse, St. Petersburg
+7 (812) 240 0287, +7 (921) 961 1820, +7 (964) 342 2817
+7 (812) 240 0288
ops@jetport.ru
jetport.ru
SITA: LEDJPXH
AFTN: ULLLJPHX
Passenger services at Pulkovo 3 Business Aviation Centre (24 hours):
+7 (812) 240 0305, +7 (911) 757 2500
sopp@jetport.ru
Arrival by rail
St. Petersburg has five rail terminals: Moskovsky, Ladozhsky, Vitebsky, Finlyandsky, and Baltiysky. All St. Petersburg rail terminals offer convenient links to public transport and receive commuter, intercity, and international trains.
Moscow–St. Petersburg
Up to 13 high-speed Sapsan trains travel daily from Leningradsky Rail Terminal in Moscow to Moskovsky Rail Terminal in St. Petersburg, taking between 3.5 and 4 hours. Click here for a detailed Sapsan train timetable.
Moskovsky Rail Terminal:
85, Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg, Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station
Helsinki–St. Petersburg
Up to four high-speed Allegro trains travel daily from Helsinki Central Railway Station to Finlyandsky Rail Terminal in St. Petersburg, taking about 3.5 hours. Click here to learn more.
Finlyandsky Rail Terminal:
6, Ploshchad Lenina, St. Petersburg, Ploshchad Lenina metro station
Russian Railways call centre
8 (800) 775 0000
Arrival by car
St. Petersburg lies at the crossroads between the Scandinavian peninsula, continental Europe, central Russia, and the Baltics.
To reach St. Petersburg from Finland, follow the E18 European route (A-181 Scandinavia highway in Russia) from Helsinki through Porvoo and Kotka. The distance between Helsinki and St. Petersburg is about 400 kilometres. Depending on traffic and weather conditions, the journey can take five to seven hours.
To reach St. Petersburg from Estonia, follow the E20 European route (A-120 Narva highway in Russia). The distance between Tallinn and St. Petersburg is about 370 kilometres. Allow about five or six hours for the journey.
From Belarus, take the E95 European route, which becomes Route R-23 Pskov after crossing the Belarus-Russian border. Minsk is located 840 kilometres from St. Petersburg. The approximate travel time between the cities is 11 hours.
The M10 Rossiya federal highway links Moscow to St. Petersburg. Depending on weather and traffic, the travel time via the 720-km highway ranges from 9 to 11 hours.
Arrival by sea
St. Petersburg has well-developed sea links with EU countries facing the Bay of Finland and the Baltic Sea. Comfortable ferries sail from St. Petersburg’s seaports to Sweden, Finland, and Estonia almost daily.
St. Petersburg Sea Front passenger port
1, Bereg Nevskoy Gubi V.O., St. Petersburg
+7 (812) 303 6740
The Seafront passenger port complex has seven berths which can accommodate oceangoing vessels, in addition to four terminals. The ship schedule can be found here.
St. Petersburg Sea Terminal
1, Ploshchad Morskoy Slavy, St. Petersburg
+7 (812) 333 5115, +7 (812) 333 5271
The St. Petersburg Sea Terminal is the point of departure and arrival of Princess Anastasia ferry (St. Petersburg – Helsinki – Stockholm – Tallinn – St. Petersburg). The ferry schedule can be found here.