Are you planning a trip to St. Petersburg and you want to know what the best areas to stay in the ancient capital of the Russian Empire? St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia, after Moscow, ed one of the most beautiful and interesting cities to visit all over Europe.
Choose the area to stay well in such a large city it is very important to easily reach the most important attractions and places of the city, if you do not want to spend a good part of your holiday traveling.
In this article we will explain how St. Petersburg is made, what are the best neighborhoods to visit and what are the best areas to sleep. Furthermore, we will tell you both which are the best hotels in Saint Petersburg, but also useful tips for cheap accommodation for not spending a lot.
St. Petersburg was nicknamed the "Venice of the North" for its characteristic canals lined with sumptuous palaces. And in fact how Venice is a beautiful city, full of charm, which makes the visit an unforgettable experience
The center of St. Petersburg is spread over the numerous islands delta of the Neva River, divided by rivers and connected by more than 300 bridges. This led UNESCO, in 1991, to declare its historic center, a World Heritage Site.
Best neighborhoods to sleep in St. Petersburg
To fully understand how St. Petersburg is structured and which are the best areas to stay, it is important see and analyze the map that we attach. As you can see immediately, the most central area is made up of 4 districts, separated by canals and connected by bridges.
The best area to sleep in St. Petersburg is the central area, which includes the Tsentralny and Admiralteysky districts, but it is also the most expensive area. If you want to always stay close to the center, but don't spend a lot, especially in the high season, these are great choices also Vasileostrovsky and Petrogradskiy.
In general, however, the most central and best areas to stay they are located in the immediate vicinity of St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Hermitage Museum and Nevsky Prospekt or Nevsky Prospekt, the most important avenue in the city.
Tsentralny - the best place to sleep
The Tsentralny district, as for other Russian cities, represents the city center and it's the best area to stay. Located between the Neva River in the north and the Obvodny Canal in the south and crossed by the Fontanka and Moika rivers, it is the most interesting area to visit and with more attractions.
Among the main attractions, the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest art museums in the world. Don't miss a walk on Nevsky Prospekt, the main avenue of the city. In the area there are many architectural monuments from the late XNUMXth-XNUMXth century.
Very interesting are also the Winter Palace and its historic historic square, its great temples and its palaces. Staying here allows you to get close many bars, restaurants and shops to shop and buy souvenirs, e easy walking to many of the tourist attractions.
Tsentralny houses the Vitebsky railway station, the most important in the city. Sleeping here allows you to easily reach Pulkovo International Airport, 17 kilometers from the center, or reach other Russian cities by train, such as Moscow, 700 kilometers away (4 hours by train).
THEhotel offer is very wide and varied. It is a great choice where to stay for families with children and for the elderly, and in general for all those who do not want to make many trips by public transport.
In low season, that is, in winter, you can find various cheap accommodations, with rates of even 10-15 euros per person per night, but in high season (from May to September) the rates increase considerably and if you want to stay in this neighborhood it is advisable to book well in advance.
Best accommodation and hotels in the Tsentralny area
Bolshaya Morskaya 7 - in a great location
Antique-Hotel Rachmaninov - excellent value for money
Polikoff - in a great location
Helvetia Hotel - one of the best hotels ever
Nevsky 3 Guest House - excellent value for money
Sapphire Hotel - in a great location
Ekaterina Hotel - one of the best hotels ever
Best budget hotels in the center of Saint Petersburg
Park Avenue Hotel - rates from 35 euros per double room
Sweet Dreams - rates from 40 euros per double room
Hotel Dvory - rates from 40 euros per double room
Hello Hotel - rates from 45 euros per double room
Hotel Onegin - rates from 45 euros per double room
Fontanka 64 Mini Hotel by ORSO - rates from 50 euros for a double room with breakfast
Apollo - rates from 50 euros for a double room with breakfast
Find and reserve a hotel in the Tsentralny area
Admiralteysky: for young people and couples
The Admiralteysky district is the oldest area of the historic center of St. Petersburg ed one of the most comfortable areas to stay. There are many tourist attractions, such as the teatro Mariinsky St. Isaac's Cathedral and Moika Palace or Yusupov Palace, and many others are located nearby.
Being close to the Vitebsky railway station, sleeping here allows, as we have already said, to easily reach the airport and by train Moscow. Furthermore, you can easily reach the Tsentralny district on foot or by public transport.
There are also interesting shops, bars and restaurants where to drink and eat something on the fly, and offers an interesting nightlife. Admiralteisky is a very elegant and particularly beautiful neighborhood at night, a good choice for those looking for a quiet area to stay.
The hotel offer in the Admiralteysky area is very wide and varied. Many more can be found cheap hotels compared to those in the Tsentralny district. Also for this area the advice is make your reservation as soon as possible, especially if you want to visit the city in high season.
Best accommodation and hotels in the Admiralteysky area
Elegance Moskovsky - excellent value for money
Central House Hostel - economic solution in a good position
Petro Palace Hotel - luxurious hotel in a great location
Adagio on Isaakiyevskaya - great centrally located hotel
MK Hotel Kraski - economic solution in a good position
Love Art-Hotel - economic residence with mini apartments with kitchenette and dining area
Find and book a hotel in Admiralteysky area
Vasileostrovsky: central and economic zone
Vasileostrovsky district is one of the four central districts of St. Petersburg and one of the best areas to stay. The neighborhood occupies three islands: Vasilievsky, Decembrist Island and the small island of Sernyi. The islands are separated by the Smolenka River.
Of these islands the most interesting is Vasilievsky, which housed the city's seaport until the mid-19th century and has long been the center of St. Petersburg's academic life. The area offers interesting museums to visit and the historic building of the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange.
Any type of accommodationFrom hotels to apartments to bed & breakfasts, this area has lower average rates than the city center. So if you are looking for an economic area to stay and close to the center, this neighborhood may be the right choice.
Best accommodation and hotels in the Vasileostrovsky area
Shante Hotel - good value for money
Cruise Apart - very nice and cheap mini apartments
Shelfort Hotel - among the hotels with the best reviews
Rinaldi na Vasilevskom - economic solution in a good location, good value for money
Amber hotel - a good choice for not spending a lot and being in a good position
Mini-hotel Mone - economic solution
Find and reserve a hotel in the Vasileostrovsky areaPetrogradskiy: for those looking for cheap accommodation
Petrogradskiy is a great choice where to stay for those looking for quiet areas to sleep, but especially cheaper rates compared to the central area of the city. Furthermore, it lies very close to the center, in a few minutes by public transport you can reach the center or on foot in about 30 minutes.
The district is home to the place where the city was founded in 1703, the Peter and Paul Fortress dating back to the first half of the eighteenth century, and other important architectural monuments of that period. The islands of the northwestern area are mainly home to parks, villas and sports facilities.
In the neighborhood there is the television tower, 326 meters high, with an observation platform at 191 meters; and the Lakhta Center, a mixed-use skyscraper, which with its 462,5 meters high and 87 floors, is the tallest skyscraper in Europe.
It is mostly a residential area, for this reason there are not many hotels, but numerous apartments which are the cheapest solution to sleep in St. Petersburg, especially during the high season, when hotel costs also increase quite a lot.
Best accommodation and hotels in the Petrogradskiy area
Seven Bridges Hotel - in a good location and quite cheap
LikeHome Hostel - cheap and in a good location
Hotel Mark Inn - good hotel in good location
TakeRoom Posadskaya 4 - mini apartments with kitchenette and dining area
338 Hotel at Mira - economic solution in a discreet position
Rinaldi at Bolshoy prospect - good hotel in good location
Find and reserve a hotel in the Petrogradskiy area
When to visit St. Petersburg
Scegliere the right time to visit St. Petersburg it is very important how to choose the area where to stay and which hotel to sleep in. The offer is very wide, which is why in this guide you will find the right information to avoid making mistakes and spend a beautiful holiday in one of the most fascinating cities on the planet.
Il best time to visit the city, but also the most expensive, with the highest rates for accommodation and flights, goes from May to September, when the temperatures become mild and it is very pleasant to walk around the city. If you want to visit the city during this period, it is advisable to book your flight and accommodation or hotel much in advance.
The second half of June is the high season (the most requested period with the highest rates). The sun only sets for a short time and the streets stay alive all day. In this period the White Nights Festival (roughly from 11 June to 2 July), with shows, concerts and parties. July and August they are generally the hottest months.
From November to March it's quite cold, snowfalls are quite frequent, but it can still be an interesting time to visit the city, if the cold and snow don't scare you. The city becomes very characteristic in the snow and the fares for flights and accommodation drop significantly. It is the right time for those looking for a low cost holiday in St. Petersburg.
The months of April and October they represent the intermediate months, between the cold Russian winter and the mild summers, so they can also be good times to find low fares for flights and accommodation and some decent days.
By saving on costs you can extend the holiday period and therefore be able to visit the city with more tranquility. Given that in April there may be the last snowfalls and there may still be snow on the streets, between these 2 periods we recommend that between mid-September and early October.
How to get to St. Petersburg
You can reach St. Petersburg by plane directly or on the train from Moscow. A direct journey by bus or train to St. Petersburg would be very long. Remember to apply for a visa in time to enter Russia.
I direct flights to St. Petersburg depart from the airports of Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa, Rimini and Verona. Airlines operating direct flights to St. Petersburg are: Alitalia, Aeroflot and S7 Airlines.
If there are no direct flights, with a flight with a stopover you can reach St. Petersburg from almost all airports. Almost always the stopover airport is Moscow, or an airport in the Scandinavian or Baltic countries.
Travel tips
Given that to enter Russia you need a tourist visa and therefore it also takes time and costs to obtain it, we recommend that you combine the trip to St. Petersburg with a visit to Moscow.
To visit both cities with a single trip you can do the following itinerario. Initially reach St. Petersburg by plane. After visiting the city by train (or if you prefer, by plane or bus) you can go to Moscow and after visiting the Russian capital, always return by plane.
Also a week, or at most 10 days, may be enough to visit both cities. If you want, you can reverse the order of the trip, and that is to initially reach and visit Moscow first, and then St. Petersburg.
In both cases the cost of the trip increases a little, but with a single trip (and a single tourist visa) you can visit the 2 most important and beautiful cities in Russia. In addition, you will experience a journey on the famous Russian trains. It will not be a trip on the legendary Trans-Siberian railway, but it will be a good experience nonetheless.
Il cost of train travel between Moscow and St. Petersburg it is about 70 euros with fast trains which take about 4 hours, or 30-40 euros with slower and night trains.
Getting around in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is easily walkable and has a good public transport service. Ticket fares for buses and the subway are quite cheap, and are a great choice for getting around the city.
So, for those looking for one low cost holiday, no problem if you book and stay a little further from the center. By public transport you can easily reach the center, only it will only take a little longer.
By subway
The St. Petersburg metro is the second largest in Russia, after that of Moscow. The subway is an inexpensive and comfortable way to get around the city, as well as being a major tourist attraction for the beautiful decorations, like Moscow, present in the stations.
Il ticket it costs 45 Russian rubles, about 60 euro cents, or you can buy a pass for 10 trips for 355 Russian rubles, about 5 euros. The trains are very fast and frequent, allowing fast movements between the various areas. Normally the hours of operation of the subway are from 05:45 in the morning to midnight.
By bus, trolleybus or tram
Although less fast than the subway, buses, trolley buses or trams are a good choice to move around and also see the city. The cost of the ticket is 40 Russian rubles, about 50 cents and tickets can also be purchased on board. Inquire before boarding, or buy them in advance.
By taxi
While it is a convenient choice for getting around, it is much more expensive to travel than the subway and buses. There are both official taxis and private cars which transport tourists and residents to various areas of the city. Pay special attention to private vehicles.
