How To Go From St Petersburg Airport To The City 2026

Read on to find out how to get from St Petersburg Pulkuvo Airport to the city centre using all transport options available.

St Petersburg has become one of my favourite cities in the world. Since my first trip to the city, back in 2004, it left me wishing for more trips. But unfortunately, I only returned 12 years later. But then I travelled to the city three times in one single year, making it one of the cities I travelled to most often for many years.

Like most visitors, I usually travel by plane and have to find out how to go from St Petersburg airport to the city centre. There are many options indeed, but it’s not as simple as in Moscow, for example.

Pulkovo Airport St Petersburg

Pulkovo Airport St Petersburg is located 23km south of the city and is the only airport to serve Russia’s second larget city. It has only one terminal, which is modern and offers all conveniences you would expect. The airport offers free wifi in the arrivals and departure halls.

St Petersburg Airport Arrivals

At St Petersburg Airport arrivals hall, you can find ATMs dispensing Russian Rubles, currency exchange accepting all major currencies and cafes. The airport information desk is about 30 metres on the right-hand side of the arrivals gate.

 

How To Go From St Petersburg Airport To The City

Getting from St Petersburg Pulkovo airport to the city centre is not as convenient as in Moscow. While all airports in the Russian capital are served by express trains, that doesn’t happen here.

This will make your journey from Pulkovo Airport to the city centre very inconvenient, if you choose public transport. But there are also easier ways to get from St Petersburg Airport to the city.

Taxi from St Petersburg Airport to the City Centre

It’s not surprising that I’m not a fan of airport taxi drivers, but sometimes I had no choice. As soon as you go through the arrivals gate, you will see the usual crowd waiting for their loved ones.

Among that crowd, there will be a lot of taxi drivers. They’ll come to you saying “taxi, taxi” and show a credential. Almost none of them speak English.

Bear in mind that some are real taxi drivers, but others are just chancers. My advice is that you do not go to the city with one of them.

They will most likely overcharge you either by not switching on the metre or drive around unnecessarily, making your journey from St Petersburg Airport to the city center pricier.

There are taxi desks in the arrivals hall, where you can pay by card or cash and get a receipt.

 

Pulkovo Airport Transfers

Another way of getting to St Petersburg from Pulkovo airport is booking a private car transfer prior to arrival.

Most hotels will be able to do that for you at an extra cost. You can also book them yourself with reliable transfer companies such as this one or you can book a ride with Kiwi Taxi. Both websites are easy to use and offer quality drivers. Prices are also quite fair.

See also: Top  Places To Visit in Saint Petersburg

The advantage is huge. Your driver will be there waiting for you and, in most cases, there will be no monetary transaction between you and your driver. Unless you only part-pay for your transfer online. Sample fares from St Petersburg to Nevsky Prospekt are:

Regular Transfer From St Petersburg Airport To The City: from 35 euros for up to four passengers with three pieces of luggage (you may cancel up to 24hrs prior).

Economy Transfer From St Petersburg Airport: from 20 to 50 euros, with different service options.

Public Transport From St Petersburg Airport

Now, the cheapest way to get from Pulkovo airport to St Petersburg is by public transport. Believe me, it’s very cheap, but the low price also means it is not the most convenient way. There is no direct transport from the airport to the city centre.

To go by public transport from St Petersburg airport to the city, you will have to take a bus and then metro.

 

The bus stops outside the airport arrivals hall exit, on the ground floor. There are two services: 39Ex (for express, you guessed) goes to Moskovskaya metro station in 20 minutes. Bus #39 is slower and takes around 40 minutes.

Don’t confuse MoskovskAYA station, for Metro Line 2, far from the city centre, with MoskovskY station (for intercity trains) in the city centre. Both options cost only 30 rubles (50 euro cents) and you pay the fare controller on the bus.

At Moskovskaya station, you just take metro line 2, which takes you to the city centre stopping at several stations, including Nevskiy Prospekt. The metro fare costs 45 rubles (75 euro cents) and you buy the jeton at the station tills.

Just remember that the metro stations in Saint Petersburg are very deep. Changing between lines, if necessary, can take up to 30 minutes, given the depth of the stations and distance to walk underground.

Getting From St Petersburg To Pulkovo Airport By Public Transport

To go from St Petersburg to Pulkovo airport by public transport, just be careful with some small details.

Once you take the underground/subway (line 2), you have to get off at Moskovskaya station. MoskovskayA. Just be careful so you don’t get off at Moskovskie Vorota, which is 3 stations before the one you need. There, you will take the slow bus 39 or the express 39ex to the airport.

See Also: How To Get From Sofia Airport To The City

On another note, when flying from St Petersburg or any other airport in Russia, it’s important to remember that there are restrictions as to the amount of liquid you can carry in your hand luggage – just like within the European Union or the US.

So always remember to have appropriate toiletry bags and your liquids in containers of not more than 100ml.

Also, you will be required to remove all your electronics during security check – not only your laptops.

Happy flight, guys!

So, did you find this information useful? What’s your preferred way to travel from Pulkovo airport to St Petersburg?