Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
310
toilet paper everywhere. In a pinch, dive
into any hotel or restaurant restroom.
SAFETY
See information on safety and
security concerns in chapter 3.
SALONS
St. Petersburg residents make
salons a part of their routine, and you can
find the simpler
parikmakherskaya
(barber
shop/hair salon) or the more elaborate
salon krasoty
(beauty salon) just about
anywhere. Quality and prices are higher in
the center. If you've got a night on the
town, two central places to try (for both
men and women) are
Prestige,
56 Naber-
ezhnaya Moiki (
&
812/314-7521
), and
the fancier
Adamant-Caprice,
at 90/92
Nevsky Prospekt (
&
812/272-7514
).
TAXES
Stores and restaurants include
VAT (value-added tax) of up to 18% on
the list prices of store and menu items,
though many hotels do not include it in
their listed rates. Ask if you're unsure. VAT
is not refundable upon departure as it is in
some European cities. St. Petersburg has
no sales tax.
TAXIS
See “Getting Around” in chapter 3.
TELEPHONE
See above.
Pay phones:
St. Petersburg is phasing
out its token-operated phones for card-
operated ones. The token-run ones rarely
work and should be avoided. Cards for the
other phones can be purchased at any
metro station and many hotel kiosks in
Moscow or St. Petersburg. Not all phones
accept all kinds of phone cards, and not all
phone cards allow international calls. The
most common is Petersburg City Tele-
phone Service. Most cards and card
phones provide instructions, though very
basic, in English.
TIME ZONE
St. Petersburg is in the
same time zone as Moscow, 3 hours ahead
of GMT from October to March, and 4
hours ahead during daylight saving time.
That means it's usually 3 hours ahead of
London, 8 hours ahead of New York, and
11 hours ahead of San Francisco. Russia
switches to daylight saving time a week
earlier than Europe and North America,
and reverts to standard time a week earlier,
too. To check the current time from any
fixed-line phone, dial
&
065
(Russian only).
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
See
below.
18
3
TOLL
FREE NUMBERS & WEBSITES
MAJOR U.S. AIRLINES
(*flies internationally as well)
American Airlines*
&
800/433-7300 (in U.S. or Canada)
&
020/7365-0777 (in U.K.)
www.aa.com
Continental Airlines*
&
800/523-3273 (in U.S. or Canada)
&
084/5607-6760 (in U.K.)
www.continental.com
Delta Air Lines*
&
800/221-1212 (in U.S. or Canada)
&
084/5600-0950 (in U.K.)
www.delta.com
Northwest Airlines
&
800/225-2525 (in U.S.)
&
870/0507-4074 (in U.K.)
www.flynaa.com
United Airlines*
&
800/864-8331 (in U.S. and Canada)
&
084/5844-4777 (in U.K.)
www.united.com
US Airways*
&
800/428-4322 (in U.S. and Canada)
&
084/5600-3300 (in U.K.)
www.usairways.com
