ST. PETERSBURG - St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Tallinn - page 26

end of Nevsky down Malaya Morskaya Ulitsa to St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Mariinsky
Theater.
The best available English-language journey planner for St. Petersburg is
www.spb.rusavtobus.ru/en . Though it's not very user-friendly, it covers both the Metro and
surface transport.
By Taxi: Locals tend to avoid cabs, and you should use them only with caution. You
won't see taxi stands in St. Petersburg, and you should walk away from cabbies who hail
you down (“Taxi?”). But you can always call and order an official taxi by phone (you'll
probably need a Russian speaker to help, as few dispatchers or cabbies speak English). Of-
ficial taxis are a little more expensive and safer than those hailed on the street. Pay the fare
on the meter, rounding up a little.
Two reliable companies are 068 (tel. 068, 350-R minimum, www.en.taxi068.ru ) and
Novoye Zhyoltoye (New Yellow Taxis, Новое Жёлтое; tel. [phone], 310-R minimum,
www.peterburg.nyt.ru/en ) . You can send in a form from the English-language section of
either website to order a taxi, but you'll need to give a local phone number (which could be
your hotel's). The Ladybird taxi service (tel. [phone], 300-R minimum, www.ladybird-
taxi.ru ) has only women drivers and provides car seats for kids.
Most Russians in need of a ride just hail any passing private car and negotiate a price
with the driver. This custom demands some common-sense caution (never get into a car
with passengers), not to mention hurdling the language barrier. If you're a decent negotiat-
or and can speak Russian, an average trip within the center will run about 200 R.
Marshrutki (Minibuses): These “share taxis” travel along fixed, numbered routes, pre-
fixed with the letter К. You can wave them down anywhere along the way and ask to be
dropped off at any point along the route. They're designed more for residents than for tour-
ists, but can be useful for going to Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo, or the airport.
Tours in St. Petersburg
Walking Tours — Peterswalk has been doing excellent, English-language walking tours
of the city since 1996. Their original, four-hour tour is a great way to get your bearings
here (650 R/person, mobile [phone], www.peterswalk.com ,
[e-mail] ). This tour begins every day in summer (April-Oct) at 10:30 at
Hostel Life, at Nevsky Prospekt 47 (near the Fontanka River—enter around the corner at
Vladimirsky Prospekt 1 by ringing the bell and going up to the fourth floor; tour may run
sporadically off-season—check website).
You can also hire a privateguide through Peterswalk (1,200 R/hour for up to 8 people,
4-hour minimum; this price assumes you already have visas, but for an extra fee they can
also arrange a visa-free private excursion—email the owner Peter to arrange details).
Bike Tours —Peterswalk (listed earlier) offers 3.5-hour weekend and late-night bike tours
(mid-May-Sept Sat-Sun at 11:00, also mid-May-Aug Tue and Thu at 22:30, 1,200
R/person, starts at SkatProkat bike shop at Goncharnaya Ulitsa 7, near Moskovsky train
station and Ploschad Vosstaniya).
Boat Tours —St. Petersburg is a delight to see from the water. Low-slung canal boats ply
their way through the city, offering a handy orientation to major landmarks. After curling