In the vastness of Russia there are many cities that are interconnected not only by highways, but also by railways and airways. Whatever the purpose of your trip, you can easily move from one city to another, such as from St. Petersburg to Petrozavodsk or vice versa.
Train number 806 / 805 "Lastochka"
One of the best options to get from city to city is the St. Petersburg-Petrozavodsk train number 806 called "Swallow". He rides every day, all year round. Despite the fact that the distance between the cities by rail is 395 km, the train passes it in just 4 hours 55 minutes. This is the fastest way to move, and also inexpensive. On the road, he stops in only two settlements: Lodeynoye Pole and Svir. The train leaves the Ladoga station at 18:00 and arrives at its destination at 22:55.
No. 805 has the composition "Swallow" Petrozavodsk-St. Petersburg on the way back. He leaves Petrozavodsk at 18:00 and arrives at 22:55 in St. Petersburg, making two stops along the way.
The peculiarity of the train is that it has only seats, and there is no division into comfort classes, so the ticket price is always the same.
Train number 012A / 011A Petrozavodsk-St. Petersburg
Between Petrozavodsk and St. Petersburg there is another train No. 012A. He travels regularly, but there are weekends on his schedule, so you must definitely check if he is on the dates you need. It is distinguished by the fact that it makes 9 stops along the way, so in a way it is also important. The train stops in the following settlements: Derevyanka, Pyazhieva Selga, Ladva, Pai, Tokari, Svir, Podporozhye, Lodeynoye Pole, Volkhovstroy-1 and Volkhov. In connection with the stops, the train travels the distance Petrozavodsk-St. Petersburg in 7 hours 40 minutes. He leaves the Ladoga station of St. Petersburg at 23:20, and arrives at 7:00 in Petrozavodsk.
The train St. Petersburg-Petrozavodsk has the number 011A. He leaves from the station of Petrozavodsk at 22:40 and arrives in St. Petersburg at 06:24.
This train already has the opportunity to choose a reserved seat, coupe or SV wagon.
Bus
There are as many as 6 buses that run on the Petrozavodsk-St. Petersburg route. The distance between cities on the highway is 424 km, which buses travel in a period of 7 to 8.5 hours. They leave the Petrozavodsk bus station at 05:20, 06:00, 08:30, 09:00, 13:00, 22:00. The Petrozavodsk-St. Petersburg bus goes with passing stops.
Return routes leave from St. Petersburg at 08:30, 13:00, 17:20 (2 buses) and 22:00 from Bus Station No. 2 and at 23:00 from Ladoga Station.
Thus, you can choose the most convenient time for departure and arrival at the destination both on the way from Petrozavodsk and from St. Petersburg.
Other options
You can also take a trip Petrozavodsk-St. Petersburg and back by car. Estimated estimated travel time is 7 hours. When traveling between Petrozavodsk and St. Petersburg there are no large settlements. The cities are connected by the M18 highway.
The only thing you need to be careful about when traveling by car is the weather, especially snowfalls, which can bring a lot of problems.
There is also an airport in the city of Petrozavodsk, but there are no direct flights from St. Petersburg, options are offered only with transfers in Moscow or Nizhny Novgorod. This option takes a lot of time - from 30 hours, especially since the cost of tickets is from 20,000 rubles, so flights by air are usually simply not considered.
Another option for moving is passing trains. So, for example, Petrozavodsk and St. Petersburg are connected by trains from Moscow to Murmansk or from St. Petersburg to Murmansk.
Travel cost
The ticket for the train "Swallow" Petrozavodsk-St. Petersburg will be 1185 rubles. A train ticket number 011A and number 012A will cost: 1204 rubles. - to the reserved seat car, 1662 rubles. - in the compartment and 3390 rubles. - in a top-class compartment. Note that if you ride a passing train, the ticket price will not change.
If you go by bus, then their prices are different. So, a ticket from Petrozavodsk to St. Petersburg will cost from 500 to 950 rubles, and a return ticket - 700 or 800 rubles.
A trip by car with an average gas consumption of 8 liters per 100 km (with an average cost of 30 rubles per liter) will cost about 1020 rubles. Thus, a trip by car will be cheaper than other options, provided that more than 2 people will ride in the car.
Tourists reviews
Oddly enough, travelers are mostly not happy with the quality of the trip to Swallow. So, passengers note that they are blowing at any time of the year. Also, dissatisfaction is caused by the small distances between the seats, which is why some passengers rest their knees on adjacent seats. There are only 2 toilets on a train for 5 cars, which is why queues are formed. Also, travelers note strong shaking along the way. The only plus, according to travelers, is the large windows. As for route No. 011A / 012A, there are no special complaints. Pleases with the arrival time of trains, it is quite convenient.
Travelers say about buses that their arrival time is not always convenient. So, when landing at night in St. Petersburg it is impossible to get anywhere, and you just have to wait for the metro to open. However, fortunately, several buses run along the route, so you can choose a convenient time.
Regarding road crossings by bus or car, there are exceptionally positive reviews. According to travelers, the road condition is very good, and there are practically no traffic jams, for the specified estimated 7 hours you can easily reach your destination. As some travelers note, there have been times when traveling by car traveled this distance faster.