Russia is huge, and sometimes getting from one city to another can be problematic. In some cases, more budget options mean the opportunity to spend more than a day on a trip. Fortunately, there are several vehicles for the direction St. Petersburg - Saratov.
Airplane: fast and expensive
The fastest (and at the same time the most expensive) way to get to Saratov from the cultural capital of Russia is by plane. The journey will take you only two hours, which is generally not the time with such a huge distance, and no transfers are needed.
Nevertheless, not everyone can afford such a fast journey. Prices for the St. Petersburg-Saratov plane start at 8600 Russian rubles and rise up to 30,000.
Train: comfort option
A more affordable option for travel from Saratov to St. Petersburg is the train. The prices here are much lower: the most expensive ticket will cost you 5,000 rubles. However, it is quite possible to find a ticket for a lower price - 1900 rubles.
However, be prepared to spend more than a day on the road: although the train is direct, it is 24 hours and 35 minutes on the way. Therefore, stock up on provisions and magazines, the road will be long. You can also take a train ticket to Astrakhan, which makes a stop in Saratov. The price of tickets will be approximately the same.
Train route
Nevertheless, on its way the vehicle makes stops in other large cities of Russia. The route of the Saratov-St. Petersburg train passes through Ryazan, Tambov and Michurinsk. At these stations, the train makes quite large stops.
For example, a train arrives in Ryazan after 12 hours and stops there for 34 minutes. The next big break in 40 minutes will be in four hours (or 16 hours) at the station "Michurinsk". And then you have to wait another 4 hours to the station "Rtishchevo-1", where the parking will be 51 minutes.
In addition, the train passes through the stations "Bogoyavlensk", "Platonovka", "Tamala", "Atkarsk" and others. But it’s impossible to get to the platform during these stops: their duration does not exceed five minutes.
Given the total duration of the trip, there are few stops. In some routes, driving time is significantly increased due to the large number of stops. In addition, there will be an opportunity to go out, run into the store at the station and get some fresh air.
Bus: how to save on a ticket
Another option is to use the bus. However, it is not suitable for everyone. The total amount of travel time is 31 hours. Agree, not the shortest trip. In this case, you have to make a stop in Moscow.
The general route looks like this: you choose the bus "St. Petersburg - Moscow", and then change to "Moscow - Saratov". At the same time, you should carefully plan your trip. Most likely, you will have to spend several hours enjoying the views of the capital.
The cost of tickets in total will be about 3,000 rubles. The popular bus carrier Busfor offers tickets from St. Petersburg to Moscow from 1000 rubles. And you can get from the capital to Saratov for an amount from 1300 to 1900 rubles.
There are significantly fewer stops in the case of the bus than in the case of the train. And there will not always be time to get out of the vehicle. This should be taken into account, since the total duration of the trip will be more than a day.
Machine: options for every taste
To get from St. Petersburg to Saratov by car is also a perfectly acceptable option. Moreover, compared with the train, you will spend less travel time: about 22 hours.
The best option is to get to Moscow, and from there already straight to Saratov. The cost of such a trip will be from 5500 to 8500 Russian rubles. At the same time, the amount includes exclusively fuel costs, since car rental (if necessary) is paid separately.
The rental price depends on the class of the car and the chosen company. If you summarize the information, then the cheapest car will cost you 1000-2000 Russian rubles per day. Renting a premium car will cost about 3,500 rubles. Therefore, this option is suitable only for those who plan a short trip from one city to another.
You can also use the popular service Bla Bla Car. Using this resource, you can find a person who on a specified date leaves from St. Petersburg to Saratov (or passes on a similar route). To justify the cost of the trip, some drivers prefer to look for travel companions and take money from them. Prices are often lower than for buses, the opportunity to save, but not lose in comfort is very attractive. For example, a trip from St. Petersburg to Saratov will cost from 2,000 to 2,600 rubles. It is noticeably cheaper.
As you can see, there are really many options to get to St. Petersburg from Saratov. You can choose the one that suits you both in the amount of money spent and in time. If we consider the most budgetary options, it is recommended to stop on the train - spend more time, but the trip will be comfortable. At least you don’t have to sit all the way and look out the window.