How to get from Pulkovo to Saint-Petersburg
upd 30 January 2024
The main and only airport in St. Petersburg is Pulkovo. It is located 23 kilometers away from the center and 10 kilometers from the Moskovskaya metro station. Now there is only one terminal. There were two terminals before for domestic and international flights, but now all departures are carried out from one terminal, which is very convenient. Arrivals are in the 1st floor and depeartues – in the second.
There are several ways to get to Pulkovo from the city center and vice versa. Here are listed all the possible ways including the cheapest and the most comfortable one.
Buses
Public bus
The cheapest way to get from Pulkovo to St.Petersburg and vice versa is by bus number 39. It will take you to “Moskovskaya” metro station. This is also the slowest way: you need to wait for the bus for 5-10 minutes and the road takes about 20-30 minutes.
The go between 5:50 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., so if you arrive at night, pay attention to other options how to get from Pulkovo to city center at night.
The traffic interval is 12-15 minutes.
Price
The fare is 50 RUB. You also need to pay 50 rubles for luggage if it exceeds 180 centimeters in the sum of three dimensions or 60 kilograms.
You can pay by cash or by PayPass – but be sure to do this with the conductor.
Stops in the airport and in the city
The bus stop at the airport is located across the exit from the arrival terminal. So you exit the terminal and walk about 50 meters straight – there will be a stop.
If you want to continue the trip by metro, get off at the stop “Moskovskaya metro” – all stations are announced and written by a running line.
If you are going to the airport, the stop will be on Moskovsky Prospekt. You need to go through the underground pedestrian crossing, following the signs. At the exit you’ll see McDonald’s – so you should turn to the the left.
Express bus
There is also express bus. It looks and costs exactly the same but it doesn’t make any additional stops. So it goes straight to the metro station. So it takes less time – 15-20 minutes. However, the interval is longer: they go about once every 25 minutes.
It will be marked as “39E”.
The nearest metro station
The stop of the 39 bus – “Moskovskaya” – is still far from the center of St. Petersburg. But you can easily get there by metro.
The fare costs 55 rubles , it can also be paid using PayPass. You need to pay the same amount for baggage, but only if it exceeds the size.
Where to go next? The very center of St.Petersburg is the Palace Square, the Winter Palace, Neva river and St. Isaac’s Cathedral. They all are located near “Admiralteyskaya” station (“Адмиралтейская”). The way will take 20 minutes.
To walk around the main street – Nevsky pr., you should go to the “Nevsky Prospekt” station (“Невский проспект”) – it will take about 16 minutes . Another option is “Ploschad Vosstaniya” (“Площадь Восстания”) (20 minutes).
Minibus
There are also minibuses K39. You should take them only if you are in a hurry and there are no other options since they are much less comfortable and there’s not much place for the luggage. They make the same stops as the buses and cost the same but you can only pay in cash.
Transfer
The most comfortably way to get to the city is transfer. You order a car in advance and your driver will be waiting for you with your name at the exit of the terminal. So you won’t need to have to worry about finding the transport and changing to local currency.
Why is it better than ordering than a taxi? Taxi is very unpredictable, their prices are not fixed and can be changed during the trip. You will also most likely to pay in cash but changing currency in the airport is not the best option. Plus you will have to search for a driver since there is no definite place for taxi cars.
It’s especially convienient when you’re traveling with luggage or with a group of people.
The best transfer is Kiwitaxi:
Car rent
You can rent a car in an airport building P1. It’s located right across the exit. To get the best option you should book a car in advance. It’s easier to find cars in an aggregator:
If you arrived at night
Often you need to get out of the airport at night, when public transport is not working. In that case the best solution is tranfer Pulkovo-St.Petersburg or a taxi. In the departure terminal there is a special desk where you can order a taxi. It will cost around 800-1500 RUB.
Map
The route runs along Pulkovskoe and Moskovskoe highways.
Conclusion
If your goal is to travel the cheapest way possible, you should choose the public transport. This is a good option, but only if you fly with hand luggage and are already familiar with the city.
If you value comfort, don’t want to have a chance spoil the first impression of the city, you should choose a transfer.