dhb5221

Hello! I have 3 days in Moscow and 3 in St Petersburg. What would YOU my fellow fodorites, recommend I see while visiting these cities in December? I am so excited to go to Russia but am having a hard time wrapping my head around this trip. Any advice is definitely appreciated! Thank you!

sparkchaser

The T-34 Tank Museum in Moscow. Closed on Mondays.

lanejohann

we went in summer so quite different but here are our highlights:

kremlin ..the churches are interesting

red square..people will be iceskating there in winter
GUM dept store..cheap for westerners and great food in the deli
St Basils was closed ( closes at 5pm in winter) 6pm in summer)

Old Arbat area..was quiet when we went but we did enjoy it and theres a s
statue of Pushkin if youre interested in literature

Kolomenskoye park is nice to visit to see how Russians spend their weekends..but itll probably be freezing lol..we took a boat ride up the river with just the regular local people

Loved visiting the bridge of trees...Luzhkov Bridge...
where lovers place their locks and throw the key into the river...it is kinda near Bolshaya Ordinka St...so many locals couldnt give us directions even though it is very famous..(closer to Bolotnaya Square really as i look at my photos here) and not far from Zamosckvorechye Route..
not far from this bridge is a park with beautiful sculptures"Children are the victims of adults' vices) by Mikhail Chemiakin.. very clever

we also visited Sergei Posad //took a train out to see the monasteries..that was a day trip so you may not have time


we left our luggage at the train station ( we caught the late train to st petes) and went to the zoo..had lunch at yelki palki...i thought it was very good..i got the smorgasbord so sampled practically everything..OH ordered fish in aspic and suffered through it stubborn man that he is lol
zoo was interesting...very different from anything ive seen
we visited gorki park later that day..that was really great..we got out at park kulturi metro station (gorgeous as many of the metros are) and had to walk a bit to the park

the overnight train to st petes was an experience but we slept well..shared with another couple and paid through the nose having bought tickets back home...couldve saved hundreds had we purchased in moscow...

st petes was a totally different type of city
and it poured every day which made it hard to enjoy the strolling we were afforded in moscow
we didnt get into the hermitage..some convention
but we did do a bus tour combined with a visit to petrohof...
we also managed to find the park across yelagin bridge and saw where putin was having his massive house built..so we were told...
nice park...might be cold though to do the outdoorsy stuff in winter
we did go to see swan lake in a beautiful theatre..in italyanskaya st ( italian st ) ...V.F Kommissarzhevskaya Academic Theatre...cheap as chips and gorgeous..got tickets that day...

id go back in heart beat..particularly to moscow...but definitely in summer...
enjoy your trip
ill try to help with specifics if you have any questions

m34aggie

If you're a museum person you will love the Pushkin in Moscow and the Russian in St Petersburg, as well as the Hermitage there, of course. And the Armoury inside the Kremlin. One of the quirky things in Moscow is the old HQ of their STrategic Air Command bunker which was accessed secretly through what looked like a very upscale house in a neighborhood. Can't recall name but you may want to look it up. Opened for tours around 2007. In St. Pete, if you can go to Peterhof it is worthwhile even in winter, I would assume.

kja

With only 3 days in each city, you will need to be extremely selective. You might want to get a good guidebook or two (or visit your local library) to help you decide on your highest priorities. They are fascinating cities - enjoy!

michelhuebeli

Thinking maybe outside of your box, I suggest staying in Moscow.

The six days will go by like that. Getting around is slow, especially in winter and cold. Days are awfully short. You can't be in a rush. Stay in Moscow and make the most of it.

Read up some more, look up the web, take note of the things you like (we don't know what they are but you'll find them), go to the theater and to concerts at night, let it all sink in rather than rushing in and out.

See if these don't list enough items to keep you happy for six days:
www.moscow.info/attractions/index.aspx
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/russia/m...articles/70679
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...tractions.html

St. P. at this time of the year, for only three days (minus travel time!), just isn't worth it - so much is not accessible, or doesn't look not nearly as stupendous as it will starting in May. The Ermitage is fabulous, but it will still be there on your next trip when you can also do all the other things, too - the canal rides, the day trips to the palace with the fountains outside of St. P., the waterfront strolls, and on and on. Look at all this and say to yourself - "Great, but not now, major bummer."
www.saint-petersburg.com/attractions/

kja

I like michelhuebeli's idea.

Jean

I agree with michelhuebeli. The things I enjoyed most about St. Petersburg were outdoors, and I would think it would be much easier (and more enjoyable) to get around when the boats, water taxis, etc., are running. Because of the many canals, islands, and the Neva, the city is sometimes called the Venice of the North.

dhb5221

Sorry this is so late but THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your responses! I acually shortend my St Petersburg trip to 2 nights, as I couldn't cancel it due to our flying out of the airport there. Thank you for all of your insight, I really appreciate it!!!

Gretchen

Couldn't disagree more with shortening ST.P for Moscow.

Odin

3 days in Moscow and 3 in St Petersburg is about right. Transport is not slower in the winter, winter lasts 6 months and they have the infrastructure to deal with it. I would not shorten my stay in St Petersburg. There is ice skating in many of the Moscow parks, eg Park Kultury. Have never seen it in Red Square. I love Russia in the winter and St Petersburg is particularly beautiful in the snow, esp in the sunshine. Stick to your original plan. Trains and metros don't take longer because it is winter.
And if you are flying into Moscow and out of St Pete, even better.

Percy

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