St. Petersburg
 

Would 3 full days there be enough, or would it be a shame to spend so little time there? I know more time would probably be better, but we don't have more time! Thanks for your comments.

You'd be able to see lots in 3 days! I spent 2 days there some years ago and felt that while I would have loved to spend longer, there was time to see the city.

Last August, we were there with a cruise so we had 2 days, 1 evening. 1st Day: Private car/guide -- Menshinov Palace, Rostal Columns, general tour, lunch, Hermitage (focus on personal interests there) would have included Church on Spilled Blood and St. Isaac's but they were closed so we visited the sailor's church instead, also stopped at street market for a brief walkthrough (not shoppers). That evening toured St. Catherine's palace. Next day did the Peter locations: his "log cabin", the Royal church with tombs, his palace with its lovely gardens. You certainly can see enough <BR>in 3 days. Although I am not a fan of Through the Back Door, his book on St. Petersburg is good guide with good map for the city. Enjoy.

Considering most of the cruise ship tours are only two days long, three days is adequate. Consider hiring a private guide for at least one or two of those days (unless you speak Russian) as you will be far more efficient if nothing else.<BR><BR>DK/Eyewitness's Guide to St Petersburg, although aging, is a good book for a quick overview.<BR><BR>From a recommendation on www.LonelyPlanet.com board I met Olga Stepanova, a guide in St Petersburg, Russia. She can be reached at<BR><BR>[email protected]<BR><BR>I used her for several days in St Petersburg and she was the finest guide I ever had--so good that I brought her with me to the Lake Baikal region so that she could translate for me. <BR><BR>Several of my friends hired Olga for their tours in St. Petersburg as well and agree with me. Her prices are very reasonable, and I found her to be a needed resource, even though this was my third trip to St. Petersburg. I have had friends show me around, and have taken other guides in Petersburg, but using Olga was more efficient--I have a great knowledge of Russian history, and she would arrange for guides from some of the museums to show me their collections, while she would simultaneously translate for me. For most of the less-specialized sights (Hermitage, Peterhof, city tours) Olga is licensed and quite knowledgable.<BR><BR>Some highlights are the Hermitage (probably three hours), the Russian State Museum, Kunstkamera, the Blockade Museum, Dostoyevsky Museum, Peter and Paul Fortress (helicoptor flights on the weekends give you a 15-minute overview of the city), Peterhof (four-six hours including transportation--hydrofoil is fun).<BR><BR>Also performance of the Kirov Opera (especially if Valery Gergiev is conducting), the Kirov Balletm and the Mussorgsky Theatre. <BR><BR>Great restaurants include Restoran, Backstage, Shinook, Caravan, and Noble's Nest.<BR><BR>Consider this--would three days be enough to see New York City? No, but you can certainly do some things in that time period.

Palladium puts non-responses up on several travel boards, so I will add something about them==<BR><BR>In 1999 I was using them to book a train trip to Smolensk from Moscow--they thought Smolensk was in Belarus (a different country). It is not, it is in Russia. Expect great service from them?<BR>