Is there anything worth buying in St Petersburg and do they only take Russian currency. We are on a cruise.?

Show all answers

j d

I was in St Petersburg in July 2008. There is plenty to see and do. Someone advised taking shore excursions - do it. The cost of a visa may be expensive. For me it would have been $80 and I learned that getting a visa is not automatic entry into the country since they may ask for a "fee" at customs to let you in. By taking shore excursions you avoid this trouble.

Since you're on a cruise, I would discourage buying alcohol as they may take it from you when you re-board the ship. They will likely keep it in storage for you and return it to you before final disembarkation. Again, trouble for nothing.

You can pick up matriochka, pashmina, Russian hats (some may be fake fur, so watch it!), jewellery and jewellery boxes, crystal, figurines and a host of other items. Check the labels to be sure that you are getting Russian goods, if that's what you want, because some items are imported. Don't buy Russian chocolate unless you like the taste - try before you buy if possible.

You can pay in euro or US, and they will take rubles. If you buy from street vendors or in street markets, the stuff is fairly good, but may not be authentic Russian. They don't bargain much anyway, if they bargain. They may drop the price 2 or 3 euro, but that is all and it is not a significant bargain.

Depending on the cruise line you're with, there may be a Russian Bazaar the night you sail from St. Petersburg. You can many of th esame things that you can find in the city, priced in US dollars but not negotiable.

RICHARD D

Hi
I have been on a cruise to St Petersburg, and it a fantastic place. My advice is to go only on organised trips, otherwise you will have to arrange a visa, which would cost more than the trips.
Most of the tourist shops take credit cards, which is the safest bet. Do not buy anything from street vendors - the trip guide will advise you of this.
Have a lovely time!

Lew

I was in St Petersburg with Celebrity last July and the people were extremely happy to accept any currency instead of Russian.
We pre-booked the tour of St Petersburg with Denrus Tours and paid for that in US dollars. (Exactly the same as the ships tour but $100 each cheaper). The guide and driver were ecstatic to be tipped in dollars. The Russian stores and restaurants accept credit cards.
We didn't have or need any Russian money during our 2 day stay.
I don't know what you plan on doing while you are there, but the ships dock miles from anything and I had the impression that foreigners were not encouraged to wander about the port area. There's nothing to see anyway.

Kevin L

I was in St. Petersburg on a ship about 1.5 years ago, I was working on the ship at the time.

Is there anything worth buying? I was there 4 times I think, and didn't see anything I absolutely had to have. You might find something you like.

As far as currency, there were places that took U.S. cash. Not every place does, but the more touristy places tend too. I tried to pay for everything with credit card. I just find it much safer than carrying cash around. You do pay a fee from the credit card, because they have to convert from rubles, but it's a pretty insignificant fee.

TBRMInsanity

Yes and Yes. There is always something to buy in any major city in the world (even of all you get is some authentic Russian Vodka). Some places in St. Petersburg may take Euros, but the official currency is the Russian currency.

philipscown

I've been to Saint Petersburg and had no problems buying stuff with dollars at the street markets. A fabulous city for sightseeing.

badspeller

Russia have the best caviar in the World . so get just lit. is very expense

Toledo Engineer

I'm not exactly sure on what currencies they accept, but I do know that the U.S. C-Note (as in the $100 dollar bill) is the most traded commodity in the world. So odds of them accepting that are pretty good. But it would do you very good to know the daily exchange rate. I would be pretty confident that if you're cruise ship doesn't exchange out money for you, that they will know of a local place (at your destination) that will.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: