Transport in the city
1. St. Petersburg Underground (Metro)
St. Petersburg's metro is the deepest subway in the world.
Despite the recent funding problems the metro is still the most reliable city transport (particularly convenient for long-distance journeys). Normally trains arrive every 2–3 minutes, with slightly longer waiting periods early in the morning and late at night.On average the stations open at about 5:45 am and close between midnight and 0:30 am. You can transfer from one line to the other until 0:15 am.
Orientation
St. Petersburg's metro has five lines which are numbered and assigned specific colors on a metro map. You can find English language metro maps in most printed city guides.
Fees: token = 22 RUR ($0.75); monthly pass (70 journeys) = 1050 RUR ($35)
2. St. Petersburg Trams and Trolleybuses
One can call St. Petersburg a "City of Trams" because it has more trams than any other city in the world. Tram stops are marked with signs above the tracks (with a letter "T" on them).
Since January 1998 all trams have conductors on board. You should pay in cash to a conductor, unless you have a monthly pass. Conductors normally wear special uniform (and/or red arm bands). They check whether everybody has paid and sell tickets to those who need them. Don't be surprised to see an occasional inspector, who might ask you to show your ticket.
Trolleybus stops are marked with signs with blue letter "T". Show your monthly pass to a conductor otherwise pay in cash for your ticket.
Fees: 1 journey = 19–27 RUR ($0.64–0.9)
3. St. Petersburg Buses
The bus network of St. Petersburg is extensive, but can be a bit confusing for a foreigner. Bus stops are marked by signs with the letter "A", which stands for avtobus.
Currently the city has several types of buses:
● Regular buses now have conductors on board. You should pay for your ticket in cash to a conductor or show him/her your monthly pass.
● T-buses (Taxi-buses) accept cash only and no passes are valid on them. Since they charge a bit more than regular buses, T-buses rarely become crowded.
● E-buses (Express buses) are normally coaches, which are supposed to be faster and more comfortable. They accept cash only and can skip stops if nobody wants to board or exit the bus (So be sure to tell the driver that you need the next stop). Currently these buses are twice as expensive as the metro.
Plus there are minibuses (vans), which are called "marshrutki". These are more popular in the newer districts of the city. You will be charged 3-5 rubles more when you board a van, then just tell to the driver, where you want him to stop and drop you off. When your stop comes into view just say “STOP” to the driver.
Fees: 1 journey = 19–27 RUR ($0.64–0.9)
4. Taxi in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg does not have as many taxis as New York or London, but there are still plenty of taxis in the street, catering both for budget travelers and the "nouveau riche". Perhaps to confuse you, taxis are marked in a very diverse fashion.
Here is how you can identify a taxi:
● some taxis are painted bright yellow
● some taxis have an orange checkered light on the roof
● some taxis have green lights in the upper-left corner of windshield and the light is on when the cab is available
● the more expensive taxis might have yellow "taksi" signs on the roof.
Nowadays taxi services are offered by an array of licensed companies. Normally all cabs have meters and you pay for your ride by kilometer.
Average taxi fees in the city = 300–700 RUR ($10–25)
Average taxi fees from the city to suburbs = 500–1200 RUR ($17–40)