Traffic in Saint Petersburg
Most means of transportation stop functioning at night. The subway is closed from midnight to 5:45 a.m., and transfers between lines close (and open) at this time, while the departure of the last (and the first) trains from each station varies slightly. Taxis are always available but are much more expensive at night. Every private vehicle is a potential taxi. Flagging down a vehicle and paying for a ride somewhere is perfectly normal in Russia and quite popular although ill-advised for tourists. Safety is, of course, an issue. As a rule, you should never get in a private cab if it already has passengers inside.
Also, refuse requests from the driver to take on more fares unless you reached your destination; if he insists, ask to stop at a safe-looking place, pay and leave. If the driver stops for gas, step out of the car, along with your belongings, and get some fresh air while he is fueling it. Those traveling alone (men and women) should feel free to wave off any suspicious ride for any reason whatsoever. Gypsy cabs which linger near popular bars and restaurants at night have been known to be especially dangerous, with several instances of druggings and robberies.
At night the city is divided in two by the Neva; all the main bridges are drawn up to allow for boat traffic, except during the winter, when ice makes the river impassable. Remember to make it to your side of the river in time; otherwise, you could find yourself stuck on the wrong side until early morning. One bridge, Volodarsky, closes once per night from around 3:45 a.m. to 4:15 a.m to permit crossing. Most of others are up between 1:45 a.m. and 5:15 a.m.; see below for details. There is however the tall cable Big Obukhovski bridge which is not drawn up, as it is an important part of Saint Petersburg Ring Highway, but it's rather remote from the city center which would multoiple the taxi fare several times.
The following table represents a drawn schedule of Saint Petersburg bridges in 2009 (as of 15 April), which may have changed since:
| Bridge
|
Drawn (AM)
|
|---|
| first
|
second
|
|---|
|
The bridges over Neva
|
| Volodarsky Bridge
|
02:00—03:45
|
04:15—05:45
|
| Finland Railway Bridge
|
02:20—05:30
|
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|
| Alexander Nevsky Bridge
|
02:20—05:10
|
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|
| Piter the Great Bridge (former Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge)
|
02:00—05:00
|
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|
| Liteyny Bridge
|
01:50—04:40
|
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|
| Trinity Bridge (former Kirov bridge)
|
01:40—04:50
|
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|
|
The bridges over Bolshaya Nevka
|
| Sampsonievsky Bridge
|
02:10—02:45
|
03:20—04:25
|
| Grenader Bridge
|
02:45—03:45
|
03:20—04:50
|
| Kantemirovsky Bridge
|
02:45—03:45
|
04:20—04:50
|
|
The bridges over Malaya Neva
|
| Exchange Bridge
|
02:00—04:55
|
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|
| Tuchkov Bridge
|
02:00—02:55
|
03:35—04:55
|
|
The bridges over Bolshaya Neva
|
| Palace Bridge
|
01:25—04:55
|
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|
| Blagoveshchensky Bridge (former Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge)
|
01:25—02:45
|
03:10—05:00
|
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Saint Petersburg
