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Travel services

Resources for authorized Government of Canada (GC) travellers on official business.

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Shared Travel Services portal

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Accommodation and car rental directory

Hotel Pass Program

The Shared Travel Services (STS) portal is an online travel management tool for authorized GC travellers on official business . From the portal, travellers can:

• air and rail transportation
• car rentals
• accommodations
• submit travel authorizations
• manage travel expenses
• find up-to-date travel related information

The STS portal supports the GC ’s priorities for greater accountability, visibility, and transparency in service delivery. It also modernizes and standardizes the processes for booking travel.

By choosing to follow this link, you will be navigating away from this Government of Canada website to a contracted service provider.

• Travel on government business
• Book travel (accessible only on the Government of Canada network)
• Travel services (accessible only on the Government of Canada network)

The accommodation directory offers information and rates on approved accommodations in Canada, the United States of America (USA) and other countries. It allows government travellers to search the directories using various parameters. The car rental directory provides an alphabetical index of city listings in Canada and the USA . In each city listing, car rental firms and their rates are shown in ascending order by price per vehicle category.

In compliance with subsection 41(1) of the Official Languages Act , the Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Hotel Pass Program supports Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC) in Canada.

The program is for staff and representatives of non-profit national and regional OLMC organizations who work to support and assist the development of these communities in areas such as:

• economic development
• immigration
• communications

Staff refers to employees who are on these organizations’ payroll, and representatives are the people who sit on their board of directors.

While travelling for business in Canada, they can benefit from the preferential rates offered by the establishments listed in the Government of Canada Accommodation Directory.

To benefit from this program, an application must be submitted to Public Services and Procurement Canada’s OLMC Secretariat, using the online Hotel Pass Program: Beneficiary application form .

For any questions, contact the OLMC Secretariat at tpsgc.dgrhsecretariatclosm-hrbolmcsecretariat.pwgsc@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca .

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• Quick Facts
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• Tsarskoe Selo
• Oranienbaum
• Foreign St. Petersburg
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Essential Guide

Everything you need to know to prepare for a trip to st. petersburg….

The more you prepare for your holiday in St. Petersburg, the easier it will be. Our comprehensive guide will help you.

We can help you make the right choice from hundreds of St. Petersburg hotels and hostels.

Live like a local in self-catering apartments at convenient locations in St. Petersburg.

Comprehensive solutions for those who relocate to St. Petersburg to live, work or study.

Maximize your time in St. Petersburg with tours expertly tailored to your interests.

Get around in comfort with a chauffeured car or van to suit your budget and requirements.

Book a comfortable, well-maintained bus or a van with professional driver for your group.

Navigate St. Petersburg’s dining scene and find restaurants to remember.

Need tickets for the Mariinsky, the Hermitage, a football game or any event? We can help.

Get our help and advice choosing services and options to plan a prefect train journey.

Let our meeting and events experts help you organize a superb event in St. Petersburg.

We can find you a suitable interpreter for your negotiations, research or other needs.

Get translations for all purposes from recommended professional translators.

By public transport

Electronic card "Podorozhnik" debit cards are the easiest and cheapest way to pay public transport fares for metro, bus, and trams. They can be acquired at the metro cash desks, charged at the desks or the automated ticket machines in metro stations and then used to pay metro and bus fare by simply swiping over the readers at buses or turnstiles. Funds or passes can be loaded onto the card. See info boards besides the cash desks for pricing. There is an additional RUB60 deposit for the card which will be refunded when you return it. The cards work for all metro, tram and trolleybus fares in St. Petersburg and many bus routes. Ticket controllers carry a small card reader to verify if the Podorozhnik card was swiped in the bus.

Fares can also be paid by tapping a Russian debit or credit card on the reader, but the fares are usually higher.

Saint Petersburg's metro system is the second largest in Russia, after that of Moscow . The metro is a cheap and effective way to get around the city, and also a major tourist attraction due to the beautiful decorations of the stations. Amateur photography (without a tripod, etc.) is allowed, although professional photography is prohibited. The trains are fast and run frequently. During rush hour, there are 2-3 minutes between trains. Fares , regardless of the distance traveled, are RUB49 per entry if paid via Podorozhnik debit card or RUB70 if paid by contactless Russian debit or credit card or via a token.

Opening and closing times vary; the subway is closed from approximately midnight to approximately 05:45, depending on the station.

Metro maps can be found in every train car and always have station names in the Latin alphabet. The station names on the platforms are also in the Latin alphabet, and many other signs are in English. Station announcements on the train are only in Russian, but if you listen carefully you will hear the conductor announce the current station name and the next station as the doors are closing.

Stations are deep underground, and transferring trains at transfer stations involves long walks that can take up to 10 minutes.

Trains can be extremely crowded during rush hour. Be aware of your belongings and expect to have to push your way out of the train upon arrival at your station.

Exploring more

The center has much more sights. Mars Field with the Memorial to the Revolutionary Fighters and the Eternal Flame, the Circus, wonderfully baroque Smolny Cathedral, Peter the Great's Cabin, the rolling parkland of the Tauride Palace and Gardens, Alexander Nevsky Monastery, the Yusupov Palace where Rasputin was killed (if you get the chance to see a performance in the theater inside, jump on it), the neoclassical bust-filled Summer Gardens, Mikhailovsky Castle, the Marble Palace, the small but powerfully heartrending Museum of the Defense and Blockade of Leningrad. Literary buffs should seek out Dostoevsky's local haunts, including the famous "Murder Walk" from Crime and Punishment , which will take you right from Raskolnikov's apartment to the door of the very apartment where the grisly deed was done.

Head back across the river to the Petrograd Side , past the Peter and Paul Fortress, you'll find the Saint Petersburg Mosque, the really impressive Military Museum, the museum-ship of the Cruiser Aurora, the ever... interesting Museum of Political History, and the Botanical Gardens. On Vasilievsky , the whole Neva embankment is filled with great museums and grand buildings. Especially great places to visit (aside from the aforementioned Naval Museum and Kunstkamera) include the Menshikov Palace (run by the Hermitage), the Twelve Collegia, and the Mining Museum. And don't forget to hunt down the some 3,300 year-old sphinx statues from the Theban Necropolis!

Further afield

There are many things to see in the north and south of the city—especially in the south. Southern Saint Petersburg is home to the Narva Triumphal Arch and its sister monument—the Moscow Triumphal Gate, the huge Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad (which honestly should be one of the main attractions in this city, if not for its distance from the center), Moscow Victory Park, and one of the best examples of Stalinist architecture (more interesting than you'd think) at the House of the Soviets, fronted by a very large Lenin statue. The most wonderful sight in southern Saint Petersburg, though, may be the whimsical, candy cane-colored Chesme Church.

The eastern part of the city (colloquially known as the Right bank ) is renowned for its nineteenth century industrial architecture in the districts of Okhta and Porokhovye (former gunpowder factories).

Northern Saint Petersburg is a bit less notable, but adventurous travelers can find some things of interest, especially in the old industrial district around the Finliandskii Station, at the Forestry Academy and Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery for the fallen in the Siege of Leningrad.

The naval fortress of Kronstadt at Kotlin island, nowadays accessible by road across the dam, is a very significant site for fans of the history of military architecture, and makes for enjoyable day trips by boat.

The Telegram Messenger groups SPB_Hangouts , InterNational Events , SPb Couchsurfing , Say Yes Saint Petersburg , and English Meetup Saint Petersburg all contain almost daily events for meeting locals or other foreigners, excursions, or practicing languages.

Opera and Ballet

The Mariinsky is perhaps the most well-known institution for opera and ballet, but it is by no means the only theater in the city. Tickets are sold on each theater's website, at each theatre's box office, and at kiosks and shops called Teatralnaya Kassa. Sometimes blocks of tickets sell out at the kiosks but tickets are still available at the theater, or vice versa, so it is worth checking both places if you have your heart set on a particular performance. It is possible to take not-so-small children into some performances if you take a private box, although you will need to ask when you buy your tickets.

Other Theatres

• Buff State Musical and Drama Theatre , Zanevsky Prospect, 26 , ☏ +7 812 573 95 95 . In a modern building. Offers rich program in drama performances, both classical and modern.  

The music scene in St. Petersburg is diverse, with several classical, jazz, and pop concerts to choose from each week. Tickets are available at the same Teatralnaya Kassa locations as ballet and opera tickets, although tickets to pop concerts - especially US and European stars on tour - sometimes use exclusive distributors. For pop and rock concerts, unless you buy tickets for the dance floor (tanzpol), you are expected to sit quietly in your seat as if you were at a ballet - ushers are vigilant about keeping the audience from standing up, dancing, or cheering (polite applause is allowed, but that's about all).

Several of the ballet and opera theaters above also offer orchestral and recital performances, so those are not repeated below. Also, don't forget the many small clubs where up and coming bands play.

Most cinemas in St. Petersburg show Hollywood films dubbed in Russian. Art cinemas like Dom Kino often show independent American or British movies subtitled in Russian.

Annual Message to Man international documentary, short, and animated films festival takes place in October, screening many films in English.

Canal boat tours

A tour of the canals by boat is a great way to see the city in the summer. The typical tour is through the Moika, out to the Neva to see the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Cruiser Aurora, then in through the Fontanka (sometimes as far as the Mariinsky Theater). Tours start at many points along the route and return to their starting point - hawkers for different boat companies abound on Nevsky Prospect. Boats may or may not have a cafe and toilet on board. Most tours are in Russian but English tours can booked from the Water Tourism Center . Prices range from RUB1,000 to RUB3,000.

Watch football: FC Zenit Saint Petersburg play in the Russian Premier League, the top tier of Russian football. Their home ground is Krestovsky Stadium, on Krestovsky island 10 km north of city centre. Take Metro M3 (Green Line) west towards Begovaya and get off at Novokrestovskaya. The stadium will host matches at the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament.

Viewpoints and rooftops

The best views in the city are from rooftops, such as rooftop bars and restaurants. Nice views can also be obtained by climbing the 250+ steps of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Rooftop tours , generally in Russian and costing RUB1,000, are also offered.

Tourist traps

Gypsy cabs are ubiquitous and a little risky; never take one lingering near bars/clubs where expatriates and tourists congregate.

Street children make their living out of stealing. They can be a hassle and can beg you aggressively. Act like any other Russian would: say no, then just ignore them and go away. If they start touching you, be very firm in pushing them away.

Gay travelers must practice extreme caution while staying in Saint Petersburg, as attacks often occur. Many Russian people look upon public demonstrations of homosexuality with undisguised contempt. It is advised to not openly display one's sexuality.

Natural hazards

Another subtle danger that can affect your trip is the inevitable effect of winter weather. Poor harvesting of snow and ice is a big problem in the city. Caution is advised in snowy winters because of falling ice from roofs, and pedestrians should pay special attention to ice on the streets. Snow on marble is very, very slippery—take small steps and watch your feet!

St. Petersburg regularly experienced floods during its history, sometimes catastrophic. However, the construction of the preventive dam has been completed, and catastrophic floods are unlikely to happen again.

Overall, be warned that if you are used to living in the US and/or Western Europe, Saint Petersburg, as well as the rest of Eastern Europe, will seem different, and, at times, a bit intimidating. On the other hand, Russian people are usually friendly, welcoming and interested towards foreigners, and nothing should happen to you unless you put yourself in harm's way. If you don't care about them they don't care about you, and nothing should get in your way of having a great holiday.

Saint Petersburg has a relatively big problem with street children who make their living out of stealing. They can be a hassle and can beg you aggressively. Act like any other Russian would: say no, then just ignore them and go away. If they start touching you, be very firm in pushing them away.

Another danger is the bar scams that abound in the city. Men have been known to have been drugged and robbed by women they met online or on the street. In general avoid any bar that is underground and you have to buzz to get into. Here's how the scam works: Girls approach you and invite to have drinks together, and they will even offer to pay for those drinks. They build trust and take you to other bars. After those bars they talk to a friend on the phone that says that whatever club you want to go is closed and so they take you to a scam bar. There you immediately start being served drinks and food without showing you the menu and then they charge you a ridiculous amount. Calling the police is pointless as they will not show up.

During the winter, poor clearance of snow and ice is a big problem in this city. Caution is advised in snowy winters because of falling ice from roofs, and pedestrians should pay special attention to ice on the streets.

Stay healthy

The private hospitals listed below have English-speaking Russian doctors (very few, if any, hospital staff are expats). Depending on the type of service provided and the terms of one's insurance policy, these hospitals may be able to arrange direct billing with European and American medical insurance companies.

The city's water-system is not ideal because of a number of old pipes and as a result does not provide 100% clean water (too much heavy metals). Some locals boil or also filter tap water before use; you might want to buy it bottled if water quality affects you. It's germ free, though, so brushing your teeth with it is fine—it's just not great for drinking. Cold water is cleaner than hot. Some lodging has no hot water for long periods of time.

There are numerous public toilets, although many charge a nominal fee and toilet paper is not always provided. Many canteens, restaurants, and hotels will allow tourists to use their bathrooms without being a customer.

Saint Petersburg is plagued by mosquitoes during the summer, especially in June, as the swampy surroundings of the city give the mosquitoes excellent living conditions. In budget accommodation with few countermeasures against the mosquitoes, this can be a problem at night, putting your well deserved sleep at risk. Less of an issue in the city center, mosquitoes can be much more numerous on the outskirts. They are not dangerous, though, just a nuisance.

Overnight trips

If you leave Russia and plan to return, make sure you have a multiple entry visa.

• Novgorod — Ancient town with churches and museums, 180 km from St. Petersburg, can be accessed by high-speed trains.
• Narva , Estonia — 160 km southwest of Saint Petersburg on the Narva river, which serves as the border between Russia and Estonia. Twin castles (Russian, established Grand Duke Ivan III, and Danish/Swedish).
• Vologda — this city is considered the heart of Russian North, a popular local travel destination. Reachable by overnight train, from there you can go to Moscow or further north to Arkhangelsk .
• Petrozavodsk and the rest of Karelia — popular Russian travel destination for its beautiful nature and access to White Sea islands. Reachable by overnight or high-speed train.
• Moscow — the Russian capital is reachable by overnight train or in the daytime by the high-speed Sapsan train (about 4 hr) or by plane. As much to see as in St. Petersburg, so plan on several days here.

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