The St. Petersburg’s only airport Pulkovo is located south of the city, about 20 km from the city center (Nevsky avenue, Dvortsovaya square) and 9 km from the nearest Moskovskaya subway station, a point to which lead all public and commercial transport routes from the airport.
Transport To / From Pulkovo: In Short
There are four options for reaching the airport:
— by private car;
— by taxi;
— by city public bus;
There is no rail, aviaexpress or other modes of transport connection. Buses run between 6am-24pm. There are no night transport services, at night you can use a taxi only.
Buses №39 run between Pulkovo and Moskovskaya every 10-15 minutes; bus №39Э (express) runs at a bit longer intervals, but during a shorter time as it doesn’t stop on intermediate stopovers.
Travel time is 20-25 minutes.
Fare:
— for buses №39 and №39Э is 88 rubles (and the same fare for luggage);
— taxi to the Moskovskaya subway station is about 800 rubles.
From Moskovskaya, you can take subway or other buses/minibuses bound to the city’s center and other districts.
Read also our post on St. Petersburg Pulkovo airport.
You can easily book a transfer online through an international aggregator which secures your payment in your currency and a seat and ensures a safe deal:
Transport To / From Pulkovo: In Detail
1. How to get from the Pulkovo airport to St. Petersburg
Pulkovo airport runs only one terminal that serves both domestic and international routes. After getting out of the arrivals hall (on the ground floor), you appear just at a bus stop from where buses №39 and №39Э (express) depart to the city.
After a 20-25-minute journey you arrive at a bus stop just near the entrance to the Moskovskaya subway station. Taking a subway, you can get to almost any point within the city.
Airport to the main part of St. Petersburg, you can only travel by bus No. 39, No. 39Э, No. 82Э, by taxi or car sharing. There are no other types of transport — metro, suburban trains, trams, or minibuses.
Travel time from Moskovskaya to the city center, the Nevsky avenue, by subway is just 15 minutes.
From the Moskovskaya square, which’s located 300 meters away from Moskovskaya subway station in the direction to the city center, commercial buses depart to the towns of Pushkin, Pavlovsk, and Gatchina.
Useful tips regarding travel from Pulkovo airport to St. Petersburg
You’re not permitted to pay in dollars or euro or any other currency except the Russian ruble, neither credit cards are being accepted, so it’s necessary to exchange money at the airport. You can do it at a VTB24 bank outlet on the ground floor.
In most cases, your fastest way to your destination within the city is the subway. More information on how subway in St. Petersburg works you can see here.
2. How to get to Pulkovo airport from the city
Pulkovo Airport can be reached by city buses #39 and #39E, which depart from Moskovskaya metro station, and by bus #829E from Prospekt Veteranov metro station. You can also take a taxi or car-sharing. There are no other options, including minibuses or commuter trains.
The stops of all the routes are located near the building of McDonald’s successor Vkusno i Tochka between the buildings at the Moskovsky prospect №195 and №197 (see the map and the photo below).
The stops of both routes are located near the building of McDonald’s
You can see bus №39 in front of 197, Moskovsky avenue, near the restaurant of McDonald`s
Finding this, if you travel to Moskovskaya by subway, isn’t difficult, but you need some guidance, of course.
Once you’ve got out of the metro train, follow the arrow at the wall (see the picture below).
You have to choose the exit toward Tipanova street
Having got through the turnstiles, you go until the end of the tunnel and get left to the stop.
Useful tip. The road to Pulkovo is rarely being congested, but anyway you’d better start from Moskovskaya two hours before your departure given the necessity to pass through security and customs control.
3. Taxi To / From Pulkovo Airport
If you arrive, it’s highly recommended to book a taxi by phone and not to accept the services of taxi drivers waiting for clients near the exit and at the bus stops outside the terminal. They are likely to offer you inflated prices. Some of them can carry signs of an official taxi (in fact, it’s not). The airport Pulkovo does have its own taxi service, but the city of St. Petersburg doesn’t. There are no «official», «municipal», «state», «city» taxis, these are private companies only which operate in the city.
The fare from Pulkovo to Moskovskaya is about 750 rubles, to the Nevsky avenue is 1500 to 2000 rubles. Many taxis in St. Petersburg accept credit cards, but unfortunately few have English-speaking drivers. About taxi system in St. Petersburg read our article here. If you need a hotel near Pulkovo airport read this post.
And if you want to know about REAL taxi fares to/from Pulkovo airport you have to read this article.
