How much local cash in St. Petersburg?

Will be visiting St. Pete for two days with Norwegian and have arranged 2 day tour with SPB tours -- so that part of the money is taken care of. I assume I'll need some Rubles for local currency -- but how much? We might have some walk abouts as I know you just cannot get off the ship at will.

Will local merchants take credit cards -- or is that a bad idea for fraud?

Will they take Euros or Dollars -- or will I need to find a cash point to get local currency?

Thanks.

Will be visiting St. Pete for two days with Norwegian and have arranged 2 day tour with SPB tours -- so that part of the money is taken care of. I assume I'll need some Rubles for local currency -- but how much? We might have some walk abouts as I know you just cannot get off the ship at will.

 

Will local merchants take credit cards -- or is that a bad idea for fraud?

Will they take Euros or Dollars -- or will I need to find a cash point to get local currency?

 

Thanks.

They take USD, Euro, and also credit cards so no need for local currency. However, I'd never use my Amex card in Russia and that just me but did use it in all other ports.

Will be visiting St. Pete for two days with Norwegian and have arranged 2 day tour with SPB tours -- so that part of the money is taken care of. I assume I'll need some Rubles for local currency -- but how much? We might have some walk abouts as I know you just cannot get off the ship at will.

 

Will local merchants take credit cards -- or is that a bad idea for fraud?

Will they take Euros or Dollars -- or will I need to find a cash point to get local currency?

 

Thanks.

We just got off of a trip to the Baltics and you are in for quite a treat! We toured with Alla on her 2 Day Grand tour and it was incredible! We exchanged money prior to leaving at our local Chase bank and exchanged $50.00 for each port day/city. We did $75.00 for SPB for drinks/snacks/souvenirs since lunch and tickets were included in the tour. We were just fine. There a couple of snack bars that we went to in between sights that did not take credit cards so good to have some local money with you. Enjoy!

Dolfans from Miami

We just got back, we where on a small private tour and lunch was included........we did not have much time for shopping but the two shop's they did take us to both took credit cards. We did bring about $25.00 u.s. dollar's in Rubbles for a beer or such but we never had that much free time. Loved the tours - they kept us hopping. We ended up using our Rubbles in the gift store and then gave the left over to the tour guide for her kid's piggy bank.

Over the years here, we have heard that some of the tour companies will get you some Rubles and you will use them for odds and ends. That said, we also toured with SPB Tours and they told us right away that we will really not need any Rubles, especially if we wanted to use our credit cards for purchases in shops.

Meals were included, water was supplied and when we had a few minutes and wanted to shop at some of the street vendors, they gladly accepted euros and American Dollars. I've mentioned this before, we bought an item at a vendor, haggled a bit at the price, (they expect this and you should also), paid in dollars and got dollars back as change.

If you really want, drop Viktoria a note asking her if there is any need for Rubles. She will answer you and set your mind at ease.

Cheers

Len

They take USD, Euro, and also credit cards so no need for local currency. However, I'd never use my Amex card in Russia and that just me but did use it in all other ports.

On the Alla web site it is recommended to give 10% tour price to guide and 5% to driver. What currency do people use?

On the Alla web site it is recommended to give 10% tour price to guide and 5% to driver. What currency do people use?

Are are just back from our cruise and used SPB. They have the same tipping guidelines. We tipped in both USD and Euros. Either one is fine. You don't need to worry about getting roubles just for the tips.

On the Alla web site it is recommended to give 10% tour price to guide and 5% to driver. What currency do people use?

We've paid everthing in cash tips included.

If you are taking the deluxe tour where lunch is included you probably don't need any rubles. We had about $30 worth but I don't think anybody else in our group had any. My husband used rubles to buy beer with lunch. We had to tip the servers but used US$. I used my credit card in both souvenir shops. Bring US$ to tip the tour guide and driver. Viktoria will tell you the suggested amount.

Taking a suggestion I read on here somewhere, I decided it would be easier to have rubles in case we wanted to buy a snack/drink/whatever along the way. Since we are taking a private tour we will have some added flexibility along the way. I figure any leftover rubles can just be part of the tips we give at the end. If we don't have a enough rubles to cover the whole tip at the end we will add some dollars. Even if all the places will take dollars, with an exchange rate around 32 to 1, I don't want to stand there figuring out if I am getting the right conversion everytime I buy something in cash.

On the Alla web site it is recommended to give 10% tour price to guide and 5% to driver. What currency do people use?

Like others on this thread, we're more comfortable with some local currency in our pockets, even though roubles aren't essential in St Pete's. So since tips are welcomed in any sensible currency, we took enough roubles to cover the tips.

As Len's post, meals are supplied on tours. But the restaurants where we ate with Alla only accepted roubles, no plastic. So we were able to buy beers with our roubles. And to help out others who wanted a beer but had no roubles.

We then made up the tips shortfall with euros.

JB :)

During our lunch in SPB, the only beer they served was Carlsberg beer. Russians don't make beer? Or just Volka?

:confused:Has anyone toured St Petersburg with Denrus? Need to know fast!!!! Thanks

On the Alla web site it is recommended to give 10% tour price to guide and 5% to driver. What currency do people use?

we used US$.

We didn't convert anything to rubles. Most of the places we saw had prices written in Dollars, euros, and rubles.

Like others on this thread, we're more comfortable with some local currency in our pockets, even though roubles aren't essential in St Pete's. So since tips are welcomed in any sensible currency, we took enough roubles to cover the tips.

As Len's post, meals are supplied on tours. But the restaurants where we ate with Alla only accepted roubles, no plastic. So we were able to buy beers with our roubles. And to help out others who wanted a beer but had no roubles.

We then made up the tips shortfall with euros.

 

JB :)

I agree with JB. We as well were able to purchase beers at lunch since we had rubles. The restaurant did not take credit cards. Also, there was a snack bar that we went to at Peterhof after touring the fountains/gardens that we stopped at for a little break that did not accept credit cards either. Since we had rubles, we were able to purchase a snack/cold drink. :)

Dolfans from Miami

:confused:Has anyone toured St Petersburg with Denrus? Need to know fast!!!! Thanks

Fast?

Use the search box in the top right. The quick answer is "Yes", but I'm betting you want details which you'll find in the reports already posted here.

Thanks for all the feedback on cash in St. Petersburg. Much appreciated. All in all, probably don't need much spending cash there as the tour picks up all the basic costs -- so will probably use a foreign exchange kiosk in Germany or Tallin for a small amount just to have and then add to the money jar at home when I get back.

If you have booked a tour that includes lunch then you need no local cash at all - all the tickets are covered and you can pay with a credit card anywhere..just don't forget to bring small dollar bills for tipping the waitresses etc as tips are expected everywhere you go and people get offended if you don't tip

We like to have between $50-$100 per day in local currency. We use it for tips and low cost items.

We like to have between $50-$100 per day in local currency. We use it for tips and low cost items.

I agree. We took $50.00 worth of the local currency in each port to have for drinks/snacks/restroom. This worked out real well for us. Even though all the admission tickets, lunch and water was taken care of on our SPB tour with Alla, we felt having the local money was handy for a couple of beers at lunch, drinks/ice cream at the snack bar at Peterhof, a bathroom visit at Peter and Paul Fortress (what a mission that was!) and what was left over to the guide for the tip.

Dolfans from Miami

In St Petersburg, we found that crisp, new were bills were much more desirable. I don't know if locally the residents have a problem with worn bills.

Ricki

During our lunch in SPB, the only beer they served was Carlsberg beer. Russians don't make beer? Or just Volka?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_Russia

I have found this one in the states and have liked the few different varieties I have purchased. Baltika

Sounds like the place your tour went just went with something more mainstream or "lighter" tasting to appeal to everyone. Baltika seems to be darker/heavier.

Over the years here, we have heard that some of the tour companies will get you some Rubles and you will use them for odds and ends. That said, we also toured with SPB Tours and they told us right away that we will really not need any Rubles, especially if we wanted to use our credit cards for purchases in shops.

Meals were included, water was supplied and when we had a few minutes and wanted to shop at some of the street vendors, they gladly accepted euros and American Dollars. I've mentioned this before, we bought an item at a vendor, haggled a bit at the price, (they expect this and you should also), paid in dollars and got dollars back as change.

If you really want, drop Viktoria a note asking her if there is any need for Rubles. She will answer you and set your mind at ease.

 

Cheers

 

Len

Agree with Len-what we bought we paid for with credit cards. Only exception was a non-museum toilet for which the matron only wanted rubles. Tour guide came to our rescue.

SAS

:confused: We just used US Dollars. Has being able to do this changed? :confused:

In St Petersburg, we found that crisp, new were bills were much more desirable. I don't know if locally the residents have a problem with worn bills.

 

Ricki

Yes, it's a Russian/ex-Soviet Union 'thing' that there's resistance to any marked/worn US currency. For example, some may not accept/change currency in that state. Always been that way over there...