St Petersburg with limited mobility/endurance?

I have been reading the threads about visiting St Petersburg along with warnings of grueling long days, cobblestone walks and great endurance required.

I also see that some companies offer a "comfort" tour for those not at 100% of the activity/endurance requirements.

But what about those of us that are not in great shape? No mobility devices, but less than perfect balance and endurance. Is anyone aware of a LOW impact tour of St Petersburg? (see my signature) We will be there two days and prefer private tours.

I hope we have not been too optimistic, thinking we can see this remarkable city. We will try harder to build up our endurance on the treadmill, but will never be athletes!

TIA

I have been reading the threads about visiting St Petersburg along with warnings of grueling long days, cobblestone walks and great endurance required.

 

I also see that some companies offer a "comfort" tour for those not at 100% of the activity/endurance requirements.

 

But what about those of us that are not in great shape? No mobility devices, but less than perfect balance and endurance. Is anyone aware of a LOW impact tour of St Petersburg? (see my signature) We will be there two days and prefer private tours.

 

I hope we have not been too optimistic, thinking we can see this remarkable city. We will try harder to build up our endurance on the treadmill, but will never be athletes!

 

TIA

Hi TIA

You are really in for a treat! St. Petersburg is a fabulous city and we enjoyed our 2 day visit in May. We did Alla's Grand Tour and can't say enough about our experience. Although the days were long, I didn't find the tour too strenuous. Yes, a lot of walking over cobblestone pavement but the tour went at a comfortable pace. Alla also offers a Comfort Tour that omits visits to 2 sites if you are really concerned about not keeping up. We are in our late 40's/early 50's but do not consider ourselves in "tip top" shape. We hold our own and kept up with the tour with no problem. Enjoy! :)

Dolfans from Miami

We were on Alla's Comfort Tour in June -- it was a wonderful low-impact experience! I am in my mid 60s and need a knee replacement. The tour was tiring, not exhausting, but we had adequate rest stops --the hr-long lunch break was very welcome. I could not have managed any more sites to visit! Some folks stayed in the mini-bus with the driver if they got too tired. We did not do an evening tour but watched a Folklorico show onboard the Emerald Princess.

We were on a regular private tour with Red October a few yrs. ago. Somewhere, I got food poisioning and became so sick while on tour. A nice lady gave me a plastic bag, thank God! Our guide asked our driver to take me back to the ship and he did. It was very nice of them. They could of had me wait in the van. I have never heard anything negative about of the private tours in St. Pete's!

Consider a private tour with TJ Travel..they gave us an amazing VIP flexible tour just the two of us with a guide & driver. Seeing what we wanted and spending the amount of time we wanted to at each place and the flexibility to change things up at the spur of the moment. Our driver was amazing getting us up as close as possible to the different venues even at times pulling up onto the sidewalk and always right there waiting for us to come back with the door open and off we went...no waiting in a bus for others..With our guide we didn't have to worry about standing in line anywhere she easily took us to the front of any line and we were wisked in...truely VIP treatment and the trip of a lifetime. When comparing what we paid vs a small group tour or ship offered with a large group and tour bus it was an easy choice to make for a few $$ more to do one just for the two of us...Enjoy this amazing way to see this city. After all how often are you going to be in St Petersburg why not make the most of it :)

we did a private tour with Anastasia for the 3 of us.Husband has walking difficulties so our experience may help you.

We chose to shorten the day slightly and met the guide at 10am so crowds at immigration had gone but we were still out until 5

We chose not to do Catherines palace as too much walking

Peterhof gardens were lovely but very spread out-gravel paths

The Hermitage we borrowed a wheelchair from the museum which was a great help

we did subway ride-escalators and only a few steps to cope with

canal ride was great but there are stone steps to contend with to get down to river level-no handrails

definitely worth seeing the insides of St Isaacs and Church of spilled blood-don't neede to spend a long time there.

with having a minivan to ourselves the driver could negotiate the narrow streets and get us close to the sights with minimal walking.

I've probably forgotten some of the things we saw as there was just so much!

this is a place where it is worth spending a bit more to ensure your comfort[although we spent per person about the same as if we'd taken the ships large bus tour!

Using any of the private tour agencies would be advantageous because with a van or a sedan you can have door to door service. Not so with a large tour bus. But you should arrange a private tour for just the two of you if you truly want to be able to tour at your own pace. If there are other travelers involved the guide is obligated to make certain that the contracted program is completed. Of course a private tour is expensive but for those with special issues it is worth it.

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I have been reading the threads about visiting St Petersburg along with warnings of grueling long days, cobblestone walks and great endurance required.

 

I also see that some companies offer a "comfort" tour for those not at 100% of the activity/endurance requirements.

 

But what about those of us that are not in great shape? No mobility devices, but less than perfect balance and endurance. Is anyone aware of a LOW impact tour of St Petersburg? (see my signature) We will be there two days and prefer private tours.

 

I hope we have not been too optimistic, thinking we can see this remarkable city. We will try harder to build up our endurance on the treadmill, but will never be athletes!

 

TIA

We just returned from our Baltics cruise and used SPB tours. We did the deluxe tour and yes, it was a bit strenuous. I have one very bad knee. I can flat walk all day long but throw in a couple of flights of steps and it's downhill from there. Many places have a lift, make sure you inform your guide or tour company in advance if you need to use it. Also, make sure your van or bus has the extra little step to make boarding easier. We did a night tour the first day in addition to the day tour. The night bus did not have the extra step and I really pulled the leg & knee muscles bad boarding, making day 2 a little harder. Even with pulled, cramped muscles, I would not have missed St Petersburg for the world. It was awesome!

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and advise. I feel much more confident in going forward to make plans for a private tour. Now I just need to decide what places hold the most interest for us. St Petersburg sounds like I city that everyone has to select priorities....as we can't "do it all"

Becky

lobster129

We are doing a Baltic cruise in September and like yourself I have limited mobility. I will be taking a manual wheelchair. I have done lots of research and have decided to book the Alla Comfort Tour. I have advised them I have mobility issues and they have said I can stay on the bus if I can't manage it all. I can get on and off most buses, so I am sure I will be OK. If not, my partner will have to go on his own and take photos.

I doubt if we ever will be back in SPB, so want to take advantage and see as much as possible. We are not booking any tour in the evening as it would be too much.

If I have researched everything correctly it looks as we may be the only cruise ship there. I haven't seen anybody else booked on the tour so far, so we may be lucky and it will just be the two of us.

I agree with those who say do a private tour, but not everybody can always afford to do that as they work out expensive.

We did the Comfort Tour with Alla and it was great! I have arthritis in both knees, hip, spine, and neck, so long days are difficult for me. We didn't book an evening activity. It was SO hot when we wrere there and that contributed to our exhaustion at the end of each day. But, we did fine. There are places to sit and on the Comfort Tour, you eat in restaurants both days. There's down time as you travel from site to site and canal tour is relaxing. I think you'd likely do fine on the Comfort Tour.

We also have some of the same issues regarding mobility. We booked a private comfort tour with Ulko tours for this next May. Just about all the companies we researched have a comfort tour as an option. We want to see SPB but know we cannot do a marathon over 2 days. I thought we might be the only ones needing something like this, however, if all the companies now can provide one, there must be a need. We are going to see if we can find another couple to share costs with us which brings the price down and very reasonable for a private tour.

We also have some of the same issues regarding mobility. We booked a private comfort tour with Ulko tours for this next May. Just about all the companies we researched have a comfort tour as an option. We want to see SPB but know we cannot do a marathon over 2 days. I thought we might be the only ones needing something like this, however, if all the companies now can provide one, there must be a need. We are going to see if we can find another couple to share costs with us which brings the price down and very reasonable for a private tour.

Check on your roll call. We put together several St Petersburg tours through Alla on our roll call and one of them was a full comfort tour. Brought the per-person cost way down. :D

Having just returned on Aug. 5th from a cruise that included St. Petersburg, I encourage you not to fret over the long days and all the walking.

We were the escorts for a group of 29. We used SPB Tours and highly, highly recommend them!! Our guides, Tatyana and Eugene, took care of us beautifully and gave us an outstanding tour!

Many, many in our group had health and mobility issues. But with the exception of one participant who is facing impending knee replacement, all others thoroughly enjoyed their time and soldiered on. At times the cobblestones [in all the Baltic ports] can be challenging, but it can be done, especially if on a private tour that can be paced.

As others have pointed out, do NOT hesitate to ask for the lifts/elevators, and use them wherever available. But know, also, that for the most part your time in St. Petersburg is over very flat terrain. Be prepared for the occasional stairs or steps and you'll be fine.

CM

We were there this July with my mom who can walk but uses a wheelchair as she can't walk distance & her balance. My boys have a genetic metabolic disease so they fatigue easily. We did a private tour with just the 6 of us with TJ tours. We used them at all ports but copenhagen. My mom & boys managed fine. She was able to walk when she could but in general we had no issues with the wheelchair

Sharon

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All these comments are very encouraging. We will be in SPB in mid September and I understand the weather to be similar to UK at that time of year, so good for touring. My mobility issues are also arthritis related. The only thing I don't think I will do is the underground trip, I'll let my partner take photos.

I have been assured by Alla Tours that the guide and driver will help me if needed, but they will also ensure the lifts are available. We also decided not to book an evening tour as the two touring days are long.

Really looking forward to it.

I also have arthritis and did fine in the underground on the Alla Comfort Tour. I don't recollect having any problems with getting on and off the escalators or the trains!

Alaskanb

I am not very good with escalators and normally avoid them. So, I will give the underground a miss, but looking forward to the rest of it.

We were on a Baltic Cruise on the Emerald Princess earlier this month. We were in St. Petersburg for 2 days. My wife has back problems and we wanted to tour at our own pace. A friend had been on the cruise last year and raved about the private tour he took with TJ Travel. On his recommendation we contacted TJ Travel online and we got back a prompt response.They put together a tour that included everything we wanted to see and more just for my wife and me. When we cleared Russian customs (easy) Anna, our wonderful guide was there to meet us.There was a Mercades Van waiting for us and she introduced us to our driver, Alexander. They took us to all the sites and we never had to wait in line, including the Hermitage museum.We went at our own pace and my wife had no problems. Anna was one of the best guides we have ever had. Her english was perfect and she was very knowledgeable about all the places we visited. She showed us all the paintings of the great masters in the Hermitage. She knew where all the clean bathrooms were. We are so thankful that we took the private tour and not one of very large ship tours (people on these tours looked lost in the Hermitage and went at a very fast pace). They are not the way to see all the wonderful sites in St. Petersburg. Anna's tour was worth every penny we payed. Alexander was able to navigate the streets of St. Petersburg with ease and always got us close to the sites. If you are going to St. Petersburg, take a private tour from TJ Travel even if you have no mobility problems. You will be sorry if you don't.

We were on a Baltic Cruise on the Emerald Princess earlier this month. We were in St. Petersburg for 2 days. My wife has back problems and we wanted to tour at our own pace. A friend had been on the cruise last year and raved about the private tour he took with TJ Travel. On his recommendation we contacted TJ Travel online and we got back a prompt response.They put together a tour that included everything we wanted to see and more just for my wife and me. When we cleared Russian customs (easy) Anna, our wonderful guide was there to meet us.There was a Mercades Van waiting for us and she introduced us to our driver, Alexander. They took us to all the sites and we never had to wait in line, including the Hermitage museum.We went at our own pace and my wife had no problems. Anna was one of the best guides we have ever had. Her english was perfect and she was very knowledgeable about all the places we visited. She showed us all the paintings of the great masters in the Hermitage. She knew where all the clean bathrooms were. We are so thankful that we took the private tour and not one of very large ship tours (people on these tours looked lost in the Hermitage and went at a very fast pace). They are not the way to see all the wonderful sites in St. Petersburg. Anna's tour was worth every penny we payed. Alexander was able to navigate the streets of St. Petersburg with ease and always got us close to the sites. If you are going to St. Petersburg, take a private tour from TJ Travel even if you have no mobility problems. You will be sorry if you don't.

Yes, you'll find that with all of the reputable guides in St P. We toured with Alla and had a very similar experience. I loved walking past the long lines of people on the cruise line's tours. :D

Hi Becky....

Already planning another adventure? SPB is wonderful. I second a previous posters recommendation of Anastasia. We really enjoyed our tour with Elena ( our guide) with a special visit to Yusopov's Palace guided by Anastasia herself ( at least I think it was her!).

We visited Peterhof , a canal tour , the Hermitage , Yusopov's Palace , the Curch of the Spilled Blood , the Battleship Aurora and a city tour ( divided in 2 days). Because we were traveling with the kids ( who were quite a bit younger) we took it slowly.

I highly recommend Yusopov's Palace...the crowds are much smaller and it is very beautiful and the Rasputin connection is quite interesting.

Have fun!

Hi Becky....

 

Already planning another adventure? SPB is wonderful. I second a previous posters recommendation of Anastasia. We really enjoyed our tour with Elena ( our guide) with a special visit to Yusopov's Palace guided by Anastasia herself ( at least I think it was her!).

 

We visited Peterhof , a canal tour , the Hermitage , Yusopov's Palace , the Curch of the Spilled Blood , the Battleship Aurora and a city tour ( divided in 2 days). Because we were traveling with the kids ( who were quite a bit younger) we took it slowly.

 

I highly recommend Yusopov's Palace...the crowds are much smaller and it is very beautiful and the Rasputin connection is quite interesting.

 

Have fun!

Hi Kim,

I do value your advice and appreciate your recommendations! 30 days in the Med (Oct-Nov) then home in time for the holidays. Just now catching up on some older posts.

We also have two full days in StPB, but will select a more leisurely "comfort" tour. Have researched quite a bit about the Rasputin & Romanovs connections and will be adding Yusopov's Palace to our "must visit" list.

Best wishes to you and your lovely family!

Becky

Just adding an update on our SPB trip in September with Alla. We had booked the 2 day Comfort Tour, but were lucky as there were only 2 other people from our cruise on the trip, so it worked out like a private tour.

I took a manual wheelchair with me and both guide and driver were very helpful. I can manage steps and some walking, so was able to get on and off the new, modern mini bus, but the driver always tried to park in the most convenient places like beside the raised pavement. He folded and put the wheelchair into the hold of the bus whenever necessary.

The guide ensured we entered the Hermitage and Catherine Palace at the most accessible places and also took the most convenient step free route around the Peterhof.

Before our trip Alla had sent me a detailed account of how accessible everywhere was, right down to how many steps in each place. Because I can manage steps and quite a few times had to get out of the wheelchair because there were no dropped kerbs, I managed fine. I don't know how easy it would be for somebody totally confined to a wheelchair. For anybody with limited mobility like myself you shouldn't have a problem. Can't wait to go back.

Most of the destinations of interest do require some walking and climbing stairs. Only 3 museums have elevators, the Hermitate, Russian Museum and Catherine Palace. Stairs tend to have a narrow pitch and shallow step in the palaces. An interesting itinerary however can be planned around mobility restrictions if done carefully.

It can be tiring if the pace is fast but create your own itinerary with the help of the tour company. Most offer a "comfort" tour but that is a canned itinerary with out many modifications permitted. So to get the most out of your endurance work with one of the companies and create an itinerary from scratch. One think left out of many canned tours is ample lunch break time. Be sure to schedule a real lunch, a quite place with everything pre-ordered so you can use that time to relax and re-energize. It will make a great difference in how stressed you are at the end of the day.

If you are slow walkers and do not want to be rushed, some destinations should be planned during the times when other ship tours are not visiting because they crowds and speed gets pretty intense. Some places like Peter and Paul Fortress have such large expanses of cobble stone that it is tiring for anyone. The Fountain Park of Peterhof requires a lot of walking but you can see it very well from the upper cascade below the Grand Palace which is easily accessible from the main two parking lots. There is also a small train that runs through the lower park that would be the best way to see the main portion of the park where the fascinating small palaces are located.

The two most stressful destinations are Catherine Palace and the early morning path through the Hermitage that ship tours take. Thousands of people in a moving river of humanity all forced to follow a narrow designated path.

This is why I suggest a custom itinerary instead of the canned fixed itinerary comfort tours. If planned well, it is not as tiring as most people end up experiencing. Another thing to consider is the guide. Serious, it makes a big difference in how tiring it is. All the guides use the same training materials for the exams for each museum. They are part of formal classes put on by the museums but they all follow the Intourist manuals from the 1970s. Intourist was the government tour provider....guides, hotels, tourist stores etc all controlled by Intourist. The problem is the difference in intent between 1970 and now. Visitors are fifferent, those who came in the 70s were very much interested in the historical details and mostly were Russians. The detail can be intense and numbing and does very little to get a visitor a sense of the country and culture. There will be 10,000 dates and factoids per hour with non-stop talking, none of which will be remembered 10 minutes.

Tell you planner to arrange for a 20 year old guide who has traveled the world(many 20somethings here do have a passion for travel and do often) and can relate to visitors on their own terms. I hear the most incredibly biased opinions from guides and the older they are the more off base they are. They can leave a very distorted view among their clients. A guide who has not gotten cynical and still enjoys interacting with people without a script will make a big difference in how tiring the excursion is. Tell them right off that you do not need a history lecture and of dying out of context facts, you want to discover a new fascinating culture that is completely different than the one presented by typical professional guides. Less facts and more context, and more fun.

Thanks for your interesting and helpful insight into touring St Petersburg for 2 days when you have limited stamina, mobility or both. We are planning a Baltic Cruise for May, 2014 and I am just composing my first correspondence with Anastasia Tours. Although my mobility is limited, I am more of a slow walker so I think a wheelchair would be more useful to me than a comfort tour. I will be able to hop out of the wheelchair and use my rollator or cane to go up or down stairs, yet still keep up the pace in order to see most of the important sights. My husband can use the rollator as a seat if he runs out of steam. Naturally, under the circumstances, we will want to do a private tour. We can't wait.