St Pete's in the heat - Catherine's, Yusupov etc - Worth it?

[JeiaMoore]

I'm hoping people with experience of touring St Petersburg in hot weather will be able to help me :).

 

I'm visiting there for the first time in July (booked the cruise for the great itinerary and price but stupidly didn't consider the heat :o ). Although I'm reasonably fit, I'm really suffering when walking a lot in the current British heat wave, and I know the Baltics could be even worse :eek: .

 

Since we are going all that way I know it would be a shame to miss out on the "main" attractions we can see in the 2 days we're there, but I've heard that all the palaces, museums and churches (including Catherines's Palace, Yusupov, St Peters and Paul Cathedral, St Isaac's etc) are understandably not air conditioned and are often very crowded and hot :loudcry:.

 

For those with experience, are these places really worth rushing around in hot weather and with crowds? If we view the interior of Peterhof (as well as the exterior), is Catherine's Palace quite similar in style? If we see the Church of the Spilled Blood and the Hermitage Museum, are the other churches/museums overkill in heat? :confused: .

I don't want to spend too much time in hot buildings and risk overheating/exhaustion but equally I don't want to waste precious time in a new city, if a place is a "must see".

Thanks for any advice!:D

[GradUT]

What kind of heat wave are you expecting? We did a Baltic cruise in mid-July and the weather was not hot at all in St.Petersburg. In fact, I had to wear a jacket whenever we were outside.

[LHT28]

it may not get the same heat wave you are getting

you can check the extended weather for a week or so before you leave to pack accordingly

https://www.accuweather.com/en/ru/saint-petersburg/295212/month/295212?view=table

 

 

I did not find it too bad inside & I hate the heat & humidity

[kitkat343]

A cruise to the Mediterranean is much more likely to be affected by the heat. Our cruise in August ranged from cold (but totally manageable with proper coats/gear) to comfortable, but anything is possible. If you are very sensitive you could book a private tour for just your family, which would allow you to control the itinerary and change it if you are affected by the heat.

[JeiaMoore]

Thanks for the replies LHT28 and GradUT

 

It's forecast to be sunny and around 25 or 26 centigrade when we're there, same as the current temp at home that I'm struggling with (should have put that in the original post - I know everyone has different ideas of hot! :o )

I'm aware forecasts are often wrong and the weather can change rapidly, but I'm just trying to get some idea of whether a more "full on" grand or deluxe tour visiting all those places mentioned is worth it, from people that have done it in similar hot weather, especially if they hate the heat ;) .

(St Petersburg is the only city we are taking an organized tour in, everywhere else we are DIY so coping with the weather doesn't matter.)

[JeiaMoore]

Sorry kitkat343, missed your post.

 

Thanks for the idea, but we can't afford a private tour :( . I wouldn't risk the Med in the summer, but I hope(d) in the Baltics I could cope. I'm fine with rain or cold :rolleyes: (and I loved previous trips to Norway in May/June with mixed weather!)

 

It's not the weather as such, it's the combo of hot weather and and having no experience of long guided tours that I'm nervous about! (we are usually DIY people)

[LHT28]

Not sure where you live to me 25C is good if there is no humidity

We are going to be 30-35C in the next few days here & I am not looking forward to that

 

The we leave for Norway in 2 wks ..hoping for cooler weather ;)

 

Not sure if they have the humidity in the baltics but hopefully you will be fine

 

Enjoy the cruise

[DipBrat]

Thanks for the replies LHT28 and GradUT

 

It's forecast to be sunny and around 25 or 26 centigrade when we're there, same as the current temp at home that I'm struggling with (should have put that in the original post - I know everyone has different ideas of hot! :o )

I'm aware forecasts are often wrong and the weather can change rapidly, but I'm just trying to get some idea of whether a more "full on" grand or deluxe tour visiting all those places mentioned is worth it, from people that have done it in similar hot weather, especially if they hate the heat ;) .

(St Petersburg is the only city we are taking an organized tour in, everywhere else we are DIY so coping with the weather doesn't matter.)

 

Weather is of course hard to predict but yes it could easily be 25C and there is almost no air conditioning anywhere probably because it rarely gets above 25C which is pretty comfortable for most people. Some of the churches and musuems will be cooler due to their stone construction but the Hermitage for example can get very warm when full of people.

 

If that kind of temperature really bothers you the city is best seen from the water you could consider a boat heavy tour which would naturally cool you down from the wind.

[marylizcat]

It was 102 degrees in St Petersburg when were there in July a few years ago. I did indeed feel pretty overwhelmed by the heat and just bailed out in the Hermitage. I went and sat in the cafe with a drink and rejoined the tour when they were leaving.

 

 

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[tring]

It may not do anything for conditions inside the buildings, but taking an umbrella to use as a parasol would prevent you getting too hot if outdoors in strong sun. We use them in hot countries and it reduces the chances of dehydration, so we can cope better at times when heat cannot be avoided.

 

I am sure the tour guides would be able to direct you to somewhere to rest if you need to do so, though I can see your point about not wanting to miss things.

 

We have not been to Peterhof, but I did feel there was a bit of overkill in the palaces, even after two of days of organized tours on SPB. The thing that stuck me is that, although the buildings are impressive, you do not get the same feel that you have in a less populated British National Trust property, for instance. Time inside St Catherine's is relatively limited as a fair bit of the tour is walking outdoors (may need to walk some distance as we went in one gate and came out of another, which may be the standard way of doing that - not sure). There will be early mornings as well when it will not be so hot.

 

Also, St Isaac's/Church on Spilled Blood, which are designated as museums, do not feel at all like churches as there were so many tour groups there, but what you see are ornate frescoes and mosaics - both of those "churches" could easily be seen in a short time if you do not stand around listening to incessant chatter from your tour guide. You may have an interest in the chatter (my husband did), but I found it totally OTT. Would be easy to let a tour guide know you need to go out and see them outside after a quick look round the areas you have not already been taken to. Neither of them are that big, so no way would you get lost.

 

Look at the tour descriptions which sometimes tell you how long you are inside the buildings. You will also find plenty of inside pictures if you search the net.

[cruisemom42]

Much depends on your own likes and tolerances, but for some people I think you could perhaps choose either Peterhof or Catherine's Palace and also choose either St. Isaacs or the Church on Spilled Blood (I'd choose the latter, it's very different).

 

For me, it would have been difficult to limit anything I did (with the exception of St. Isaacs, which really did not seem too different from any major European church) in a crammed-full two-day program. I loved it all including the Peter & Paul Fortress and the Yusopov house. And would've loved more time in the Hermitage. But if it's going to put you over the top from the heat, you'll have to make the difficult choices....

[dogs4fun]

I'm hoping people with experience of touring St Petersburg in hot weather will be able to help me :).

 

I'm visiting there for the first time in July (booked the cruise for the great itinerary and price but stupidly didn't consider the heat :o ). Although I'm reasonably fit, I'm really suffering when walking a lot in the current British heat wave, and I know the Baltics could be even worse :eek: .

:D

I checked the forecast for the entire month of July & it appears that the temperature will be quite moderate (by my standards). Of course, the forecast can be off but, if you are interested, you can check it out here:

https://weather.com/weather/monthly/l/RSXX0091:1:RS

It is 102F (38.89C) here (Denver) today! Temperatures in the mid to high 70's (F) sound positively devine!

Edited June 28, 2018 by dogs4fun

[tring]

JeiaMoore

 

If, as I suspect from your other postings, you are on Arcadia which docks in SPB on the 14th/15 July, do you realise it is the final weekend of the World Cup? The final is in Moscow on the 15th, but the play off for third place is in SPB on the 14th July. May not make any difference, but could be worth asking any tour operator you are thinking of using if it is expected to affect any tours.

 

I think this is a US link and it mentions the kick off as 10.00 ET, which I think may mean US Eastern Standard Time and I think the time difference is 7 hours, which would make the kick off at 17.00 local time. I may be wrong with those assumptions and calculations, but this link shows the schedule at the bottom of the page:-

 

https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/world-cup/news/russia-2018-world-cup-schedule-bracket-dates-start-times-scores-complete-fixtures-tv-channel-live-stream-info/

Edited June 28, 2018 by tring

[gnome12]

JeiaMoore

 

If, as I suspect from your other postings, you are on Arcadia which docks in SPB on the 14th/15 July, do you realise it is the final weekend of the World Cup? The final is in Moscow on the 15th, but the play off for third place is in SPB on the 14th July. May not make any difference, but could be worth asking any tour operator you are thinking of using if it is expected to affect any tours.

 

I think this is a US link and it mentions the kick off as 10.00 ET, which I think may mean US Eastern Standard Time and I think the time difference is 7 hours, which would make the kick off at 17.00 local time. I may be wrong with those assumptions and calculations, but this link shows the schedule at the bottom of the page:-

 

https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/world-cup/news/russia-2018-world-cup-schedule-bracket-dates-start-times-scores-complete-fixtures-tv-channel-live-stream-info/

10 ET would be US Eastern DAYLIGHT Time at this time of year.

[Got2Cruise]

Did you consider using one of the many private tour guides recommended here on CC for years? They drive you around in an A/C Mercedes van. The van can get a lot closer to places than coach buses. You can chose the easy pace tour.

 

 

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[tring]

10 ET would be US Eastern DAYLIGHT Time at this time of year.

 

Thanks, got the term wrong, but means what I thought - so looks like kick off is 17.00.

 

Do not want to cause upset for you Jeia, but I was regularly into the TA forums earlier this year, because of our Russian River Cruise and a lot of people were reporting difficulty making hotel bookings at the time of the World Cup as they were heavily booked. Russia have waived the requirements for visa's for people with official fan ID for the duration of the football, and also a week or two each side. So a lot of Football fans were planning to do some sightseeing when over there. Hence queues to get into the main tourist sights may be longer than normal for this time of year. Personally I would think very carefully at anything I would be paying a lot of money for, may be better doing less and returning another time.

 

The forums (and any very recent reviews of the main tourist places) on CC's sister site Trip Advisor could be worth looking at to see how things have been on the ground over there.

[JeiaMoore]

Thank you so much DipBrat, marylizcat, tring, cruisemom42, dogs4fun, gnome12, Got2Cruise - people on this forum are so kind and helpful! :*

 

After taking everyones advice on board (especially those who have commented on the buildings vs heat, thank you again for your help!), I have weighed up all the pros and cons and we have decided to risk the hot weather and have signed up for a "Grand tour" with Alla tours, which takes us to as many sites as possible.

 

I'm aware that our trip to St Petersburg may likely be a "once in a lifetime" thing, so I will just have to wear a big sun hat and take a mini fan if the weather is too hot for me, and try to pace myself a bit (if possible!) :o

 

I am very nervous about the effect the World Cup Final will have on crowds etc but the latest trip advisor reviews for the tour I've booked seem okay so far and since there is nothing I can do about it really, I will just have to hope things aren't too bad and we can get to all the sites :eek:I most want to see.

 

Tring - thanks especially to you and all your help on both threads, it is much appreciated (let me know if there's anything I can help you with in return). Yes, we are on the Arcadia that is in SPB on July 14th and 15th and are really looking forward to it, I hope you enjoy your own cruise next year! :)

[GradUT]

I don't think you'll regret your decision. We also did the Grand Tour with Alla and it was EXCELLENT! I hope that your mid-July tour weather is as good (and cool) as ours was.

[tring]

 

Tring - thanks especially to you and all your help on both threads, it is much appreciated (let me know if there's anything I can help you with in return). Yes, we are on the Arcadia that is in SPB on July 14th and 15th and are really looking forward to it, I hope you enjoy your own cruise next year! :)

 

Good to be able to help - I was very appreciative of your initial reply to me regards P&O tour prices as I had become very alarmed with what is said about the price of tours in SPB and the ridiculous quote we got for a tailor made tour from Alla. We are in a different situation having been before on a land based holiday - if you are talking a likely once in a lifetime, you have made the right decision. Sometimes you have to go for it and reading forums and other reviews can bring up worries that are not that relevant. Must say I am often accused of being a pessimist, but I am undeterred with my reponse of, "But, I am never disappointed". :)

 

I am sure you will enjoy the cruise,

 

Barbara

[BrerRabbit]

We've just got back from our Baltic cruise, and we did the Grand tour with Alla. Our first day was unusually hot and the second was sunny, warm but breezy. I'm not good in too much heat, but didn't have any problems. We did the Hermitage quite early and it wasn't too busy or too hot inside. We didn't find any of the buildings too hot or stuffy. Alla use headsets so you can listen to your guide while you wander round taking photos and admiring the beauty.

You're going to have a brilliant time. I'd recommend taking an extra bottle of water to go with the one that Alla provide.

[hehny]

So glad you decided to do this! We also suffer in extreme heat but somehow we did two Baltic cruises where the weather was over 100! I say two because we did not feel that one overnight in STP was enough. So we looked for a second cruise.

 

Oceania is one of the rare cruise lines that offers two nights in the city and we jumped on it. IMO none of the sites you mentioned are similar enough that I could skip one. If you enjoy cultural sightseeing, they are must sees!

 

Regarding crowds, both our trips were over the summer in July and it was mobbed. I can’t imagine what the crowds will be like for the WC. We actually did a ship’s tour to the Catherine Palace, because we got in before it opened. There was some private tours in the Amber Room at the same time and they were miffed because they’d thought they would be alone!

 

I hope you have a wonderful trip!