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What to pack
Consider taking with you:
- Toiletries and pharmaceuticals;
- In spring and fall: waterproof shoes, raincoat and umbrella;
- In winter: warm hat, gloves, coat, scarf, clothes and shoes (waterproof as well);
- In summer: light jackets, umbrella, insect repellent;
- Nice looking clothes for the theatres, restaurants, evening performances;
- Travel alarm clock;
- Clean, crisp, new bank notes;
- Photocopy of passport and visa;
- A power converter and adaptor. Russian standard is 220 Volts AC, 50 Hz. If bringing a laptop or other electronics, you will need an RJ-11 adaptor for the Russian plug, with two RJ-11 sockets;
- If you bring cell phone be sure it works on one of these standards: NMT-450, GSM 900/ 1800 (not GSM 1900), AMPS/D-AMPS.
The season of the year is a major factor in deciding what to bring. Summers are warm, humid and dusty, with frequent thunderstorms. Raincoat or an umbrella would be useful. Summer evenings with the White Nights are delightful in St Petersburg, but you will occasionally need a sweater or light jacket. Wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts may prevent you from entering a church during services. Winters are cold and damp, with temperatures well below freezing. It can snow from November until April, when the cold arctic winds sharpen the chill. Be prepared with your warmest clothes - waterproof and warm boots, hat, coat, gloves, sweaters and thermal underwear. Interiors are usually well heated, so dress in layers.
Keep your passport, visa, important papers, tickets, vouchers and money in safe place. Also, carry a photocopy of your passport and visa all the time. Bear in mind that you will need to show some identification to get into certain places.