How much to plan for spending money while in St Petersburg?

[sleepycat]

Hi there,

I met a RW from the EM website in January this year.
I have booked flights and accomodation for early May to visit her in her home town of Saint Petersburg.
Please tell me how much I should plan for spending/dating money per day while in St Pete's.

Cheers
sleepycat

[Faux Pas]

Hi there,

I met a RW from the EM website in January this year.
I have booked flights and accomodation for early May to visit her in her home town of Saint Petersburg.
Please tell me how much I should plan for spending/dating money per day while in St Pete's.

Cheers
sleepycat

It all depends on how much of a good time and to what extent. I would guess one could stay reasonably busy and have a good time on as little as $100 a day including food and lodging for the budget conscious .

My trip to Petersburg I budgeted $250 a day and it was about $50-60 more than I needed and I never turned away anything because of price. It's a very reasonable city expense wise. I had an apartment. Saw many sights, cooked in, dined in some really fabulous restaurants and great entertainment.

It depends on your lifestyle and what you enjoy. It is a great place that I hope someday to see again

[Patagonie]

In Ukraine i usually targeting 130 $ per day. Yes i know i am really poorer than Faux Pas  . For St Pete i would add 50 $.

[Faux Pas]

In Ukraine i usually targeting 130 $ per day. Yes i know i am really poorer than Faux Pas  . For St Pete i would add 50 $.

We're closer than you might think.Maybe there a bit difference in outlook. In a place like Piter, I intend to enjoy all I wish to enjoy and do not wished to be controlled or limited by funds. I'm not referring to luxury living here as there is little luxury in my daily life. I do however enjoy fine dining, fine wine and various forms of entertainment. My idea is, "you only live once" and you may not come this way again 

I suspect one could do Piter on less than $100 a day with ease if they choose. But why would someone choose that?

[Muzh]

Hi there,

I met a RW from the EM website in January this year.
I have booked flights and accomodation for early May to visit her in her home town of Saint Petersburg.
Please tell me how much I should plan for spending/dating money per day while in St Pete's.

Cheers
sleepycat

As much as you feel comfortable when vacationing and dating. There is no set rule.

[CDW]

It all depends on how much of a good time and to what extent. I would guess one could stay reasonably busy and have a good time on as little as $100 a day including food and lodging for the budget conscious .

My trip to Petersburg I budgeted $250 a day and it was about $50-60 more than I needed and I never turned away anything because of price. It's a very reasonable city expense wise. I had an apartment. Saw many sights, cooked in, dined in some really fabulous restaurants and great entertainment.

It depends on your lifestyle and what you enjoy. It is a great place that I hope someday to see again

No wonder you bought your wife!!! 

[Faux Pas]

No wonder you bought your wife!!!

You're just an ig'nant cheap bastid. Maybe if you bought yours you'd have better luck? 

[Ade]

We stayed in a nice hotel on Nevsky Prospect so FP's $250 a day was almost blown on that. You can rack up another couple of hundred a day easily on expensive restaurants (and expensive presents) if you're that way inclined. But, transport is cheap and there are plenty of reasonably priced restaurants there too so there's no reason to spend this kind of cash if you don't want to.


Take good walking shoes though - your feet will thank you for it.

[Jumper]

Hi there,

I met a RW from the EM website in January this year.
I have booked flights and accomodation for early May to visit her in her home town of Saint Petersburg.
Please tell me how much I should plan for spending/dating money per day while in St Pete's.

Cheers
sleepycat

Thats great!
and May should be a good time to visit, and its not so long after first contacting each other..
 
The price once there, would be about the same as  dating/dining, being a tourist, in any major city,anywhere.
 
St Pete has a lot to see i'd think, so it just depends on how much *on the go* stuff, you are planning to do each day.
 
 
 
 
 

[Faux Pas]

We stayed in a nice hotel on Nevsky Prospect so FP's $250 a day was almost blown on that. You can rack up another couple of hundred a day easily on expensive restaurants (and expensive presents) if you're that way inclined. But, transport is cheap and there are plenty of reasonably priced restaurants there too so there's no reason to spend this kind of cash if you don't want to.


Take good walking shoes though - your feet will thank you for it.

Which was my point, expectations. I'm relatively sure it can be done on $100 a day or possibly less. With very limited choices of course. For budgeting purposes I did $250 a day and did not feel limited at all. I didn't stay at the Grand and eat Beluga caviar but, I did eat caviar on several occasions. All of my expectations were met for something less than $250. I wouldn't have had any problem going over budget had the need arise, it didn't

[Faux Pas]

Thats great!
and May should be a good time to visit, and its not so long after first contacting each other..
 
The price once there, would be about the same as  dating/dining, being a tourist, in any major city,anywhere.
 
St Pete has a lot to see i'd think, so it just depends on how much *on the go* stuff, you are planning to do each day.

I found Piter to be less costly than most cities. Maybe it was just my experience? I had a fixed cost on an apartment that was about $70 per day. It was in the center and just off Nevsky. Everything else was pretty fluid. There were plenty of fabulous restaurants withing walking distance and very, very reasonable as compared to NYC or Chicago. Many of the shops for hard goods in that area would match or surpass any other city in prices. But the necessities I found to be less costly. The supermarkets were very reasonable. There were plenty of tourist traps and all the trimmings but, they are easy enough to avoid if you know how.

[Daveman]

... There were plenty of tourist traps and all the trimmings but, they are easy enough to avoid if you know how.

What are some tips/suggestions for a newbie to avoid the SPB tourist traps?

[Daveman]

No wonder you bought your wife!!!

Cracks against member's wives are off limits.. do keep that in mind...

[Ade]

What are some tips/suggestions for a newbie to avoid the SPB tourist traps?

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Russia/Gorod_Sankt_Peterburg/Saint_Petersburg-564323/Tourist_Traps-Saint_Petersburg-TG-C-1.html

[Faux Pas]

What are some tips/suggestions for a newbie to avoid the SPB tourist traps?

That might be a thread in it's own right. One of the obvious is at the metro stations on Nevsky, close to center there is a kiosk where they sell every imaginable tour in Piter. This is also where the buses load and unload for the various tours. Let your lady make the purchase and you stay half a block away. There will also be half a dozen people there handing out cards, coupons and handbills for many of the area tourist traps. If you decide to visit these places, don't walk in with the coupon or handbill. They spot you and automatically add the tourist rate. I usually take those handbills so I know which places to avoid

[Ade]

That might be a thread in it's own right. One of the obvious is at the metro stations on Nevsky, close to center there is a kiosk where they sell every imaginable tour in Piter. This is also where the buses load and unload for the various tours. Let your lady make the purchase and you stay half a block away. There will also be half a dozen people there handing out cards, coupons and handbills for many of the area tourist traps. If you decide to visit these places, don't walk in with the coupon or handbill. They spot you and automatically add the tourist rate. I usually take those handbills so I know which places to avoid

This pretty much goes for all tickets everywhere.

[CDW]

Hi there,

I met a RW from the EM website in January this year.
I have booked flights and accomodation for early May to visit her in her home town of Saint Petersburg.
Please tell me how much I should plan for spending/dating money per day while in St Pete's.

Cheers
sleepycat

So you have booked flights and accomodation.  May I ask you what kind of accomodation did you book?  Hotel or apartment?

If you have booked the apartment, you might not need to spend money on restaurants every day.   You want to meet the real her.  See how she likes to cook for you.  If she refuses to cook or too "bitchy" to cook for you, then what will happened in real life ???!!!

[Ade]

So you have booked flights and accomodation.  May I ask you what kind of accomodation did you book?  Hotel or apartment?

If you have booked the apartment, you might not need to spend money on restaurants every day.   You want to meet the real her.  See how she likes to cook for you.  If she refuses to cook or too "bitchy" to cook for you, then what will happened in real life ???!!!

Hm, yeah good advice if you're looking for a home help; "cook for me biatch or you're history!" 

It's really no wonder why some guys are single and why some guys need to stay that way.

[Faux Pas]

This pretty much goes for all tickets everywhere.

As well as Taxis.

There is not much to barter at the kiosk but, after you board a bus, there will be hawkers that get on the bus to sell show tickets, other tours ect.. those can be haggled over with success

[sleepycat]

I made a booking at this hotel...

http://en.hermeshotel.ru/

[Faux Pas]

I made a booking at this hotel...

http://en.hermeshotel.ru/

Looks like a nice place sleepycat but I am not familiar with the island (not that I should be) I would strongly suggest something on Nevsky Prospect close to the center as you can get and probably an apartment

[Boethius]

You'll have to take the metro daily to where the "action" is.  It is not central, though it looks beautiful.   You may wish to ask poster Anechka, as St. Petersburg is her hometown.

[ML]

If you have booked the apartment, you might not need to spend money on restaurants every day.   You want to meet the real her.  See how she likes to cook for you.  If she refuses to cook or too "bitchy" to cook for you, then what will happened in real life ???!!!

Just as a little side note:  When I was looking for apartments in Yalta once, I came across an internet website where an apartment was offered.  In the description was one interesting sentence:  "Housewife included in price."

I knew it was meant house maid or house cleaner; but still a startling tidbit to read!!

In another ad it read:  Cleaning lady included, but you will have to ask for yourself concerning sex services.  Truth in advertising.

In several apartments was a listing of phone numbers for various services.  Included was a line 'Intimacy . . . . phone #####'

[sleepycat]

You'll have to take the metro daily to where the "action" is.  It is not central, though it looks beautiful.   You may wish to ask poster Anechka, as St. Petersburg is her hometown.

I deliberately have chosen this place because it looks more like a country house rather than your typical hotel downtown.
At that place probably easier to get the lady into the 'mood' for you know what...

[BillyB]

Please tell me how much I should plan for spending/dating money per day while in St Pete's.

After you decide you need, bring extra cash for emergency purposes.