How to get from Pulkovo Airport (LED) to the central St. Petersburg
Train, bus, taxi or car sharing – here are some fast and easy ways to reach downtown.
1. City bus + subway
Public transport is the most affordable way to get from Pulkovo Airport to downtown St. Petersburg. Here are the main options:
– Buses № 39 and № 39E (‘E’ stands for ‘express’, as it makes fewer stops) connect the airport to ‘Moskovskaya’ subway station (blue line, M2). The journey takes about 30-35 minutes, depending on traffic.
Buses run from 5:15 am to 1:40 am.
– Bus № 82E connects the airport with ‘Prospekt Veteranov’ subway station (red line, M1). The journey takes about 25 minutes. Buses run from 6:05 am to 1:41 am.
You can pay upon boarding the bus with a Russian debit/credit card (you can get one at the airport) or via a ‘Podorozhnik’ transport card. You can buy it in cash at the ticket office near the bus stop by the airport’s main exit. The ticket office opening hours are from 8 am to 8 pm (break from 1 pm to 2 pm).
The fare is 51 rubles (approx. $0.60) via transport card or 75 rubles (~$0.85) via a debit/credit card.
– From ‘Moskovskaya’ or ‘Prospekt Veteranov’ subway stations, you can get to the city center in 20 minutes. A ticket costs 56 rubles (~$0.65) with a transport card or 81 rubles (~$0.90) with a debit/credit card.
2. Taxi
You can order a taxi by the airport’s main exit. A trip from the airport to the city center will cost around $15-20.
You can also book a taxi using the following apps:
– ‘Yandex GO’ iOS/Google Play /AppGallery (many languages).
– ‘Uber’ iOS/Google Play /AppGallery (many languages)
You can choose payment in cash, if you don’t have a Russian debit/credit card.
3. Car sharing
You need an ID, a driver’s license, a Russian debit/credit card and a smartphone with a Russian SIM card. You’ll also need to sign a contract with the rental company, in order to access its vehicles (you can also do this online). The leading companies are: ‘Delimobil’; ‘Yandex.Drive’; and ‘BelkaCar’. You should download the apps in advance to find the nearest car.
Note that you can only pick them up and drop them off at the P2 and P3 parking lots.
4. Car rental
On the 2nd floor of the central terminal, you’ll also find ‘Rentmotors’, ‘REX Rent’, ‘CityDrive’ and ‘Europcar’ services. You can book a car online or by visiting the rental offices in person. Booking in advance doesn’t influence the price much, but it does provide a greater choice of car models.
Go to the airport’s website for more information.
