Pulkovo II International Airport (LED)
Tel: (812) 704 3444.
Website: www.pulkovoairport.ru

Located around 17km (10.5 miles) southwest of St Petersburg, Pulkovo II was built in the 1950s as Leningrad Airport but upgraded and renamed in the mid 1990s. Pulkovo I (tel: (812) 704 3822), the domestic terminal, is situated within walking distance of Pulkovo II.

Approximate flight times to St Petersburg: From London is 3 hours 45 minutes; from New York is 12 hours 25 minutes; from Los Angeles is 16 hours 50 minutes; from Toronto is 12 hours and from Sydney is 28 hours.

Airport facilities: The airport was renovated in 2003, improving facilities for travellers. Both terminals offer Wi-Fi access (using a pre-paid card), ATMs and foreign exchange, and there are several cafes, bars and shops (including duty-free), plus a post office and information desk. The Pulkovo II terminal has car hire desks for Avis (website: www.avis-rentacar.ru), Hertz (website: www.hertz.ru) and Europcar (website: www.europcar.ru). A couple of business lounges offer the standard services to business travellers.

Transport to the city: Many of the better hotels offer a pick-up service. Official taxis waiting outside the terminal have their prices fixed by a cartel, but drivers routinely quote outrageous fares. Travellers with a command of the Russian-language should be able to haggle down the price of a ride into the city to about US$30, but the starting price can be US$200 or higher. Each additional piece of luggage will usually require a small additional fee. The cheapest option is to take bus 13 or marshrutnoye taxi 39 from the front of the terminal building to the Moskovskaya metro station (15 minutes) and continue to the centre on the metro. Both services run every 20 minutes from 0530 to 2400. Alternatively, you can travel to Pushkinskaya metro station (via Moskovskaya metro station) on the Airport Express (tel: (812) 388 0055; website: www.airportexpress.ru); buses run every 20 minutes from 0900 to 2200.