Driving in Russia is best avoided. The roads are poorly maintained, petrol stations are few and far between and the fuel often contains impurities. Local drivers have a reputation for making reckless and risky manoeuvres and accidents are common. With signs hidden, non-existent or in Cyrillic script, it is easy to unwittingly commit a traffic offence and the officers of the GIBDD (State Inspection on Safety of Road Traffic) are notorious for supplementing their salaries by fining foreign drivers for alleged traffic violations, even where no offence has occurred.

If you do decide to drive, you must carry your passport, an International Driving Permit and the licence from your home country. The minimum driving age is 18 years, but many car hire companies will only rent to drivers over 21. It is possible to enter Russia overland from Europe with your own car, but you must carry your vehicle registration documents and make a customs declaration promising to take it out on departure (failure to do so can lead to serious consequences). You will need third-party insurance covering the whole of Russia, available at the border or in advance through Ingosstrakh (website: www.ingos.ru/en).

Traffic drives on the right, speed limits are 60kph (37mph) in the city, 110kph (68mph) in outlying areas and 120kph (72mph) on highways. It is illegal to turn left on many main thoroughfares. The wearing of seat belts is mandatory in the front and back of the vehicle.

Drink driving is a very serious offence likely to result in a prison sentence. In law, a blood alcohol ratio of 0.04% is permissible, however, in practice, drinking any alcohol and then driving is illegal.

Emergency breakdown service: UMA Autoclub: (tel: (812) 329 5777).

Routes to the city: The main roads into the city are the M10 from Helsinki to Moscow and the M11 from Berlin via Poland.

Approximate driving times to St Petersburg: From Helsinki - 5 hours 30 minutes; Moscow - 10 hours 30 minutes; Berlin - 25 hours.

Coach services: The main bus terminal in St Petersburg is Avtovokzal 2 (Bus Terminal 2), naberezhnaya Obvodnogo Kanala 36 (tel: (812) 766 5777), near the Ligovsky Prospekt metro. Buses run regularly from here to Moscow, Novgorod and towns within the Leningrad region, though trains are more convenient. Eurolines (tel: (812) 438 2839; website: www.eurolines.ee) runs international bus services from Baltic Station (near Baltiyskaya metro) to Tallinn and Riga, while Ecolines (tel: (812) 325 2152; website: www.ecolines.ru) runs to Riga from Vitebsk Station (near Pushkinskaya metro). Sovavto (tel: (812) 740 3985; website: www.sovavto.ru/eng) has buses to Helsinki and Turku, departing from the Park Inn - Pulkovskava hotel, near Moskovskaya metro.