St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo International Airport
To anyone who has ever had the pleasure of traveling to St. Petersburg, they can attest to the fact that there are few places anywhere to match the city’s architectural and artistic uniqueness. The same can be said for the Pulkovo, or St. Petersburg Airport. It’s not a gigantic, sprawling monstrosity of modern construction, but it is functional, reliable, and most definitely one-of-a-kind.
The city has a history and beauty that would take far too long to describe here, so we will stay within the confines of the airport itself to try to help you make your time there as enjoyable as possible. It’s always more fun to have a few tricks up your sleeve, not to mention a few secrets when traveling, so if anything we touch on can help, file it away for future use.
Basic Airport Information
St. Petersburg Airport is smaller than many international airports you may have been through – consisting of only one terminal. Built within the last ten years, it boasts a nice selection of shops, restaurants, and lounges for travelers to browse while awaiting their flights with some even staying open 24 hours. There is free Wi-Fi available throughout the airport, so you can do all the digital stuff you love while traveling. You can even catch a few hours of sleep if you have to on any of the armrest-free benches and seating found all across the terminal. If you need a luggage trolley, they’re available for a small fee.
Pulkovo’s Lounges
St. Petersburg Airport has more airport lounges than many airports much larger than it is, so you’re sure to find one that fits either your membership or your pocketbook. All of them, aside from Aeroflot’s Lounge, can be accessed by any passengers as long as they pay the door charge. The only real difference between them is the price and the availability of a shower once you enter. Here’s a rundown of the lounges you’ll find:
- Aeroflot Lounge: Located in Terminal 1with entrances on the 3rd and 4th floors, this lounge has showers and is open 24 hours a day. Open to membership passengers only.
- Business Lounge: Located in Terminal 1 with entrances on the 3rd and 4th floor, this lounge has showers, a full bar, and is open 24 hours a day. All passengers are welcome with purchase of an access pass.
- SNG Lounge: Located in Sector B of Terminal 1 where you find the International Departure Gates, this lounge is less than half the cost of the others, but has no showers available to passengers. It’s open to anyone who buys an access pass.
- AviaPanorama: Found right next to SNG in Sector B, where International and Domestic Departure Gates meet, this lounge has showers, a bar, and is open 24 hours a day. Open to passengers who purchase an access pass.
- Moskva Lounge: Located in Terminal 1, Section V, this lounge is the most expensive found in the airport and offers everything you could want including showers, bar, restaurant, and business center. It’s open to passengers with memberships or who buy a pass at the door.
Pulkovo Airport’s Nearby Hotels
Any traveler will tell you that sometimes an airport hotel is a lifesaver. Weather, especially in a city like St. Petersburg, can cause delays or cancelations that could leave you dealing with an extremely long layover before you can get on another flight. When the delay is too long, or you have a child who couldn’t take that much time in an airport, you need to find the best hotel you can to rest, relax, and recharge for the flight – whenever it comes. Here are the closest hotels to Pulkovo:
- Park Inn by Radisson: This is a great hotel, we all know Radisson, that’s relatively inexpensive and sits right next to Terminal 1 with a connected hallway, so you never have to actually leave the airport itself. That’s a biggie right there.
- Crowne Plaza: A bit ritzier than the Park Inn, the Crowne is beautiful and elegant and less than a 10-minute shuttle ride, free of course, from the Terminal. The shuttle can be located in the first lane opposite the arrival hall.
- Stary Zamok: A bit further, around 15 minutes by transfer, which can be arranged with the hotel at a kiosk in the arrivals hall, the Stary is a perfect mix of the modern and the traditional and its pricepoint is right between the other two as well. It’s a great place if you can take the time and venture from the airport proper.
Pulkovo’s Transportation Options
The most adventurous way to get around St. Petersburg is through the use of a car rental service. This allows you to really get out and explore and do anything you like, whenever you like. It’s not for the faint of heart, however, as Russians tend to drive a bit differently than we do in the West. If you’re not 100% comfortable driving in your own city, you may want to choose another form of transport, but, if you like the thrill of controlling your own itinerary, then by all means visit one of the rental car desks found in Pulkovo. These include Avis, Hertz, Thrifty, Sixt, and Europcar.
You may also choose to take a hotel shuttle to one of the nearby hotels mentioned above, or the bus or minivan shuttle into the heart of the city. Either is a great option if you’re traveling on a budget since they represent the least expensive modes of transport you’ll find. Taxis are everywhere, but do yourself a favor and stop at the Taxi stand inside the arrivals hall and purchase a taxi ticket from them. Then, when you walk out, all you have to do is give the ticket to one of the waiting drivers and the fare is handled – no weirdness. You can hail a taxi and skip the desk, but you’re taking a serious chance with your pocketbook. Taxis don’t take cards or dollars, so exchange your money before leaving the airport. You can find ATMs on every level as well that dispense local currency.
Services, Facilities & Extras
Pulkovo has a broad range of services and amenities aimed at making your time in the airport as pleasant as possible. These range from the usual to the unusual, at least in a non-Russian’s eyes, and should be explored if you have the time. It’s not every day that you and your child get to explore the differences between Eastern and Western approaches to similar problems. You can learn a great deal by experiencing the differing perspectives, culturally speaking, you find in airports around the world, and Pulkovo is no exception. Here’s a rundown of the goodies you can find:
- Baby Care Facilities: These areas are located on every floor and offer everything a mother or father could ask for when they’re faced with a diaper emergency. They also make great places to just freshen up – for you and your child.
- Children’s Play Areas: Pulkovo, bless their hearts, has two children’s play areas you can use to keep your child occupied when those inevitable delays or cancelations occur. You can find these awesome kid zones on the 3rd floor in the International departure hall – one at each end.
- Duty-Free Shopping: There are any number of shops and kiosks where you can splurge to your heart’s content. Plus, there’s an awesome little shop called Shop Express where you can get any of the little things that make extended airport stays more livable.
- Restaurants: There are a ton of food and drink options found throughout the airport with a great many conglomerated in Terminal 1. There are available options on both sides of the security checkpoints, so you can enjoy something before or after you pass through.
- Storage & Lockers: If you need to store luggage for any period of time, be it short or long-term, you can find these areas on the first floor of the terminal. They have a wide variety of options and prices to choose from.
- Medical Services: There is a First Aid Desk located on the 2nd floor that remains open 24 hours a day and pharmacies, three of them, can be found throughout the airport. All are open 24 hours for passengers and airport guests.
- Miscellaneous: Mobile charging stations can be found throughout the airport at most of the gates. There’s also a small post office on the second floor that is opening during normal business hours.
With just the information shared here, you should have absolutely no trouble making your way through St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo International Airport. In fact, you should be familiar enough to make a few plans before you arrive and feel comfortable that all will be as you expected – if not even better. Upgrades are happening all the time, so keep an eye out for any new amenity that’s been added. My daughter and I are definitely going back someday and look forward to all the new and exciting things we’ll find.