A number of friends and I are thinking of traveling on a
River Cruise next summer. I know the days are longer in June and I think the weather in June, July and August are about the same? If you traveled in June and there was no night did you feel you missed seeing the 'lights of the city'? I love both the day and night views of cities and wonder how it felt having only daylight. Drawbacks of a cruise?? Not my typical way to travel but we have a big group and thinking this might work logistically.
Posted by
Griffin, GA
21 posts
I've been to Russia in June and experienced white nights in St. Petersburg, but the river cruise I took was in August. The light of a "white night" is not the same as daylight. We walked along the river bank to experience it with others doing the same thingan interesting phenomenon but don't mistake it for "having only daylight." Moscow is farther south and doesn't have white nights. I highly recommend the cruise of the Russian waterways between Moscow & St. Petersburg. Getting to see smaller cities and villages was very interesting. I'm sure they've changed & modernized somewhat since I went in 1995, only a few years after westerners were first allowed on that trip.
Posted by
OP
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
Alice... thanks...so if I have a choice of June or August, do you think the 'white night' is worth seeing?
Posted by
Griffin, GA
21 posts
I would travel when it suits your schedule, flight availability, etc., and not base the date on seeing "white nights." One night we went out at midnight to see what it was like and satisfy our curiosity, but that experience is not enough to determine when you book your trip. The weather was warm summertime in both June and August.
Posted by
New Berlin, WI, US
156 posts
We considered a river cruise but then decided to do Mos and St. Pete on our own in order to spend more time in St. Pete. We a week there and didn't feel we had too much time. Three days in Moscow seemed about right. Not nearly as tourist friendly as St. P. I don't want to disparage the river cruises but they do seem to short change travelers a bit on time in St. Petersburg. Don't be afraid of doing the Russia trip on your own. It's not nearly as daunting as it would first seem to be.