How to get to Amsterdam from St Petersburg, Russia?

Hi Judy

I just did this a couple weeks ago. After looking at how early the flights back were from St Petersburg we chose to go to Amsterdam for a couple of days. We flew Delta and it was about a three hour flight. One thing that was interesting was that in pricing our flights, it was about $400 cheaper to book the three flights (in my case Spokane to Helsinki, St Petersburg to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Spokane) than it was to book Spokane to Helsinki and Amsterdam to Spokane. Might be something for you to check out when looking at flights. Anyway, we felt we made the right selection. Amsterdam was a nice city to visit and to relax from the tour.

Thanks, Leslie, I appreciate your comments. I will definitely consider doing this. Since Delta is my primary airline here in Atlanta, I will look into booking my flights like this.

Did you enjoy your overall trip?

Judy B

Yes, it was a very good tour. I met up with some friends for it and we spent a couple days in Helsinki before the tour began because we were interested in seeing some of the architecture. I'm glad we did because the tour does not really spend a lot of time there. We then took the ferry to Tallinn to met up with the tour. One thing I did miss, that I have enjoyed on other tours, is that there were no breaks in smaller towns so it seemed pretty intense being in the city all the time. That was not something I thought about before the tour and though Amsterdam is not what you would consider small, I think it was because I had been there before that made it seem that way. We had also considered going to Stockholm or Copenhagen after the tour but one of the group preferred Amsterdam.

Leslie,
Did you spend one more night in St. Petersburg after the tour and then head to Amsterdam? I think with the Hermitage I may need to spend more time communing with the art there. Is that a problem in Russia? I'm sure a visa is required even though I have not looked into it.

I will give your comment some thought re: small town vs. big city and going to Amsterdam. Hmm, I could go to a Dutch small town as well as Amsterdam. Many ideas re RS!

Thanks again for your thoughts.
Judy B

Hi Judy

We did not stay an extra day but as the flight to AMS left at 5:30 we still had that morning. The guide will arrange taxis from the hotel to airport so you don't need to worry about that.

The visa that we ended up getting was a three-year one because that was what the visa place recommended and the price was the same. When you apply, you will put in the dates of your stay. Since it is done 90 days before you leave, you should know by then how long you are staying.

The afternoon after the visit to the Hermitage, you have free time also. Some people stayed to see more and some of went to Peterhof gardens on the hydrfoil. The guide also helped us with getting the right tickets and we had about 1.5 hours to walk around there.

If you go to Amsterdam, remember that there is a branch of the Hermitage there also. Be sure that if you want to go to the Anne Frank Haus, the Rijks Museum or Van Gogh Museum to buy your tickets on line. We walked past a 2.5 hour wait with our online tickets to Anne Frank and almost the same at the Van Gogh Museum.

Hope this helps.

Good day Judy -

Since you will have to obtain an expensive visa attached in your passport before travel, why not consider splitting the remainder of your time and either flying (quicker) or taking the train to Moscow for a few days.

We did the same trip (on our own) and then headed for Moscow and the golden ring and dont regret a moment. Moscow is a beautiful city with lots to see and do - so if you do consider this option I would suggest you consider a guide perhaps for two 1/2 days as we did or whatever works best for you.

We then took KLM to Amsterdam spent a few days there before flying back to west coast of canada.

Whatever you decide you will love the trip, but be prepared Helsinki is very expensive.....

Take care and be well....happy travels.

The easiest way to see your desired cities is to fly to Copenhagen. Then book a Baltic cruise that'll take you to Rostock, Germany, Tallin, Estonia, St. Petersburg (2 nights), Helsinki, and Stockholm--before ending the cruise in Copenhagen.

The least expensive way to tour St. Petersburg is by a government approved tour guide operation--$210 to $300 per person for 2 days' tours. Otherwise, you'll have to jump through hoops and pay $500 for a Visa before they'll let you off the ship.

Scandinavia is terribly expensive, and a cruise is the best bang for your buck. We're leaving 8/28/2015 for a 9 day cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines' Sky, and the trip starts at around $1,200 each including port charges. Two people could spend that much in Copenhagen at dinner for 3 nights.

The very budget Norwegian Air Shuttle is now flying into Orlando, and round trips start at around $775 from there. You can also buy one way flight segments inexpensively if you want to fly back through another city.

For what it's worth, we did this RS tour. The Visa is expensive, but it is necessary if you want to have enough time in SPB. We were there for 4 nights and it only touched the surface of what there is to experience. Just a heads up. We also noticed on a hydrofoil ride out to Peterhof (Summer Palace) how FAR AWAY the cruise ships dock in SPB. It will take a long time to get into the city from there, which eats into your sightseeing time.On the RS tour we were two blocks away from the Hermitage and the main drag. SPB is very affordable. The Pushka Inn where we stayed was lovely and under $100/night. Tallinn is enchanting and also very inexpensive. I would spend at least three nights there. You can take the ferry ( huge fancy ships) to Helsinki, see the main sights and take the ferry back to Tallinn. Helsinki was the only boring part of our trip, and it is very expensive.

Thank you, everyone for your suggestions and comments. A friend and I are kicking around ideas for destinations and since she has been everywhere except for Russia, I think, I wanted to know more about the details of sights and ease of being there on our own after the tour. Hiring a private guide is wise I think.

The idea of going to Moscow is fantastic! I had no idea there was anything to see there. This is all very interesting...I need something to think about and look forward to.

She mentioned Greece or Portugal with RS and I would go to any of these countries as I have only done a few trips to Europe, mostly self-directed and 2 RS tours. St. Petersburg especially appeals to me because of the art at the Hermitage Museum.

Thanks, I appreciate that you all took the time to write.

Judy B

David,
I wish you a wonderful trip. I have read your posts on other topics on the Forum and always find them interesting and insightful. You must travel extensively. I was bitten by the travel bug late in life so I am doing all I can and enjoying every minute dreaming and planning and discussing with possible travel companions although I have gone solo. To me it is more fun to share the experience with someone.

Also, we are practically neighbors - Alabama and Georgia! Also, football rivals... Have a great trip and post your trip on the Forum, your fans want to hear about it.

Best,
Judy B