Anyone been to the Baltics or Russia?

[Pommy]

Has anyone been the Baltics or Russia on holiday? I'm going to be go visiting specifically Riga, Tallinn, St Petersburg and Moscow this November/December (yes not ideal timing but it is what it is).
I will be spending a few days in each city and wondered if people had any advice for must see things or anything thats totally overhyped and not worth eating time on.
I might try and do a day trip to Helsinki whilst in Tallinn but that will depend on how were pushed for time.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Been to Vilnus, Moscow and St Petersburg... Summer Palace in St Petersburg really cool... really enjoyed Moscow and Red Square is pretty cool...But I do recommend seeing Lemnins Tomb looks like something out of a Bond/KGB film

 

[Pommy]

Been to Vilnus, Moscow and St Petersburg... Summer Palace in St Petersburg really cool... really enjoyed Moscow and Red Square is pretty cool...But I do recommend seeing Lemnins Tomb looks like something out of a Bond/KGB film

Thanks for the reply only just seen it. What time of year did you go?

 

[Foreign Legion]

Thanks for the reply only just seen it. What time of year did you go?

Summer.... day light in moscow and St Petersburg last until midnight... Pubs can be expensive I was their and it costed me $17 for a beer... but it was worth it...

 

[Suitman]

Has anyone been the Baltics or Russia on holiday? I'm going to be go visiting specifically Riga, Tallinn, St Petersburg and Moscow this November/December (yes not ideal timing but it is what it is).
I will be spending a few days in each city and wondered if people had any advice for must see things or anything thats totally overhyped and not worth eating time on.
I might try and do a day trip to Helsinki whilst in Tallinn but that will depend on how were pushed for time.

Pommy,

I've been to Minsk, St Petersburg and Moscow., and Helsinki
You will love St P. and Moscow. Great cities.
As per Foreign Legion's post, you must see the Summer Palace in St P. Will blow your mind. More art works than the Louvre in Paris. Absolutely huge and the building itself is phenomenal. Surrounding gardens are beautiful.
In Moscow, yes Red Square (obviously) is a must. Lenin's tomb is bizarre, but worth visiting. So is St Basil's Cathedral.
But a must do in Moscow is the metro. Just buy a ticket and travel somewhere. Anywhere. The stations are unbelievable - more like museums or palaces. And it's modern, clean, fast and cheap. Also has some of the longest escalators in the world.

If you are pressed for time, don't bother with Helsinki. It's one of the most boring places I've ever been to. The former two places will blow it out of the water.

 

[Pommy]

Pommy,

I've been to Minsk, St Petersburg and Moscow., and Helsinki
You will love St P. and Moscow. Great cities.
As per Foreign Legion's post, you must see the Summer Palace in St P. Will blow your mind. More art works than the Louvre in Paris. Absolutely huge and the building itself is phenomenal. Surrounding gardens are beautiful.
In Moscow, yes Red Square (obviously) is a must. Lenin's tomb is bizarre, but worth visiting. So is St Basil's Cathedral.
But a must do in Moscow is the metro. Just buy a ticket and travel somewhere. Anywhere. The stations are unbelievable - more like museums or palaces. And it's modern, clean, fast and cheap. Also has some of the longest escalators in the world.

If you are pressed for time, don't bother with Helsinki. It's one of the most boring places I've ever been to. The former two places will blow it out of the water.

I forgot about the metro. I have seen it on TV I will have to make sure I go.
Helsinki is a maybe, really we kind of just want to tick Finland off th list so we were only ever going to do a day trip from Tallinn.
How long do you think is needed in Moscow and St Petersburg?

 

[Suitman]

I forgot about the metro. I have seen it on TV I will have to make sure I go.
Helsinki is a maybe, really we kind of just want to tick Finland off th list so we were only ever going to do a day trip from Tallinn.
How long do you think is needed in Moscow and St Petersburg?

Really all depends how much time you have up your sleeve.
Say for instance, a tourist was going to London, they could spend 2 days on a whirlwind tour or a week seeing a lot more.


St Petersburg - well, it's pretty much a day trip from the city to the Summer Palace (Catherine Palace), and you could also spend a day in the Hermitage museum in the Winter Palace in the city centre (if you're into museums. It's certainly mind boggling). St Petersburg also has a superb metro so getting around should be easy, although it's a bit hard reading their Cyrillic language.
Another day for other odds and ends, walking streets, cathredrals, maybe even a football game), and that's 3 days.
Moscow you would probably need 3 days as well, although you could probably get away with 2 at a stretch.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Also went on the Metro... each station is a museum...