Visit Russia - 5 Love & Hates of St Petersburg, Russia

The Best & Worst Parts of Visiting Russia & St. Petersburg. For many travelers visiting Russia is an incredible experience and for many their first views of Russia are through the former capital St. Petersburg. Here we give you the best (the art, architecture, churches) and the worst (lines at the hermitage, getting a visa, service) of visiting St. Petersburg, Russia.
Filmed in St. Petersburg, Russia
Copyright Mark Wolters 2018
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[@woltersworld]

1st!!!! Yeah!!!

[@VuzessEvo]

Wolters World Nice video ! Btw what about love and hate about Istanbul?

[@ahmd5]

You don't count unless it was 7 year old Liam 😇 was the one who typed 1st You are really taking half the fun (yes it very important) by taking away that achievement 1️⃣ 🎖️🎗️🗓️ from us. just saying 😎

[@stasacab]

That is right. St. Petersburg is one of the cities where no matter how much you spend time there are still things that you miss and want to see.

[@Thestralsxxx]

The Metro is absolutely amazing.

[@davidaway753]

I absolutely loved the service in Russia, I was both in Moscow and St. Petersburg, a total of three months, where I was travelling and learning the Russian language, but I am coming from Israel and not from America so it could be the cultural difference there.

[@lucianjanusm]

אני מסכים איתך. צריכים לזכור שהאמריקאים מתרגלים למנטליות אחרת לגמרי..

[@qwertyuiopzxcvbnm9890]

Maybe they just do not like American tourists :/ Aren't many Israelis from Russian descent in the sense of having ancestors who lived in Russia for quite some time ?

[@majorkade]

I am a US citizen. I got very good service in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

[@stephensav2728]

I was there many times and for long timed. I'm Australian I don't speak Russian, the way around that is simple.You get yourself a Russian partner , and it took me a whole 2 days to find a good Russian girl that was happy to take care of me the whole time. She spoke better English than me. Hotels 72 hour stay when I was there)) I stayed exactly where I wanted too. And travelled to other cities, whilst it may be the rules' 72:hours stay in one place all such)) nobody is going out of there way to enforce it. The visas are a pain and the language is a pain ....thats why if your a male on your own. You going to have grief unless you have an English speaking Russian girlfriend with you. She will keep you safe .Pickpickets are in the metros etc , be very carefull!

[@stephensav2728]

@@qwertyuiopzxcvbnm9890 you are right they really don't like the USA folk but they do like and embrace UK folk and Australians. And Scott's, etc .i don't know how many times I was asked thier if I was American or not? they were very standofish but soon as I said I'm Australian )) well didn't the welcome doors get flung open for me. Had I said I was a yank )) I would not have got anywhere there.

[@coolalvin2]

I found Russians (Moscow, St Pete and Sochi) to be very friendly and willing to help with anything. If you can even try a few phrases in Russian, that goes a long way as they will do the same in English.

[@isavana33]

Bureaucracy in Russia? Americans are used to traveling around the world without a visa, but as soon as they were faced with a visa, they started singing about bureaucracy! Interesting! You have no idea how difficult it is to get to the US :) and most importantly, they charge you for the "consular fee" and then say, " you are denied a visa"

[@kellittav]

And you can still be denied entry even if you have all of your documentation. I love to see them suffering with visa shenanigans 😂

[@ColKorn1965]

My #1 regret is I was only there for 10 days and needed a month to see all the good stuff.

[@majorkade]

I stayed a month. 20 days in Moscow, 10 in St. Pete. Was fabulous.

[@hotrodjones74]

I miss St. Petersburg. I've been there twice. Once in winter again in the spring. I always have a great time there. Luckily it's just a train ride away :) I can attest to Russians being great people. Knowing Russian opens up a whole new side of Russia for the visitor.

[@geraldinecoquillat2761]

Do people talk english in Russia ?

[@nataliaivanova5543]

@@geraldinecoquillat2761 young people (

[@mrvk39]

I would add another "hate" is the weather!! First of all, it's very cold and very snowy during winters. And, during summers, White Nights are beautiful and definitely worth experiencing, but weather overall is SOO unpredictable - it's super cold one hour and then temperature jumps like 10 degrees in a few hours and then it's hot. It rains one moment and then it's sunshine. So, advice is always wear layers of clothing (even during summer), so you can take things off and put them on depending on the elements.

[@HellgaProtiv]

Snowy? Have you been to St. Petersburg for sure? Here the last snowfall was a year ago, and before that 10 years ago. We rarely see snow in winter and sun in summer. In St. Petersburg, eternal autumn. I live here and I know what I'm talking about.

[@Erix442]

@@HellgaProtiv ​ Wow, really? I'm from Moscow and I have been to St. Petesburg one time in August(2012 year). When I have visited St. Peterburg, was felling like in October or November in Moscow, but August while in there was very sunny in Moscow like in Miami and Muscovites at that time dressed very lightly, in a short T-shirt, in short shorts, yudka, in short slippers, at the same time, when I got to St. the fact that I myself was dressed much warmer than in Moscow, I still was frozing. Although it is really difficult for me to imagine snowy peter, in my mind it is always rainy.

[@dpelpal]

Another "hate" I have about St,. Petersburg is the "Z" symbol plastered all over the town, and the occupants' obsession with destroying Ukraine for no reason other than being propagandized. Other than that, I really liked the Blini.

[@mrvk39]

@@dpelpal I wrote this four years ago. I fully support Ukraine but I doubt most in SpB are obsessed with destroying anything. Most are apathetic, which is still no excuse.. but don't make ordinary people into some sort of raging psychopaths

[@alinakarakotova2534]

Hey, I am a traveller from Russia and I really like your videos! Thanks for making a truthful video about Russia with pros and cons. I am glad you enjoyed the visit, despite some inconveniences. But travelling is never easy, no matter what country you go to, but it is usually worth the effort :)

[@alinakarakotova2534]

And you guys should definitely come again :)

[@miroslavantonin9354]

@@alinakarakotova2534 Hi there :) i want ask you ... Is Russia cheaper for peoples from feloow slavic nations ? :) :) i really would like visit St Petersburg and Moscow but now i am little bit worried about prices .. :D :D Greetings from Czechia :)

[@PaulV.]

@@miroslavantonin9354 I dont think it will be cheaper in term of special prices but Russians will definitely treat you more warm knowing you are Slav (that is true even for Poles). People will be more open to you, more willing to help and to show some local places with best deals. So in the end it really will be cheaper :)

[@alinakarakotova2534]

Pixie Panda Plush well, not all people are from EU. In Russia we need visa to go to EU and UK and USA, and it is much harder to obtain, than Russian visa for you. For Russian visa all you need to do is book hotel, bring couple documents and pay small fee like 30 dollars. While US visa is like 200 dollars for us, and we need to do an interview and bring tone of documents and if they dont give you visa they wont refund.

[@lanas03]

Advice! If you want to be understood, then approach the youth with the request 'HELP ME PLEASE' Then speak slowly and with separate phrases. For example, if you need to find a bus stop, say “WHERE THE BUS” focus on the word BUS. If you need to call a taxi, just say 'TAXI'.

[@lanas03]

In Russian, there are no specific words a, an, the therefore difficult to understand. People over 40 remember only English from school. And many people learned German. Approximately 40% / 60%

[@katepm56]

Enjoyed your video! Great tips!

[@christianh9794]

Was so cool to see

[@sarasays9883]

Russia is hard to get a visa for but so is the US 😭

[@ve2vfd]

I was there last summer! Another love: The Peterhof gardens and fountains are magnificient! Another "hate": there are prices for locals and prices for tourists everywhere. Another love: The high speed hydrofoil between the Peterhof and the Hermitage is a good way to quickly avoid road traffic, and a cool way to see the canals. Tip: Hire a local guide to bypass the massive queues to get in the Hermitage. Ours had a specific time appointment and got us in in minutes ahead of all the lines.

[@PaulV.]

You just need to buy tickets on Hermitage internet site. The price is the same but you are going through another entrance without numerous tourist groups so usually with no line at all.

[@stanspb763]

No, prices are unified, they used to be higher for foreigners but now Russian prices have been raised. There are classes of visitors who get discounts like seniors, vets, children or students(students from any country get big discounted including free entrance for the great ballet, opera and concert theaters. You have to have a photo student body card showing you are a student, however.

[@Diwana71]

Great. Thanks. Learnt a lot

[@seinfrei5644]

Hello Wolter, It's crazy. About a week or more ago, I searched your videos for a St Petersburg video. Especially this 5 Love and hates I like very much. My favorite video of you is about Shanghai, because it's my favorite city and before I flew to Shanghai for the first time a few years ago, I saw your video and loved it. Now I'm considering St. Petersburg and today I've been looking for a travel video and discover sudden yours. Crazy but great. Thank you !

[@zeinana2751]

I liked this video a lot 😊

[@thomasbarca9297]

Looks so beautiful, I really wanna visit the Hermitage thank you for your videos very informative

[@woltersworld]

You are very welcome :)

[@igoreksazonov]

I advice you also visit St.-Petersburg subcities like Peterhof and Pushkin city, but of course the main time there is summer

[@MackMateCom]

Enjoyed st Petersburg was there 2017 fantastic

[@nancyhobson9710]

Would visit Russia just to see St Petersburg. It looks to be a beautiful city.

[@simonealexander7313]

You're totally correct - when the Russian people open up to you, it's great. Some of my most memorable moments were speaking to the locals - one particular conversation with an older gentleman on a bus - I had 50 words of Russian and he had about the same in English - but he and others still helped me to find the stop I needed. Also, St Petersburg is just a great city to wander the streets, especially the quieter ones along the many canals. Overall I felt safe there, even later in the evening walking back to my hotel.

[@igoreksazonov]

Thanks!

[@NeighborSenpai]

I'm actually going there next week, the city would be a bit different than the video by having a ton of snow but hey, snow is great for Christmas spirit.

[@woltersworld]

Very true :)

[@Redhead555]

Bundle up warm. The wind gets very nasty and chilling to the bones

[@stanspb763]

For the last 12-13 years winters have been very mild compared to before. We only had 3 snowfalls last winter but one day April 1st. The rivers and canals used to freeze in November but there is often open water up through New Years, the main holiday in Russia that lasts 10 days. The reputation for cold came from historical records up to mid 2000s. Snow is missed, it is stunning to walk in the city center during a light snowfall at night. All the buildings are lit with millions of accent and wall wash lighting that looks like a fairytale. My favorite time of year. Museums are not crowded, it is easy all winter to get good seats at Mariinsky and other classical theaters and the 11 month culture season is in full swing. The pace is slower, and except New Year it is easy go anywhere without crowds. Real museums and art fans come in winter. St Petersburg is warmer than NYC or Chicago. I did not wear a winter coat once last year, or the last few years. It is November 20 and I was out much of the day and it was a refreshing warm +10C without zipping my light jacket or putting on a hat on a 2 hour walk

[@tdub18914]

If you can manage getting to St Petersburg by boat or ship (via Tallinn or Helsinki or a Baltic Cruise for example), and you stay less than 72 hours, you do NOT need a Visa at all. (oops sorry, saw that he got to that later in the video.) And in The Hermitage, get early entry, and there will be at most 10 people in each room with you.

[@brastmonkey]

I checked out a few of your videos over the years. You’ve been everywhere from Europe, Russia, to Mystic, Connecticut

[@burnltblue]

You uploaded the video this evening, when I bought railroad ticket to SaintPb for New Year's Eve. Wow.

[@woltersworld]

we are in tune my friend :)

[@pollynofrills]

American expectations of service are definitely the exception not the rule.

[@pedterson]

That's true. But Russian service isn't the rule, either.

[@user-lw9dm4yd2e]

I agree, every non-American service are "bad" in this case....Western Europe is more "Russian" than "American" by American standards of service.

[@QWERTYOP80]

pollynofrills Agreed. I find service in America overbearing. Like leave me alone to eat my damn food already!!

[@mrvk39]

Russian service is a notch above many Asian countries but a notch below even Southern European standards, which are in turn a notch below Northern European standards...

[@pollynofrills]

markv1 really depends what you think good service is. I literally find American service tantamount to harassment.

[@MithunSharma-ym7em]

I can vouch for Wolters.No English anywhere... Only Russian language everywhere. But what ever it is, St Petersburg Russia is the most beautiful city in the world. I repeat St Petersburg Russia is THE MOST beautiful city in the World.. Enjoy your time...

[@bluejay7232]

Pickpockets? I've never experienced that and I've been here for 10 years now. It's actually very safe unlike in western Europe. That's the only thing I disagree with this man.

[@SherriLyle80s]

You're probably right. Paris and Barcelona are supposed to be awful.

[@HertNiks]

First time ur wife is presenting. At least for me and I've watched pretty much all ur vids.

[@irairara5495]

if you don't want to stand in a line in Hermitage you should come in the finish on the day, there is no line 2 or 1.5 hours before it close. Yes, we have a very good metro. If you have extra time you can visit parks and palaces around the city for example Pushkin or Pavlovsk or Petergof.

[@ddiesel1836]

ive been to St Petersburg. I did not experience bad service because i did not ask for any. I tried to do everything myself. St. Petersburg is cheaper than Moscow and both are far more affordable than other major European Cities.

[@deepamurthy7105]

Nice video Jocelyn and Mark :-)

[@woltersworld]

thank you

[@mariad.b.6344]

Love your videos! Merry Christmas to you, Mark and all your family from Moscow (which is definitely a lot cooler than SPb ;) )

[@woltersworld]

Thank you :) big Christmas hug from our whole family!

[@oskich]

Did St.Petersburg and then the high speed train to Moscow last year. 2 absolute MUST HAVES are Yandex-taxi & Google translate apps. Buy a local SIM-card at the airport. Wish We had stayed longer in St.petersburg, as it firstly was much cheaper than Moscow, and much more accessble. 😀 Don't miss the hydrofoil-boat to Peterhof and Kronstat + the Siege museum.

[@michaelmonn9308]

Thanks! St. Petersburg has never really been on my bucket list but it looks pretty intriguing. I may have to reconsider and plan a few days there soon.

[@chriswilliams6568]

Michael Monn best way with no visa hassle, if you do a shore tour, is to go by cruise. We did a Baltic Cruise from Copenhagen, fabulous, on the Regal Princess in August 2019. We had 2 days in SPB. Amazing.

[@buckybarnes3803]

Hey great video guys, I always wondered about St Petersburg especially with the super long daylight in June (am I right)

[@woltersworld]

Super long. Like you dont sleep :)

[@calvincandie3625]

Yes, "white nights" is cool, but there are also disadvantages. I live in Saint-Petersburg for 15 years, but still can't get used to sleeping during "white nights").

[@irairara5495]

yes, we have the long daylight.

[@user-wg2yr9xz3t]

Saint Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Goteborg, Oslo are on the same latitude. And only Saint Petersburg is exploting this White NIgth feature.

[@buckybarnes3803]

cool!

[@SM-USA]

Like, more of Russia 🇷🇺 😘😘😘

[@marcitustangens9251]

USA is also a very difficult country to get a visa for though

[@thespacedisland5746]

Yah if you are Mexican

[@MajorMlgNoob]

Not if you're American like him lol But it depends on where you're from, Western Europe has it easy while if you're Chinese it'll take some time

[@carbrained]

@@MajorMlgNoob if you're an average Russian it's close to impossible with all the paperwork, fees, and most importantly the uncertainty

[@chicwanderer]

US and Canada do require an invitation too especially for first timers.

[@stanspb763]

@@chicwanderer No, an invitation from an American is a sure way be rejected when applying for a tourist visa to the US. Immigration is very wary of people who have friends or family there as a resource.

[@sahilanant123]

Wolters World Service was actually pretty decent in Moscow and St Petersburg. Just the language barrier. Beautiful cities. Been there in 2012. Also try and visit Pushkin if possible.

[@user-wg2yr9xz3t]

I agree that the service is worse than in the US but better than in Canada. Bright side is that in the most cases the waiter would be more beautiful than any American movie star and you may start flirting with her with any disastrous ramifications. Visa paperwork is reciprocal. You cannot even imagine all the full cavity searches that we Russians are subjected to on our way to American visa. For locals the level of bureaucracy is rather tolerable and 99% cases can be solved on-line. We even have Apps to automatically pay traffic tickets, parking etc. Russia was rather dangerous place in 90th and early 00th but now for ten years I never heard any crime related stories from people whome I know personally. Probably pickpockets are targeting particular tourists. My American colleagues often come to Saint Petersburg carousing all through the nights hitting all the bars in the vicinity and nothing bad ever happen to them. The things may turn ugly if you start to grab somebody’s girl for Russians may be more protective than you expect but it’s another story. Just be decent even while drunk and nothing bad ever happen to you.

[@majorkade]

lots of pretty girls, for sure

[@davidhcobbald3632]

Really great video. I really wanna visit Russia as much for all the cool things you guys mentioned but also for all the war history too. Great to see Jocelyn appearing in more of your videos as well, you guys make a great team!! 😊😊

[@babyinuyasha]

Don't go. The LGBT community has no rights in Russia. It's illegal to be LGBT in Russia.

[@davidhcobbald3632]

@@babyinuyasha IDGAF

[@-fm3701]

Давид, приезжайте к нам. Не слушайте тех, кто говорят , что у нас преследуют геев и темнокожих, это все выдумки. Есть вы интересуетесь историей Второй Мировой посетите Мамаев Курган в Волгограде, музей Блокады в Петербурге. Будем рады видеть вас в России

[@dee74raz]

I wonder whether Wolters did a course in TV presenting. He is very good and his presenting is very natural

[@InnerPower4me]

Dee Raz right his personality is addictive

[@sfinnable]

im pretty sure he's a university professor lol

[@martinjmcc1981]

Great video. I love the mosaics I seen some lovely ones in Scilliy, those ones in the video are on my bucket list now!

[@woltersworld]

They are gorgeous

[@chriswilliams6568]

Do you mean Sicily, Italy or the Scilly Isles, UK?

[@CP140405]

We visited St. Petersburg off a cruise in May 2015... the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war. It was amazing... the military hardware on display... the submarines and ships (some types of which I had flown against when I was in the Air Force) moored in the river... the churches (I'm with Jocelyn on that point). One thing I would suggest is take a boat tour along the river/canals. See the city from a different perspective.

[@calvincandie3625]

As you may have noticed, not many people in Russia speak English, and I am no exception), I understand about 30% of your videos, but still watch). Could you write, you're from the USA, right? And what do you do in St. Petersburg? Thanks.

[@MajorMlgNoob]

@Brandi Shore he's from Illinois so yeah the Midwest

[@francoisvillon1300]

Russians have to deal with the same bureaucratie coming to the US or the EU. It is reciprocal. Their previous president suggested in 2011 to abolish visas reciprocally - the EU refused.

[@carbrained]

Hey there, if you're visiting St Petersburg, I'd be happy to show you around. I love traveling myself, and when I do, I make sure to experience it through the eyes of the locals. Here's your chance to do the same :) Even though I am not an actual tour guide, I know the city really well and I can also lend you an e-scooter or a longboard if you want. If you're into that kind of stuff, St Pet will surprise you. If you're not, I'd be happy to hang out either way. Rome

[@billemerson2442]

I hear a great deal of meeting people in these countries and if you know some words of their language and have a conversation with them that they befriend you and invite the tourists to their homes and though I am certain a few have experienced the hospitality --- I am somewhat uncertain. We are strangers to these people as we are to them. I don't know you met these people, Mark but it would be interesting to find out.

[@basilmanolakos4926]

Another helpful phrase to use in Russia is, 'YA VAS LIUBLU'.

[@Outoinen]

Lines in Hermitage were no issue for me. Maybe because we went at the evening about three hours before closing and we wanted to see those not so popular things. At Asian exhibitions we were the only people there. I think that museum needs like three months before you can say you truly saw it.

[@BillGreenAZ]

From what my friends tell me, the Russians are very welcoming people as you say. They love that you have chosen their country to visit.

[@babyinuyasha]

Welcoming as long as you're Christian and not gay. It's a Federal offence to be gay in Russia

[@mrvk39]

Being Russian but living in the West, I would say that.. yes.. Russians are very welcoming ONCE they establish trust with you but that is not easy and takes some effort on your part and until they trust you, they won't be welcoming at all...

[@ForOne814]

@@babyinuyasha please specify the article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation which prohibits "being gay". Spoiler: there is none.

[@user-wg2yr9xz3t]

Watch more propaganda TV and you'll be OK. Being gay is not Federal offence in Russia and Saint Petersburg is stuffed with Gay Clubs and other stuff like that. If you are gay you have to keep some decorum and do not kiss and caress each other on public. It's about respecting country's cultural traditions.

[@Tatiana_Palii]

@@babyinuyasha many, if not most people here in Russia are actually atheist or agnostic (despite what the statistics says, 'cause they count those who are baptized and don't care if you're practicing your religion or not), and being gay here is, despite the state-supported homophobia, is certainly not illegal, unlike in some other countries where it actually is (and it's nothing to joke about).

[@ML-ek5ur]

How on earth did you not mention the amazing food! The really awesome sodas! The pelmeni, the sausages, the borsh, beef stroganof, the great pancakes! Try teremok- it’s simple, but amazing!

[@woltersworld]

Talked about that in our general Russia videos.

[@chriswilliams6568]

I am Canadian/British and I do not like the American style of service. They only suck up to you for the tip, it is false niceness.

[@lccody4978]

Where can I find information on the visa. We are cruising in and doing an overnight.

[@anneneville6255]

Have you been to other Eastern European countries like Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania etc.?

[@robertsolimanm7031]

I’m Aussie and I live in st p ... you missed so many things

[@sarasays9883]

I have to disagree with a few things and give some people advice. 1. Getting a visa will be complicated for foreigners but it isn’t impossible and in my opinion worth it 2. If you live in England for example you can get very decent prices for flights and hotels. I once paid £260 for a hotel on nevsky (Main Street on st Petersburg) this included my flight and a 5 star hotel called corinthia. 3. It can be very cheap to eat. If you go to local places you can get borscht or soup for less than 99 roubles (that is currently about £1.20) 4. You can also drink quite cheap. For example if you go to a restaurant called Tokyo city you can get three glasses of alcohol for 333 roubles (about £4) 5. The accommodation can be very cheap just look around on booking.com etc 6. Travel is cheap. Download the Uber app or the taxivikoff app. You will be amazed at how cheap it is. Don’t forget the amazing underground which is about 45 roubles one way I am a bit biased since I go to Russia twice a year, in particular st Petersburg but I know the city well.

[@Waterlily2544]

I agree with you. I food Russia to be very economical. The hostels and food from markets are super cheap, as is the subway. I also went to the ballet in Moscow and it was way cheaper than any similar ticket in USA or Europe.

[@sarasays9883]

water lily I’m glad you had a good time. I was born in Russia so I may live a bit more like a local at times but honestly I found it to be very cheap in comparison to England. I don’t want to deter anyone from going because it’s actually very budget friendly.

[@pittino70]

About the weather, do you know is it better Spring or Summer to visit the city? I think rainy days are the worse… Thank you

[@sarasays9883]

Gianluca Visentin I agree the rainy days are worse. I would visit in the summer if you can. They also have something called white nights in the summer, it basically doesn’t get dark and it’s nice to walk around the city

[@ku013]

Sara says: "Download the Uber app or the taxivikoff app." ======= Correct name of this taxi app - "Taxovichkof". Also, "Taxi.yandex" app.

[@patwilk7684]

I would add some additional cautions; cover your camera, and put your phones away when crossing the border. Do not take pictures of the border guards. And do not throw any document away that you are given when crossing the border, like migration documents. Do not stay to the last day allotted on the VISA, you might have trouble getting out. But, I truly loved the Hermitage’s European art and Impressionists galleries. Personally I think it’s better than the Louvre.

[@Mattdewit]

Service is nice, but in the US they overcompensate. Yes everything is still allright, nothing changed in de last 5 minutes.

[@nos4atu666]

But what if you're the machine?

[@Febrinasvlogs]

I agree with the customer service in Russia. It sucks. I was surprised when I landed at the VKO airport--- the woman at the Information section (though looked pretty), looked visibly annoyed and tired, looked as if I was disturbing her (she didn't even bother to hide it maybe it's almost the end of her shift) and she doesn't speak English. And yes, almost the majority of them don't speak English considering it's an international airport. I was kinda expecting her to be at least be polite or genial or courteous because she's a frontline staff. But good thing that there was another male staff was kind enough (he spoke English) to help me out and even shared his wifi (since they don't have free wifi at the airport) because I need to communicate and he showed me directions like the mobile sellers and PCR testing.

[@imlost6050]

My family comes from St Petersburg. The fact that you say a down side to coming, is "the service" means you're literally just lazy and too used to being treated like a child xaxaxax

[@RussianMermaid]

I`m russian but I`ve never been to St Petersburg.... I dream to visit it! I think that the problem with the range of prices is normal for all the places that are especially attractive for tourists, who are always treated as clients, who are not going to count money and who do not know the real prices, that`s why they can accidentally spend more.

[@dreamthedream8929]

Dream to visit it? What does that mean exactly? Why dont you just go? Take that train!

[@RussianMermaid]

@@dreamthedream8929 it is in 1700 km from me - not so far for Russia, but it`s about two days by train.

[@dreamthedream8929]

@@RussianMermaid yes thats far. St petersburg is so far west in Russia. But its a beautiful city. Worth going to. Interesting how one of the youngest Russian cities is also its second largest! Many cities in the USA are older than St petersburg such as Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia and New York. Actually many younger cities are also some of the largest in the world while many older cities are rather small. Some cities can grow very quickly in size and population over time.

[@RussianMermaid]

​@@dreamthedream8929 thank you for your advice! I hope I`ll visit this city soon! It`s the real problem of Russia - when you are a citizen of this country, there are so many interesting places all around, that you can visit without a visa or any other problems with documents, but most of them are so far away... I also dream to visit Murmansk and Novosibirsk, but both these cities are at about 3000-3400 km from my city....

[@BillGreenAZ]

What about the food? What do you love about the food that is available there?

[@chriswilliams6568]

Bill Green Russian cuisine is not world renowned.

[@loris7964]

Thought about going solo no big tour group but independent tours is that possible like in other countries

[@woltersworld]

yes it is

[@loris7964]

This was for Russia I've traveled solo for the last 5 years

[@loris7964]

@@woltersworld thanks missed reply my lemon tree thrones were attacking while I tried to trim Need any Meyer lemons

[@ianharris3502]

It is sad to think that an American, I may never get to visit this country at this point

[@ronweasley7463]

"Visit Russia before Russia visit you." 1968

[@alex7715]

Do you plan on visiting any non-European countries? I recommend Morocco, Lebanon, and Iran.

[@woltersworld]

We have dozens of videos from Central and South America, China, Japan, and we just returned from Morocco a couple weeks ago so videos from there.

[@alex7715]

Wolters World I must have missed that! Thanks for informing me. I’ll be sure to watch them! Also, I am sure you would enjoy Lebanon as a tourist. Rich history and good food!

[@CoronaTheVirus]

Amazing Russian city

[@c32amgftw]

The line free for all is so freaking annoying in Russia.

[@nickosparkol]

I was born here and I live here. Saint Petersburg is not really safety?))))) I just came back from Ecuador and Columbia. Bogota is much more dangerous than St Petersburg, policemen every 50 meters and it's still dangerous to walk in Bogota. Guayaquil, Ecuador - we were asked not to catch taxi on the streets. So my city - St Petersburg is very safe.

[@mikeylejan8849]

Is Russia worth the trip ?

[@n.ff.]

How safe is it for tourists?

[@dmunseen7]

Like in any other big tourist city: Barcelona or Paris, for instance. Pay attention to your belongings, pickpocketing really happens. As for personal safety, it is quite secure. Crime rate in Russia is on the same level as in France or in Ireland, and St. Petersburg is one of the safest regions here.

[@dreamthedream8929]

@@dmunseen7 like in any other big touristy city? Are you sure? Would this include Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka?

[@terra5491]

@@dreamthedream8929 Dont compare Asia and Europe and Noth America please. They are absolutley different. The other day I watched the video filmed by a Korean guy who complained that his purse and phone were stolen in th UK. Well, I felt very safe living in Korea. But Europe is quite the same.

[@chriswilliams6568]

If you are from the USA it feels safer than there. Just do not break any laws.

[@oona60]

so i may get hate for this, but i really wanna know. are russians there islamophobic? like i just wanna know. thank you :)

[@dmunseen7]

No more than in almost any European country. Russia is mostly Christian country, of course, but there are around 10 millions of native people follow Islam in Russia; islamophoby is not really a major issue here.

[@PaulV.]

Confirm the person above. Just respect the local laws and tradition and everything will be ok. One thing to understand contrary to popular stereotype Russians are not islamofobic or racist they just dont give a sht about political correctness. If they are not liking the person actions or attitude they say it to that person directly or even swiftly act not worrying about his religion, skin color or nationality.

[@MajorMlgNoob]

@@dmunseen7 how many are in the states in the south like Chechnya tho?

[@dmunseen7]

@@MajorMlgNoob Chechnya and Ingushetia are almost totally islamic (sunni) region, so obviously no islamophobia there. Dagestan has some tensions but mostly ethnic not religious. Karachaevo-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria (both primaly islamic) have similar diversity but are more peaceful. North Ossetia is christian region, but never heard of noticeable islamophobia there. Really major issue for visitors in the Caucasus may be scarcity of tourist infrastructure, in some regions security issues and in some islamic regions homophobia.

[@dmunseen7]

@@MajorMlgNoob speaking of numbers, indeed, major part of islamic population lives in the Caucasus. I guess around a half of them. But there are many muslims in Volga region (mostly Tatarstan and Bashkiria) and in the rest of Russia muslims are presented as minority in many regions.

[@MrRobfullarton]

the 10,0000 things you cant do and the 40 thing you can do, or the 500 things you wont enjoy and the 5 things you will!! Ha ha!! Have been dying to go to Russia for years, but everytime i hear this stuff it just does not sound like a place geared up for tourists!

[@MrRobfullarton]

OR A PLACE where you can be comfortable, sounds like a nervous breakdown...waiting to happen

[@MrRQBQ]

Is it worth putting up with all the hassle and bureaucracy in order to experience the art and culture of St Petersburg? For me, I'm afraid not.

[@chriswilliams6568]

Aled we had 2 days from a cruise, what hassle, what beaurocracy. We just gave our passport numbers to the Tour company et voila! All set. No visa needed if the Tour company for one or 2 days gets a blanket one for you. Alternatively if you do a ten day Russian river cruise, then you do need a visa if you are from the USA or Canada, about $400 and a hassle.

[@theItalianshamrock]

Can you make a video on carnival in Brazil?

[@chrisoberg6888]

I really want to visit Russia one day but I’m concerned about racism. I’m sure it’s not an issue in big cities like Moscow or St. Petersburg but I’d also like to see the more rural areas.

[@babyinuyasha]

They hate gay people so I'm sure they're not very fond of non whites either

[@user-lw9dm4yd2e]

Moscow and St.P are Toronto like safe and multiethnic. Neonazi gangs are more like things of the past, race based crimes are very rare these days so welcome;)

[@chrisoberg6888]

Yeah seems sketch either way

[@user-lw9dm4yd2e]

+Chris Oberg don't listen to this person there are a lot of Russia haters in Eastern Europe, there are a lot of safety related reviews by Western Travelers and almost all of them are positive, hate crimes were a lot more common 10-20 years ago but even then it was not much more dangerous for a black traveller than for some avg. Russian. Now it's safe. As far as gay propaganda I doubt a single gay traveller was detained unless they participated in a mass protest. Don't listen to some comments that's obviously biased.

[@Tatiana_Palii]

@@babyinuyasha are you mad or something? It's no where near as bad as you're describing here, I wonder where you get your information from (unless you're talking about Chechnya, where no one would ever want to go to anyway). I really wonder, 'cause I'm LGBT and Russian, and I haven't heard such nonsense in my life.

[@chrisboyle7994]

Is there a 5 love and hate video about Moscow?

[@woltersworld]

Sadly i dont :( i have russia in general and st petersburg

[@adelarsen9776]

I watch the Real Russia channel.

[@trojanette8345]

2 Q's: Did you ever encounter any random acts of (blatent) hatred or anti-American sentiment? I have heard of Americans especially having some really nasty encounters with the locals. 2nd Q -- where is the cafeteria style restaurant you and your wife went to at time marker 7:50?

[@Tatiana_Palii]

I'm Russian, and, as far as I know, those people who are likely to show some hatered towards the Americans are certainly not likely to spot the difference between an American and someone from somewhere else in the world. It might be a bad idea to wear a T-shirt saying that you're American in some places, but otherwise you should be fine.

[@DarthCookieKS]

I want to go to Russia and play Soviet music on full blast! HAHAHAHAHA

[@alinagromova1618]

oh no bro....just no....

[@TheDandelionblush]

One thing I do just have to mention and I know it’s more political so I understand why Mark wouldn’t go into it but Russia is an incredibly traditional place which means they are racist and homophobic on accounts I just wanna make any travellers aware

[@LouisHansell]

@1:32...It is not just Russia that lacks the civility of a line culture. Europeans are completely ignorant of line ettiquete. Go to Tivoli in peaceful Copenhagen, watch the actions in the line for the rides. You have to have Gordie-Howe-elbows or else you will be toast. McDonalds has done a very good job exporting line culture to the rest of the world. There was a good book, apparently out of print now, titled "Under the Golden Arches", which has eight or so essays, written by natives of different countries about how MCD changed cultural mores in different countries around the world. Russians tend to distrust a stranger who smiles (!). MCD taught their employees to deliver service with a smile, and Russians came to understand that the employee wasn't smiling because they had cheated them.

[@christophmunch4796]

Most intriguing for a man coming to St. Petersburg are of course the MASSES of BEAUTIFUL and HOT women there! And often, they even look friendly towards you, not bitchy like elsewhere... But I understand that you could not include this point because you would get problems with your wife :-D

[@chriswilliams6568]

Christoph Münch they are friendly because they want to marry a westerner and get out.

[@HellgaProtiv]

@@chriswilliams6568 more sexist comments about Russian women, please * rolled eyes *

[@chriswilliams6568]

Hellga Protiv tis true and not sexist.

[@miami3234]

Seriously lose the ponytail

[@nadezhdakhvostenko7155]

Another bad thing in Russia are the roads; they are bad if you go anywhere other than Moscow and Saint Petersburg, but Russia does have a lot to show. (If you want to see real Russia go to smaller towns, but if you do do that know some Russian)

[@beafoxxylady]

I will visit Russia :)

[@babyinuyasha]

Don't. They're intolerant homophobes.

[@beafoxxylady]

@@babyinuyasha says who?

[@QWERTYOP80]

bea foxxylady Says their actual laws.

[@beafoxxylady]

@@QWERTYOP80 so?

[@steventtt]

@@babyinuyasha Like it's something bad

[@Kruse1]

Bad service, nothing to do with you being American?

[@MajorMlgNoob]

American service is insanely good compared to the rest of the world (well maybe not Japan) so probably lol Obviously this is due to tipping being the main portion of the servers wage

[@szymonzielinski7160]

Saint Petersburg is younger than New York.

[@babyinuyasha]

Saint Petersburg is a super old city. It's been around since the Russian Empire

[@szymonzielinski7160]

Barley 300 years. A very young city in the Baroque style. In Russia, you probably don't have too many "old" cities. I'd like to see it sometime in June.

[@ForOne814]

@@szymonzielinski7160 on the contrary, Russia has a lot of very old cities. They just didn't retain the original architecture for a variety of reasons. Moscow, Novgorod, Kazan, etc. So yeah, in that sense they aren't old at all.

[@szymonzielinski7160]

@@ForOne814 I am glad that you understood my intention. I perfectly know the reasons: old wooden construction, the tactics of "burned soil", communists destroying buildings, etc. In Poland, Russia is portrayed as a country of contrasts. A country of extreme things.

[@dreamthedream8929]

@@szymonzielinski7160 yes it is a young city for Russia founded by Peter the Great who lived at that time. Many cities in the USA were also founded at the beginning of the 18th century such as New Orleans. That is plenty of time for cities to grow large and populated. Other cities in Russia are older than that.

[@nadiiagoncharenko4305]

Real , is your 1st video where I should say- OMG what a bad video... Service??? After Austria and Germany really??? You are kidding me After Vatican - lines in Museums??? Really? Safety in big citys- what a news! Visa? O,man. It's same,as for many who needs visa to EU or USA. I would we, Russian is even easy. Welcome to another side And there is everything ok with English language and there will be always someone who I'm help you with. OMG...im disappointed Ps no. I'm not Russian

[@SherriLyle80s]

I heard also all the stray dogs are an issue. I would go broke trying to save them all and fly them back to the US 😂

[@bluejay7232]

Where'd you get that? Was there recently and didn't see a single stray dog. Was there for a week. Who said that about stray dogs? #Weird

[@lyudmilaaksan2232]

I am sorry , maybe some architecture and churches are beautiful but this country needs to go through many changes before I'd consider visiting it again.

[@lyudmilaaksan2232]

@@nyantsuki1061 Imperka.

[@lyudmilaaksan2232]

@@nyantsuki1061 Interesting, what infuriated you so much? Did I influenced you in any way to stop visiting Russia? I spoke only of my own intentions. Had lived there for years, I know what I am speaking of.

[@nyantsuki1061]

Lyudmila Aksan Any kind of changes that you speak of are non of your concern. If you VISIT this country then you visit it because of its culture or traditions or beautiful places or theatres or architecture. So no need of speaking about changes! You don’t live there, so make concerns about YOUR OWN country you live in (which I am sure has its mountains of problems itself!!!). If you go to a country to live there for a longer period of time then stick to this country’s way of living and don’t try putting your priorities on it. Respect the way the country works. If it does not work for you then just LEAVE and don’t come back. No need to complain about it on social media if you are ignorant about something!

[@lyudmilaaksan2232]

@@nyantsuki1061 I will do what I want, say what I want. And you can scream about it or stomp your feet, that would not change anything. Happy traveling! 🙂

[@nyantsuki1061]

Lyudmila Aksan Someone as ignorant and stupid as you will never be able to give a plausible opinion or arguments. So stick to your negativity. I don’t care what you want, because I don’t want people like you travel to one of the most interesting countries ever!

[@basilmanolakos4926]

The way things have become it is not recommended for foreign visitors at this time to travel to Russia. Putin has poisoned the atmosphere with his unvarnished hatred via his invasion of Ukraine and there have been some fairly recent incidents in which some Americans have actually been jailed in Russia. True, it's a place of interests but the political situation and astringent visa requirements have made the land inaccessible to many.

[@QWERTYOP80]

Can’t say I’d go to Russia atm given how their government is acting on the world stage. I suppose that opens up the whole question of “ethical” travel. Perhaps an idea for a future video!

[@Claralundqvist]

QWERTYOP80 Where are you from?

[@jimmyj1969]

Given most western states "acting on world stage", I shouldn't travel anywhere in Europe! politics is not a reason to avoid traveling in a country! (I' m not Russian, I' m Greek - just in case you wonder)

[@davidconte128]

I am sorry but I’m pretty sure some of your advice does not apply to travelers of color, I have heard some pretty harsh stories about racist incidents in Russia!

[@babyinuyasha]

I mean they can't stand LGBT people so I can't imagine they like non whites any more than them

[@HellgaProtiv]

I have heard some pretty harsh stories about racist incidents in USA

[@Tvaleriya]

you wont miss a thing if you don't visit russia. trust me, i know. even as a russian speaker our time there was awful. Wolter is a real champ for looking at the bright side and accepting all the crap as a "cultural difference".

[@Area51AlphaZulu]

The 6th thing you're not going to like about Russia are the people.

[@babyinuyasha]

Especially because they made being LGBT illegal

[@jimmyj1969]

People there are friendly and helpful (even though they don't speak foreign languages)