Man, Russia wasn't cheap like I kinda hoped, especially when you wanna see all those big-shot monuments in Moscow and Saint Pete. Tickets piled up fast! Here's how it went down for me, the dumb stuff I did first and the smarter moves I figured out later, so you can keep some cold hard cash in your pocket.
The Initial Plan (And the Price Tag Shock)
Right, so I booked my flights kinda last-minute last summer. Big mistake number one. Those flight prices? Ouch. Landed at Sheremetyevo feeling pumped, got a taxi to my hotel near Red Square... pricey again. That first night, just looking at the Kremlin walls, the price tag slapped me.
Day one: Kremlin tour and Armoury. Tickets booked online beforehand, good, but still expensive AF. Lunch near Red Square? Yeah, tourist trap prices. Dinner? Same story. Felt like my wallet was getting lighter by the hour just breathing the air.
Took the high-speed train "Sapsan" to Saint Petersburg. Booked it only a week before. Waaaay more expensive than I thought it would be. More ouch.
Facing Reality and Starting to Adjust
Staying near Nevsky Prospekt in Saint Petersburg seemed smart for accessing stuff. Nope. Hotel costs were killing me. Started looking for alternatives quick.
Visited the Hermitage. Amazing place, massive, overwhelming. Standard ticket price is steep. Then I saw a sign... student discounts! Even older students get cheaper tickets if you ask (need ID). Why didn't I know this sooner?
Ate at a fancy place near Peterhof. Regretted that bill immediately. Decided: gotta find local spots, away from the main drags. Started looking for places full of locals, way cheaper and honestly often better food.
The Money-Saving Game Changers
Finally got wise to a few things that seriously cut costs:
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- Accommodation Switch-up: Ditched the hotel near Nevsky Prospekt. Found a small, clean hostel closer to the Hermitage, not fancy but literally 1/3 the price. Looked into budget hotels further out and even Airbnbs (shared flat ones) which were a massive saving.
- Transport Savvy: Taxis? Forget it, mostly. Mastered the Saint Petersburg Metro – cheap, fast, beautiful stations! In Moscow too. Bought a "Troika" card and loaded it up – unlimited rides for days is pennies compared to single fares.
- City Tourist Cards (Kinda): Looked into those city cards offering free entry to multiple sites. Did the math. For my specific monument-heavy plan? Wasn't worth it. You really gotta visit like, everything included, fast, to break even. For specific major sights, book online directly in advance, saves time & sometimes a tiny bit.
- Eating Like a Local (Almost): Ditched the scenic squares for meals. Found "stolovayas" (canteens) – proper Russian cafeteria style. Filling, cheap as chips, super authentic. Hit up local markets for snacks, bakeries for breakfast. Saved a fortune.
- Train Tickets: Plan Ahead! For getting back to Moscow? Learned my lesson. Booked the train on the RZD official website weeks early. Night train even cheaper than the Sapsan, and saved a night's accommodation! Score.
The End Result
Started out basically hemorrhaging money like a fool. By the end, after ditching the stupid expensive hotels, using the metro religiously, eating smarter, booking train tickets way ahead, and asking for those sneaky student rates? Slashed my costs big time. Still spent more than a trip to, say, Thailand obviously, but the difference between my first week panic and my second week chill was huge. You can do the big monuments without being totally broke, but you gotta plan smarter than I did at first!
