In St. Petersburg, as throughout Russia, there is a right-hand traffic. Traffic signs are used in accordance with international traffic regulations.

Where and how can to park a car?

That’s probably the main question exciting for motorists in a foreign country. The main rule that can be distinguished is, if not prohibited, then it is allowed. It is forbidden to park the car within the limits of the signs:

Also on sidewalks, lawns, driveways to the local area, five meters from the pedestrian crossing and the intersection.

This means that you can park the car on the right side of the strip along the curb, if the other parking method is not indicated by a sign and there are no prohibition signs.

Parkings along the road or near organizations may also be indicated by this sign specifying exactly how to position the car (along, across, diagonally, etc.). These parking lots are free.

There are also paid parking places on the street or in the building. They are indicated by this sign. In this case, you will find a parking machine nearby where you can pay for the required parking time or through the site. Carefully check the correctness of the indicated registration numbers and the number of parking hours! The cost of one hour varies from 60 to 300 rubles, depending on whether it is municipal parking or private.

Are there toll roads in the city?

Yes, one, it’s called Western Speed ​​Diameter. It is indicated by three letters ЗСД (ZSD) on the maps and is intended for the fastest passage from the northern part of the city to the southern and vice versa along the coast of the Gulf of Finland.

Traveling by car or motorcycle on it will cost about 200-300 rubles. This is an alternative way of getting around the central part of the city, so if you use a navigator, just enable the “avoid toll roads” function.

However, I would advise you to drive along it too, since the road passes through modern cable-stayed bridges over the mouth of the Neva River, past the Zenith Stadium and the Lakhta Center high-rise tower and offers wonderful views of the Gulf of Finland.

Which navigator to use?

The best option is a Russian application for smartphones or the Yandex.maps website, since on most international maps the detail and relevance of information is much inferior.

If you are not from an English-speaking country, so that the maps and interface are displayed in English, change the phone language in the settings to English before downloading.

In the application, you can lay the optimal route taking into account traffic jams, overlappings, one-way traffic, etc. In addition, the application is also useful for walking around the city and using public transport. Switch between car, pedestrian and public transport.

In addition to Yandex.maps, also use Yandex.taxi and Yandex.metro if you left a car near the hotel and inspect the city yourself.

Gas stations

The most popular of them are ЛУКОЙЛ (LUKOIL), Газпромнефть (Gazpromneft), Роснефть (Rosneft), Shell, Neste. They are indicated by a road sign:

At most gas stations, you must first insert the gun with the necessary fuel into the tank, remember the column number, and then go pay at the checkout, saying the column number and the number of liters. In some cases, payment is made through the machine. The nearest gas stations can also be found in the navigator application.

As for car services and car washes, there are a huge number of them and it’s pointless to recommend any specific ones. From personal experience I know that in a foreign country it is still better to rely on official dealers of one or another brand.

In St. Petersburg, majority of the most famous and popular brands of German, American, French, Korean, Japanese, Italian and other car manufacturers are represented.

If you want to learn more about other means of transportation in Saint Petersburg, visit this page. Have a safe and exciting stay in Russia!