St Petersburg Airport to the City Centre: Bus 39 and Metro Line 2 in About an Hour
- St Petersburg airport
- LED
- Pulkovo Airport
- transport in Russia
- Metro Line 2
Taxi fares in Moscow and St Petersburg have climbed steeply in recent years — almost double over the past three years — and a taxi taken straight from the airport is often more expensive than one at home. To get from Pulkovo Airport (LED) to the city centre cheaply and quickly, just follow the two steps below.
Step one: take bus 39 or 39A to Moskovskaya
Your target is Moskovskaya station (Московская) on the blue M2 metro line.
Getting out of the terminal
- International flights: leave the building and turn right for 52 m
- Domestic flights: leave the terminal and turn left for 52 m
Just pay the fare when you board.
Which of the two routes to take
| Route | Journey time | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Bus 39 | About 25 minutes to Moskovskaya | Stops at every stop; almost everyone on board gets off here |
| 39A express | About 20 minutes straight to the terminus | No stops in between |
The buses also have bilingual Russian-English display screens showing speed, route, time and the outside temperature, so you can follow it all without a word of Russian and always see your stop coming.
Landmark tip: when you pass Victory Square (with the victory monument in the middle), the next stop is Moskovskaya metro station (bus 39). The 39A express does not stop there and reaches the stop about 1–2 minutes later, depending on traffic.
Step two: change to metro Line 2
Once you get off, simply follow the crowd and you will walk straight into the metro station; the blue line takes about 15–20 minutes into the centre.
The whole trip, including the change, takes about 1 hour to reach the city centre.
Opening hours and fares
| Item | Hours |
|---|---|
| Bus 39 | Daily 05:15–01:41, every 5–7 minutes during the day |
| Bus 39E (express) | Daily 06:00–01:49, every 13–20 minutes |
| Metro | Daily 05:35–00:41 |
| Item | Fare |
|---|---|
| Bus | 88 roubles (about 7 yuan) |
| Metro | 95 roubles (about 8 yuan) |
How to pay
On the bus you can pay by Russian bank card (YooMoney included) or in cash, buying the ticket directly from the conductor.
It is worth breaking a 5,000-rouble note before you travel — the conductor may not have change, and locals almost always pay by card.
Practical tips
- There are luggage racks on board, so a suitcase is no problem.
- Check live bus times on 2GIS (the best map app in the Russian-speaking world); download it before you set off.
- Never take the unofficial taxis at the airport — it is a common problem at airports worldwide, and the price is far higher than the official one.
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