What are the advantages of having a private guide in Saint-Petersburg?

• Your safety – your guide knows what can be difficult for a foreigner here and will be responsible for your safety. They will never take you to a place that is not suitable for you or your children. I see my main task as making your stay in our wonderful city comfortable, interesting and safe. Working directly with me, not via an agency, you will save time and money while also having the best expertise.
• Having a translator everywhere– your guide is always with you no matter whether you are going to a museum or shopping. So you can visit places not only in the centre but also in the suburbs with complete confidence.
• The individual program – you will be offered a personally arranged program in which all your preferences will be included. Thanks to my experience I can offer you the best options of what to see here. During the high season queues are endless in most of the museums here. This is my job to obtain your tickets in advance, being in Saint-Petersburg I want you to only get pleasure from your visit.
• The evening program – as your guide is always with you, you can safely spend the evening anywhere in the city, you can visit places not only for tourists but for ordinary Russians. It can be really interesting and exciting! If you do not know where to spend the evening alone or with your family, my advice could be very helpful. There are very many cafes and restaurants, night clubs and bars, cinemas and entertainment centers here. I will be happy to find the best place for you to have lunch or dinner. With a guide you will be guaranteed to be taken only to places that offer only the best food.
• Information – you will not have to study guidebooks for information or itinerary, they usually write one and the same things. I will be happy to tell you everything I know about the places you are going to visit. Besides you will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive a detailed answer.
• If your children are with you in museums they are usually bored among adults. It is difficult to arrange a program in a way that is of interest to them. I have 2 daughters of 11 and 3 and realize travelling with children is not an easy thing for parents. I will always do my best to make my tours exciting not only for you but also for your children.
• Other services – a personal guide does not only run tours. I believe in professionalism and cooperation that is why in my work I have been using the many contacts I collected over the years. I can help you with accommodation, transportation, transfers to and from the airport or railway station and many other things.

To have all these advantages you will have only to apply for a visa to get to Russia and there are 2 possible options:

1. Using a company to get your visa is the simplest and least stressful option, as they collect the correct information and check it for you before sending it to the consulate, this can be done on line and if there are any problems they will contact you about correcting these. Remember you can only apply for your visa 3 months in advance; it can take 3-4 weeks to process. You can pay more money and have your visa processed in 6 working days if you are short of time. This option, of course, is quite expensive, but everything is done for you and your visa and passport are returned to you by recorded delivery. Applying on line with Real Russia (www.realrussia.com) is quite easy and you can e-mail them if you have a problem. They also give you a tracker number so you can see at what stage your visa is at and when it should be returned to you. Applying for a visa seems a daunting task but if you use a specialist visa company it makes the process much easier and it is not as difficult as it first appears. You do need to list the countries you have visited in the last 10 years on the application form, so find these in advance. When using a company to get your visa they will also supply the letter of invitation that is a requirement for your visa.
2. You can get the visa yourself, but you need to go to the consulate in person, so this incurs costs of travel and accommodation if you do not live near the consulate as you have to take the application one day and collect it the next day and there is always the worry that the information you supply may not be correct.

Remember! A Russian visa gives you the possibility to experience Saint-Petersburg on your own. This way you will be able to sit in cafes watching the people around you or walk along Nevsky Avenue. This is often important for many tourists. You will be able to spend as much time as you need or want at each place that you liked the look of. You will also have FREEDOM here to observe Russian life.