You can buy almost anything in St. Petersburg now. The only considerations are higher prices than in the West and the time involved to find what you're looking for. So, save time and money, and be sure to have essential things. Consider bringing the following items (listed in order of priority) not only to Russia, but on most trips.
Note: Once hardship post, now travellers with time and money can get almost anything they need from triple-A batteries and 1000 ASA Kodak file to contact lenses and surround sound audio systems.
| Usefulness. | | Availability in St. Petersburg. |
| ### | Essential for travelling anywhere in Russia | ??? | Denotes difficult to find |
| ## | Very Useful | ?? | Denotes not readily available |
| # | Nice to have | ? | Denotes easy to get |
Basic Travel Kit of the World Traveler
| Usefulness | Items | Availability |
|---|
| ### | Extra pair glasses, contacts lenses | ? |
| ### | Extra hearing aids | ??? |
| ### | Extra prescriptions | ?? |
| ### | Photocopies of passport, visa, air
tickets, etc. (keep in two places) | ? |
| ### | Business cards (lots). | ? |
| ### | Swiss army knife with scissors and can opener | ?? |
| ### | Pocket halogen flashlight, extra AA batteries and bulbs | ?? |
| ### | Toilet paper in a descreet bag | ? |
| ### | 15 ft of 1/8 inch nylon cord (many uses) | |
| ### | Standard first aid items: antibiotic cream, cortisone cream, fungal cream or powder, band aids, moleskin for blisters, pseudo-ephedrine, antihistamine, aspirin, Dramamine, thermometer, small needle, tweezers, Pepto-Bismol, alcohol wipes. | ?? |
| # | Address-phone book | |
Especially for St Petersburg and Russia
These are in addition to the regular items you pack for a trip.
| Usefulness | Item | Availability |
|---|
| # | The good small yellow Pocket Langenscheit | ??? |
| # | All prescription medicines and
prescription | ?? |
| # | Medicine for Giardia Lamblia (Consult with your doctor before you leave), and an antibiotic for bacterial dysentery | ?? |
| # | Small packages of Kleenex and
pre-moistened witch hazel packets. | ? |
| # | Special batteries for cameras, hearing aid and watches | ?? |
| # | Contraceptives/condoms | ? |
| # | Sanitary napkins | ? |
| # | 2% iodine water tablets (Potable
Aqua, Globulin) | |
| # | All special film in x-ray proof bag (Regular film is now widely available) | ??? |
| # | The Traveller's Yellow Pages | ? |
| # | The Traveller's Yellow Pages Map for St. Petersburg | ? |
| # | Other travel guides in English | ? |
Nice to Have
| Usefulness | Item | Availability |
|---|
| ### | Umbrella that opens automatically | ? |
| ## | Transformer (if needed) | ?? |
| ## | Small multi-voltage hair dryer | ? |
| ## | Decaffeinated Coffee, Tea | ? |
| ## | 2 liter plastic water bottle | ?? |
| ## | Laundry soap | ? |
| ## | 15 ft of light line and clothes pins | |
| ## | Sunscreen, lip salve, sunglasses | ?? |
| ## | Mosquito repellent in summer | ?? |
| ## | Foldable nylon string shopping bags | ?? |
| # | Little thin calculator (for exchange rates) | ? |
| # | Thermos, insulated mug, spoon & knife | ??? |
| # | Walkman radio/tape with tapes and batteries, blank cassette tapes, small short wave radio | ?? |
| # | Small binoculars | ?? |
A Must on the Train
| Usefulness | Item | Availability |
|---|
| ### | Nylon cord (3 ft) and a cork or c-cell battery to lock the door | ? |
| ## | Soap | ? |
| ## | Towels | ? |
| ## | Toilet paper | ? |
|
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