See also BOAT EXCURSIONS, TOURS SAINT PETERSBURG

Literally hundreds of firms now compete to provide services to the visitors in St. Petersburg. These are listed under TOURS SAINT PETERSBURG.

These firms specialize in tours of St. Petersburg and the surrounding areas. They often offer tours to the rest of Russia also.

Russian citizens wishing to travel abroad need to have a special "foreign passport" (Zagranpassport), a holdover from the Tsarist period, when citizens had to recieve "official permission" to travel abroad. This is usually granted quickly if the applicant has not worked in a defense or a related secret industry.

"Tours" usually means in a group. "Travel" means customized tours for individuals.

“Reception of tourists” means that the travel agency provides travel services to visitors arriving in St. Pbg such as pick-up at airports, arrangement of accommodations, tour programs and cultural events, guide-interpreters, etc.