Getting to Peterhof Palace

Peterhof Palace isn't in the center of St Petersburg. So how do you get there? Good question. There are actually quite a few options: bus, train, taxi, boat. The train and bus take the longest amount of time, so I wouldn't recommend doing that. There are also a couple of changes when taking a bus, so it could get confusing. The most popular way to get there is by hydrofoil. This is a high speed boat that takes just 45 minutes to get to and from the palace, and it docks just outside of the Hermitage in the city centre. It's also the most expensive

Surprisingly, a taxi ride costs the same amount as the hydrofoil, and takes the same amount of time. We chose to take a taxi on the way there, so we weren't tied down to the boat times. Make sure you download one of the apps that are similar to Uber, rather than jumping in a random taxi on the street, so you know how much you will be paying up front. On the way back we went by hydrofoil, which is located at the bottom end of the lower gardens. It's very comfortable and all of the seating is inside, which was ideal because it was raining a lot when we went! There is a ticket office just in front of the docks, or you can purchase your ticket online which makes it a tiny bit cheaper.

Traveling by hydrofoil also gives you some incredible views of St Petersburg itself as you approach the dock in front of the Hermitage. If you don't have time to take one of the hundreds of river cruises on offer, then at least you'll be able to see some of the route via the hydrofoil!.