Your quick travel guide to St.Petersburg

Car Rental in Saint Petersburg: exploring Russia’s cultural capital with a car

The former capital of the Russian Empire, Saint Petersburg today still offers visitors beautiful and grand architectural landscapes punctuated by the waterways of the Neva River delta. Saint Petersburg is an excellent city to visit to explore the phenomenal architecture and art of Western Civilization, as well as to get a real taste of modern-day Russian culture, parties, and food. Make the most of your visit by renting a car to explore Saint Petersburg’s surroundings as well! Book your rental car today.

Most tourists visit Saint Petersburg between April and October, when the weather is fairly good, and the days are long.

Russian is the main language, though denizens of this huge country speak over 100 dialects and other indigenous languages. Unlike the vast majority of Russians, some locals of Saint Petersburg will speak at least basic English. However, most road signs will be in Russian only, so learn the Cyrillic alphabet to some extent before you arrive.

Saint Petersburg is in the Moscow Time Zone, UTC+3.

The currency of Russia is the ruble. While large shops in Saint Petersburg will likely accept credit cards, restaurants and smaller stores will only accept cash. Take advantage of numerous ATMs throughout the city to keep some cash on hand.

Automobile hire is available in over 20 locations throughout Saint Petersburg, including Pulkovo International Airport (LED), Baltiysky and Ladozhsky railway stations, and downtown.

Visa Regulations

Citizens of around 30 countries, such as Brazil and Turkey, can visit Russia visa-free for a period of 14 to 90 days depending on their nationality. Citizens of all other countries, such as EU and North American countries, must apply for a visa at a Russian embassy or consulate before they arrive. To apply for a visa, you’ll need an invitation from a private or business entity in Russia in addition to your application. You can expect to pay an invitation fee, an application fee, and a visa fee. Within 7 days of your arrival, your host is responsible for registering you, which can be done at a post office.

Driving in Saint Petersburg

While Moscow is known for packed roads and terrible rush hours, Saint Petersburg is starting to compete with Russia’s capital city for stressful and long traffic jams. Make the most of your self-drive experience through Saint Petersburg by avoiding morning and evening rush hours and planning to book your car primarily for excursions outside of the city.

Right-Hand Driving

  • Traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road in Saint Petersburg, as throughout the rest of continental Europe.

Speed Limits

  • In the city: 20 to 60 km/h
  • On expressways: 110 km/h
  • On other roads: 90-110 km/h
  • If you have held your license for less than 2 years, do not exceed 70 km/h throughout your travels in Russia.

Other Regulations

  1. Parking is limited in downtown Saint Petersburg and illegal parking is heavily fined. Street parking is regulated by time and fee.
  2. To defend your driving behavior in any legal cases, video record all of your time on the road.
  3. If you get into an accident, don’t move your car until the police have sketched an accident plan and you have signed it.
  4. An international driver’s permit is recommended in addition to your valid driver’s license for your travels throughout Russia. A certified Russian translation of your license is also an excellent document to carry with you whenever driving.
  5. Numerous expressways are tolled near Saint Petersburg. Fees are payable by credit card at toll stations.
  6. While the minimum driving age in Russia is 18, you will have to be at least 21 years old with a full year’s driving experience to rent a car. Drivers under the age of 25 are likely to face young-driver surcharges.

Cheap Car Rental in Saint Petersburg

Automobile hire in Saint Petersburg typically starts at around $22 a day. Here are some of the best deals in Saint Petersburg:

  • Chevrolet Aveo or similar (economy class) – $26/day
  • Opel Astra or similar (compact class) – $27/day
  • Skoda Octavia or similar (intermediate class) – $33/day
  • Renault Duster or similar (standard class) – $48/day
  • Toyota Camry or similar (fullsize class) – $67/day

Note that prices vary depending on the availability of each specific car and the season in which you rent. For the most accurate offers, use the search bar above.

Tips for Renting a Car Inexpensively in Saint Petersburg

There is little seasonal variation in price for rental cars in Saint Petersburg. Instead, you can get the cheapest rental car prices by booking from a variety of local rental car agencies, located at both Pulkovo Airport and downtown, such as RentMotors at both locations and Eleks Polus primarily at the airport.

You can also save at least $2 a day by extending your rental period to over a week.

Keep an eye out for discounts of 10% to 11% that drive the prices down of companies such as Avis down to meet the prices of Eleks Polus.

Experience the top locations with car rental in St.Petersburg

St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport
Storlet Car Rental
7.0

All car rental in St.Petersburg

Discover the cheapest car rental in St.Petersburg

Cheap Car Rental in St.Petersburg Hyundai Solaris NEW
Hyundai Solaris NEW
5
2
4
A
From US$ 9.88 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in St.Petersburg Nissan Terrano
Nissan Terrano
5
1
5
A
From US$ 23.44 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in St.Petersburg Nissan Terrano
Nissan Terrano
5
1
5
A
From US$ 23.44 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in St.Petersburg Skoda Octavia
Skoda Octavia
5
2
5
A
From US$ 24.97 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in St.Petersburg Skoda Rapid
Skoda Rapid
5
2
5
A
From US$ 10.25 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in St.Petersburg V HYUNDAI H 1
V HYUNDAI H 1
9
3
A
From US$ 78.37 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in St.Petersburg Q VW TOUAREG
Q VW TOUAREG
5
1
A
From US$ 119.03 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in St.Petersburg Jaguar XE
Jaguar XE
5
1
4
A
From US$ 46.79 per day
*

* Disclaimer: Prices displayed may not reflect today's rates.

What our customers say

Car rental companies in St.Petersburg

We have prepared a shortlist of top rental companies in St.Petersburg. To save both time and money compare offers on EconomyBookings.com to find the best deal.

Storlet Car Rental
star
8.4 /6 reviews
Available in 3 locations
Time it took to drop your car off8.9
Cleanliness of the car8.6
Overall condition of the car8.3
Time it took to pick your car up7.2
Keddy by Europcar
star
5.7 /3 reviews
Available in 2 locations
Time it took to drop your car off8.0
Cleanliness of the car6.0
Overall condition of the car3.8
Time it took to pick your car up5.0
RentMotors
star
9.0 /2 reviews
Available in 2 locations
Time it took to drop your car off8.0
Cleanliness of the car9.7
Overall condition of the car9.0
Time it took to pick your car up8.7