Types of transport

Trams, as they generally travel on Petersburg's smaller side streets, are one of the most picturesque ways of moving around the city on those few occasions when one is squeezed next to a window that is not opaque with permafrost and/or mud. They are the slowest of all of St. Petersburg's public transport and the least reliable (when one breaks down it blocks the entire line, often for the rest of the day). Stops are marked by a sign with a Latin "T" on a white rectangular board hanging over the tracks which also states the tram numbers.

Presently, tram lines are being removed from several central streets and bridges, reportedly due to just recently noticed damage they have been doing to buildings for the past century. Palace Bridge (by the Winter Palace) was one of the first to lose this form of transportation.

Trolleys are electric buses and are recognizable by their arms reaching up to the power lines and the absence of clouds of noxious exhaust. Trolleys are generally the most frequent and usually the most crowded form of public transport (especially along Nevsky). Stops are marked by a large Cyrillic "T" () on a blue and white sign stating the line numbers. Occasionally the electric arms will fall off the power lines, stopping traffic and forcing the driver to run around the back and risk electrocution in order to get the trolley running again.

Buses are usually the Hungarian-made Icarus that are in use throughout the former East Bloc. Bus stops are marked by "A" (for avtobus) signs at the roadside on yellow boards also listing the line numbers.

There are a number of express buses* cruising around the city. These coach-type buses are denoted by the Latin letter "T" before the line number (for instance T-10 runs along most of the regular 10 bus route). They are more expensive and thus significantly less crowded than regular buses. Monthly passes and talony are no good on these; pay the driver a flat fare (six roubles) as you get off. They will stop more or less anywhere along their route for passengers to get on or off.

There are also mini-bus taxis** marshrutka that also run along regular routes in many districts but their numbers don't always correspond with the public transport routes they follow. Usually the route is posted on a board in the window of the vehicle. The fare, paid as you get off, is the same as that of express busses. That's pretty cheap and you get a far more comfortable and quicker ride than with public transport.