Winter in St Petersburg

Don't miss the Mariinsky Theatre for a performance by the Mariinsky Ballet (previously known as the Kirov). The whole experience is different to a night at an English theatre - from the wooden chairs in the auditorium and the rough treatment of balletomanes by the Babushkas, to the vodka-filled bar (reminiscent of a British roadside cafe!), this is a real experience. The displays of Russian ballet history are full of interesting photos and artefacts, but the explanatory texts are in Russian only.

Quick Tips:

Try to speak Russian, even if it's only "Hello" or "Do you speak English?" The Russians we met were always impressed even if only the basics of their language were attempted, and made more of an effort to speak English to us in return.

Best Way To Get Around:

The metro system is efficient, but can get so crowded during peak times that it is too claustrophobic. Walking gives you a far better knowledge of the city's layout, and it also means you might stumble across architectural finds or peculiar shops that you wouldn't see if you were underground!

This might sound strange advice, but I actually recommend staying in one of the old Soviet monolithic hotels if you're only in Russia for a short stay. They may be huge, noisy and spartan but they add to the experience - more so than the more western luxury hotels (although I recommend the SAS Radisson's piano bar on Nevsky Prospekt for its drinks, bar snacks and ambience!)

The Hotel St Petersburg is a typical Soviet-style hotel. It's classified as three-star, and has decent enough bathrooms in each room. However, our room had two single beds placed head to head which was slightly bizarre. We also had a window facing the extensive building work the hotel is currently undertaking.

The Carlsberg Bar on the ground floor of the hotel is, although basic, a good place to people watch - there are the usual Russian prostitutes in short skirts, padded coats and dour expressions loitering in the hope that they will attract the attention of lonely businessmen (surprisingly often, they do), locals downing spirits and chain smoking, and, during our visit, Belorussian lawyers on a delegation, trying to invite themselves into the bedrooms of any Western female visitors (we declined, but were given their business cards "in case you visit Minsk next time").

Russians staying at the hotel had a disturbing tendency to wander round the hotel and bar in comfy slipper, whatever the time of day.

So the hotel's not great on luxury or home comforts, but we still enjoyed the experience. You get to see a wider variety of people than at the five star hotels, although we were disappointed by the number of Brits complaining about the appearance of the hotel. You get what you pay for!

The Idiot is acquiring quite a reputation amongst the English as a cool place to go for drinks and supper in St Petersburg. It's a dark cellar, quite easy to miss from the street (like a lot of St Petersburg eateries), but it is quite cheap, informal and the staff are friendly. It's a bit labyrinthine, with different corners to sit in, so you can be as sociable or unsociable as you like. You get a free vodka when you come in, and the blinis and red caviar are a must. The food comes in generous portions, so don't over order.

The Idiot is known for being popular with expats, and there were a couple of British and Americans there when we went, but most people were Russian(including some Russian tourists in St Petersburg). It's one of the most relaxing places to eat in the city and well worth visiting.

The one thing that strikes you about visiting St Petersburg in winter is how dirty it can get as the snow melts away.

The cars (mainly Ladas, living up - or down- to the Russian stereotype) tend to be coated in mud and grime, to the extent that even the windscreens are black, except for a small gap to see out of. The streets can also get very dirty, as well as dangerous with ice and snow. As the snow melts from the canals and embankments, you can find yourself treading very carefully to avoid the sewage and rubbish that can accumulate.

Even in April, there are still snowfalls, so take lots of warm and waterproof clothing just in case.

However, visiting St Petersburg in winter gives you a different, less touristy picture of the city - don't let the above comments put you off!