Saint Petersburg's Metro is the second largest underground railway system in Russia, second only to Moscow.

The subway is arguably the cheapest and most effective way to get around the city, and also a major tourist attraction in itself thanks to the beautiful decorations of the stations. Taking pictures was prohibited in the past, but recently this restriction has been removed.

The trains are fast and run frequently (during rush hours, intervals go as low as 30 seconds between trains). Since 2009, the metro costs 20 rubles per entry regardless of the distance.

Brass tokens (жетон – zheton) can be purchased from kiosks at station entrances and vending machines, and it's good to stock up in advance, since queues can be long and they occasionally even run out of tokens.

Metro maps can be found in every train car, often with station names in the Latin alphabet. Names on station walls, however, are in Cyrillic, so if you are unfamiliar with the language, it may make sense to "count the stops" to your destination or keep your ears open, the conductor will let you know what station you are on.

The Saint Petersburg metro can be unbelievably crowded during rush hour. One should avoid unnecessary journeys if not used to big crowds. Be aware of your belongings and don't be afraid to push when you arrive at your stop!