Russia is huge, and sometimes getting from one city to another can be problematic. In some cases, more budget options mean the opportunity to spend more than a day on the trip. Fortunately, there are several vehicles for the direction St. Petersburg - Saratov.
Airplane: fast and expensive
The fastest (and at the same time the most expensive) way to get to Saratov from the cultural capital of Russia is by plane. The journey will take you only two hours, which is no time at all with such a huge distance, and no transfers are needed.
However, not everyone can afford such a fast travel. Prices for the St. Petersburg-Saratov plane start at 8,600 Russian rubles and go up to 30,000.
Train: Comfort Option
A more affordable option for traveling from Saratov to St. Petersburg is the train. Prices here are much lower: the most expensive ticket will cost you 5,000 rubles. However, it is quite possible to find a ticket for a lower price - 1900 rubles.
However, be prepared to spend more than a day on the road: the trainand direct, but on the road is 24 hours and 35 minutes. So stock up on provisions and magazines, the road will be long. You can also take a train ticket to Astrakhan, which stops in Saratov. Ticket prices will be about the same.
Train route
However, on its way the vehicle makes stops in other large cities of Russia. The route of the train "Saratov - St. Petersburg" passes through Ryazan, Tambov and Michurinsk. At these stations, the train makes quite long stops.
For example, a train arrives in Ryazan after 12 hours of travel and stops there for 34 minutes. The next big break of 40 minutes will be in four hours (or 16 hours of travel) at the Michurinsk station. And then you have to wait another 4 hours to the station "Rtishchevo-1", where the parking will be 51 minutes.
Besides, the train passes through the stations "Bogoyavlensk", "Platonovka", "Tamala", "Atkarsk" and others. Only now it will not work to get on the platform during these stops: their duration does not exceed five minutes.
Given the total duration of the journey, there are few stops. In some routes, the travel time increases significantly due to the large number of stops. In addition, there will be an opportunity to go out, run into the store at the station and get some fresh air.
Bus: how to save on a ticket
Another option is to take the bus. Howeverit won't suit everyone. The total travel time is 31 hours. Agree, not the shortest trip. In this case, you will have to make a stop in Moscow.
The general route looks like this: you choose the bus "St. Petersburg - Moscow", and then change to "Moscow - Saratov". However, you should plan your trip carefully. Most likely, you will have to spend several hours enjoying the views of the capital.
The cost of tickets in general will be about 3,000 rubles. The popular bus carrier Busfor offers tickets from St. Petersburg to Moscow from 1000 rubles. And you can get from the capital to Saratov for an amount from 1300 to 1900 rubles.
There are much fewer stops in the case of the bus than in the case of the train. And there will not always be time to get out of the vehicle. This should be taken into account, as the total duration of the trip will be more than a day.
Car: options for every taste
To get from St. Petersburg to Saratov by car is also quite an acceptable option. Moreover, compared to the train, you will spend less time on the road: about 22 hours.
The best option is to get to Moscow, and from there straight to Saratov. The cost of such a trip will be from 5500 to 8500 Russian rubles. At the same time, the amount includes only fuel costs, since car rental (if necessary) is paid separately.
The cost of rent depends on the class of car and the selected company. To summarize, the cheapesta car will cost you 1000-2000 Russian rubles per day. Renting a premium car will cost about 3,500 rubles. Therefore, this option is only suitable for those who are planning a short trip from one city to another.
You can also use the popular Bla Bla Car service. Using this resource, you can find a person who travels from St. Petersburg to Saratov on a specified date (or travels along a similar route). To justify the expense of the trip, some drivers prefer to look for fellow travelers and take money from them. Prices are often lower than for buses, the opportunity to save money, but not to lose comfort is very attractive. For example, a trip from St. Petersburg to Saratov will cost from 2,000 to 2,600 rubles. It's noticeably cheaper.
As you can see, there are really a lot of options to get to St. Petersburg from Saratov. You can choose exactly the one that suits you both in terms of the amount of money spent and the time. If we consider the most budget options, it is recommended to stop by train - spend more time, but the trip will be comfortable. At least you won't have to sit all the way and look out the window.
