How to get to Pskov

To the north of Pskov are the Leningrad region and St. Petersburg, to the west are Estonia and Latvia, and to the south is Belarus. The city itself is one of the oldest in Russia, though small by modern standards. However, in 2019, UNESCO included 10 of the city's monuments in its World Heritage list. It's worth visiting to see the Mirozhsky Monastery, Pskov Kremlin, Pogankin Chambers, and to stroll along the river embankment. We'll tell you how to get to all this in the most convenient way for you.

By plane

You can fly to Pskov either by direct flight or with a layover. In the first case, the travel time will be only an hour and a half, which is, of course, very cool and fast. In the second case, everything depends on the transfer city: it could be Kaliningrad, Sochi, Mineralnye Vody.

Direct flights have very convenient departure times: 8:00 AM or 7:00 PM. The departure airport is Vnukovo. Prices are more than reasonable: you can find a ticket on Kupi.com without luggage for less than 4 000 rubles. Flights are operated by Azimuth Airlines on Sukhoi Superjet aircraft. to Pskov there are no direct flights; all are operated with a layover in Moscow.

Princess Olga Airport is located just 10 km from the city. The easiest way to get from the airport to the city is by bus: routes No. 4 and 132 will take you there in just about 10 minutes.

By train

Is it more convenient to depart from the city center than to travel for several hours to the outskirts, to the airport? We understand. That's why we're telling you how to get to Pskov by train. Moreover, a train ticket to Pskov will even be cheaper. The branded train departs from the capital's Leningradsky Station daily at 20:22 and spends just under 12 hours en route. So the plan is ideal: board the train in the evening, sleep through the night, and arrive at your final destination at 8 AM.

There is also another train, 063A, which departs from Belorussky Station on even-numbered dates. It travels much longer – almost 17 hours. If you are ready to spend that much time en route, you can find tickets for seating for just over one and a half thousand rubles. We remind you that RZD's pricing is dynamic: the earlier you buy, the cheaper it is.

But there's a faster way to get to Pskov by train – Kupi.com's smart route with a transfer in St. Petersburg. In 3 hours and 49 minutes, you reach the northern capital on a Sapsan train, then at Moskovsky Station, you dive into the metro, travel to Baltiyskaya station, and exit to Baltiysky Station, from where another Lastochka train takes you to Pskov in 3 hours and 26 minutes. In this case, the total travel time will be 9 hours and 36 minutes.

By bus

Every day, a bus departs 's Severnye Vorota (Northern Gates) station to Pskov. The travel time is 14 hours and 25 minutes. It departs at 8:00 PM and arrives at its final destination at 10:25 AM. Keep in mind that such a trip largely depends on road conditions, and if roadworks start somewhere, you'll have to sit in traffic jams.

However, residents of St. Petersburg can make a day trip to Pskov. Buses from the station on Obvodny Canal depart several times a day, starting from 6:30 AM. You will spend a minimum of 3.5 hours on the road. The cheapest tickets (from 690 rubles) can be found with the carrier SovAvto if booked several weeks in advance. Ecolines provides very comfortable buses. You can return on the evening of the same day – why not an option for a weekend trip?

By car

You can drive to Pskov via Veliky Novgorod, along the M-11, or via Velikiye Luki, along the M-9. In the first option, you need to drive 790 km, but there will be toll sections on the highway. In the second, the distance is 730 km. In both cases, the journey will take approximately 8.5 hours.

Of course, you can get to Pskov faster. The route along the Kiyevskoye Highway and then E-95 will be 310 km, which can be covered in 4.5 hours. The second option is to drive through the same Veliky Novgorod. The journey will take 5 hours, plus you'll have to pay for toll sections of the M-11 road. The third way is via Kingisepp and Gdov. The advantage of this route is that you can make a stop at Lake Peipus. The only toll section will be on the Western High-Speed Diameter (WHSD), and the travel time will still be 5 hours.

Whichever option you choose, the main thing is positive emotions from the trip!