Velikiy Novgorod Transportation

You can day-trip from Saint Petersburg by bus on your own for $14 one-way for 3 1/2 hour ride one way leaving bus station at 7:30 am and return on 7:30 pm bus with plenty of time to see Novgorod city Kremlin, Yuriev Monastary, Museum of Wooden Architecture, and have dinner before returning.

Tricks:

1. This is Veliky Novgorod World Heritage site, not the big huge Nizhniy Novgorod further away from St. Petersburg.
2. Bus station is often referred to as "Coach" station in guides, which of course is not it's official name, so be prepared for blank stares when you ask where it is. Also, not on main maps of guide books because further out of town. No worry. Don't walk. Take two metro stops from Sennaya Ploschad on purple line and get off on Obvonovo Kanala in direction OPPOSITE of Komendantsky pr. I am not stating the direction in which it is because the number of stops in this direction is still being expanded and may not show up on guide maps.
3. You arrive in a new shopping mall building on Obvonovo Kanala. Exit heading toward Ligovsky Pr. and cross it continuing on Obvonovo Kanala. Stay on same side of canal you are on. Five minute walk. Bus Station is one block past Ligovsky Pr. on right. When I went in November, no need to buy bus tickets in advance. Don't know about in summer.
4. After you arrive in Novgorod, walk 5 minutes to center of town from bus station. walk straight down wide avenue in front of station, or ask for Kremlin. Avenue ends with theater in front. Make a right around the theater and continue straight towards Kremlin. Street ends in a curved avenue crossing it. On the right corner is fancy-looking, but delicious and reasonable "Nice" restaurant for your dinner before you leave. Make right on curved avenue to go to Tourist Office, which is one block to the right on the left-hand side of street (Wooden A-framed building - looks like cabin).
3. Get map in wonderful tourist office with one of few people who speak English.
4.Go across street from Tourist office to bus stop going to Yuriev Monastary. Five minute ride. Enjoy Unsurpassable Monestary.
5. Walk to Museum of Wooden Architecture (open air museum of stunning beauty). 7 minute walk.
6. Take bus from outside Museum and return to Kremlin. Five minute ride. Visit Kremlin and places across bridge.
7. Pass back through Kremlin and stop at souvenir stands near tourist office and buy cozy beautiful handmade wool socks for $5 a pair.
8. If open, see museum of history.
9. Head back to station stopping at "Nice" Restaurant for dinner before walking back to station.

Address: Novgorod (Veliky), Russia
Directions: Tour of town

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There are rail connections to Novgorod, but they are not as numerous as one might have expected for a place of such historical and touristic importance. This is due to the fact that Novgorod is, in fact, outside of the mail railway links of the country.

From Moscow there's one overnight train, providing berths in common carriage, those in a 4-berth compartment and a 2-bed compartment.

You need not book in advance for the train is never full. Your best bet is to get a berth in a 4-place compartment if you are interested in the best quality/price way to get to Novgorod.

The train arrives at about 6 AM and leaves for Moscow at about 9 PM. This should give you enough time to visit even if you do not wish to stay overnight.