If you land at Pulkovo and plan to reach your flat by metro, measure your suitcase first. The St Petersburg metro charges for large bags, and the rule is not about weight — it is about the sum of three dimensions: length plus width plus height.
120, 150 and 200 centimetres
The official Rules for Using the St Petersburg Metro (approved by the city government in 2020, current version dated 31 May 2024 and published on metro.spb.ru) set three thresholds. Up to 120 cm in total — free. From 121 to 150 cm — you pay for each piece, and no more than two paid pieces per passenger. Anything above 150 cm is simply not allowed underground, at any price.
Long items are treated separately: one side up to 200 cm is fine if the other two sides add up to 30 cm or less. Skis and snowboards are allowed up to 220 cm, but only in a bag. Prams and wheelchairs are exempt from the size limits altogether.
What it costs
The 2026 tariff, set by the city Tariff Committee on 29 December 2025, is blunt: a single-ride token costs 95 roubles and a piece of oversized luggage also costs 95 roubles. Your suitcase travels at the price of an adult passenger. Important for anyone with a pass: travel cards and concession documents do not cover oversized luggage. A monthly card holder still pays for the bag.
Turnstile number one
This is the detail that creates queues. Passengers carrying luggage above the free limit are required to use turnstile No. 1 — the wide gate next to the attendant's booth. The same gate serves passengers with children under seven, wheelchair users, pregnant women and people with prams. Do not join the ordinary turnstile queue with a big case; you will not fit through.
Wheels, bikes and animals
Wheeled carriers are banned except suitcases, shopping trolleys and trolley bags, and even those must meet specifications: total size up to 150 cm, wheel rim at least 22 mm wide, support pins capped with a ball at least 20 mm across. The reason is the escalator comb plate, which swallows thin wheels.
Full-size bicycles are forbidden. Only folding bikes inside a carrying bag, within the normal luggage limit, are permitted; mopeds and motorcycles are banned outright. Riding a bicycle, scooter, skates or rollerblades anywhere inside the metro is also prohibited. Pets travel in carriers with a solid bottom — free up to 120 cm, allowed up to 150 cm. Guide dogs on a lead, with documents confirming their training, need no carrier.
Security checks and the deep stations
Every station has metal detectors. Passengers, hand luggage and personal belongings are subject to screening, and anyone refusing a check must leave the metro. The operator may also terminate your travel contract for breaking the rules, without a refund.
Then there is the local factor. The metro's own technical data lists 75 stations, 323 escalators and 30 moving walkways, with Admiralteyskaya the deepest at roughly 86 metres. That means minutes on a moving staircase where you may not rest bags on the steps, handrails or balustrade. A pram may be taken onto an escalator only with the help of a member of staff — ask, do not improvise. Several stations are of the closed type, with automatic platform doors instead of an open platform edge; the rules forbid opening or blocking them, so board quickly and move away from the doorway.
The easy way out
If your bag is over the limit, use a left-luggage locker at one of the railway terminals instead of arguing at the gate. And if you forget something on a train, all found items go to the station duty officer and storage is free of charge; bring your ID and fill in a short form to get the item back.
