Short answer: you can leave Pulkovo at any hour — the airport sits on the southern bank of the Neva, and for most of the city no drawbridge stands in your way. The problem only appears if your hotel is on Vasilyevsky Island or the Petrogradskaya side: roughly from 1:30 to 5:00 am the raised bridges cut them off from the centre. Even then there are two routes that never open — the Western High-Speed Diameter (WHSD) and Betancourt Bridge. Every driver knows them; the trip just gets a little longer and slightly more expensive.
Photo: Dmitriy Korzhev, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The bridges are raised until the end of November — an autumn night arrival is still affected
Navigation on the Neva in 2026 runs until 30 November, so October and November night flights meet the raised bridges just like summer ones. Each bridge has its own schedule that changes with weather and city events — check the current timetable on the Mostotrest website before you fly.
Photo: Deror avi, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
If your hotel is in the centre, in the south or by Moskovsky station, the night is no obstacle at all
Pulkovo, Moskovsky and Vitebsky railway stations, the whole centre inside the Fontanka river and Moskovsky Prospekt are all on the same bank. The night drive from the airport takes 25–35 minutes instead of the daytime 40–60: Pulkovskoye highway and Moskovsky Prospekt are empty.
Photo: Artyom Svetlov, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
To Vasilyevsky Island and Petrogradskaya at night, drivers take the WHSD and Betancourt Bridge
The Western High-Speed Diameter is a toll motorway over the Gulf of Finland that never opens. Coming from the south it lands directly on Vasilyevsky Island, and the fixed Betancourt Bridge connects the island with the Petrogradskaya side. So at night you do not ask the driver «how will we get there?» — you simply give the address: the WHSD route adds 10–15 minutes and the toll. Waiting out the bridges on the embankment is romance for strollers, not for someone with a suitcase after a flight.
Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ayratayrat, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Book the car before you board, not after you land
At night unofficial drivers wait by the arrivals exit with «tired traveller» prices, and ride-hailing apps switch on surge pricing at two or three in the morning. A transfer booked in advance solves both problems: the driver meets you with a name sign, the price is fixed at booking time, and a child seat can be requested right in the order. The carrier sees your flight number and shifts the pickup if the plane is delayed.
Frequently asked questions
You can price a transfer for your flight here — the request is free, carriers send their offers within minutes and you choose.
Does the metro run at night?
No, stations close around midnight and open at 5:30–5:45 am. On a few holidays the metro runs longer, but do not count on it.
How long is the night drive from Pulkovo to Vasilyevsky Island?
Via the WHSD — about 30–40 minutes. In the daytime the same trip through the centre can take over an hour.
I land at 1 am — can I beat the bridges?
The first bridges go up around 1:10–1:30. With baggage claim in between, do not plan to outrun them: the WHSD route costs only a little more and saves a lot of nerves.
