Pushkin and Pavlovsk with kids: one day, two palaces, no transfers

Short answer: Pushkin and Pavlovsk are two palace towns five kilometres apart, and with a car they fold into one unhurried day even with children: the Catherine Palace and park in the morning, Pavlovsk with its tame squirrels and enormous park after lunch. Without a car the same plan means suburban trains, buses and three or four transfers with a stroller; with a car it is two short rides and a nap on the way home.

Morning belongs to Pushkin: enter the palace at opening time, before the groups

The Catherine Palace with the Amber Room draws the longest queue in the region, so buy tickets in advance on the museum website for the first morning slot. Pushkin is 30 kilometres from central Saint Petersburg — 30–40 minutes on a weekend morning. The palace tour with children takes about an hour, which is as long as the younger ones last, and then comes the Catherine Park: the Cameron Gallery, the lake, and in the off-season the empty alleys are all yours.

Photo: GAlexandrova, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

After lunch — Pavlovsk: the park where children do not get tired

The drive between the towns takes ten minutes. Pavlovsk Park is one of the largest landscape parks in Europe, and for children it beats any museum: squirrels take nuts from your palm, the paths are perfect for scooters, and in autumn the leaf-and-acorn gathering needs no programme at all. Pavlovsk Palace is more intimate than the Catherine Palace and takes 40 minutes — if there is energy left. If not, the park alone is enough: its entrance costs far less than palace tickets.

Photo: Sergey A. Demidov, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Andrew Krizhanovsky, public domain, Wikimedia Commons

The car solves the route's main problem with kids — logistics

The public route to Pushkin is a suburban train from Vitebsky station or a bus from the metro, then a local bus to the palace; between Pushkin and Pavlovsk there is one more leg. With a stroller and a backpack of snacks this wears a family out faster than any park. A car with a driver turns the day into three short hops, the stroller lives in the boot, a child seat is a line in the booking form, and the children sleep through the entire ride home.

Frequently asked questions

You can price a car for a day in Pushkin and Pavlovsk here — the request is free, add a child seat right in the form, carriers send their offers within minutes.