Internet café rates in St Petersburg?

[PhilMo]

What is the normal rate for internet cafés in St Peterburg?  Thanks in advance for your reply.

[tim360z]

... in response to Internet café rates in St Petersburg?, posted by PhilMo on Feb 2, 2003

$1 to $1.50 p/hr.

[MarkInTx]

... in response to Internet café rates in St Petersburg?, posted by PhilMo on Feb 2, 2003

Are you asking for you...? Or are you thinking about what the lady is paying if she is emailing you?

The rates, like most things in Russia, will be different for you and for her...

[PhilMo]

... in response to Re: Internet café rates in St Petersburg..., posted by MarkInTx on Feb 2, 2003

I'm checking this out for a girl ... so our emails don't have to go through her agency.

[juio99]

... in response to Re: Internet café rates in St Petersburg..., posted by MarkInTx on Feb 2, 2003

Mark, that is the general rule, but not true in the case of the rates and places I noted in my response.

In the case of Internet cafes, the way the Russians can get lower rates is to go to the places away from the city center that foreigners don't go to.  But in the city center, the rates are posted, same for everyone, and my lady friends pay the same at those places, even when I am not around.

JR

[juio99]

... in response to Internet café rates in St Petersburg?, posted by PhilMo on Feb 2, 2003

There are no 'normal' rates.  There is a very wide spectrum of rates.  The cheapest I found was at the 'Fort' near the northeast corner of Nevsky and Fontanka.  It was the equivalent of about 60 cents per hour.  Good fast connections also, but a tacky atmosphere and surly guys running the place.  You pay your money up front (in half hour increments) and when the time is up, the computer goes dead.  A real pain when you get deeply involved in typing an e-mail message, lose track of time, and subsequently lose your entire message.

Just east on there near the Radisson and Nevsky Palace hotels are 3 internet cafes.  One on the south side of Nevsky and two on the north side.  There, rates are around one dollar per hour.  Here you just log on and pay for the time when you finish.

If you really are in a hurry (and just happen to be there) and aren't worried about money, at the Grand Europe the rates are 8 dollars an hour and at the Radisson and Nevsky Palace the rates are 12 or more per hour.

These rates were what I noted in Fall of 2002.  Everything subject to change, of course.  My lady friends have told me that rates are even cheaper than the 60 cents per hour at places away from the city center.

JR