There is a plan to rent a bus for travel to St Petersburg Go Congress 2003. Most likely we will depart Saturday morning July 19 and return Sunday morning, on 3rd August. Here is a [list|MatkustusPietarinKongressiin2003] of those Finnish persons who are interested to go as well. Add your name below if you are interested.

-- [Matti_Siivola] 2.12.2002

||Name||
|Steve Bailey|
|Pauline Bailey|
|Ruurd Wiersma <ruurd.wiersma@raketnet.nl>|
|peter zandveld <paard@xs4all.nl>|

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I have got an offer from a bus company for a bus of 30 places return trip with a total of 2125 euro. That would go from Helsinki to the congress site directly. Departure would be on Saturday 19th July and return to Helsinki on Sunday 3rd August. A return train ticket from Helsinki to St Petersburg in the second class will cost 95,30 euro. A group of 6 -24 persons will get a 40% discount. It is possible that a bus will pick us at the railway station in St. Petersburg if we come by train. If a group by train is gathered we would depart by a Finnish train "Sibelius" on Saturday morning 7.42. For us finns to return
the "Sibelius" train on Sunday 16.50 would be convenient, but you may state your preferences. Other options are 16.50 on saturday and train "Repin" 7.50 on Sunday morning.

So, we have options: rent a bus, take a bus line to St. Petersburg Center (84 Euro return) or go by train.

Are you interested in travelling in a group?

||Name||train group ~60 euro||train return||rented bus (max price willing to pay
|Matti Siivola| yes|3.8. 16.50| <100 euro
|Sinikka Siivola| yes|3.8. 16.50| <100 euro
|[Antti Holappa]| yes|3.8. 16:50| <100 euro
|[JanneJalkanen]| yes|27.7. (probably)|<80 euro
|[Jukka Lindström|Kijoe]| yes|27.7. (probably)|<80 euro
|Peter Zandveld| yes|?|<100 euro
|Steve Bailey|yes|3.8. 7.50| <100 euro
|Pauline Bailey|yes|3.8. 7.50| <100 euro
|Ruurd Wiersma|yes|3.8. 7.50| <100 euro|
|Arend Van Oosten|yes| 3.8. 16.50|<100 euro|
|Thomas Gaebler|Yes| 27.7.|  <100 euroa|
|[MarkkuJantunen]| yes?|?|?
|Olli Lounela| ?|?|euro?
|Timo Puha| yes?|?|euro?
|[Jouni Kärkkäinen|Kyyni]| yes?|?|euro?
|[Antti Tarvainen]| yes?|?|?
|Tuomo Salo| yes?|?|euro?
|Jan Hlinovsky| yes?|?|euro?

I will decide around 10th of June whether to rent the bus. Please confirm
you intentions before that.

[Matti] Siivola 23.5.2003

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It would seem that there are few of us who are planning to return on the 27th as well.  Does a group have to return back on the same train to qualify for the discount or should we gather 6 persons to return on the 27th?

-- [JanneJalkanen]



I'd prefer train over bus, because train has (atleast the russian coach) sturdy tables which should be very suitable for playing and the travel by train is more comfortable too. However the fallback is the need to change to bus or another train at St. Petersburg central station. 

-- [Jukka Lindström|Kijoe]

If one goes there for the first week, it is well worth noting that participating also in the weekend tournament is an excellent idea. [The schedule|http://www.egc2003.spb.ru/pages/schedule.htm] shows that the weekend tournament finishes around 8 pm on Sunday the 27th.

This suggests return by night train, although train schedules don't really support it. Looks like the realistic choice for direct train is the one called Sibelius, which departs 16.50 and arrives 21.12. Other than that, train to Tallinn and crossing the Baltic from there with fast ferry might be an option, though I don't have the schedules for the Tallinn trains nor time to find out, I'm afraid.

-- DonOlli

Good point.  Returning on Monday morning on the 7.50 train would also be okay with me.

-- JanneJalkanen

We have a flight to catch from Helsinki to London on Sunday 3rd
evening. We would probably prefer the bus as direct door to door.

-- Steve & Pauline Bailey

I got another offer for the bus: 1950 Euro for a bus of 45-50 persons.
If we onlly could get that many...

-- [Matti] Siivola