Ulyanovsk

By boat

During summer there are boats from Kazan, Samara and other destinations on the Volga River.

By plane

Oddly enough, Ulyanovsk has two airports. Ulyanovsk-Tsentral'niy or Barataevka (Ульяновск-Центральный/Баратаевка) is a regular domestic airport that serves UTAir and RusLine flights to Moscow. Ulyanovsk-Vostochniy has been constructed as an experimental airfield for testing new aircraft (its runway is more than 5 km long!) Now it is converted into another passenger airport and may also cater to international flights (that do not exist, though). Flight Airlines (Russian: Полёт) operates flights to Moscow.

By train

The train takes you here from Moscow (from Kazanskaya train station) in approximately 16 hours or from Volgograd in about 20 hours. Train tickets range from RUR 500 (USD 20) to RUR 5,000 (USD 200) one way, depending on the amount of privacy and comfort. Ulyanovsk Main Station is located 6 km from the city center.

Ulyanovsk has an extensive public transportation network that includes buses, trolleys, and trams. It is very affordable (10 RUR ~ $0.30 per trip), but congested and may be quite confusing. You won't find any route maps or schedules, neither at bus stops nor in buses. Fee collectors usually don't speak English. Express buses and semi-private van routes are more comfortable and more expensive. Taxis are not expensive (9 RUR — 0.20 EUR per km), and that's your best bet if you want to get somewhere (relatively) quickly, in (relative) comfort (almost all cars are old Russian ladas or over 10 year old non-Russian cars), and without much hassle. They are also most likely to have English speaking drivers (one in 1000) and superloud Russian pop music.
Getting between the banks of the Volga is a problem. There is a two lane bridge connecting the banks and it's nearly always congested, so if you're unlucky, it can take a couple of hours. Most locals avoid going over the bridge if they can. There is a new four lane bridge due for completion in 2010 that is supposed to relieve these problems.

As the home town of Lenin, it's worth visiting the Lenin Memorial Centre and Gardens and museums based in his former houses. There is also a museum dedicated to the poet 'Goncharov' and the war memorial at the end of the main street 'Ulitsa Goncharova' offers breathtaking views over the Volga.

In winter, try cross-country skiing along the Sviaga river, in summer take a boat ride over the reservoir.

The city's main shopping centre 'Tsum' is basic to say the least but does offer some basic shopping.

• At Gashek's

  phone: +7 8422 44-00-38
  address: ul. Karla Marxa 5

• Maxi Pizza

  address: ul. Goncharova 19

• Michel

  phone: +7 8422 41-65-95
  address: ul. Karla Marxa 6
  Serves good French food

• Okna

  phone: +7 8422 42-78-77
  address: ul. Sovetskaya 19/9
  Okna is on the second floor of hotel Venets.

• Stariy Gorod

  phone: +7 8422 41-74-71
  address: ul. Goncharova 30, second floor

• Pianino

  address: ul. Goncharova 30, basement

Budget

Mid-range

• Hotel Europe

  phone: +7 8422 67-50-40
  address: Moskovskoe Shosse 100-A
  — Small hotel in European style.

• Hotel Oktyabrskaya

  phone: +7 8422 42-12-65
  address: ul. Plekhanova 1
  — This 3 star hotel (54 rooms) is located in the city center, close to the Kuybyshev reservoir (river Volga).

• Hotel Venets

  phone: +7 8422 44-18-80 - 44-18-70
  address: ul. Spasskaya 19/9
  — This 3 star hotel (263 rooms) is located opposite the Lenin Memorial Centre and is more lively than hotel Oktyabrskaya.

Splurge

• Park-Hotel Imperial Club Deluxe

  phone: +7 8422 240-240
  address: ul. Alexandrovskaya 60

The capital of Tatarstan, Kazan, is a stunning city just 7 hours train ride from Ulyanovsk.