Tomsk: practical information - A to Z Guide
How to get to Tomsk
By plane.
There are 2 daily flights from Moscow to Tomsk. Travel time is a bit more than 4 hours and time difference is +3. So both flights depart late at night and arrive in Tomsk early morning local time. Return flights, instead, leave in the morning and arrive in Moscow in the morning as well. The prices for round-trip starts from $100 - much cheaper than for Moscow-Novosibirsk route. Airport Bogashevo is located to the south of the city. Bus #119 connects it with the city center. Airport phone numbers: 27-00-84, 27-01-65.
By train.
There is a northward branch off Trans-Siberian to Tomsk. Bi-daily train connects Tomsk and Moscow, travel time is about 55 hours. Few other trains connect Tomsk with neighbouring Siberian cities and southern resorts. There are 2 train stations in Tomsk: Tomsk-1, situated in the south of the city, is considered the main one, but it is a transit station. The final destination is Tomsk-2 in the north-east of the city. Tomsk-1 help desk phones are 54-19-40, 54-19-41. Buses ##10, 11, 12, 26, 53 go there. The station building (Tomsk-1) is a fine and comfortable one. Intercity bus station is situated close.
By bus or by car.
Motor transport is the main connection in the region. Bus station is located at the square of Tomsk-1 railway station, phone is 54-07-30. Buses for Novosibirsk leave each hour. The one-way price is about 300 roubles ($10), travel time is 4 hours. In Novosibrsk, buses for Tomsk leave from the intercity bus station (Krasny prospect, 4). Or you can rent a car in Novosibirsk and take route M-53 (Novosibirsk-Krasnoyarsk) and turn north near Yurga. Distance between Tomsk and Novosibirsk – 252 kilometers.
Hotels
Sputnik
– Belinskogo str., 15, phone 52-66-60, 52-63-01, e-mail: admin@tomskturist.ru. Centrally located soviet-style 9-storey building, recently renovated. Considered one of the most affordable city hotels. Rooms from luxury suite to 3-bed hostel-like, with toilet and shower on the floor. Prices range from $15 for cheapest bed to $70 for one-bed luxury suite. Breakfast included. Restaurant, parking, airline and train tickets booking, internet access available.
Magistrat
– Lenina square, 15, phone 51-11-11, e-mail: info@magistrathotel.com. Top-level hotel in the former townhall building, erected in 1802 and restored in 2004. Luxurious suites with view over the old city. Facilities include air conditioning, mini-bar, cable TV, internet in each room. Prices range from $110 to $200 (breakfast not included). Italian-style restaurant “Parmesan” occupies the ground floor. Average bill is $40-$70 there.
Rubin
– Akademichesky prospect, 16, phone 49-26-89, 49-25-59, e-mail: rubin@mail.tomsknet.ru. Located in Tomsk Akademgorodok (at the outskirts of the city, but in the quiet and green district), this is a bit of a congress center with a hotel. 8-storey building with congress hall, business center, winter garden, restaurant, parking, sauna, laundry and even bowling-club. Each room has phone, refridgerator and Tvset. Wireless Internet in halls and restaurant. Prices range from $24 for a bed in two-bed room to $125 for two-room luxury suite.
Sibir’
– Lenina pr., 91, phone 52-72-25, e-mail: hotelsibir@tomica.ru. Located in the very heart of the city, in 4-storey historical building. Has sauna, laundry, bar and wireless internet access. Every room has bathroom, TVset and refridgerator. Breakfast is included (and supper is available for extra fee). Prices range from $30 for a bed in a double-room to $110 for double-room luxury suite.
Tomsk
– Kirova prosp., 65, phone 54-41-15, e-mail: hoteltomsk@mail.tomsknet.ru. This hotel stands right near the railway and bus stations, which is rather far off downtown. Facilities include parking, luggage storage, sauna, café, business-center (internet, documents scanning and printing etc.), hairdresser. Prices range from $50 for a single room to $150 for three-room luxury suite. Casino, strip-bar, night club and restaurant in the same building.
Accomodation in private
flats
is also available. Prices for modest one-room flat start from $25. For more details, ask WayToRurssia apartments section
Mail, phone, internet
Main post and telegraph office is located at Lenina prospect, 93 (near its intersection with Belentsa street). There are offices of DHL (phone 53-46-76), FedEx (ph. 56-15-51) and UPS (ph. 20-25-20) in Tomsk. Three major Russian mobile operators – MTS, BeeLine and Megafon – are available.
Some internet point addresses:
Netcafe
– Lenina prospect, 32 (Tomsk State University)
Portal
– Pushkina str., 22 (near Solyanaya square and Beloe Ozero)
Nettown
– Uchebnaya, 37a (near Lagerny Sad)
Makdel
– Yakovleva, 2 (near Beloe Ozero)
Piranya
– Lenina prospect, 199
Newton
– Krasnoarmaeyskaya, 151 (not far from Lagerny Sad)
Uzel
– Usova, 15 (not far from Tomsk Polytechnical University)
Plazma
– Kuznetsova, 15 (400 meters to the south from Novosobornaya square)
Tomck.net
– Fedora Lytkina str., 14 (not far from Lagerny Sad, 200 meters from Newton internet-club)
Prices are about $0,5-$1 per hour, depending on the time of the day and the place.
Airline, railway, intercity bus tickets
Airline and railway tickets can be purchased at Lenina prospect, 59 (near State University). Railway tickets are sold at the station. Intercity bus tickets can be purchased at the bus station (near the railway station Tomsk-1), usually an hour or two before the departure they are available, but also can be purchased in advance.
Some other places where airline tickets are sold:
Railway station Tomsk-1
Lenina prospect, 91(near the main post office), phone 53-03-97
Komsomolsky prospect 69, e-mail tfcavs@mail.tomsknet.ru
Lenina prospect 122, ph. 43-00-19
Ushaika river quay, 14 (near Lenina Square), ph 27-58-13, e-mail polet@tomsk.su
City transport
Main city transport is mini-buses. They are quite frequent, and connect well all the parts of the city. They have boards displaying main points of their route and the line number, so, if you know the name of the place you need to get to, you can just look. Inside they have detailed scheme of the line and friendly conductor, who can help. Taxi is 100 roubles ($3,5) no matter what the distance is.
Weather
Weather is a bit harsher, then in such Siberian cities, as Novosibirsk or Omsk. In winter time temperature is often below -20C, and in severe winters may fall below -50C for a short time. Wintertime is from November to April, summer – June – mid-September. In summer it can be quite warm, up to +30, but temperature can fall as low as +5 - +10 as well.