Originally Posted by
flyernick
On the Hermitage website it says, "Free Entry Ticket [includes] students (regardless of nationality);"
Does that include University students with a valid Univ. ID?
To redeem a free student ticket, we have to visit the "Internet Ticket Booth". How busy is their Internet Ticket Booth? As bad as the regular lines?
We'll be there in a couple weeks, so still in August. What's the latest advice on whether we should buy tickets online in advance? I've read that the lines can truly be horrible, but more recent posts seem to suggest kiosks outside can let you avoid the lines. Most of what I can find online suggesting buy-in-advance is from a few years back (pre-kiosks?).
Buying online costs about double of the day-of ticket window. Any chance of getting tickets through my hotel there?
Yes, foreign university students are able to benefit from free admission.
(Bear in mind that if you are a regular visitor, the RUB ticket price on the Russian language version of the Hermitage Museum online shop is much cheaper than the USD ticket price; you'll need to transcribe your name in Cyrillic when completing the booking form, which shouldn't be too difficult thanks to the migration card you receive at passport control on arrival in Russia)
There weren't any lines for the Internet Ticket Booth when we went there at the end of June. The Internet Ticket Booth is located right under the main gate of the Hermitage Museum (entrance from the Palace Square) before you enter the courtyard – it's easy to miss it so keep an eye out for it as you go through the main gate. The process was quite simple – just show a printout of the online booking + student card and you will be given an entry ticket.