I was wondering if anyone had used a transit visa for a short trip to a country? A friend suggested this might work in countries where it is hard to come by a visa.

I am going to Riga in late June and would like to be able to go to St. Petersberg for 2-3 days. I was wondering if anyone had any experience doing this in Russia. E.g. I buy a cheap round-trip ticket from Riga-St. Petersberg-Riga over a 3 day period and obtain a transit visa. Rather than getting a much more expensive and hard to obtain tourist visa, which at this point I'm not sure I can afford or have time for.

I'd like to hear stories about people who have used similar tactics in the past for Russia (or elsewhere) and whether or not they've been successful, especially since I'm not actually planning on transiting, but really just want a quick visit.

Thanks,
Brian