St Petersburg Round Trip Advice

[xkirkba]

We are planning a trip to St Petersburg next year. Draft route up the North side of the Baltic and back down the South. We would welcome advice from anyone who has travelled through these countries. We seek particularly information on:-
Routes
Sites
Ferries
Visas
Carnets
Health issues
Taking the dog
Pests eg midges
Pests eg problem border guards/police/criminals
Costs of fuel/food

Thank you all in advance. Best wishes to all our fellow travellers for the festive season.