Though one can travel to Peterhof by road, I chose to take the high speed boat called Hydrofoil. The day was cloudy with a bit of rain and it was very cold. And this was in the first week of May! On the Hydrofoil, the seating is comfortable with huge windows. I went to the deck to click pictures but it was too cold to hang around for long and had to rush back to the comfort of the cabin.
Cold and damp weather can be a spoilsport
The ticket counter was located in an open area of the pier and believe me, it was tough to get my wallet out and making sure it did not get wet. It was raining and very windy. It is fair walk from the pier to the Palace, with park on both sides of the path. Any other day, it would have a very enjoyable walk but the rain and wind played spoilsport. There was a shelter before the steps to the Palace and everyone wanted to be there. Anyway, I am used to crowds jostling!
Peterhof palace 
Peterhof palace
The Palace is a magnificent structure though I must say for a layman, not very different from some of the other palaces. There are a few souvenir shops as well as restaurants. The Italian restaurant I went to was full. It was half an hour wait in the cold outside before being given a table. It was so warm and comfortable inside that we took our time to finish lunch before heading back to St. Petersburg.
