Thread: Buying train tickets in Russia

Hello,

Many societies offer to buy tickets for you, because it seems that the process of buying them in person at the Ярославский station in Moscow is a slow and tedious process. I would like some insight from the forum members on this. I want to go from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk through the cheapest train, according to what I've read here and there it should cost around 40$. Does it sound fair to you? I mean I would be disappointed if I realized after standing 3 hours in some queue that there is no more сидящие места в общем вагоне and I should have bought the ticket three months ago. I've been reading lot of things about Russian trains and I'm just freaking out now. All this seems sooooo complex and obscure. I'm not asking you for train timetables, ticket costs or anything. I don't really know what I'm asking for in fact. I'm just lost.
Has someone ever bought train tickets in Russia? Could you please describe me the process?

Well, thanks anyway.

Judging by your recent posts it seems your Russian skills are fairly good so I would suggest doing as the Russians do, cut to the front of the line, ask if tickets are still available and then get back in line ))) I actually don't have any experience buying tickets in Moscow, just out east where the lines aren't that long. Remember that train timetables are always in Moscow time no matter where you are. Sorry I couldn't be more help!

Я бы не советовала ехать в общем вагоне. Может быть, ты имеешь в виду плацкартный вагон, он тоже общий, но у каждого пассажира есть своя полка (верхняя или нижняя, внутри купе или боковая).

Originally Posted by noheat

I would suggest doing as the Russians do, cut to the front of the line, ask if tickets are still available and then get back in line )))

It's impossible, at least in Moscow. To give you the info, a cashier can't just tell you "yes" or "no", she should check up in the computer, and that takes time (even if it 20 secs, it's too long, when there is a long queue). Anyway, when they check up in the computer and find the ticket you asked for, they usually issue the purchasing, otherwise the search was in vain - by the way, while you're standing in the queue, the ticket can be sold; it can be sold even while you're talking to the cashier and telling her, "Yes, I'll have this ticket, please" (that happened to me once).
Well, as for the possibility of buing a ticket - I can't tell you anything about Krasnoyarsk... But usually, in Russia you can buy a ticket before the departure (I mean on the same day, or even one hour before the departure).
As for the price of 40$ for a ticket from Moscow to Krasnoyrsk - it sounds just incredible to me. It's the price for the train from Moscow to St. Pete. (But maybe there are such cheap tickets, I don't know...)

I read a blog travel blog about two guys from Austria who went on a very complicated train journey through all of Russia, on the Transiberian and some branch lines. They made several stops along the way. Eventually they travelled into North Korea(!) on a Russian service and stayed there for a while.
All of these tickets were booked in Vienna and in Slovakia (apparently Russian train tickets are a lot cheaper there than in Austria). He made a specific point of mentioning that this was advantageous and that he saved both time and money on this.. It caused some trouble that the ticket was in Latin letters, but after they explained the situation there were no problems.

LAMPADA, which "class" is the picture that you posted from?

Hello!

You can find information about trains and prices here (it is official Russian Railways site):
http://pass.rzd.ru/
To see prices and tickets available you should press on the train number.
Tickets could be bought online through this site.
In Moscow it may be easier to buy them on some smaller railway station, not the main one. It will be noticeably less crowded.

Even if you have bought e-ticket, it seems, you should go to the ticket office all the same and take your “paper” ticket. I never bought one, but last year, while I was standing in the queue at the Leningradsky rail terminal, I saw people who missed their train because they didn’t manage to get that “paper” ticket in time. There are special ticket windows for them, but the queues there were moving as slowly as to the ordinary ones… And it looked to me like a common situation! But this was a year ago, may be now it’s better.

In ordinary ticket window you should say to which place you want to go and the type of ticket (СВ, купе, плацкарт, сидячий). Cheap tickets (especially плацкарт – look at the Lampada’s picture) are the most popular, and could be bought either more than a month in advance or in the last moment, because someone returned them. Selling starts 45 days before the date of scheduled departure.

Oh, and you should show your and/or persons for whom you are buying tickets passports or the data from it. Original documents are needed when you are getting on train.

Originally Posted by Zubr

... of buying them in person at the Ярославский station in Moscow. I want to go from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk through the cheapest train,
...
according to what I've read here and there it should cost around 40$.
...
... that there is no more сидящие места в общем вагоне

The trip from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk will take about 3 days (63 hours). Are you really want to spend 3 days within a tough chair (сидячее место). Are you planning to make the trip to Krasnoyarsk to be the last trip in your life? Even Russians will not condemn themselves to such a torture (at least I believe in this). I suppose there are NO "sitting" tickets for such a long trip. I've checked some site (http://www.poezda.net/) for the tickets for the trip from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk, the cheapest price I've found was about $100 for "плацкарт" (see Lampada's photo). It is a very good idea to buy tickets before entering the train station with the use of some ticket's office. I am absolutely sure that it is possible to book the tickets in Paris.

Originally Posted by Johanna

apparently Russian train tickets are a lot cheaper there than in Austria.

I've heard that they could be cheaper than in Russia itself. Something about standards regulation, that doesn't allow our railways ask from EU people the price they ask from us. But I'm not sure about it.

Though you question was to Lampada, I hope she will not be offended if I answer it.

This is плацкартный вагон (couchette?),
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Плацкартный_вагон
the cheap way you could travel a long distance (well, сидячий вагон would be cheaper, but it couldn't be endured for more than a day, unless you have a strong tendency to stoicism).

Плацкарт at first looks frightening for an unprepared person, but in reality sometimes it is better than next class (купе, you can see it in Yalta thread on Hangernaid's photos), because if someone decides to be rude to you, other people will help you (this is my own experience). This is quite common way of travelling even for those Russians who could easily afford more expensive tickets.

Originally Posted by aventurina

...Though you question was to Lampada, I hope she will not be offended if I answer it. ...

Конечно, нет. Спасибо, что подключилась, Aventurina!
Добро пожаловать на MasterRussian!

You can find information about trains and prices here (it is official Russian Railways site):
http://pass.rzd.ru/
To see prices and tickets available you should press on the train number.
Tickets could be bought online through this site.

You should pay for ticket with your credit card. But it seemed to be a card of Russian bank. My friend from Canada wanted to buy a ticket on rzd site but he couldn't pay with his Canadian credit card. Thus it's a problem!
But if you have a Russian credit card you can easily buy a ticket for any train. I always do it to travel to my relatives in regions.

Even if you have bought e-ticket, it seems, you should go to the ticket office all the same and take your “paper” ticket.

You needn't stand in a queue to take a paper ticket. There are special machinary (boxes) where you can take a paper ticket yourself on Kazanskiy Railway station and other stations. On Kazanskiy station these boxes are situated in the hall opposite booking offices.

Good luck!