Trains in Russia

Powered by Tutu.Travel - the most popular travel agency in Russia

How to buy the cheapest ticket? And what if there are no tickets?

All sold out or sales not start
Russian Railways have a simple rule - the earlier a booking is, the cheaper it is. Ticket sale is available up to 45 - 120 days prior to the departure, depending on direction and the type of train. Of course, there are special promotions, but most of them are valid for not very popular routes.

It happens that sale of tickets on the desired date has not yet start. Or maybe so - a few days left before departure and all tickets are sold out.

You can select a different train and / or another date. However, it should be remember that seats might appear if tickets are returned or extra seats go on sale. Also tickets appear on the first day of sales. Therefore, one must be first in line when the store opens.

What can you do if you have one of the following screens after searching for tickets.

• If the sale of tickets on the desired date has not yet start, then you will see such phrase on a yellow background 'Ticket sale for XX Month will start in XX days, XX Month. Usualy tickets are available starting from 08:00 Moscow time...'
Show screenshot

• If absolutely all the tickets for your train are sold, then you see the phrase 'Sold out'.
Show screenshot

• If there are no tickets only for certain types of rail carriages, then opposite the type of railcar you will see the phrase 'Notify me'.
Show screenshot
Please note - our website is a partner of the largest Russian travel agency Tutu.Travel
Ticket prices are slightly more expensive than the carrier. However, this price also includes additional services, such as very detailed interface in English, quick purchase without login, sales start notifications, early pre-order booking, cancellation insurance.

You can also buy tickets directly from the carrier - on the website of Russian Railways
However, there most of the services presented above will be unavailable.
Method no 1 ( the simplest )
A very simple, reliable and free way to catch a ticket - sign up for notification if tickets show up. Click on one ofthe appropriate buttons

You have two options. If you agree to any train (time), click the button on yellow background 'Order a notification on the sales beginning' (above). Usually such a button is shown when sales have not started. If you are looking for tickets for a specific train (or car type on this train), click button 'Notify me' on the card of specific train.

Then fill out a short form for search any trains or for a specific train
You will receive a notification if tickets appear on sale.

But what to do in the days of maximum demand (christmas and new year days, state holidays, etc) or when there are very few tickets available? See - you have received a notification (usually happens early in the morning), but while you fill out the form, all tickets (cheap or absolutely all) are sold out again.

This is problem. But not for you! You are waiting for life hack, which nobody has!
Method no 2 ( the best )

F.A.Q.

Click to show the answer
How to find information about schedule, route and cost?
Simply enter the departure station and destination station, as well as the date of travel in this form
I am not a Russian and I am not in Russia. How do I buy a ticket?
There are no special restrictions for foreign citizens when buying train tickets.

1) Choose a route and departure date
If you do not specify a date, you will see a seasonal schedule.

2) Find a train
We immediately show you the time of departure and arrival, the duration of the trip, type and number of seats and their cost.
Also, for each train you can see a list of all stops.

3) Choose the type and number of seats
You can restrict yourself to general requirements for seats (eg. in one cabin) or select them precisely on the railcar diagrams. If you are traveling with a child, read the rules for purchasing tickets for children.

4) Enter the passenger details
Specify first, second (middle) - if you have, and last name in latin letters. If there's no second name - leave the field blank or enter dash.
Select type of ID - Foreign (non-Russian document) and enter data of passport - number (e.g. XX00000), country, gender, date of birth.

5) Specify your contact information and choose a payment method
By credit card only. Accepted Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard, Maestro. It is safe. Your bank card's details are protected.

6) Confirm and pay your booking
For payment are given 15 min. If during this time you do not pay the order, the reservation is canceled. Hurry up, especially if there are few seats left for the selected train.

Please note - our website is a partner of the largest Russian travel agency Tutu.Travel
Tickets are sold with a small surcharge. However, this price also includes additional services, such as very detailed interface in English, quick purchase without login, SMS notifications. You can also buy tickets directly from the carrier - on the website of
Russian Railways
How to buy a ticket cheaper?
Book early for cheap flights! Ticket sale is available up to 90 - 120 days prior to the departure, depending on direction and the type of train for domestic routes and up to 45 - 90 days prior to the departure, depending on direction for international routes.

A very simple, reliable and free way to catch a ticket - sign up for notification when tickets show up. Click on the appropriate button and fill out a small form. Note. Only Russian phone number can be specified (+7...)! No problem, it is enough to specify your e-mail.

Or use our life hack, which nobody has - make a pre-order!
What if there are no tickets? For example, there are no vacant seats or ticket sales on your date not start.
If the sale of tickets on the desired date has not yet start, then you will see such phrase on a yellow background
'Ticket sale for XX Month will start in XX days, XX Month. Usualy tickets are available starting from 08:00 Moscow time...'

If absolutely all the tickets for your train are sold, then you see the phrase 'Sold out'.
If there are no tickets only for certain types of rail carriages, then opposite the type of railcar you will see the phrase 'Notify me'.

What can you do in this case

1) Select a different train and / or another date.
However, it should be remember that seats might appear if tickets are returned or extra seats go on sale. Also tickets appear on the first day of sales. Therefore..

2) A very simple, reliable and free way to catch a ticket - sign up for notification if tickets show up. Click on the appropriate button and fill out a small form. Note. Only Russian phone number can be specified (+7...)! No problem, it is enough to specify your e-mail.
But that's not all! You are waiting for life hack, which nobody has!

3) If you are convinced that you definitely need a ticket for a specific date (time, train) - make a pre-order! Our service will buy the ticket automatically as soon as it becomes available! And this service is absolutely free (!)
This is a great way to be first in the queue if there are very few tickets or to buy a ticket at the cheapest rate (early booking).

In addition, our service has another great advantage. For a small fee, you can purchase cancellation insurance. If you have changed plans - you will get back the full cost of the ticket, excluding service charges. It should be remembered that Russian Railways have seasonal schedules (the so-called summer and winter schedules). Therefore, it is impossible to make a very early pre-order, for example, six months before the trip.

There is a small complexity - this method is possible only from the Russian version of the website. But this is not a problem, because we are with you! So, click here to know what needs to be done.

(!) - 'TutuTravel' agency prices. Note - our website is a partner of the largest Russian travel agency Tutu.Travel
Ticket prices are slightly more expensive than the carrier. However, this price also includes additional services, such as very detailed interface in English, quick purchase without login, sales start notifications, early pre-order booking, cancellation insurance.

You can also buy tickets directly from the carrier - on the website of Russian Railways
However, there most of the services presented above will be unavailable.

How to choose train type and railcar type?
TYPES OF TRAINS
In Russia, the class of long distance trains depends on the average speed on the route. Please ckeck train number (flight number) before buying tickets.
Ordinary trains
Flight numbers 301-698. Average speed on the route less than 50 km/h - multiple and long stops.
Fast trains
Flight numbers 001-298. Average speed on the route from 50 to 90 km/h - multiple, but short stops.
Express trains
Flight numbers 701-750. Average speed on the route is above 90 km/h (usually 150 km/h) - a few short stops.
High-speed trains
Flight numbers 751-788. The average speed on the highway is at least 150 km/h - almost without stops.
Besides (regardless of train speed), there are so-called branded trains - in addition to the flight number, the train has a name. In such trains, service level is somewhat higher than in regular.

TYPES OF RAILCARS
Due to the large distances between cities, night trains are the most common. Therefore, Russian trains consist mostly of sleeping rail cars (with the exception of high-speed trains, eg. 'Sapsan' - only sitting carriages of the 2nd and 1st classes).

The type of cars do not always coincide with European or American conditions. The main rule in Russian trains is - almost all types of rail cars (with the exception of the most expensive ones, eg. De Luxe), are hostels on wheels. Sold individual places and not the whole compartment. The cabins are shared with other travelers. Sometimes (not always) you can choose a cabin for women only. If you would like to travel without other passengers at the same compartment, must to buy all vacant places in the cabin.

On the Russian railways four types of carriages are widespread. How they differ from each other see here
Is it possible to buy the whole cabin?
Almost all types of rail cars (with the exception of the most expensive ones, eg. De Luxe), are hostels on wheels. Sold individual places and not the whole compartment. The cabins are shared with other travelers. Sometimes (not always) you can choose a cabin for women only. If you would like to travel without other passengers at the same compartment, must to buy all vacant places in the cabin.

Note! Vacant seats in the cabin should be buy only at full cost! Specify in the passenger details for empty seat(s) your data or data of the passenger who will arrive at the boarding for sure. If you specify a random name - in this case it is considered that the passenger 'did not show up at the boarding' and his seat is vacant for other travelers. Also, do not enter the data of children! Why - see above.
I need to buy tickets for 5 people (or more), but the order form only has space for 4 passengers. What should I do?
According to the rules of Russian Railways one order can contain no more than 4 tickets, including both adult and child tickets.
Make several orders, if you need more 4 tickets.
I travel with children. Are there any discounts?
For children under 5 years old you can book a free ticket without a seat, or buy a separate seat with a discount of up to 50%
For children from 5 to 10 years, you can buy a ticket with discount up to 50%.
The child age is determined by the departure date of the train.

Note! Buying a ticket with a discount or issuing a free ticket is possible only with the purchase of an adult ticket for the full price. Even when making a free ticket, you must specify all the passenger's data, as well as go through the electronic check-in procedure or get a paper ticket, depending on the type of train and route (indicated in the confirmation).
Is my payment safe?
Of course. Our website is a partner of the largest Russian travel agency Tutu.Travel
Your credit card's details are protected. You enter credit card's details on a protected payment webpage. The Data is transmitted to the certified PCI DSS 3.2 compliant processing center (Gateline.net) using SSL technology. Your bank may be use a 3D Secure Protocol for additional authentication of the card holder.
Everything you wanted to know
but were afraid to ask
Rail tours
Special tourist and yourself made railway tours.
Local and intercity, incl Trans-Siberian.
Rules and FAQ
Some Russian road customs may surprise you. Find out which ones.
How to say it in Russian
Often Russians don`t speak English.
Our useful phrasebook will help you!
Was this helpful? Tell your friends!
Thank you!