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Russian Train Travel: Tip of the Day
Electronic registration is available for most trains, but sometimes you will need to exchange your e-ticket for a boarding pass at the station.
Express trains run between large Russian cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg and on select international routes, for example from St. Petersburg to Helsinki.
Presentation of Sapsan Train by Russian Railways (in Russian) followed by RT special report about this train (in English).
Seating arrangements in express trains is very similar to that on European intercity coaches. There are two classes of seats in Express trains: the first and the economy. First class express train will be similar to first class seats on a plane and economy class seats will be very similar to economy class seats on a plane. There will be two seats on each side of central row in both classes.
Second type of Russian trains is called overnight train. These trains are designed for overnight travel and have bunk beds instead of seats. Some of these trains are faster and some are more comfortable than others.
Overnight trains have three types of cabins: "SV", "KUPE" and "PLATSKART", which means 1st, 2nd and 3rd class respectively. We recommend to our customers to book 1st class cabins, unless you are traveling with a group of 4 passengers.
A 1st class cabin will have two lower beds in one enclosed room. A 2nd class will have two lower beds and two upper bunk beds in one cabin, so if you travel with 4 family members of friends, it may be suitable for you. Tip: if there are three of you traveling, you can book four beds in 2nd class cabin to enjoy the entire cabin to yourself. For two people traveling, we always recommend a 1st class option.
3rd class has 6 beds in a one non-enclosed area.
Overview of 2nd class cabin on a regular train.
Luxury class cabins are available on select trains. They are larger, come with showers and satellite TV. These luxury trains usually run on Moscow – St. Petersburg, Moscow – Helsinki and Trans-Siberian routes and come at a hefty price tag.
Although there are official rules regarding allowable luggage on Russian trains, there is a basic principle of “if it fits, it ships.” If you are traveling with a large item such as bike or kayak, the best thing to do is purchase a special ticket at a train station's ticketing kiosk and to place your item in a special luggage car of the train.
Most of Russian trains have a restaurant car. You can also buy sandwiches at a train station before your departure. Please note, we are not able to provide you with details regarding specific menu options as they are different for each train.
Smoking policies on Russian trains
Smoking is not permitted in cabins or in common areas. It is permitted only in a special enclosed area in the back of a train car.
