Russia Essential Travel Guide

We've made it easy to book your Russian rail tickets online, but that's only part of the journey. Upon your arrival you will see plenty of signs in Russian, and meet people who often don't speak English. Thus, finding your train station, platform and carriage may be difficult at times. But don't worry! Russian Trains has prepared The Essential Travel Guide for Your First Orientation in Russia

How to find your train station, platform and car

Moscow & St. Petersburg are quite hectic and have several train stations. So in case you get lost, don't worry and ask passers-by for help. Here's how to ask for directions:

Gde moy vokzal? (Where's my train station?)
Gde moya platforma? (Where's my platform?)
Gde moy poezd? (Where's my train?)
Gde moy vagon? (Where's my carriage/car?)

Find your station on the map:

Moscow stations | St. Petersburg stations

How to read Russian signs

Even Russia's biggest cities not always have road signs and timetable in English. And as you move farther from Moscow, English speaking support shrinks. These key phrases will help you read signs in Russian:

Улица - Ulitsa - Street
Проспект - Prospekt - Avenue
Направо - Napravo - To the right
Налево - Nalevo - To the left
Вокзал - Vokzal - Train station
Платформа - Platforma - Platform
Путь - Put' - Track
Поезд - Poezd - Train
Вагон - Vagon - Carriage / Car
Сиденье / Место - Siden'ye / Mesto - Seat / Place
Метро - Metro - Subway

How to avoid lots of unnecessary stress while traveling

Read our F.A.Q section. It has many answers to the questions you'll have when preparing for your journey and will help you to avoid lots of unnecessary stress while in Russia. Here are some of the most popular questions:

What to expect from traveling by train in Russia?

What is the permitted size and weight of my carry-on luggage?


Read other F.A.Q.