Onboard Russian Trains

What to expect from traveling by train in Russia?’’


At the rail station

Be ready to encounter some difficulties with finding people who speak English at the train stations in Russia if you visit some other cities but Moscow and St. Petersburg. You might feel a lack of direction signs in English but we cannot do anything about that as train stations are not our property. We cannot set up any signs that's why we strongly recommend our travelers to arrive at the train station at least 45 minutes before the train departure.

Note: If you are traveling along the Trans-Siberian Railway be prepared that English-speaking support shrinks as you move farther from Moscow. That is why we strongly recommend using the assistance of local guides when traveling in Russia independently.

Staff onboard

We neither hire nor train staff working onboard Russian trains or at the railway stations. It is solely the responsibility of the Russian Railways (the state monopoly operating almost all trains in Russia) and we cannot guarantee that they speak English. However, all staff onboard are trained to be friendly and polite and help you out in any situation.

Meals onboard

When booking your tickets with us you have options to choose a travel class which corresponds to your needs and preferences; it might and might not include food. We are not responsible for the quality of food served onboard. In all cases, the meal depends on the carrier and train composition.

Note: If you see this sign Meals onboard indicated on the travel class, it means food is included in the ticket price. If there is no sign on the travel class, no food is included.

Shower onboard

When planning a journey onboard Russian Trains, it is better to assume there are no showers on the majority of trains provided by Russian Railways. They are available in luxury cabins on quite a limited number of trains. Below you will find international and most popular domestic trains with showers available in some travel classes:

DOMESTIC ROUTES:

Moscow - St. Petersburg - Moscow
Train # 053Ч / 054Ч “Grand Express”;
Train # 001A / 002A “Red Arrow”
Train # 003A / 004A “Express”

Moscow - Saransk - Moscow
Train # 041Й / 042Й “Mordovia”

Moscow - Kazan - Moscow
Train # 001Й / 002Й “Premium”

Moscow - Saratov - Moscow
Train # 009Г / 010Г

INTERNATIONAL ROUTES:

Moscow - Berlin - Paris - Berlin - Moscow
Train # 023Й / 024Й

Moscow - Nice - Moscow
Train # 017Б / 018Б

Moscow - Helsinki - Moscow
Train # 031A / 032A

Wi-Fi onboard

At the moment Wi-Fi is available on a small number of trains provided by Russian Railways. It can be provided in the Conference Cabin, Premium and Business Class on all “SAPSAN” trains running between Moscow and St. Petersburg, on “Alstom” trains between St. Petersburg and Helsinki, and on the Luxury Overnight Train “Grand Express” (for all travel classes).