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International
train routes, timetable, and prices in Russia
contents: map
of europe • best overland routes to and from russia •
train schedules & prices to russia • train schedules & prices
from russia • useful internet
resources
Information and schedules were
updated February 2005
The
best routes (the fastest and the cheapest) to get to and from Russia
by train. We'll appreciate very much your suggestions for this
section,
please, post it in Talk Lounge
Russia Forums.
The Best Overland Routes
The
best way to get to and from Russia is avoiding Belorussia (Belarus),
because
everyone
needs a transit
visa through Belarus, which costs $30 and takes time to make.
However, Belarus might be interesting to
see (from the window of your train) as it is perhaps the only country
in Europe now that still has a feel of the communist times.
On the map above there are the main railway routes (in red) through
Europe to Russia. As you see, you can avoid Belarus, if you
go through
the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia). If you want
to go through Belarus, then you can take a direct train from
Berlin to Moscow.
Almost all trains that go from Western and Eastern Europe, go through
Warsaw, Poland.
For example, if your destination is St. Petersburg, you should
take a train to Warsaw, then take a train from Warsaw to Kaunas,
then take a train from Kaunas to Vilnius, and then take a train
from Vilnius to St. Petersburg, the total price will be around $75
one way. If you take a direct train Warsaw - St. Petersburg, you'll
go through Belorussia, it'll cost around $85 one way and you'll
need a transit visa (+$30 at least).
If your destination is Moscow, the best way is to get from
Warsaw to Riga, and then take a daily train Riga - Moscow, the total
price will be around $85. Again, if you take a direct train Warsaw
- Moscow or Berlin - Moscow, you'll go through Belarus and it'll
also cost around $85 + at least $30 for a transit visa.
In 2004 European budget airlines, such
as EasyJet and RyanAir started regular flights to Riga (Latvia)
and Tallin (Estonia), making it possible to travel to Russia really
cheap if you are ready to book a few weeks ahead. With their offers,
you can now go to Riga or Tallin for 20 EUR with taxes from London
or Berlin (provided you book at least 4 weeks before) and then
take a bus or a train to Moscow or St. Petersburg. See
more information on suggested routes in our Budget
Travel to Russia section.
You can buy train
tickets online through WayToRussia.Net.
Schedules & Prices:
Trains to Russia
The
Route: GERMANY (Berlin) - POLAND (Warsaw & Sestokai)
- LITHUANIA (Vilnius) - LATVIA - RUSSIA (St. Petersburg).
Price: around 150 to 250 EUR one way 2nd class.
Total travel time (with changes): around 33 hours.
3 train changes avoiding Belarus |
There
are many daily trains Berlin - Warsaw, look for "EC"
trains – they are the fastest, the trip takes
around 6 hours.
Daily train EC41:
Berlin Ostbahnhof [daily 6:42] ––
Warsaw Wschodnia [same day 12:30]. Total
time: around 6 hours, price: around 80-110 EUR 2nd class
one
way.
or
Daily train EC45:
Berlin Ostbahnhof [daily 12:42] ––
Warsaw Wschodnia [same day 18:30].
The total travel time is around 6 hours.
Train price: around 80 - 100 EUR 2nd class one way.
or
You can take a combination of regional trains and pay
about 45 EUR for 2nd class one way. But in this case
your journey is going to take about 9 hours and you'll
need to make 2 or 3 changes. |
Daily
train D77101:
Warsaw Wschodnia [daily 7:25] ––
Sestokai [same day 14.00]. Total travel
time: around 6h30m, price: n/a |
Daily
train 94RJ:
Sestokai [daily 14.00] ––
Vilnius (Lithuania) [same day 18.00]. Total
travel time: around 4h, price: n/a |
Train
342 (departs on even dates!):
Vilnius (Lithuania) [even dates 18.30] ––
Pskov (Russia) –– St. Petersburg Vitebskii
[next day 10.32] Total travel time: around
15h, price: 50 EUR 2nd class - one berth in a 4-berth
coupe 30 EUR 3rd class: a berth in a common carriage. |
| The
total price Warsaw - St. Petersburg will be around $50
one way (2nd class), if you buy the ticket
Warsaw - Sestokai in Warsaw, Sestokai - Vilnius in Sestokai,
and Vilnius - St. Petersburg in Lithuania. |
The
Route: GERMANY (Berlin) - POLAND (Warsaw) - LITHUANIA
(Kaisiadorys) - LATVIA (Riga) - RUSSIA (Moscow or St.
Petersburg)
Price: around 100 to 250 EUR one way
2nd class.
Total travel time (with changes): around 42-44 hours.
3 train changes.
|
There
are many daily trains Berlin - Warsaw, look for "EC"
trains – they are the fastest, the trip takes
around 6 hours.
Daily train EC41:
Berlin Ostbahnhof [daily 7:07] ––
Warsaw Wschodnia [same day 13:14]. Total
time: around 6 hours, price: around $25 2nd class one
way.
or
Daily train EC45:
Berlin Ostbahnhof [daily 13:07] ––
Warsaw Wschodnia [same day 18:51].
The total travel time is around 6 hours.
Train price: around $25 2nd class one way.
or
You can take a combination of regional trains and pay about 45 EUR for 2nd class
one way. But in this case your journey is going to take about 9 hours and you'll
need to make 2 or 3 changes. |
Train
28 (departs on odd dates!):
Warsaw Wschodnia [odd dates 21:55] ––
Kaisiadorys (Lithuania) [next day 7.08]. Total
travel time: 9h. Train price: n/a. |
Daily
train 260:
Kaisiadorys (Lithuania) [daily 9:42] ––
Riga (Latvia) [same day 16:01]. Total travel
time: 6h20m. Train price: n/a. |
Daily
train #2:
Riga (Latvia) [daily 15:15] –– Moscow
Rizhski railway station [next day 9:24]. Total
travel time: 17h. Train price: $80 one way 2nd class.
or
Daily train #38:
Riga [daily 19.35] –– St. Petersburg
Vitebskii railway station [next day 9:22].
Total time: 15h. Train price: $70 one way 2nd class.
or
Daily Eurolines coach to St. Petersburg, departs
at 18.00, price: $18. |
The
Route: FINLAND (Helsinki) - RUSSIA (Moscow or St. Petersburg)
Price: around $70-$110 one way 2nd
class.
Total travel time: around 15 hours. |
Daily
train 032A.
Helsinki (Finland) [daily 17.34] - Moscow Leningradskii
[next day 8.38]. Price: $110 one way in a 4-bed
compartment
or
Daily train #34 aka "Repin".
Helsinki (Finland) [daily 15:42] - St. Petersburg Finlandski
[same day 22:25]. Price: $72 one way in a
4-bed compartment.
or
Daily train #36 aka "Sibelius"
Helsinki [daily 7.42] - St Petersburg Finlandski [same
day 14.23]. Price: $72 one way in a 4-bed
compartment. |
The
Route: ESTONIA (Tallinn) - RUSSIA (Moscow )
Price:
around $90 one way 2nd class.
Total travel time: around xx hours. |
Daily
train.
Tallinn (Estonia) [daily 17.34] - Moscow [next day 8.38].
Price: $90 one way in a 4-bed compartment 2nd class
|
The
Route: UKRAINE (Kiev) - RUSSIA (Moscow or St. Petersburg)
Price: around $xx one way 2nd
class.
Total travel time: around 24 hours. |
Train
#54
Kiev (Ukraine) [odd dates 9.33] - St Petersburg Vitebski
[next day 11.09] |
| FOR
TRANS-SIBERIAN TRAINS, SEE OUR TRANS-SIBERIAN
TRAIN SCHEDULE. |
|
Schedules & Prices:
Trains from Russia
The
Route: RUSSIA (Moscow) - GERMANY (Berlin)
Price: around $180 one way 2nd
class.
Total travel time: around 33 hours.
Trains go through Belarus (need transit visa) |
Train
#9 ('Polonez Express')
Moscow Belorusski - Berlin (Germany). Price: 1st class: $260, 2nd class: $180.
Train goes through Belarus (Minsk) |
The
Route: RUSSIA (Moscow) - POLAND (Warsaw)
Price: around $80 one way 2nd
class.
Total travel time: around 24 hours.
Trains go through Belarus (need transit visa) |
Train
#9 ('Polonez Express')
Moscow Belorusski [daily 15.52] - Warsaw (Poland) [next
day 10.20]. Price: 1st class: $130, 2nd class: $90.
Train goes through Belarus (Minsk) |
The
Route: RUSSIA (St. Petersburg) - LATVIA - LITHUANIA (Vilnius)
- POLAND (Sestokai & Warsaw) - GERMANY (Berlin)
Price: around 100-250 EUR one way 2nd class.
Total travel time (with changes): around 33 hours.
3 train changes. |
Train
391 (departs on odd dates):
St. Petersburg Vitebskii [odd dates
19.41]
–– Pskov (Russia) ––
Vilnius (Lithuania) [next day 9.22].
Total travel time: 14h, price: 50 EUR 2nd class -
one berth in a 4-berth coupe, 30 EUR - 3rd class: a
berth in a common carriage. |
|
Daily
train 93RJ:
Vilnius (Lithuania) [daily 9.25] ––
Sestokai [same day 13.00]. Total time: 3h35m.
Price: n/a
|
Daily
train D91002:
Sestokai [daily 13.15] ––
Warsaw Wschodnia (Poland) [same day 20.30]. Total
travel time: around 6h45m, price: n/a |
Daily
train 46EC:
Warsaw Wschodnia [daily 6.45] ––
Berlin Ostbahnhof [same day 10.32] Total
travel time: around 4h, price: around 100 EUR (can be
50 EUR if you take regional trains and make 2-3 changes). |
| The
total price St. Petersburg - Berlin will be from
100 to 250 EUR one way (2nd class), if
you buy the ticket St. Petersburg - Vlinius in
Russia,
Vilnius
- Sestokai
in Lithuania, Sestokai - Warsaw in Poland. |
The
Route: RUSSIA (Moscow or St. Petersburg) - LATVIA
(Riga)
- LITHUANIA (Kaisiadorys) - POLAND (Warsaw) - GERMANY
(Berlin). Price: around 100-250
EUR one way 2nd class.
Total travel time (with changes): around 40 hours.
3 train changes.
|
Train
37:
St. Petersburg Vitebski [mon, wed, thu, sat 21.44] ––
Riga (Latvia) [next day 9.40]. Total travel
time: 12h, price: $70 one way 2nd class (a bed in a 4-bed
coupe). Departure: mon, wed, thur sat until 9 Oct.
or
Daily train 3:
Moscow Rizhskii [daily 0.00] –– Riga
(Latvia) [next day 10.05]. Total travel time:
15h30, price: $80 one way 2nd class (a bed in a 4-bed
coupe). |
Train
257RJ:
Riga (Latvia) [] –– Kaisiadorys (Lithuania)
[same day]. Total travel time: around 6h. Train
price: n/a. |
Daily
train 27:
Kaisiadorys (Lithuania) [daily 20:32] ––
Warsaw Wschodnia (Poland) [next day 5:47].
Total travel time: 9h. Train price: n/a. |
Daily
train 46EC:
Warsaw Wschodnia (Poland) [daily 6.45] ––
Berlin Ostbahnhof [same day 12:33]. Total
travel time: 17h. Train price: 100 EUR one way 2nd class
(can be 50 EUR if you take regional trains and make 2-3
changes).
|
The
Route: RUSSIA (Moscow or St. Petersburg) - FINLAND (Helsinki)
Price: around $80-$110 one way 2nd
class.
Total travel time: around 15 hours. |
Daily
train 031A.
Moscow Leningradski [daily 22.50] - Helsinki [next day
11.18]. Price: $110 one way in a 4-bed compartment
or
Daily train #33 aka "Repin".
St. Petersburg Finlandski [daily 7.42] - Helsinki [same
day 14:23]. Price: around $65 one way in a 4-bed
compartment.
or
Daily train #35, aka "Sibelius"
St Petersburg Finlandski [daily 17.42] - Helsinki [same
day 1.28].
|
The
Route: RUSSIA (Moscow - ESTONIA (Tallinn)
Price: around $90 one way 2nd
class.
Total travel time: around xx hours. |
Daily
train .
Moscow [daily 18.15] - Tallinn [next day 8.28]. Price:
$90 one way in a 4-bed compartment.
|
The
Route: RUSSIA (St Petersburg) - UKRAINE (Kiev)
Price: around $xx one way 2nd
class.
Total travel time: around 24 hours. |
Train
#53
St Petersburg Vitebski [odd dates 17.51] - Kiev (Ukraine)
[next day 17.15] |
| FOR
TRANS-SIBERIAN TRAINS, SEE OUR TRANS-SIBERIAN
Timetables. |
|
Internet
Resources, Train Ticket Agencies
Deutsche
Bahn. A very good internet resource for searching
the train connections throughout all Europe (Western Europe,
Eastern
Europe, Baltics, Russia). There's information about the trains,
times, prices (for Germany only). http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
(in English) and http://www.bahn.de/ (in
German). There's also a light text version (click "Lynx")
Russian Transport Agency. The internet site of Russian railways.
Gives all the schedules for Russian trains, but is available in
Russian only (you'll have to type in Russian, as well). http://www.timetable.tsi.ru/
Ticket.Ru. Sells train tickets but only to the residents
of Russia. If you have a Russian friend who can order and get
the ticket it's a good option. http://www.ticket.ru/
TrainLine.Ru. Sells
train tickets for Russia online, English interface, train
search with stopovers, major credit cards are accepted, worldwide
delivery
.http://www.trainline.ru/
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