Tickets in advance. Tickets for future travel, up to 45 days in advance, can be only purchased at the:
Rail Ticketing Service
Komsomolskaya pl., 5............................262-67-91
Tel............262-86-84 Tel.......................266-83-33
Information about ticket orders...............262-67-91
Mo-Fr 7-20, Sa-Su 7-18; M. Komsomolskaya
Tickets can also be purchased through a travel agent.

Tickets by telephone. You can order tickets up to 30 days in advance by telephone and they will be delivered in two or three days to your home or office. You pay when they are delivered. Call 266-83-33.

Electricki (Suburban Commuter Trains) covers the suburbs and nearby towns. Buy single tickets at the departing station, others at machines. There’s also a new Unified Transport Pass (as of September 1, 2000) which can be used both in suburban commuter trains and in the metro. It can be bought (i.e. the deposit for the card) for 50 roubles at any metro or RR station ticket office. But the fares for the two means of transportation should be payed for separately. The fares for commuter trains will depend on the route and they can be payed for according to the following scheme: 1, 2, 3, 4 months or weekends of one month. After date of expiry the pass can be prolonged at any RR or metro ticket office. If the passanger doesn’t want to use the card any more he must hand it in to the ticket office and get his deposit money back.

Tickets for foreigners. In theory, foreigners are supposed to buy tickets at special Intourist windows at the station, Intourist ticket offices or special windows in the Central Railway Office. Basically, foreigners pay more for their tickets than Russians. A receipt is given for foreigner's tickets showing that you paid "properly". When buying tickets take your passport, visa, and any documents for a discount (student cards, etc.). In practice, many foreigners ask a Russian to buy tickets for them. A name must be put on the tickets to prevent scalping and in theory, the purchaser must show passports for the tickets they buy. Often, the ticket agent just asks your name. Try to have your name put on the ticket:
Central Railway Booking Office
Mal. Kharitonevskiy per., 6/11................................262-06-04
Information................................................................262-25-66
Daily 8-19 (13-14), M. Chistye Prudy

International Train Tickets. The old practice of selling international rail tickets for hard currency has been discontinued. All tickets are currently sold for rubles.

Ticket Prices. Ticket prices are determined by distance traveled and "class" of service such as how fast the train travels, the size of the compartment, etc.

Students' Fare. All students studying in Russia, Russian and foreign, receive the same discount for railway tickets.

Comfort and classes. There are three basic classes for long distance train travel: luxury-soft (lyuks, or SV, CB) with two pull-out soft beds, coupé-soft (kupe) with four soft beds, and platskart with six beds per compartment, a choice to be avoided.

Electric commuter trains, called elektropoezda, or elektrichki, usually have hard wooden benches, no amenities, and can be very crowded on summer weekends when people go to the dacha.

For comfort, buy all the tickets for the compartment, even if just one or two people are traveling. You have privacy and on overnight trips, you can make yourself a larger bed by putting your luggage & extra blankets between the two beds. Women should not travel alone. If they must, it's mandatory to have a compartment to themselves.

Getting to your train. Your ticket will indicate the train (poezd) number, wagon (vagon) and seat number (mesto). People meeting you will often ask for your wagon number. Russian trains are long, so it is nice to have someone there where you step off the train.

On the train. When you board the train, the conductor (provodnik) will put your ticket into his/her black pouch (and should return it to you the next morning). He/she may or may not check your passport. On regular night trains the conductor will usually collect a small sum of money for the bed linen, and towel. ($1,5-2 in rubles). They should also offer you tea at night as well as in the morning. The more enterprising ones will have a selection of alcohol, cold beer, soda and snacks for sale. Some will fetch items from the dining car. For good service, a small tip ($1.00 in rubles) at the end of the trip is appropriate. If you have purchased your tickets at the window for Russians, the conductor will occasionally try to collect the "Intourist" commission for himself. Good humor and a sum of between $3-$5 per person should solve the problem. Resist those persons who may try to collect more for unused tickets or for linen service. Once on the train, turn off your radio, check the ventilation and prepare your evening snack.

Porters (nosilshchik) expect no less than $4.00 in rubles from foreigners for one or two bags and about $1 for each additional bag. Indulge yourself, because "Wagon Number 3" is a long way down the platform. They share their tips with their self appointed "foreman" who "assigns" work.

Toilets on most trains are in disrepair and without soap or toilet paper. Bring your own tucked in a bag.

What to bring. To make your trip more enjoyable, bring food, water and non-alcoholic drinks, beer and spirits and a pocket knife (to prepare food). On overnight trips bring rubber sole slippers to wear in the compartment and to the toilet, a small flashlight, light bed clothes, toilet paper, and a 2 ft piece of 1/8 inch nylon cord. It can get extremely hot when they crank up the heat in winter, so bring something cool to wear.

Safety at the stations. Be alert around railway stations especially Kurskiy and Paveltskiy. Belorussia, Kiev and Kazanskiy stations even have special security agents! At night, be accompanied by someone.

Safety on the trains. As on most European trains, each compartment door has a door lock and second security lock for ventilation. Alas, both locks can be opened easily and quietly from outside. We carry a short nylon cord to tie the door handle closed. Use a belt or necktie if neccessary. Most conductors approve of this method and also warn travelers to at least store valuables in the special compartment under the bed. Women should always travel with a companion. If you do this, you can have peace of mind.

Baggage by Rail. According to rules for an individual ticket, 36 kg of hand luggage are permitted in your compartment. If the conductor agrees and the dimensions permit, you are permitted up to 70 kg for a payment mutually agreed upon by you and the conductor. (As much as $5=R per piece). Baggage to 200 kg maybe shipped for a fee in the baggage wagon. There are set fees determined by weight and distances. Payment receipts are issued by the baggage department.
In practice, couriers between Moscow and Saint Petersburg often buy a compartment or pay a "fee" to the conductor to fill up an empty compartment with accompanied "freigh", including everything from hi-fi equipment to sacks of onions. Conductors also run a fairly reliable unofficial overnight courier service from Moscow to St. Pbg and even Helsinki. You give your package to the conductor in a specific "wagon number" and the recipient goes to that car (wagon number), identifies themselves and picks up the package.
Most stations have ticket offices, kiosks, buffets, restaurants, phones, waiting rooms, pay toilets and a first aid station. Several stations have postal services, currency exchanges and hair salons.

Long Distance: Moscow has nine main train terminals serving various parts of Russia, Europe and the CIS. All stations have kiosks, cafes, restaurants (many are being converted to fast food restaurants), phones, waiting rooms, pay toilets, pharmacies and hair salons. Most stations have postal services. Advance booking is available for all tickets and is recommended. In some stations, entrance to the interior station and waiting rooms (but not to the platforms) requires a ticket or payment. Most stations have both local militia and internal guards, and booking offices for long distance and suburban trains. Belorussia, Kiev and Kazan stations have special security agents!