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Real Russian Train Journeys
For many Russians, train is the only practical and cost effective
method of travelling within a country that spans eleven time zones and two
continents, for foreign travellers it is a unique way to view the
grandeur of Russia and experience real Russia and its people first hand.
As a fully licensed, bonded specialist tour operator with direct contracts with
the Russian Railways, Real Russia can obtain your Russian rail tickets and have
these delivered to the UK, within Russia or anywhere in the world. As you would
expect, our service is on-line, trackable, competitively priced and managed to
the highest standards.
We can help with single, return or multi-leg journeys within Russia,
classic journeys such as the Trans-Siberian and also with
journeys involving
European countries that border or have direct rail links with Russia such as
Finland, Poland or the Ukraine.
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What sort of journeys
can you get tickets for?
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We can get tickets for any train journey where the origin or destination is
Russia, and also to, from and within many countries that border Russia including
countries such as the Baltics and Finland in the west, Kazakhstan and Mongolia
in the east and Georgia and Turkey in the South.
To start planning your journey fill in the form and search or click on any of the links below.
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Click on map to enlarge |
Can you help with
classic train journeys through Russia?
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Yes, some of the most popular trips are those that follow the world's
longest single rail journeys; from Moscow to the Pacific city of Vladivostok on
the Trans-Siberian, from Moscow to Beijing through the mountains of the old Silk
Route on the Trans-Manchurian or the classic Moscow to Beijing via mysterious
Mongolia on the Trans-Mongolian.
To start planning your classic journey click on one of the
links below.
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Click on map to enlarge |
And what about European countries that have
direct rail links or border Russia?
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We can assist with journeys starting or ending in many countries that border or have direct rail links to Russia from Europe, including:
- The Baltics - Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia
- Belarus
- Finland
- Germany
- Poland
- Ukraine
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Click on map to enlarge |
What is the difference between the ticket classes?
Generally there are three different ticket classes for overnight or long
distance trains, these are:
1. First class, a private cabin with two separate beds, a
small table and a luggage storage area.
2. Second class, a four berth private cabin with two sets of
bunk beds, a small table and a luggage storage area.
3. Third class, an open carriage with up to 50 "shelves" for
sleeping.
You may also on certain trains opt for "with services" - this means that you
will have bedding prepared for you, a meal in your cabin and on some routes free
alcoholic and soft drinks.
In some cases, women travelling alone prefer to be in the third class rather
than in a private compartment with strangers.
How does it work?
Getting your train tickets through Real Russia is a simple four step process:
1. Select the type of journey from
one the options above
2. Enter the details about
your trip
Our system will then search the live Russian Railways database and present the
results to you with available trains, tickets and current prices.
3. Select the trains and ticket types you want from the
results of available trains
4. Enter the passenger and delivery details.
You may then securely pay using a range of options including online, by phone,
fax, bank transfer and cheque.
We will then book your tickets and arrange for the delivery. It's that simple!
Why are some of the prices "from" and "to"?
On certain international trains the price is not available through the Russian
Railways live database, and we obtain the ticket prices for the exact route,
dates and cabin class that you request ensuring that you get the best prices
not a standard fixed high price as other companies do.
As the ticket prices change through the
year, and in some cases foreigners are charged a different rate, we update our
database with this information when people request these routes to show you the
range that you can expect to pay.
Further, please be aware that for international trains such as the
Trans-Mongolian, the costs of the ticket are considerably cheaper if we
can obtain these on an "International Tariff" than the individual domestic leg
costs shown in the database.
How can I pay for my tickets?
You may pay for your tickets and delivery online, by phone or fax with your Credit or
Debit card, by cheque, postal order, cash or bank transfer. All services must be fully
prepaid before we book your tickets and are subject to our standard booking
terms and conditions.
Booking terms and
conditions
Tickets may also be purchased directly from our Moscow office, payment there
may be made by Credit or Debit card in Pounds Sterling, or by cash in Russian
Roubles.
Sounds good, how can I get my tickets?
We can deliver your tickets in a variety of ways to suit your travel needs,
including:
|
Delivery method |
Time |
Cost |
| Delivery
to a UK address by combined courier and Royal Mail Special Delivery |
up to 10 working days |
£12.00 |
| Delivery to a European address by combined courier and Royal Mail
Airsure |
up to 12 working days |
£15.00 |
| Delivery
worldwide by courier |
1 to 3 working days |
POA |
| Delivery by our driver if
you have booked a transfer through us in Moscow or St. Petersburg |
Delivery on the day |
Free |
| Delivery
in Moscow or St. Petersburg by city courier to your hotel or apartment |
As you request |
£10.00 |
| Collection from our offices
in Moscow, St. Petersburg and up to 20 other Russian cities |
As you request |
Free |
| Collection
from European booking offices |
By arrangement |
POA |
Do I have to buy the tickets if I requested
them?
No, a request for ticket prices and train options is not a commitment to
purchase, we will only obtain your tickets when you instruct us to do so.
Can I cancel tickets I have already purchased and
get a refund?
Yes, you can cancel the tickets once we have purchased them for you and you
will be refunded based on the following schedule:
- Within 14 days of travel - 100% less £10.00 per ticket
- Within 7 days of travel - 75% less £10.00 per ticket
- Within 24 to 48 hours of travel - 50% less £10.00 per ticket
- On or up to seven days after the day of travel - 25% less £10.00 per
ticket
- After 7 days of the day of travel - no refund is possible
We must have the tickets in our possession to issue a refund. If you have the
tickets in your possession and you wish to cancel them then you must return them
to our Moscow office at your cost, and when we receive them we will use this as the date for calculating the
refund, not the date you inform us that you wish to cancel your tickets.
Please note that any courier or postage costs used are not refundable.
The standard refund schedule is listed above, though for some tickets,
especially on international trains, there is a sliding penalty for cancelling
them that is dependent upon a wide range of factors including the route, train
and railway network operator which means that there may be between a 100% refund
to none at all.
When can I book my tickets?
For Russian rail tickets including domestic services such as Moscow to St
Petersburg and international services such as the Trans-Mongolian Express, it is
not possible to confirm prices or issue the tickets more than 45 days before
departure of the train.
Currently the Russian railways are issuing tickets for journeys on or before: 17 August 2009.
If your journey is within 45 days, if they are available we can
issue your tickets immediately, however if your journey is more than 45
days away to help you with budgeting and planning of your trip we offer the following
facilities:
- You may reserve a ticket up to 180 days before departure
of the train without payment.
- Within 75 days of departure of the train we will confirm
in writing the current ticket price(s) for your requested journey.
- Within 60 days of departure full payment at the current
ticket price is required to maintain the reservation or your request will be
automatically cancelled.
- On day 45 before departure (the day the tickets become
available for sale) we will book and issue the ticket and an adjustment of
the ticket price paid may be made, that is either you will need to pay or we
will refund the difference between the pre-payment and the final price.
- Refunds of pre-payments and cancellation of ticket
requests may be made up to the point we actually book your tickets without
penalty. All such requests must be made in writing and be acknowledged by us
in writing to be effective.
Such a mechanism is extremely useful especially when booking popular routes
such as the Trans-Siberian or specific trains such as the Nicolivsky Express
during the summer months when the tickets can sell out within days.
Is there such a thing as a "Rail Pass" that
allows me to hop on and off trains as I want?
Unfortunately there is no such ticket or option in Russia, if you are
planning a multi-leg journey or travelling along a classic route such as the
Trans-Siberian then you may either need to book each ticket as a separate leg in
advance or as a single journey with nominated stopovers.
Unless you speak good Russian and are familiar with the notoriously
unfriendly government booking offices or have a real "spirit of adventure" we
don't recommend that you attempt to buy your tickets as you go.
What about time zone differences?
Almost (yes almost!) all trains in Russia are quoted on Moscow time, which
depending where you are in Russia can vary by up to 8 hours from local time! We
quote Moscow time as dictated by the train schedules, though you also have the
option to view the times in local time. We will confirm with you when you
request your tickets both the local and Moscow times for train departures.
Also, please note that many hotels and
apartments have set check in or check
out times, usually around midday. So, if for example you are taking the midnight
train from Moscow arriving in St Petersburg in the morning, your hotel may
require you to check out up to 12 hours before your train departs and you may
need to wait up to 6 hours before you can check in on arrival at St. Petersburg.
In such cases you may either book the hotel or apartment for a half day,
allowing early check in or late check out, or see if the hotel has an area you
may place you luggage. Another alternative is to ask us to book you a sauna on
arrival where you may freshen up before going onto your accommodation.
Can you help me with
my visas as well?
Yes, of course we can. Real Russia is the number one independent
Russian visa processing company in the UK and our service is fully
inclusive with no hidden "extras" such as invitation/visa support
document costs.
If you need multiple visas, for example if you are travelling overland from
London to Beijing on the Trans-Mongolian, then we can process all required visas
"back to back" and return your passport with all visas when they are complete.
Russian visas
Trans-Siberian,
Mongolian and Manchurian visas
Further, if required, for example due to your travel plans,
our office in Moscow can provide a one stop shop to process Belarusian, Chinese,
Kazakh and Mongolian visas for most nationalities. Please see the links above,
contact us directly or email
moscow@realrussia.co.uk for
details.
How do I find the station, my train, the
carriage or even read the ticket?
A very good question we are often asked! If you book a transfer to the station in Moscow or St. Petersburg with us, then our driver will take you directly to the station to make sure you get on the right train. Please note that we offer discounts on transfers to those who have also booked train tickets through us as well.
However, if you are making your own way there then please see the following
guide for further information:
Reading a Russian rail ticket and other
useful information
I have further questions, can you help me?
Yes, while we try to make the information and services on our site as clear,
complete and honest as possible, if you have further questions please feel free
to contact us and we will be
happy to help, or browse through our forums and ask
others who may have the answers you are looking for.
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