Cheap train tickets discounts. Russian Railways: how to buy cheap train tickets

Now almost everyone knows how you can fly on airplanes for pennies: there are numerous ones, you can track promotions by subscribing to airline news, and save money.

But Russian Railways also has interesting promotions and opportunities to save money.

Seasonal tariffs of Russian Railways

In Russian Railways, prices depend on the season and they have a useful table from which you can understand when the markups are.

Here you can immediately see that prices rise the most in summer period, for June 9 – August 31, the coefficient is 1.20, which means tickets are 20% more expensive than usual! Before New Year the coefficient is 1.15, that is, 15% more expensive than usual.

There are quite a lot of seasons when prices are 10% below average (coefficient 0.90), check out the link.

Dynamic pricing in Russian Railways

This means that ticket prices depend from purchase date . The Russian Railways system analyzes thousands of factors and can change the price several times even during the day. This system does not apply to reserved seat seats and only affects coupe, SV, and luxury cars.

Sales open 45 days in advance and usually everyone rushes to buy on the first day, so the price is usually higher. A few days before departure, prices also become more expensive, but this is on average. Sometimes it happens that literally before departure you can buy a coupe at the price of a reserved seat (tickets were not sold out and now they are at the most low prices). Therefore, if you urgently need to go tomorrow, check the compartment as well.

The best option is to track tickets 10-40 days in advance.

Russian Railways Bonus - we accumulate points for trips

Russian Railways has its own “mile program”. You need to register on the Russian Railways Bonus website and you will be assigned a unique number, which you will need to tell the cashier or enter when purchasing tickets online.

Until recently, points were awarded only for your trip. Now you can make a general one by sending a scan of the supporting documents to Russian Railways. After that, points will be awarded for your spouse and children.

With the accumulated points you can buy award tickets (coupe, SV, luxury) for yourself and others. After three trips in a class no lower than a coupe, you will receive a plastic card to your postal address. With it you can get a 7% discount in station restaurants (Planet Sushi, IL Patio, Costa Coffee, TGI Friday’s, etc.).

We're driving a Sapsan

If you buy round-trip tickets on the Sapsan, which runs on the Moscow-St. Petersburg route, a 20% discount will automatically be applied to the return ticket.

To Europe by train

Does it make sense to travel abroad by train when there are so many?

In fact, there are also lifehacks for saving money here, and in certain situations this can be interesting.

For example, newlyweds can receive a 30% discount within a month after the wedding. The 35% discount is also valid for birthday people 7 days before and after their birthday. If someone has long wanted to try a first class ride, then take Moscow - Paris / Nice / Prague tickets for your important days and try it!

Those who love loneliness can book a compartment for four with a 30% discount on the “Family” fare and travel alone or with a dog.

If you purchase tickets for two, there will be a 20% discount. Anyone who likes to ride on the top shelves will receive a 5% discount. Those who purchase tickets 45-60 days before train departure will save 10%.

Buy a train ticket online

Making a choice in favor of buying tickets online is wise not only because e-ticket You can purchase and return it in a few seconds. If you're traveling to any of the former Soviet republics, from Estonia to Tajikistan, buying your ticket online will save you 3% of the original cost.

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Life hacks for saving on trains

• Take the top shelves, prices are usually cheaper there and no one will bother you.
• Choose an unpopular departure time, for example at 4-5 am there is less demand, and therefore prices are lower.
• Prices during the week are cheaper than standard trips on Friday evenings there and Sunday evenings back.
• Buy tickets for dates after New Year holidays or other major holidays.

Calculation method

1. Find in the table the current period and coefficient for your type of car.
2. Divide the current value by this ratio.
3. Find in the table the period you are interested in and the coefficient for your type of car.
4. Multiply the number obtained in step 2 by this coefficient.

Calculation example

Suppose we need to find out the cost of a ticket Moscow - St. Petersburg. We plan to travel in a regular compartment without services in mid-June. And we found out that the cost of the Moscow-St. Petersburg coupe on February 23 was 1,490.2 rubles. 1. Today's coefficient is 0.8 (during the period January 10 - March 6).
2. 1490,2 / 0,8 = 1862,75.
3. The coefficient for mid-June is 1.1 (June 13 - 28).
4. The required ticket price = 1862.75 * 1.1 = 2049 rubles.

Note! We have already calculated for you the cost of train tickets on the most popular routes.

For trains traveling abroad

Schedule of flexible tariff regulation in 2017 and 2018

In 2017 and 2018, ticket prices will change according to the table of seasonal coefficients below. If you want to know what the cost of a ticket will be in a few months, follow these steps.

Against the backdrop of recent crisis events and a sharp increase in exchange rates, trips to distant countries associated with air travel are becoming unaffordable and more and more travelers are turning their attention to traveling around Russia. It is becoming increasingly relevant for traveling around the country railway transport, as more accessible to the general population. Every future passenger or traveler wants to save on travel and. This is the natural desire of every person. We have already said that the cost of Russian Railways tickets varies depending on several factors and, knowing them, it is easier to find and buy an option that is suitable for the price.

What affects the cost of Russian Railways train tickets?

1.​ The main pricing factor is the category of the car. This is especially noticeable when traveling long distances. The most inexpensive seats are in a reserved seat carriage; in other categories of a higher class you have to pay more for the comfort provided.

2.​ A separate cost item may be Additional services in the carriage such as bed linen and meals, which are included in the fare. In some cases they are optional and can be waived if possible to save money.

3.​ As a rule, than longer route, the more expensive the travel. In addition to the basic tariff, its price includes several fixed-price fees that do not depend on the distance. Therefore, the shorter the distance, the higher the unit cost per kilometer. When traveling between neighboring cities, you can try using commuter trains, if possible.

4.​ Purchase time before departure and availability. We have already talked about special program dynamic pricing, where there is no fixed price. Here the price directly depends on how much time is left before departure and how many seats are still available for sale. It is clear that the most profitable and cheap seats are sold out first. Sometimes you have to buy a compartment because there are no more empty seats in the reserved seat carriage.

5.​ Seasonality. During high seasons: summer, school holidays, New Year and May Day holidays, demand increases sharply and prices rise significantly. This also applies to adjacent dates on holidays and weekends.

1. Worry about ordering travel documents in advance. This is the main rule for any purchase.

2. Check the schedule to see if there are non-branded trains on the desired route. They are noticeably cheaper than branded ones, but the ride on the latter is more comfortable.

3. Check availability of shares. Sometimes, within a couple of weeks after the opening of the pre-sale, you can buy a seat in a compartment for almost the cost of a reserved seat.

4. Compare the cost for neighboring dates. On different days of the week, price offers may differ significantly. This is especially noticeable on busy routes.

5.​ Buy tickets in the system online booking without overpayments at Russian Railways prices. The online booking system, unlike traditional railway ticket offices, does not charge a service fee for issuing travel documents. Having up-to-date information about promotions and discounts in real time is always easier to navigate and choose the best option. In addition, offers with the minimum price are marked in the system with a special icon.

Sitting at the computer in a calm home environment or at work, it is easier to use our recommendations, choose the appropriate option, and. Worth taking advantage online system booking at least once, and subsequently processing and purchasing train travel documents will not take more than a couple of minutes.

Travel by Russian Railways trains cheaply and comfortably!