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Traveling to Russia from India

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  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Visa to Russia from India
      • How to obtain a Russian Visa in India in an easy and cost-effective way
      • How to obtain the Russian electronic visa (e-visa): St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Far Eastern regions
      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
      • Where do I apply for a Russian visa if I live abroad?
      • Is it possible to travel to Russia Visa-Free? Who does not need a visa?
      • Russian Embassies, Consulates and Visa Centers – Updated list
      • Visiting St. Petersburg on a cruise without a visa (visa-free) and with a tourist visa
      • How to get a private visa to visit relatives or friends in Russia
      • Should I indicate nights on the train in the application for an invitation letter or Russian visa?
      • Is it possible to change my itinerary or renew my Russian visa?
      • The reasons for refusal of the Russian Visa (and how to avoid them)
      • Business Visa to Russia: Step by step guide
      • Can I modify my invitation to Russia if it contains some incorrect information?
      • How to get a 3-year tourist Russian visa (only for US citizens)
      • How to get travel medical insurance for Russian visa (in 5 minutes)
    • 1.2. Registration and immigration
      • Registration in Russia: What it is and how it is done
      • Russian airports: immigration card and customs formalities
    • 1.3. Visa to India, China and post-Soviet states
      • How to travel to Belarus without a visa (visa-free) and with visa
      • How to apply for the electronic visa to Uzbekistan (e-Visa)
      • How to get an e-Visa to India online: Step-by-step guide
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
      • Russian airports: immigration card and customs formalities
      • How to go from the airport to the center of Moscow or the Red Square
      • How to find the cheapest flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg from India
      • How to go from Pulkovo Airport to St. Petersburg
    • 2.2. Russian trains
      • Travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg: Which is the best way?
      • Trains in Russia: How to buy tickets on-line without the middle-man
      • Train stations in Russia: luggage storage, Wi-Fi and other services
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • Traveling by bus through Russia (and how to buy tickets online)
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • How to catch a taxi in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, or in other Russian cities
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
    • 2.4. Car rental
      • Is it worth to rent a car in Russia? Recommendations and requirements
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
      • Accommodations in Russia: How to choose and where to make a reservation cheaply
      • Ostrovok: the best alternative to Booking.com
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • How to book a restaurant in Moscow, St. Petersburg or other Russian cities
      • What do you eat in Russia? Typical dishes and Russian restaurants
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
      • What to see and do in Moscow in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days
      • What is the Moscow Kremlin and how to buy tickets online
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow: tickets and guided tours
      • St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Visits, tickets and schedules
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • Moscow Tourist Information Offices
      • Official tourist maps of Moscow (PDF)
      • Shopping in Moscow: from GUM to Izmailovo market
      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • Guided tours in Moscow: by foot, by bicycle, by boat, or by tour bus?
      • The Free Visit to the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • Places to enjoy the best views of Moscow
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Moscow in Space: from the Museum of Cosmonautics to the Planetarium
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • The Seven Sisters of Moscow: The Stalinist Skyscrapers secrets
      • The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour of Moscow: you will not believe its story
      • What to see in Red Square in Moscow (and best things to do)
      • Novodevichy Convent (and cemetery), one of my favorite places in Moscow
      • Star City Moscow, where the cosmonauts live – What to see inside?
      • Moscow City: Skyscrapers & Observation Decks (You can go up to enjoy for its views)
      • Traveling to Moscow with children: What to see and do as a family
      • The Tretyakov Gallery: Russian art like you’ve never seen before
      • VDNH (VDNKh), my favorite park in Moscow: Back to the USSR!
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
      • Opera and ballet in St. Petersburg: Where to go and how to buy tickets
      • The Hermitage of St. Petersburg: What to see and how to avoid queues
      • What to see and do in St. Petersburg in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days
      • The Palaces and Gardens of Peterhof, a must-go site in St. Petersburg
      • Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets online
      • The main cathedrals of St. Petersburg: Tickets and schedules
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • The Church of the Savior in St. Petersburg: How to buy tickets and schedules
      • Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets and schedules
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg: Guide to not get lost
      • White Nights of St. Petersburg: When the city doesn’t sleep
      • Essential tourist maps of St. Petersburg (PDF and JPG)
      • Visiting St. Petersburg on a cruise without a visa (visa-free) and with a tourist visa
      • Drawbridges (and Pedestrian Bridges) of St. Petersburg: Schedules and Recommendations
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
      • Organizing a Trans-Siberian Train Trip
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • What to see (and do) at Lake Baikal between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude
      • Yekaterinburg, where Europe and Asia come together
      • Next stop: Novosibirsk. Welcome to Siberia!
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
      • The Golden Ring of Russia: from Sergiyev Posad to Suzdal
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
      • Trip to Veliky Novgorod: the birthplace of Russia
    • 4.6. Kazan
      • The Kazan Kremlin: it will captivate you
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
      • Where is it better to change indian rupees for rubles?
      • How to request a VAT refund in Russia (Tax Free)
      • How to pay for purchases in Russia without losing money in ruble exchange?
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
      • When is the best time to travel to Russia (and which clothes to wear)
      • Is Russia a safe country for tourists? Travel tips
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
      • How to buy a Russian SIM card for your smartphone (online or in a store)
    • 5.4. Russian products
      • Which souvenirs to buy in Russia? From Matrioskas to Cheburashka
      • 15 maps that will give you a better insight of Russia
      • Traveling to Russia with a travel agency or on your own? What is better?
You are here: Home / 2. Transport / 2.2. Russian trains / Travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg: Which is the best way?

Travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg: Which is the best way?

Posted on: 07.09.18 | by Irena Domingo

A frequent question is which would be the best way to travel between Moscow and St. Petersburg. There are basically three options: take a direct plane that will take 1 hour and a half, take a daytime TGV (Sapsan) that takes about 4 hours or you can take a night train such as the Red Arrow that makes the journey in about 8-9 hours. An alternative option is to take a bus (more economical but more uncomfortable)

Sapsan (St. Petersburg - Moscow) | Featured image - Russian Railways

If you’re travelling to Russia, the most common thing to do is to visit its two main cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg. The distance between the two cities is more than 700 kilometers so you have to choose a method of transport to travel between them.

So, we have listed basically three ways to make the journey between Moscow and St. Petersburg: get on a plane, take a daytime TGV or make the journey by night train.

Whichever method you choose, you should take into account two things:

  • It is possible to make the outward journey by plane to Moscow and back from St. Petersburg, so all you have to do is make the outgoing trip between the two cities (and not round trip).
  • To get the best price it is preferable to book tickets online in advance. While airline tickets can be purchased several months before, electronic train tickets can be purchased on RZD Russian Railways official website with a maximum advance of 90 days.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • 1. Plane
  • 2. Day High Speed Train: Sapsan
  • 3. Night Trains: Red Arrow and Grand Express
  • 4. Traveling by bus
  • In summary

1. Plane

Taking a trip between Moscow and St. Petersburg is not really expensive. An outgoing trip can cost around £ 15. A good way is to use a flight comparison site such as Momondo to find the cheapest price. The low cost company Poveda is usually the most economical option.

There are several companies that provide the journey:

  • Aeroflot (the flights depart from Domodedovo Airport)
  • S7 Airlines (they also depart from Domodedovo)
  • Rossiya Airlines (Domodedovo)
  • Utair (from Vnukovo Airport)
  • Orenburg Airlines (Domodedovo)
  • Poveda (Vnukovo – Low cost subsidiary of Aeroflot)

While this is an economic and fast way to travel (the trip takes about 1 hour and a half), keep in mind that you must travel to Moscow airport (airports are on the outskirts) and then also you have to go from Pulkovo airport to St. Petersburg. Meaning that since you have to leave the hotel in Moscow until you get to the hotel in St. Petersburg it can take you at least 5 hours.

Ticket cost from Moscow to Saint Petersburg by plane

 

2. Day High Speed Train: Sapsan

Sapsan Train - interior

The second option is to use a daytime TGV such as the Sapsan, which will take you from Moscow to St. Petersburg in about 4 hours. An outward journey sitting on this train can cost between 15 and 30 dollars (trains leaving first thing in the morning are usually cheaper).

The tickets for the trip are purchased at the same station, but to get a better price you can buy them electronically 90 days in advance:

  • RZD. Official website of Russian railways. It has a website in English.
  • Tutu Travel (Russian and English). If your card does not work on RZD website (something that happens usually), you can buy tickets in Tutu Travel

Sapsan Moscow St. Petersburg - TGV

There are several Sapsan high-speed trains that depart during the day: the pair-numbered trains (752 to 780) make the journey from Moscow to St. Petersburg, while the odd-numbered (751-779) made the reverse journey.

A total of 9 trains depart daily, the first leaves at 5:40 from Moscow, while the last one leaves at 19:40. These times may vary and it is best to consult online on RZD’s website.

The trains depart from Leningradskiy station in northeastern Moscow (which is quite centric) and arrive at the station in St. Petersburg (located in the very convenient Nevsky avenue).

Ultimately, the high-speed train is a cheaper and faster method of transportation. In addition, the train leaves you in a centric location.

IMPORTANT. If you buy a train ticket from Moscow to St. Petersburg, the departure station that will probably appear on the ticket will be the Oktyabrsky station in Moscow, a name previously held by this station, now called Leningradsky.

Train ticket Sapsan Moscow St. Petersburg

3. Night Trains: Red Arrow and Grand Express

Kupe Compartment - Red Arrow

The third option is to use a night train. The best known are the Red Arrow (002A train from Moscow) or Grand Express (054) which depart at 23:55 and 23:40 hours respectively, and arrive at around 8 am to St. Petersburg.

Prices vary widely depending on the compartment, but it starts from £ 25 in a compartment for 4 people (though a lot depends on how early it is reserved and the time of the year).

Like the Sapsan, the train tickets are bought on RZD’s website (more information in this article).

This is a more expensive method of transportation, but with quite enough charm and through which you pass the night that you never have to do in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Though you must keep in mind that not everyone falls asleep easily on the train (I haven’t been able to sleep in the Red Arrow) and trains arrive at 8 am and you will not be able to check in at the hotel till later.

To consider. If you are three people and you want to have a compartment of 4 people without another companion, you can buy the 4 tickets, repeating in the purchase form the name of one of the three travelers.

Red Arrow Russian train - Buy tickets online RZD

4. Traveling by bus

Another means of transport to travel between Moscow and St. Petersburg is the bus, a medium usually cheaper but slower than the plane or train. Normally the journey is at night and the trip takes about 10-12 hours. There are many bus companies that make this journey. To know what these companies are, what station they come from and buy tickets in advance, you can use INFOBUS booking platform, which allows you to buy tickets with 45-60 days in advance.

Travel by bus in Russia

In summary

All transportation methods have their pros and cons. My recommendation: if you are looking for sightseeing, charm and authenticity, then use the night train, but if you are looking for a cheaper and faster alternative, then use the high-speed train, the plane or the bus.

Finally, I can tell you that there are cruise ships that make the journey from Moscow to St. Petersburg in six days, but of course this is another very different way to travel and we will discuss in another article.

 

 

 I hope this article has cleared your doubts and has helped you choose the best way to travel between Moscow and St. Petersburg

 

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Categories: 2.2. Russian trains




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About the Author

Irena Domingo's avatar

Hello, my name is Irena. I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I worked as a Russian teacher and as a translator and interpreter for the past 15 years. One of my main hobbies is traveling. Therefore, through this blog I want to help those people who want to travel to Russia from India.

Hey! I’m Irena Domingo

I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I started this blog with one goal: to create the most complete guide ever written to travel to Russia and beyond!

I want to know about …

  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Visa to Russia from India
    • 1.2. Registration and immigration
    • 1.3. Visa to India, China and post-Soviet states
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
    • 2.2. Russian trains
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
    • 2.4. Car rental
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
    • 4.6. Kazan
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
    • 5.4. Russian products
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