Every year, many people plan to go on a family trip. And of course, it will be more convenient and comfortable for small children to travel by rail.
Riding by train with kids is much more convenient than flying in an airplane - there are no restrictions on movement. You can walk, jump, stand and play with your neighbors. And thanks to the developed railway infrastructure in Russia, you can choose from easy to difficult routes that will not become tiresome for young travelers.
But, of course, when packing for a trip, questions also arise: is there a children's tariff of Russian Railways, how can I use it, what is needed to buy tickets online. We will talk about this later in the article.
Who can use the free ticket
If the baby has not reached the threshold of five years of age, then according to the rules of Russian Railways, you can not pay for it. Each adult is en titled to free transportation of one child. True, a separate place for him will not be provided. But even in the absence of such a place, children will need to issue a free ticket.
If the child is between five and ten years old, then childRZD tariff. And for those who are over 10, you will have to buy an adult ticket. But in the period from September 1 to May 31, children over 10 years old are offered a 50% discount for traveling on unbranded reserved seat trains.
How much will the trip cost for a child
Guided by the rules of the Russian Railways, the children's fare up to the age of ten is 30-50% of the cost of an adult ticket. The price directly depends on the class of train and wagon. So, for traveling on international trains, children from 6 to 17 years old use a reduced fare. There are a few more nuances:
- If you are traveling with a baby whose age threshold has not reached the age of five, and for some reason he wants to sleep on a separate shelf, then he will have to buy a separate ticket (see Russian Railways children's fare).
- If one adult is traveling with two children under the age of five, one of them must purchase a ticket with a seat. The discount on the purchase of such a ticket will be up to 65% of the original cost (depending on the type of train).
- If little passengers have already celebrated their decade, then the cost of Russian Railways tickets for children will be equal to the adult fare. Moreover, the age of the child is determined not on the date of purchase of the ticket, but on the date of the actual departure.
Note: If the child is under 10 years old, they cannot travel alone. In addition to parents, it can be grandmothers, coaches or teachers who must have a birth certificate for this passenger. No other documents will be needed.
Where you can buy tickets
You can buy travel documents through ticket offices located at the railway station, or at home - via the Internet. In the first case, the parent's passport and the child's birth certificate will suffice.
In the second, only a birth certificate is needed, from which the following data will be needed:
- document number and series;
- issued by whom and when;
- city where the child was born;
- his gender.
Peculiarities of purchasing train tickets for schoolchildren
Recall once again that in the time period from September 1 to May 31, the company is holding a promotion for schoolchildren from 10 years old - you can buy children's tickets at Russian Railways, the cost of which is only half of the original price. Going on a trip in a regular train, in a common or reserved seat car, you can save 50% of the cost of an adult ticket. And when traveling on a branded train, the discount looks somewhat different. It is calculated from the fare for a regular train, and the difference between the named fares is paid in full.
In other words, a trip on an ordinary train in a compartment car with a 10-year-old child will not save a single ruble. But the reserved seat can be taken for half the price of an adult ticket.
To use the right to travel for a schoolchild between September 1 and May 31, you must present a certificate from the school to the cashier at the railway ticket office.
- Bit must be written that this child (full name) is really studying in a certain class and school.
- In addition, the certificate must contain information about the legal address of the school and its details, the number and date of issue of the certificate.
- It must be certified by the seal of the school and the signature of the director of this institution.
Reduced ticket can only be purchased at the railway ticket office, as this service is not yet available via the Internet.
By the way, having presented the certificate to the cashier, do not rush to part with it! You will need to present it to the conductors when boarding the car.
Children's tariff of Russian Railways: design features
When buying a children's ticket online, remember: you cannot buy such a ticket separately! It must be completed with an adult. In addition, there is a restriction on the purchase of no more than 4 adult tickets.
Let's consider the example of purchasing 4 reserved seats for adults and 2 tickets for kids without a seat (under 5 years old). You must first buy tickets for three adults and one child, and then for the remaining adult and child. The system will not allow them to be placed as separate orders for 4 adults and 2 children.
To enter the Roman numerals that begin the birth certificate series, you need to switch the keyboard layout of the language from Russian to English case. You can not enter a dash and do not put spaces when entering a series and numbers of documents, they do not play a special role.
If for any reason there was a hitch during checkout throughInternet of a free children's ticket, this can be done immediately before boarding, at the railway ticket office. It is enough to show the cashier your passport, provide the number of the electronic ticket and the birth certificate of the young traveler.
How you can save money when shopping
To save on the purchase of children's reserved seat travel documents, you need to know that the cost of Russian Railways railway tickets depends on the season and tariffs that affect pricing. In other words, this is the relevance of the travel season, the day of the week on which tickets are purchased, the popularity of this route, the availability of seats and the price of competitors.
Knowing how and when tariffs change, you can calculate the most favorable time to purchase. It is reasonable to buy the cheapest tickets in the fall and on May 9 (on this day, the price for all routes is halved). The most expensive tickets are for the holidays and the remaining 3 seasons - in the last days of December, in the first decade of March and all summer. The rest of the time the price is at the average level, and sometimes below it.
Tariffs for Russian Railways luxury tickets remain unchanged throughout the year. None of the above factors affect them.
Bought earlier, save more
Buying tickets exactly 45 days from the intended date of travel, you have the opportunity to save up to 40%. This applies to domestic trains.
For international trains, you must purchase tickets 60 days in advance to receive this discount. The same also appliesto domestic trains, such as Moscow - St. Petersburg, for example. It should be added that this discount applies to class CB and compartment carriages.
How to get more benefits
When issuing tickets via the Internet for compartment carriages, luxury CB, an additional discount will be provided. This means that by purchasing tickets in both directions at once, you can get additional benefits.
Upon presentation of the Russian Railways Universal Card, the cost of tickets on Sapsan and Allegro trains will be calculated using an additional discount system.
Participation in the loy alty program for passengers traveling on long-distance trains will allow you to issue award tickets by accumulating points for the funds previously spent on them. This program is distributed not only in Russia, but also abroad.
Rewards points can be earned for trips made since December 2013. Points are calculated according to the scheme, where 1 point corresponds to 3.34 Russian rubles. This program does not include long-distance trains, as there is a different discount system for them.
Refundable and non-refundable tickets
The amendments to the Charter of railway transport give the right to choose: to purchase expensive tickets with the possibility of returning them or to buy a cheap ticket, which can only be returned for a good reason (accident, sudden illness occurred).
When going on a trip, try to save not only your money, but also your time. Moreit will be pragmatic, convenient and comfortable to issue tickets while at home, via a computer. Websites specializing in online ticket sales will help you choose the most convenient route and the most favorable time to travel.
Happy journey!
