If you conduct a survey among Russians on the topic "What type of transport do you prefer to use when traveling abroad?", then the aircraft will definitely lead. It allows you to quickly get to anywhere in the world, and in recent years, airfare prices have become more than affordable. But, unfortunately, not all people tolerate even short-term flights, for example, to Europe. This may be due to medical conditions, phobias, or simply dislike for this type of travel. What to do when you want to go on vacation, but the plane is not available? In this case, you should consider traveling to Europe by train. Our article is devoted to all the features of such a trip.
RZD: trains to Europe
Residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg are in a better position than Russians living in other regions of the country. After all, it will be much more difficult for the latter to get to Europe, but Muscovites can easily make this trip by train. Similar routeshave always existed, but in recent years they have been in high demand, and in the summer season, Russians often face a lack of tickets to the desired country.
You can travel by train to Europe alone, with your family or with a big noisy company. In any case, you will be provided with comfort and convenience, because there is some special charm in calmly observing the landscapes passing by under the uniform sound of wheels. This is how many people imagine the perfect vacation.
From Moscow and St. Petersburg by train to Europe you can get to many countries. Of course, not all routes involve a direct route from one point to another, but experienced travelers consider this a minor inconvenience. In addition, train travel to Europe is completely different. Russians can set off unorganized, that is, on their own, or they can purchase a tour from an agency. Since rail travel abroad is still something unfamiliar for most of our compatriots, we decided to consider these options in more detail.
Traveling with travel agencies
Package tours to Europe are sold by almost all Russian agencies. Over the years, various programs have been developed that can satisfy even the most demanding taste. Moreover, almost all routes are in stable demand. Travel agents praise such trips in every way, listing their advantages. Among them:
- maximum security;
- low cost;
- opportunity in shorta period of time to get to know different cities;
- ease of movement between countries.
To date, tours to Europe are represented by four main programs: summer and winter holidays, combined and excursion.
Beach vacation
Every year, with the onset of warm weather, more and more of our compatriots go by train to Europe by sea. Such tours allow you to get acquainted with intermediate settlements along the way and ultimately relax for several days at a popular European resort. Sometimes the travel program also includes an excursion program. Most often, Russians go to the sea to the following countries:
- Italy.
- Bulgaria.
- France.
The cost of such a tour ranges from one and a half thousand euros for twelve days (it should be borne in mind that you will spend about a day on the road to Europe).
Winter travelers to Europe
With the onset of the first frosts, Russians rush to European ski resorts. Of the total number of extreme sports enthusiasts, more than sixty percent go by train to Europe. And these are pretty good indicators for Russian Railways. Basically, our compatriots go to Poland, Finland and Norway. Some experienced tourists with transfers go to France or Spain.
The cost of such a tour starts from six hundred euros, which is quite inexpensive for an active and comfortable stay.
Combined travel tours
This is a rather difficult kind of travel. Usually tourists take a train to Brest, and then from there they pass several European cities by bus. At the end point of the trip, the Russians will have a rest for five to seven days. Only experienced tourists who are ready to spend a long time on the road can withstand such a tour.
Sightseeing package tours
Such a holiday is usually in demand in early spring and late autumn, when there is a certain decline in tourist activity in the main areas. In some cases, tourists take the train directly to their destination. Then they can see only one European city. Another version of such a tour resembles a combined one and has the same scheme with it, the difference lies in the fact that its cost includes excursions in all cities of the route. Such a pleasure is worth 700 euros.
Independent travel to Europe by train: general characteristics
If you are not afraid to plan your own trips, then going to Europe by train is definitely your option. You can visit almost any European country, because here the railway system is very well developed. It is worth noting that crossing the border, you find yourself in a special world where the most common mode of transport is the train. For a European, this is the most convenient way to travel, so you will enjoy comfortable and clean carriages, polite conductors and well-developed railway station infrastructure.
Train tickets to Europe inmostly bought at the box office, through the Internet, many of them are not sold. But on the official website of Russian Railways, you can always see all possible trains in the "International Routes" section, but you will have to pay for the ticket already at the station.
In Europe, the situation with train tickets is similar: some of them are sold only through the box office, and payment by card will raise the price by five to twenty percent. Inexperienced travelers often learn this fact from their own sad experience.
I would like to add that both Russian and European trains are very comfortable. You do not have to shake around the clock in a crowded wagon with an unpleasant smell. Deciding on a train journey to Europe, you will discover a completely different world.
How to get to Europe?
If you have never traveled abroad by train, then before buying tickets you need to find out a few nuances, without knowing which, it will be difficult to plan a trip.
For example, high-speed trains to Europe from Moscow depart quite rarely. Such a route is quite expensive for Russian Railways, so it is often canceled. The average travel time is 20 or 30 hours.
Which trains run to Europe most often? This is one of the most interesting questions, because many travelers get to European countries on special direct cars, which, as they travel at different stations, are connected to different trains. Thus, the passenger, even without ever going out on the platform, can changeseveral compositions.
You can also go to Europe by the usual direct train, which makes quite long stops at numerous stations. For example, in Brest the train costs six hours. This allows tourists to walk around the city and safely return to the railway station.
Types of wagons
Cars of international trains are made according to the European standard. They are divided into first and second class. The difference between them is the number of passengers. In addition, the first class is somewhat more spacious than the second. Also, the difference may lie in the comfort of the seats. Therefore, it is important not to confuse the class of carriages when buying train tickets at the box office.
Moscow: where can I go by train?
Finland, France, Czech Republic, Holland - these and many other countries you can visit if you choose the railway option and buy a train ticket to Europe from Moscow. Prices, by the way, do not always depend on the distance traveled. For example, you can get from Moscow to Paris for 500 euros, and a trip to Helsinki will cost 100 euros.
Many Muscovites go straight to Helsinki, and then continue their journey through Europe by ferry or other train. This significantly reduces the cost of travel, especially if you take care of a single ticket. With it, you can travel all over Europe in a few days and save at least 200 euros on these movements.
St. Petersburg: where do the trains go?
Choosing a train fromPetersburg to Europe is rather limited. Now residents of the northern capital can get to Finland, the Czech Republic and Tallinn. The fare starts from 250 euros.
You can get to Tallinn in a sit-down carriage, this innovation appeared about a year ago. Of course, this method of transportation is not the most comfortable, but the price can completely change your mind about such trips - 1300 rubles. Many students take advantage of this great opportunity to get to Europe for nominal money.
Planning a rail trip: highlights
So you've decided to travel to Europe by train. How to start preparing for the trip? What to look for and how to save on tickets? Let's look at these questions in as much detail as possible.
First of all, you need to work out the travel route itself. Your main goal will be to choose a place in Europe to which you will travel by train. Moving on will be much easier.
Keep in mind that RZD allows tickets to be purchased 60-90 days in advance. At this point, you can purchase the cheapest tickets. In the future, they will be more expensive. Before buying, pay attention to possible discounts, they are seasonal or targeted. For some routes, the Russian Railways service allows you to book a ticket via the Internet, followed by a twelve-hour redemption at the box office.
When you're in Europe, calculate how often you plan to travel by train. If there are a sufficient number of such trips, then purchase a single travel carda ticket that is sold at any box office or on the site. It comes in three types:
- for one country;
- for all European countries;
- for a certain number of days.
Be aware that there is no single service for buying train tickets in Europe. Each country has its own website.
You can buy a ticket not only via the Internet, but also at the box office, shops and special machines. If possible, pay in cash - this significantly reduces its cost.
When buying a ticket, carefully look at the designation of the train - it can be high-speed and local. The first one can cover half of Europe in a matter of hours and with virtually no stops, but the second one will slow down at every station.
And in conclusion, I would like to tell you one small but very important secret regarding European trains: the doors to the car do not open automatically, there is a special button inside and outside for this. Don't forget this or you won't get on the train and your trip across Europe won't start.
