How to buy cheap train tickets

Tariffs for rail is often introduced into a stupor: travel by train during the season goes higher than an airplane, and may be lower than the cost of space in the sleeping car, than in second-class. We find out why this is happening, and tell how to catch cheap tickets or even travel for free.

How are ticket prices

Until 2013, the ticket price was dependent on the car type, location and the seasonal factor. Now this scheme is valid only for the second-class carriages.

For travel in the NE, coupe, luxury cars and high-speed trains operating dynamic pricing system, both airlines. This means that the cost of tickets depends on the number and demand.

More willing to leave - the higher the cost. Someone handed a ticket - the price may fall.

No evil railway worker who manually wind the prices. The system automatically analyzes all the factors and changes the cost, sometimes within a few minutes. For example, the price of "Sapsan" during the holidays take off almost immediately after the opening sales.

On January 20, 2019 Russian Railways started to sell tickets sunk. While you can leave them only in two areas: in the Voronezh and Izhevsk. Tickets cost 5-20% less expensive than usual, and, despite the name, in some cases, can I return. The reason may be a disease, an injury due to an accident, delayed departure of the train or the death of a relative. On the website and in the annex Railways sunk tickets are marked with a special icon, the box office will need to personally ask the employee about the tariff.

How to save when buying

Dynamic pricing is often understood simplistically: the sooner you buy the ticket, the cheaper it is, therefore, necessary to watch the start of sales. This is not always the case: if the traveler crowd again buy tickets three months in advance of departure, the demand will increase sharply, and with it the price.

Here's how to find better opportunities:

1. Do not buy tickets up to 90 days before departure. It is better to watch the price of 5-10 days - during this period it becomes clear whether it will decrease. With the purchase can not only pull in high season and holidays: there is a risk to miss the comfortable seats.

2. Notify me of follow price reductions. Railways have no such service, so there will help the site "Tutu.ru». If cheap tickets sorted out, press the button "There is hope" and order notification. Buy with the best on the site of the carrier, so as not to pay commission to intermediaries: on the service it will be approximately 15%.

3. Check for special offers on the website Railways. For example, immediately after the New Year in many trains tickets for the upper shelves Compartment sell for half the price. The reserved seat also discounts appear on the upper side shelves and toilet: in the low season are 40% cheaper than the lower. Russian Railways said that the off-season, it is easy to understand for table indexing: Stocks mostly fall into periods of low rates. Get ready for a confusing site RZD structure: instead of wool sections, check the banner on the main page, where you would normally hang fresh shares or subscribe to newsletter.

4. Check with the place of the previous station if your right there. It is useful to those who are in the middle of the route. Railways distributes tickets at stations, so that each of the seats is necessary, and all can be seen only from the point of departure. Carrier profitable if places will be taken for the whole itinerary, instead of in the middle. The farther from the starting point, the smaller the available tickets. Three days before the departure of all the remaining tickets still will be available and can be bought from any station.

Suppose we go from Tula to Mineralnye Vody. The site is only 29 second-class seats. Our train departs from St. Petersburg, and there have been available for 98 seats. So do not worry and select the tickets for the three days prior to departure.

It should be borne in mind that prices are falling after the New Year and in the fall, when school children with their parents have already returned from vacation. Also, the price can affect time trains arriving or departing at 4-5 o'clock in the morning, usually not so popular, so travel them cheaper.

At the same time the most expensive peak times and tickets fall on Friday night and on Sundays and public holidays, school holidays and the three summer months.

On which trains operate additional discounts

High-speed trains

The "Swallow" and "Peregrine Falcon" also operates a dynamic pricing system. Cost changes automatically, ie the Monday and Friday flights, when people go on vacation or go home, more expensive than daytime on weekdays. Economy class snapping up quickly, so the tickets there are rapidly growing in value. Consider the place in business: they are often more profitable.

There are additional opportunities to save:

1. 50% discount on a birthday party. Birthday can go on a trip at a reduced cost for the seven days before the date of birth, and for seven days thereafter. The discount also applies to three of his friends. Get tickets online will not work - they can be purchased only at the box office with Russian Railways passport birthday. Of his message with a not necessarily.
2. Age-related discounts. Children under 10 years are willing to throw off 70% of the cost, young people up to 21 years - 30%, retired after 60 years - the same 30%. The price will be calculated automatically after the completion of the data with the purchase.
3. Electronic and roadmaps. This invention is for those who constantly travels between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Electronic card for a month costs 1000 rubles, traffic, plastic - 3000 for 12 months, and you can gain 10% on each trip to the "Sapsan". If you take the cheapest base ticket for 2500 rubles, the annual roadmap will be repaid after the 12th visit. Email makes sense to buy if you drive more than four times a month.

international trains

General tips

In international transport Railways is facing competition in the fight for every passenger offering more discounts:

• with the purchase of 45-60 days - 10%;
• the upper shelf - 5%;
• newlyweds - 35% in the first-class compartment and luxury;
• the birthday - 35%;
• children under 12 years - 50%;
• youth under 25 and people over 60 - 30%;
• groups of travelers from two persons - 20%.

But even with discounted tickets still expensive and fit except incurable aerophobia. For example, coupe Moscow - Paris on March 5 is worth 24,261 rubles, and the flight there and back the same day, will cost 12,039 rubles.

Tariffs for domestic and international traffic are very different, and when passing through the border of the price rise sharply. A truly profitable train travel can be in three countries: Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania. But here, to restrict the purchase of one ticket will not work. Because of the difference in tariffs for travel in Russia and abroad in the route Belarusian and Ukrainian cities is best to split into two portions and take the ticket:

• to the first station after the border - Online Russian Railways;
• from this station to the final - on the site of the railway company in another country.

Internal rates of any country is always lower than the international.

Suppose we go from Moscow to Brest. Compartment ticket online Railways is from 6156 rubles - is expensive. Enjoying a train route and select the first station after the border. In our case it Orsha.

Coupe Moscow - Orsha online Railways on the same train has been around 3769 rubles. Now we need to get to Brest. To do this, we do not even need to get out of the car. We can buy a second ticket for the same train at the same compartment on the website of the Belarusian carrier. coupe route Orsha - Brest will cost 19.37 rubles - about 600 rubles.

Nesterov train

So we call a composition that goes from Moscow to Kaliningrad transit through Lithuania. With its help the travelers normally get to Vilnius. Ticket at the same time does not need to borrow up to the Vilnius, and a little further - to Chernyshevsky - a station Nesterov District, Kaliningrad Region, through which the train and got its name.

Official ticket to the Lithuanian capital costs from 4657 rubles as of March 1, and to Chernyshevsky - is 1963 rubles. Take a ticket to the Russian station, but go early - in Lithuania.

Back to back in the same way. Passengers have the right to board the train at any station upon departure, so the problems with conductors should arise.

How to get free tickets for the points

The most advantageous tickets are available for points, which are accumulated in the "RZD Bonus" program. Passenger recorded therein drives the expression and long-distance trains, parallel to the receiving points on the bonus ticket. The latter can take on lower shelf compartment in the peak season. However, for the design of the ticket will have to still pay real money - 140 rubles, which will not be returned if you decide to pass.

Account "RZD Bonus" - is not the same account on the website Railways, through which you buy tickets. This system requires a separate registration, it is possible to pass on website programs. You will need to fill out a form, upload a photo of the passport, and then confirm your registration via e-mail.

Bonus points are awarded for the following:

• Purchase tickets at the rate - three points for 10 rubles;
• the passage of polls that sends Railways after the trip - 100 points for each;
• an invitation to the friends program who register through your link - 300 points;
• co-branded payment cards and other expenses at the program partners.

To score? Points for a trip, you need to specify the card number "RZD Bonus" when purchasing tickets online or call it to the cashier. If you forget to do this immediately, not scary: bonuses can be restored via a special form on the website of the program. But only a month after the trip, and not later than 120 days.

Award tickets are issued on the tab "How to spend your points."

Website throws to the search page where you need to re-enter login and password, but on account of Russian Railways. Next we act in the usual way: look for and choose a ticket, but instead of seeing the value of rubles in points. After filling in all the data and payment of service fee purchase appears on the tab "My Orders".

How many "are" free tickets dependsHow to spend your points distance. For example, a trip from Moscow to Tver will cost 4000 points in St. Petersburg - in 7000, and Adler - at 12,000.

Spending on tickets 23 380 rubles, you can get a bonus from Moscow to St. Petersburg for 140 rubles.

Families save up for a trip easier if you create a family account and combine the points on it spouses and children. Students participating in the loyalty program, win even more: in addition to the score, they are given a 25% discount on the purchase of seats in the coupe.

results

• Do not pick up the tickets on the first day of sales: the next price may fall because they have bought all impatient.
• See trains inconvenient time of departure and arrival - at 4-5 o'clock in the morning.
• Do not buy tickets directly on holidays, on Friday evening or Sunday. Look at the options the day before or a day later.
• Check for special offers and use them.
• Check availability at the previous station if your can not see anything.
• Sign up for "RZD Bonus" and accumulate points to travel in the background. Or at least get a discount on a trip into the compartment if you are a student.
• Do not forget about discounts for "Peregrine Falcon" and "Swallow".
• Take a pair of tickets to foreign train: to the first station after the border - in Russia, then - on the site w / a carrier another country.