Electronic ticket services for Russian trains

Electronic ticket services allow you to reserve a confirmed place without the need for issuing a physical paper ticket at the time of booking.

There are two types of electronic ticketing services provided by the Russian railways (RZD), these are:

• Electronic ticket (e-ticket)
• Electronic registration (e-registration)

An e-ticket is official confirmation that your places on a train have been paid for and booked. We will send you your e-ticket by email when we have processed your order, at which point all you need to do is print it out and take it with you to Russia.

You cannot board the train using only the e-ticket; you must exchange it for a physical ticket at any railway ticket office in Russia or, alternatively, at specific exchange points and terminals in selected cities.

It is free to exchange the ticket at an electronic exchange point. The exchange point will look like a freestanding ATM.

If the ticket is exchanged at a ticket booking office there will be a charge of 50 roubles, to be paid for at the time of exchange. The 50 rouble charge will not apply if there are no electronic exchange points available.

The cities below have a dedicated point for exchanging your e-tickets. If your departure city is not listed here then you should exchange your tickets at the railway station booking office:

In some Russian cities, including Moscow and St Petersburg, there are more than one railway station serving different directions.

On the English translation we will also include the name of the departure and arrival stations so you know where to go. Alternatively we can arrange for a transfer to collect you and ensure that you arrive at the correct station safely and on time.

Once you are at the ticket office (also known as a KASSA (KACCA)), or at an exchange point at the railway station, you should present a printed copy of the voucher (e-ticket) that was sent to you via email as well as the government issued identity document (passport) with which you booked your tickets.

If you are travelling with children who have their own passport then you may also be required to show a translated copy of their birth certificate.

The printing and issuing of Russian train tickets will only take a few minutes. However if there is a queue, or the desk is closed for a lunch break, then the process can be delayed. As such we recommend that you exchange your e-tickets as soon as possible once you have arrived in Russia; or at least an hour before your train departs. This will help to alleviate any problems.

Yes you can, as long as the station is inside Russia. If you have more than one journey then you can obtain all of your tickets at the same time.

Yes, Russian e-tickets are very safe and millions of people use them every year.

No, e-tickets can only be used on domestic journeys within Russia and a limited number of international journeys within Europe. Look for the  icon in our booking system to find out if e-registration is available for your journey.

No, once you have exchanged the e-ticket for the actual tickets you do not need it anymore; in most cases the office exchanging your tickets will retain it.

This is not a problem as anyone finding it will be unable to collect your tickets without your identity document (passport), and will not be able to cancel them and collect any money as only we can do that.

All you would need to do is print another copy or contact us and we will be happy to help.

No. If there is more than one person listed on the e-ticket then any one of these individuals may collect all the paper tickets for the whole group.

Please note: If you are travelling in a group and want to collect your tickets separately you must have separate e-tickets.

No. This is not possible unless you are also listed on the e-ticket.

With e-registration no physical tickets are issued, your places are reserved and confirmed at the time of booking and you are pre-registered onto the train before its departure. We will send you a voucher by email to confirm your booking and you should print this out and have it available to present to the guard, along with the identity document used to book your place to board the train. Where e-registration is available, it is one of the easiest ways to travel by train in Russia.

You should present a printed copy of the voucher you were sent via email and the government issued identity document with which you booked your tickets.

If you are travelling with children who have their own passport then you may also be required to show a translated copy of their birth certificate.

Yes, it is very safe and millions of people use it every year.

No. E-registration can be selected for use on journeys within Russia and a limited number of international journeys within Europe. Look for the icon in our booking system to find out if e-registration is available for your journey.

Yes. Once you have boarded the train you should keep your ticket in case needed for any subsequent inspection.

No. but if are travelling in a group and are not planning on boarding the train together, or are travelling in different carriages, each passenger will need their own copy of the train ticket.

Yes. We we try to make the information and services on our site as clear, complete and honest as possible, but if you have any further questions please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help. Alternatively, feel free to browse through our forums or look through our short guide to russian trains about rail travel.