Traveling at the end of the 18th century and composing the travel diary that later became famous, the free-thinker Alexander Radishchev did not buy a railway ticket. After all, trains in 1790, when his "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow" was printed in a secret printing house, had not yet traveled across Russia. And, therefore, there could not be tickets, without which you will simply not be put on the train. Even the one that runs daily "Radishchev's road".
What does the cost consist of?
Having bought a ticket to St. Petersburg, its owner does not always know what he paid for. The amount that he gave to the cashier for the ticket also includes the price of a reserved seat, as railroad workers call booking a seat or shelf. In addition, a commission is immediately taken from the future passenger. But only in the case of a purchase nine or more days before departure or with the simultaneous purchase of a return ticket. The insurance fee of the Russian Railways (RZD) and the cost of carriage services - bed and food are also paid.
Focus on numbers
Before visiting the ticket office of the Leningradsky railway station or ordering a ticket on the Internet, it is important to decide which train you are going to cover the 650-kilometer distance between the two cities. You need to choose from three possible options: fast, high-speed or passenger. The trains are distinguished by numbers. For ambulances, they go from the first to 148 and from 181 to 298, for high-speed ones - from 151 to 178, and for passenger ones - starting from 301. It is curious that trains that are considered fast and that have corresponding numbers going to St. Petersburg day and night can formally be considered local. After all, they cover a distance not exceeding 700 kilometers.
The cost of a ticket is influenced, for example, by the date of its purchase, the time of year and departure, the "brand" and speed of the train, the "class" of the carriage. Finally, the degree of comfort of the coupe. And if a compartment ticket to "Afanasy Nikitin" will cost the buyer at least 3218 rubles, then he will pay much less for a seat in a reserved seat carriage - about 1800 rubles. But for a ticket in the compartment of the "Red Arrow", famous for the country's first sleeping carriages of superior comfort (SV), you will have to pay at least six thousand.
Traveling on the super-speed Sapsan will be quite expensive for Muscovites. In the latter, by the way, there are two types of cars and, accordingly, price categories. Therefore, they can go to St. Petersburg in a carriage of either economic or business class. In return, passengers of both classes are guaranteed a two-fold reduction in travel time.
Ticket for a car
Not daring to get from one capital to another by a personal car, but also unwilling to part with it even for a short time, Russian Railways offered a new service. Having bought a ticket for himself, a car passenger can now simultaneously purchase a so-called car ticket for his four-wheeled companion. And if he takes the travel document back, he will receive a good discount in return.
