No delays

Trains in Russia are rarely – if ever – off schedule. Some say this is thanks to low-tech Soviet legacy, others credit the management system at the Russian Railways, the main railway service provider in the country, but the fact remains: the train system is very reliable. Though this might not be the swiftest mode of transport, you can expect your train to arrive on time and make all the stops on schedule. This means, of course, that you should always arrive at the station at least 10-15 minutes in advance: your train will wait for no one.

Sleeping arrangements

Long-distance trains will typically include two types of carriages: couchette cars (плацкарт – platskart) and corridor coaches (купе – kupe). Platskart tickets are usually cheaper but offer less privacy: every compartment is open and thus the whole carriage is just a walkthrough with about 8 compartments, each with 6 bunks. Taller passengers will often find their feet slightly hanging off of the bunk into the corridor, making it slightly harder to walk through at night. Platskart is the perfect choice if you are travelling with a group of friends, as you can buy out a whole compartment together and hang out on the way.

In a kupe carriage, the layout is similar to platskart, but there are no side bunks and compartments are separated from the corridor by a sliding door. Though such tickets tend to be more expensive, remember that students get a 25% discount with a special offer from Russian Railways.

Regardless of the car type, each compartment will typically have a table and two or four power outlets to charge your devices en route. 

Tea rituals

A Russian train experience isn’t complete without having a cup of tea made with water from a “titan” – a metal boiler at the start of each car – in a glass cup with a branded metal cupholder (подстаканник – podstakannik). There is just something special about sipping your burning-hot tea out of a steaming mug, with the подстаканник slightly tingling on the glass, as you pass by beautiful vistas. The podstakanniks have become such a staple that they are even sold as souvenirs on the train. You can, of course, choose to have coffee (or even pour a drip bag) or any other hot beverage.

Road sounds

Russian trains do ASMR like no other – with their characteristic чу-чух-чу-чух. Turns out, this lullaby-like sound is produced by wheels passing over little gaps between rails – these are left to prevent them from deforming in different temperatures. Apart from the typical railroad sounds, you may, of course, hear something less pleasant, like your neighbor snoring in the middle of the night, so consider noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs for the ride. 

New friends

Introverts, close your eyes, as this paragraph may be too much to handle: sometimes, you will meet a chatty neighbor in your compartment. It used to be common practice to pass the time on the road not silently minding your own business but getting to know your “co-habitants” – you are going to be spending anywhere between 4 and 24+ hours together, after all. Sometimes, this still happens, and if you are into it, you can learn a few tidbits from someone’s life story – who knows, maybe you will write a book about your travel experiences one day? You can, of course, always politely opt out of a conversation if you aren’t in the mood; there is no special train etiquette that forbids it (plus, remember those noise-cancelling headphones?).

In St. Petersburg, there are five railway terminals that could be the starting points of your adventures. Plan your next trip with our list of top resources for travelling in Russia and our Travel Russia series. Get inspired with this first-hand account of travelling Russia by train through the eyes of an international member of our team.