This page explains how to buy train tickets from Moscow to other European cities at the cheapest prices, buying online direct from the operators, usually with print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets.  Click here to for journeys starting in another city.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:  All international trains to/from Russia are suspended until further notice, originally due to Covid-19, now due to sanctions & the war with Ukraine.  There are currently no trains to or from Russia.  The Foreign Office now advises against all travel to Russia.

bullet pointI want to go from Moscow to...

      Amsterdam   Budapest   Paris   Tokyo
  Barcelona   Copenhagen   Prague   Ulan Bator
  Beijing   Helsinki   Riga   Vienna
  Berlin   Kyiv   Seoul   Vilnius
  Brussels   London   Stockholm   Warsaw
  Bucharest   Oslo   Tallinn    

Moscow to other destinations in Russia
Moscow to St Petersburg

Moscow to Warsaw

Option 1, Moscow to Warsaw by daily sleeper train.  Suspended due to sanctions

A modern Russian sleeping-car of the sort used on the Polonez   A 2-berth or 4-berth compartment in daytime mode

Option 2, Moscow to Warsaw via Kyiv, with no need to cross Belarus.  This takes 2 nights with a day to explore Kyiv.

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Moscow to Budapest & Bucharest

Option 1, Moscow to Budapest using the direct sleeping cars from Moscow to the Czech Republic, suspended due to sanctions

Option 2, Moscow to Budapest via Kyiv, avoiding Belarus so no need to get a Belarus transit visa

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Moscow to Prague & Bratislava

Option 1, Moscow to Prague by direct train, suspended due to sanctions

Option 2, Moscow to Prague via Kyiv, avoiding Belarus so no need to get a Belarus transit visa

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Moscow to Vienna

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Moscow to Berlin, Cologne, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona...

Option 1, Moscow to Germany using the weekly Moscow - Paris Express, suspended due to sanctions

  One of Russian Railways new international sleeping-cars

A VIP sleeper on the Moscow-Paris Express.

 

VIP sleeping-car on the Paris-Moscow Express.

One of Russian Railways new international sleeping-cars   A 2-berth or 4-berth compartment in daytime mode

The 2 & 4 berth standard sleeping-cars from Moscow to Paris.

Option 2, Moscow to Berlin using the twice-weekly Swift sleeper train, suspended due to sanctions

The Strizh sleeper train from Berlin to Moscow

The Strizh sleeper train from Berlin to Moscow.  It's a Spanish-built articulated Talgo train - note the relatively small size of each car, with just one axle between each pair of cars.  These axles adjust automatically from standard European gauge (4' 8½") to Russian 5' gauge at Brest, as the train passes slowly through a special gauge-changing shed.   Photos courtesy of Jaap van Ginkel & Stuart Wilks.

2-bed sleeper with washbasin, night   2-bed sleeper with washbasin, day mode   Complimentary toiletry pack in a Strizh sleeper

2-berth sleeper with washbasin, in night & daytime modes.

 

Complimentary toiletry pack.

Option 3, Moscow to Berlin & Germany using the daily Moscow-Warsaw sleeper train, suspended due to sanctions

Option 4, Moscow to Germany via Kyiv, avoiding Belarus & the need for a Belarus transit visa, also suspended due to sanctions

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Moscow to London

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Moscow to Helsinki

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Moscow to Stockholm & Oslo

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Moscow to Copenhagen

Option 1, Moscow to Copenhagen via Helsinki - avoids the need for a Belarus visa.

Option 2 Moscow to Copenhagen via Berlin

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Moscow to Kyiv
Night train from Kiev to Moscow, about to leave Kiev   2-bed sleeper on night train from Kiev to Moscow.   TV screen in 2-bed sleeper on Kiev-Moscow train

Train 6 from Kyiv to Moscow, boarding at Kyiv station.

 

The 2-berth spalny vagon on train 6 even have an LCD TV.  Photos courtesy of www.discoverbyrail.com.

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Moscow to Mongolia, China, Vladivostok, Japan, Korea

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Hotels in Moscow

Find hotels at Booking.comMy favourite hotel search: www.booking.com

Booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally use it to book all my hotels in one place.  I've come to trust booking.com's review scores, you won't be disappointed with any hotel that scores 8.0 or more.  Crucially, booking.com usually lets you book with free cancellation, which means you can confirm accommodation risk-free before train booking opens and/or you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when planning a trip.  I never book hotels non-refundably!

Backpacker hostels

www.hostelworld.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.

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Travel insurance & VPN

 

Staysure travel insurance

 

Columbus Direct logo

Always take out travel insurance

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

UK flag  www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

UK flag  www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.

US flag  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

 

Maya.net logo

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility listMaya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.

 

Curve card

Curve card

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.

How it works:  1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

 

Express VPN

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explainedExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I get a small commission to help support this site.

 

Anker Powerrbank

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.

 


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