Russian Train Ticket Types on Diffrent Seat Classes

Russian Railway provide travelers various seat classes with a great number of different types. People can choose their preferred Russia train ticket types according to their budget and the trip that they want to experience. There are three main classes for Sleeper Trains in Russia: 1st Class, 2nd Class and 3rd Class. For the High Speed train, there are three main classes as well: First Class, Business Class and Economy Class. In addition, Russian Railway also offers some other special seat classes on the High Speed trains and Sleeper trains.

Seat Class on Sleeper Train

1-Class Sleeping Compartment (“Spalny Vagon” or “SV” in Russian)

First-class carriages are normally divided into 9 compartments, 2 passengers will share 1 room, 2 long sofas lying in the room which can be transformed to soft beds as well and there is a table between 2 beds. The ticket price often includes a meal and free WIFI are always available. Sometimes travelers even can find TV or DVD players on the train. The First-class trains are designed for those passengers who value their personal privacy and high quality of travel experience. What’s more, a few First-class cabins are also equipped with shower service, but with an extra fee charged.

2-Class Sleeping Compartment ("Kupe" in Russian)

For 2-class carriages, nine compartments are set in every carriage and each room contains 4 beds, 2 lower and 2 upper beds, as well as a table. The room can be locked inside which is the same as the first class seat. If you need privacy, you can buy 4 tickets and enjoy the whole room. The cost of whole second class seat is still lower than a first-class ticket price. Therefore, it is a top choice for most travelers. Compared with the first-class cabin, second-class cabin is quite a squeeze, especially if 4 tall people sharing 1 room. It is worth to mention that some trains may offer some special cabins only for men or only for women. You can pay attention to this if needed.

3-Class Open Sleeping (“Platzkart” in Russian)

There are 54 berths arranged on the train in total for third-class carriages, 4 beds (2 upper and 2 lower) are on one side, while 2 beds (a lower and an upper) are in another side, with a narrow aisle between them. Sociable people are more inclined to choose the third class due to the opening space in this cabin. There is no door or any curtain, but people can sit together and communicate with each other. You may make more new friends on the train, learn a little Russian language and get some interesting stories. The ticket price for this class seat is cheaper. If you would like to save tourism funds, then please put the personal privacy away and enjoy the atmosphere entirely here. If you are a woman travelling alone and you could not afford the fee of whole compartment for first or second-class cabin, the third-class cabin is probably a good choice for you. Another reason is that you will be safer than in other class seats, as there are always many people around you on the train.

Comparison of main classes:

Class	Advantages	Disadvantages
1st Class	Top comfort, high-quality service, privacy, shower	Highest cost
2nd Class	Privacy, comfort, reasonable price	A little squeeze when room locked, gender sensitive
3rd Class	Active, safer for single traveler, cheap	No privacy, lower quality of facilities

2-Class Sleeping Compartment

Economy Class Seat

Seat Class on High Speed Train

The High Speed Train is the fastest train and the seats are suitable for short-distance journeys. The seat cabins are commonly seen on the high-speed trains and express trains, like Sapsan trains. Seats on the High Speed Train can be mainly classified to First Class Seat, Business Class Seat and Economy Class Seat. Please check the following details among them.

Seat Class	Seat Arrangement	Main Equipment
First Class	Rows of 3 seats, 19 seats in a cabin	Hot meal, newspapers and magazines, conference cabin, individual table, lamp and socket (220 V), adjustable soft chairs
Business Class	Rows of 4 seats, 52 seats in a cabin	Hot meal, newspapers and magazines, individual lamp, 220V socket, adjustable seat
Economy Class	Rows of 4/5 seats, over 60 seats in a cabin	Adjustable seat, individual lamp

There is an interesting thing about seats on the high-speed trains. In most cabins, half seats are settled forward, while the rest of seats are backward, so some passengers need to sit face to face. This kind of seat is not likely the first choice for many people, but it will be a special experience for foreign travelers.

Other Train Classes

For Sleeper trains, the other classes are Sitting and Luxury. A train has around 4 or 5 Luxury cabins, with more expensive price and it will bring more luxurious enjoyments to travelers than first-class compartment. For High Speed trains, the other classes are Bistro Car, Base and Conference Compartment. You can choose the suitable train and seat class according to your demands.