Every year, many people plan to travel with their families. And of course, it will be more convenient and more convenient for small children to travel by rail.
Riding the train with the kids is much more convenient than flying on an airplane - there are no restrictions on movements. You can walk, jump, stand and play with your neighbors. And thanks to the developed infrastructure of the railways in Russia, you can choose from a simple to a difficult route that will not become tiring for young travelers.
But, of course, questions arise during the training camp: are there any Russian Railways fare, how can I use it, what is needed to buy tickets online. We will talk about this later in the article.
Who can use the free ticket?
If the baby has not reached the threshold of five years of age, then according to the rules of Russian Railways, you can not pay for it. Every adult has the right to take one child for free. True, a separate place for him will not be provided. But even in the absence of such a place, children will need to issue a free ticket.
If the child is from five to ten years old, then the child tariff applies to him RUSSIAN RAILWAYS. And for those who are over 10, you will have to buy an adult ticket. But in the period from September 1 to May 31, children over 10 years of age are offered a 50% seat for traveling on non-company reserved reserved seats.
How much will the child travel
Guided by the rules of Russian Railways, a child fare of up to ten years is 30-50% of the cost of an adult ticket. The price depends on the class of train and wagon. So, for travel on international trains, children from 6 to 17 years old enjoy a reduced fare. There are a few more nuances:
- If you are traveling with a baby whose age threshold has not reached the age of five, and for some reason he wants to sleep on a separate shelf, he will have to buy a separate ticket (see the children's fare of Russian Railways).
- If one adult travels with two children under the age of five, then one of them must purchase a ticket with a seat. The discount on the purchase of such a ticket will be up to 65% of the initial cost (this depends on the type of train).
- If small passengers have already celebrated their decade, then the cost of tickets for Russian Railways for children will be equal to the adult fare. Moreover, the child’s age is determined not on the date of purchase of the ticket, but on the date of actual departure.
Note: if the child is under 10 years old, he cannot travel alone. In addition to parents, it can be grandmothers, trainers or teachers who must have a birth certificate of this passenger. No other documents will be needed.
Where can I buy tickets?
You can purchase travel documents through ticket offices located at the railway station, or at home through the Internet. In the first case, the parent’s passport and the child’s birth certificate will suffice.
In the second, only a birth certificate is needed, from which such data will be needed:
- number and series of the document;
- by whom and when issued;
- the city where the baby was born;
- his gender.
Features of acquiring train tickets for schoolchildren
Let us remind once again that in the period from September 1 to May 31 for schoolchildren from 10 years old the company holds an action - you can buy children's tickets on Russian Railways, the cost of which is only half of the original price. Going on a trip in a regular train, in a general or reserved seat car, you can save 50% of the cost of an adult ticket. And when traveling in a company train, the discount looks a little different. It is calculated from the tariff for a regular train, and the difference between the mentioned tariffs is paid in full.
In other words, a trip in an ordinary train in a compartment carriage with a 10-year-old child will not save a single ruble. But reserved seats can be taken at half price from an adult ticket.
In order to exercise the right to travel a schoolchild between September 1 and May 31, it is necessary to present a certificate from the school to the cashier at the railway ticket office.
- It should be written that this child (F. I. O.) is really studying in a particular class and school.
- In addition, the certificate must contain information about the legal address of the school and its details, number and date of issue of the certificate.
- It must be certified by the seal of the school and the signature of the director of the institution.
A preferential ticket is purchased only at the railway ticket office, as this service is not yet available via the Internet.
By the way, presenting a certificate to the cashier, do not rush to part with it! It will need to be presented to the conductors when boarding the car.
Russian Railways children's fare: design features
When buying a children's ticket online, remember: you cannot buy such a ticket separately! It must be issued together with an adult. In addition, there is a restriction on the purchase of no more than 4 adult tickets.
Consider the example of the purchase for adults of 4 reserved seats and 2 tickets for kids without a seat (under 5 years old). First you should buy tickets for three adults and one child, and then for the remaining adult and child. The system will not give them separate orders for 4 adults and 2 children.
To introduce Roman numerals, which begins a series of birth certificates, you must switch the keyboard layout of the language from Russian to English. You can not enter a dash or put spaces when entering a series and document numbers; they do not play a special role.
If for any reason there was a hitch when issuing a free children's ticket via the Internet, this can be done immediately before boarding, at the railway ticket office. It is enough to show your passport to the cashier, to inform the number of the electronic ticket and the birth certificate of the young traveler.
How can you save on purchase
To save on the purchase of children's reserved seats travel documents, you need to know what the cost Russian Railways tickets depend on the season and tariffs affecting pricing. In other words, this is the relevance of the season for travel, the day of the week on which tickets are purchased, the popularity of this route, the availability of seats and the price of competitors.
Knowing how and when tariffs change, you can calculate the most favorable time for the acquisition. It is reasonable to buy the cheapest tickets in the fall and on May 9 (on this day the price of all routes drops by half). The most expensive tickets are for the holidays and in the remaining 3 seasons - in the last days of December, in the first ten days of March and all summer. The rest of the time the price is at an average level, and sometimes below it.
Tariffs for tickets of Russian Railways class "Lux" remain unchanged throughout the year. None of the above factors affect them.
Bought earlier - save more
Buying tickets exactly 45 days from the estimated date of the trip, you have the opportunity to save up to 40%. This applies to domestic trains.
For international trains, to get this discount, you need to purchase tickets for 60 days. The same applies to domestic trains, such as Moscow - St. Petersburg, for example. It should be added that this discount applies to class cars and coupes.
How to get additional benefits
When issuing tickets via the Internet in the compartment cars, luxury SV, an additional discount will be provided. So, buying tickets in both directions at once, you can get additional benefits.
Upon presentation of the Universal Railways card, the cost of tickets on the Sapsan and Allegro trains will be calculated using an additional discount system.
Participation in the loyalty program for passengers traveling on long-distance trains will make it possible to issue award tickets by accumulating points for funds previously spent on them. This program is distributed not only in Russia, but also abroad.
Bonus points can be awarded for trips made since December 2013. Scoring is calculated according to the scheme, where 1 point corresponds to 3.34 Russian rubles. Long-distance trains are not included in this program, since there is a different discount system for them.
Refundable and non-refundable tickets
The amendments to the Charter of the railway transport give the right to choose: to purchase expensive tickets with the possibility of redeeming them or to buy a cheap ticket, which can only be returned for a good reason (accident, sudden illness).
Going on a trip, try to save not only your money, but also your time. It will be more pragmatic, convenient and comfortable to issue tickets while at home, through a computer. Sites that specialize in selling tickets online will help you choose the most convenient route and the most favorable time for sending on the road.
Have a good trip!